Podcast: Collections for the Ages
Game collections have gone through several iterations of evolution and provide more than a mere bundling of games. What started as a quantity over quality approach to the early days of gaming, the next thing we see on consoles is Nintendo providing one of the most popular collections of all time on the SNES. Fred and Jam dissect the different types of collections and each company’s approach to bringing multiple titles in one package.
Lost Treasures of Gaming: TechnoCop (Genesis)
This week the Lost Teasures of Gaming Podcast did not have an interviewee, but that doesn’t stop the site’s main podcast, The OMG! Hour, from featuring a Lost Treasure of Gaming. TechnoCop is a microcomputer title that was mostly known for its Amiga port that made a quite faithful transition over to the Mega Drive/Genesis. Combing gunplay with driving as a hybrid with Roadblasters and Rolling Thunder of sorts, it’s an interesting title you may not be aware of.
Check out the Lost Treasures of Gaming podcast at http://www.omgnexus.com.
Podcast: Radiant Level Editors
We all love games that breathe creativity, but what can really enhance a game are tools that allow for custom user levels. A handful of early titles included level creators and regardless of the game, genre, or type an underground community has always sprung up from these level editors. This week Fred and Jam (along with the community) chat about remembered level editors.
The Little Plumber That Could
It was 30 years (and one day) ago today that the video game Super Mario Bros. premiered on the Famicom (aka NES) console in Japan. We also got it over here in America the same year, but at the time the bookkeeping on release dates of games was quite poor. If you really want to learn the messed up system and why we cannot exactly pinpoint the release, please check out Frank Cifaldi’s amazing piece on the topic, but suffice to say the Nintendo official October 18, 1985 release date is suspect. Controversy over when the plumber exactly appeared is an academic’s interest at best because there’s no denying that since 1985 we now have a video game equivalent to Mickey Mouse. Even more interesting is that beyond being a marketing giant and notable face for the company Nintendo, Super Mario Bros. was neither the first appearance (or even the second) of the plumber, but it was the most important one starring him. In fact, I might even say it was the most significant video game in history.
Ongoing Series: Rule of Rose Longplay
Rule of Rose is one of the rarest and most sought after Playstation 2 games, fetching more than $100 online. Since we aren’t even sure if the game is worth it, Fred dug out his copy to play through and check it out with the community. You can catch these broadcasts live on twitch.tv/gh101 and get notices for steams by subscribing. This post will cumulatively build to the full longplay.
Lost Treasures of Gaming: Mr. Robot and his Robot Factory
This week’s Lost Treasures of Gaming featured Sean’s favorite game growing up, Mr. Robot and his Robot Factory. Developed by interviewee Ron Rosen, this game bears a striking resemblance to Miner 2049er save for the fact that it had more than twice the number of levels and a level editor built in. This week Fred takes a stab at the platformer and does relatively well.
Check out the Lost Treasures of Gaming podcast at http://www.omgnexus.com.
Extra Credit: Sega/Mega CD Community Top 10
Jam and Fred chimed in for almost two hours on our favorite games and now it’s time for the community to adjust the games list accordingly.
Podcast: Top Scores, Volume 3
Video game soundtracks transcend time to the right audience. No matter how many you have heard, there’s always that track that escapes you or is just on the tip of your tongue that you can’t recognize. Whether it’s nostalgia or a killer cut you’re hearing for the first time, the community and our hosts Fred and Jam have a great show of video game music this time around. Missed the first two volumes? Check out Top Scores, Vol. 1 and Top Scores, Vol. 2!
Please Note: Those that listened to the live show may have noticed a quality drop in the stream from time to time. As a result, all music tracks were re-edited in as masters in this final episode. You should notice no quality drops.
Download this episode (right click and save)
Retro Game Night: Mega Man Legacy Collection
The Mega Man Legacy Collection just released with the first six NES games blown up in beautiful 1080p and plenty of goodies. Fred checks out the emulation, some of the features, and proves he’s still quite terrible at Mega Man.
Lost Treasures of Gaming: Dragon’s Lair (Gameboy Color)
This week’s Lost Treasures of Gaming featured Mike Mika (some know him as “Donkey Kong Dad”) discussing one of his larger feats: porting the arcade version of Dragon’s Lair to the Gameboy Color along with his team. The feat is difficult and the result is impressive, especially when you see a 500 MB+ title reduced to 4 MB. We check it out, compare the arcade version, and die a lot.
Check out the Lost Treasures of Gaming podcast and other content at http://www.omgnexus.com.
Gaming History 101 