Carmageddon Max Pack Skids onto GOG.com!

Posted on September 29, 2012 by geelw

Yeah, yeah, you COULD sit in L.A. traffic and face what they consider “Carmageddon” but that’s not the real deal, folks. Just avoid that vehicular nonsense, stay home and download Carmageddon Max Pack for a measly ten bucks HERE. Hell, it’s a weekend and you don’t really need to drive anywhere anyway, right? And if you’re not in L.A. and don’t get the reference, it’s not important and you should get the game anyway because I said so (nicely). Besides, it’s MUCH safer than getting in a weekend wreck with some fool who was texting while behind the wheel.

Necropolis: Grab This Retro RPG Before It Vanishes Forever

Posted on September 24, 2012 by geelw

I’ll write up a longer review on this awesome RPG Maker 2003 instant classic in a week or so, but check out the video above (ignore the debug stuff at the beginning) and definitely get the game over at RPGMaker.net before its creator, Jude, takes the game down. He’s turning it into a commercial release using MonoGame/XNA, so at some point the currently cancelled version up at RMN will be gone for good. Trust me, the custom 8-bit graphics (which need to be seen full screen, NOT in a window), innovative combo-based battle system (in a turn-based RPG? What the what?!) and overall level of polish make this one of the best NES style RPGs I’ve ever played. OK, let me shut up before this turns into an actual review – go get this game!

Random Indie Game of the Week: The Frozen World

Posted on September 22, 2012 by geelw

Yes, it’s somewhat ancient for a RPG Maker game, but Lys86’s brilliant The Frozen World is still one of my all-time favorites made with the 2000 version of the popular game creation software. While fairly short (you can complete it in under ten hours), the combination of a unique battle system, memorable plot and some great use of music helps lift this one into the heights of great fan games. In fact, the game feels like something you’d have played back on the SNES or Genesis, but the combat has a nice and rewarding Nintendo DS/3DS “touch screen” experience I’ll get to in a bit.

Continue reading →

Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Box: Japanese Fans Get Lucky Again (and What Else Is New?)…

Posted on September 21, 2012 by geelw

Hmmm… and wow, this is a pretty spectacular collection. I’d say this HAS to come out here in one form or another, so what about it, Square Enix? While I’m not the biggest FF fan these days, I’d actually be interested in this just for the historical value. OK, that and the chance to play the redone FF I-VI on the original PlayStation. I’m still more fond of the first nine games over much of what’s come afterwards, but there’s no denying the huge impact the franchise has had on the JRPG scene over time. Again, it’s all about RESPECT and for the most part, Square Enix absolutely deserves it for keeping this flame alive for a quarter century (and still going strong). Feel free to check out that link below if you want to see this in all its bright white packaged glory before whining that you don’t speak and read Japanese and how unfair the world all is or whatever.

You have been warned – this thing is REALLY amazing.

http://store.jp.square-enix.com/special/ff25th

Midway Arcade Origins Trailer: The New Version of Nostalgia For Today’s Consoles

Posted on September 20, 2012 by geelw

Over 30 classic Midway arcade games, most of which bring a huge grin to my face? Check! Llocal co-op multiplayer, achievements, and Leaderboard support? Check! The hard part here is getting some of today’s gamers who think all those indie games they play that rip off a bunch of these ACTUAL classics are “better” to realize that if it weren’t for a bunch of these awesome arcade hits, they’d not have a good chunk of what they’re paying pennies for today. Respect! Anyway, PS3 and Xbox 360 owners are going to be in for a real treat, I say. Long live the arcade hits! OK, WB- Where are the Vita and 3DS versions?

Holiday Gift Guide 2012: Street Fighter Anniversary Collection & Street Fighter Monopoly

Posted on September 19, 2012 by geelw

Looking for something nice and gifty for that Street Fighter fanatic on your list or maybe something cool for your own collection? Well, Capcom has two more rather ridiculously awesome items you can drop some of that disposable income on. Check out what’s in store for you in each of these two box sets of joy. You can snap up the super-limited edition Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collection at Capcom’s online shop, while that Street Fighter Monopoly can get grabbed through Amazon. If I had the room, I’d definitely want both here to fall out of Santa’s sleigh, that’s for sure. Should YOU nab both of these if you’re able to pony up the price? Sure, you can (ha ha)!

Yeah, yeah, it may seem too early to be talking about holiday gift shopping, but hey, in this economy and too many people thinking the world will end because of some Mayans who ran out of room on a big stone slab, you’ll want to grab the good stuff early and sock it away to celebrate with once things blow over on the whole doomsday front.

Need Another Reason to Beat Up on Star Wars? Try Installing Knights of the Old Republic On A PC That SHOULD Play It…

Posted on September 18, 2012 by geelw

With few exceptions, I haven’t had any major issues installing and running older games on my PC, but every once in a while, I get hit with a problem child. While I’m still using Windows XP, I have more than enough memory, an external HDD and a pretty decent nVidia video card (that runs almost everything I’ve thrown at it just fine). Overall, I’m pleased with the results (especially as I don’t play many modern shooters or games that demand an annual or biannual update to a new card just to show off nice and shiny stuff but deliver nothing new in terms of gameplay). Anyway, I finally got stymied big time by of all things, one of my favorite console games I just picked up in its PC incarnation. Worse still, it seems that a lot of other people are having the same (or even more extreme) problems once they manage to install this classic.

Since it was released on the original Xbox back in 2002, I’ve replayed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic at least once a year because it’s a damn good game and like a good book, it deserves a fresh read every so often. After a few years of ignoring the PC port (I was perfectly pleased with digging out the console version), I finally decided to pick up a copy of the PC version mostly to see how it would look at a higher resolution and with whatever improvements any patches added. Turns out, it was Darth Glitchy working the production droids to death in some sweatbox on Dantooine and giving Jabba the Hutt his 70% cut of the profits, as I can’t even get the damned game to install, let alone play…

Continue reading →

Video Game Appreciation 101: System Shock! Into The Bins And Crates of Doom (Part 1)…

Posted on September 16, 2012 by geelw

After a bit of survey-taking earlier Saturday, I decided on a whim to do a bit of cleaning as well as move some stuff around mostly to see just how many systems and such I have packed into the home office. All I’ll say is it’s definitely not a small amount. Anyway, below the jump are a few items from the collection. Nothing super-rare or anything like that, but a random selection of consoles, controllers and other gaming-related ephemera I’ve stocked up over the ages.

To the left, by the way, is my current “Systems Precarious” setup (code name: “Jenga!”): an Xbox (which plays imports and debug code), A Sanyo TRY-1 3DO (well, OK, it’s a bit rare in the US), A boring US PS2 with a HDD that’s faulty), a now non-working Xbox 360 (it died not too long after my Dragon’s Dogma review and I need to get another one) and a Japanese PS2. OK, usually it’s four consoles and not five, but I was playing The Earth Defense Forces 2 the other day just to get prepared for the copy of EDF 3 Portable I have coming in about two weeks. The PS3 and games for it in the living room, by the way (and thanks for asking). You can’t stack anything on top of it, as it’s an “ancient” launch model that’s still kicking. I think I need one of those “extreme” makeovers, gaming edition, as it’s a pretty dopey way to set stuff up.

OK, enough stalling from me – onto the downloading of blurry images and light descriptions…

Continue reading →

NEOGEO X Update: Core Unit Revealed, Still Packing Software Heat

Posted on September 13, 2012 by geelw

In case you were somehow thinking SNK Playmore was going be silent about their new baby, here’s a new update. There will indeed be a standalone NEOGEO X handheld sold and yes, it’s still coming with all 20 free games the Gold units are bundled with. The core unit is $129.99 and looks quite sexy, don’t you think? Could this be the start of a handheld resurgence that has fans snapping up these units out of pure nostalgia plus the hope that it’s entirely possible that we may see SNK use the X as a launcher for its long line of classic arcade and home games? I sure hope so. Bumpy economy aside, it’s really been a damn great year for gaming, that’s for sure!

-g.

Pro Pinball Kickstarter: Bringing Back The Digital Silver Ball Classics Once More

Posted on September 12, 2012 by geelw

While the goal of $400,000 may seem high to non-pinball fans out there, here’s another case where a healthy combo of nostalgia and pure common sense can win big for fans of classic video gaming across the globe. Granted, the Pro Pinball series is originally a 90’s creation, but the excellently designed tables whipped up back then were pretty solid and quite memorable, recalling the days of amazingly creative tables popping up in arcades on a regular basis.

Anyway, check out the pledge page here, as there’s a VERY nice freebie on the page in the form of a download of Big Race USA just for visiting the page. Even better, a mere two dollar pledge will net you two more free tables should the project make its target. Drop a few more quarters into that coins slot and score some really awesome bonuses such as boxed copies of the games for PC and the opportunity to have lunch in Chicago with some of the folks behind the project. Nice! OK, you know what to do – make this thing a reality!