MUSIC! Retro City Rampage Soundtrack Will Rock Your Ears To Bits…

Posted on October 16, 2013 by geelw

Yeah. You NEED this download NOW. Your gamer side will squeeze you hard and your music side will grin as its head bops up and down to these pleasing bloops and bleeps from the not terrible at all trio of virt (Jake Kaufman), Freaky DNA (Leonard J. Paul) and Norrin Radd (Michael Creamer). 35 tracks, available on Bandcamp as a digital download or CD. That very limited edition 23-track Vinyl LP (Holy K-Tel, Batman!) is all sold out online (booo!). But I’ll bet you a nickel if you poke around your nearest or farthest hipster record shoppe that still does mail order (or is within traveling distance), you MAY be able to score a platter for not a king’s ransom. Unless Prince buys that last copy… then it’s going to cost you more…

Humor: My Potential Halloween Costume Options (If I Were To Venture Outside That Day)…

Posted on October 15, 2013 by geelw

I don’t go out on Halloween anymore because I’m old, slow, cranky in crowds and shouldn’t eat so much candy. All that and it’s just not safe in this city under certain circumstances. I used to pop out in costume and attend all sorts of activities up until the late 80’s/early 90’s so all those memories (fading or not) suit me fine. That said, thanks to a recent wave of nostalgia hitting me over the head, I’ve decided to at least go to the trouble of picking out potential costume ideas if I was going to hit the Halloween party circuit this year. Both choices are from ancient TV ads I saw too many times growing up and yeah, both outfits are bizarre in their own ways for a number of reasons. Anyway, the first one is cool because I actually never liked Fig Newtons all that much until I saw this ad. Later on, I could blame D.H. Lawrence for making me confused about figs, but that’s another story for another time, *ahem*…

(thanks, BICUSAWriting!)

As for that other costume, hey – who doesn’t like bananas that can draw cartoons? Well, I know a few folks who despise them (well, just the bananas part) and I used to hate them myself for a while. But they’re LOADED with potassium and other good stuff and I need that good stuff to keep breathing. I was thinking of a few other costume options, but I don’t even think anyone would even get a huge box of Calgon strolling down the street other than a few old ladies who’d chase me down and ask for free samples. Or I’d be chased down the street by actual Asians calling me a racist for my stupid cardboard and paint outfit. Who knew nostalgia could be so dangerous to one’s health?

Hmmm… maybe I’ll stay home after all and just watch spooky flicks on TCM all day. Yeah, that’s the ticket…

Happy Birthday, Retro City Rampage (Yes, This Means A Nice SALE)!

Posted on October 9, 2013 by geelw

OK, where’s my CAKE? You can’t have a par-tay without cake and screw that Portal nonsense about the cake being a lie. I’ve got over 40 birthdays that say otherwise, grrrr! Anyway, yes, Brian Provinciano’s awesome mash-up of pure 2D bliss, Retro City Rampage, is a whole year old today and to celebrate, you get that video above and a BIG sale below. OK, not below… just click HERE, have that wallet (and a smile) ready and you’re all good to go. And if you already own the game, good! Get it for someone else or even yourself if you pre-ordered the PC version and happen to own a PS3 or Vita. Whee! Can you tell I just LOVE sales. And cake. WHERE’S MY CAAAAAAKE! Seriously, I have none here and really want a slice. And some ice cream. And a cuppa coffee. And a pony…

Dustforce Trailer: This Sneaky Sweepy Game Could Lead To Good Clean Fun…

Posted on October 8, 2013 by geelw

I actually haven’t played Hitbox Team’s Dustforce yet thanks to my Steam Library being already packed with stuff I haven’t gotten to yet and the fact that I simply do not live on Steam like a lot of folks who swear by the service do. I’ve got a good 30 or so other consoles here and believe it or else, I play a few of them every month when I get the time, so digital games are generally low on the totem pole unless they’re highly recommended or I get a review code popping up in my inbox. That said, this looks pretty fun, quite amusing and right up my nostalgic alley on a few fronts. It’s also going to be a game I’ll recommend to cranky adults who say games are DIRECTLY responsible for all sorts of behavior. If that’s true, then I say forcing your kids to play this until they plotz will make them the cleanest kids EVER. You won’t even need to ask them to do the dishes, sweep up or clean that mucky oven out. You’ll open your mouth to speak, but *Poof!*, it’ll get DONE before a letter leaves your lips!

Dustforce arrives on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita this January. Oh yeah – don’t get mad at Capcom that this isn’t on the Wii U, kids. They’re only PUBLISHING the game. If you want to fire off a missive of cranky “importance” go bug the folks at Hitbox Team for not having a Wii U dev kit or whatever.

Strider NYCC Trailer: Hiryu Go Again!

Posted on October 8, 2013 by geelw

Capcom and developer Double Helix are counting on a combination of classic old school hard gameplay and a fan base who actually remembers the arcade classic or other versions of Strider to make this reboot a big hit and I think they’re on the right track. So far, the combination of lush 2D and 3D visuals, familiar gameplay with some nice twists and what I’m hearing is a high level of challenge should propel this to some decent scores and sales on anything it’s released on. Sadly, there’s no Wii U version (yet), but hopefully this error will be rectified sooner than later. Those Wii U owners tend to get mighty cranky when they feel they’re being screwed over, that’s for sure…

Stuff You Can’t Unsee: So Much For Good Star Wars Memories…

Posted on October 7, 2013 by geelw

Eep, Opp, Ork, Ugh. To quote a certain dark Jedi, NOOOOOOOOOO!

OK, I automatically shut down the thought of even looking at any images or reading up on a lot of info when George Lucas sold off Star Wars to Disney, but this picture popped up in an email I got the other day and it made me laugh and cringe simultaneously because a few years back it would have been someone really good with Photoshop who cooked this up and not the reality it’s turned out to be…

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106 Newly Found Doctor Who Episodes Prove Time Travel Exists. Sort Of.

Posted on October 7, 2013 by geelw

“Are we going to Addis Ababa, Mr. Luthor?”

OK, this is weird, folks. Hmmm. Remember that classic Doctor Who episode where they bury a box of mysterious and seemingly random stuff in the desert in Africa in the distant past and the Doc says (with a grin, of course) “Now, this will be REALLY important one day in the future!”?

Anyone? No?

Well, that’s probably because that episode is most likely in this set of 106 formerly “lost” Who shows found by fans in Ethiopia recently. Longtime fans know a good chunk of the 1960’s shows were ~~erased or taped over~~ “lost” by the BBC, but according to The Daily Mirror website, 106 shows from between 1964 to 1969 ended up being sold to the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency. Why? Ask the Doctor, I say. I’ll bet he knows. Anyway, I’m gathering BBC will no doubt be getting these cleaned up and re-aired (and sold on DVD) sooner than later, as the historical value on these is probably going to be ratings platinum for the network. I’m hoping they run them here in the US at the same time on BBC America, as it’ll be annoying hearing spoilers and such spill out from over the pond from overly giddy fans there.

Edit: Aha. the Beeb will be airing these shows starting this week. Yay and boo, as we BBC America viewers haven’t a clue as to when we’ll be seeing them. Still, I’m a happy and patient camper, so I’ll wait until these eventually make the trip over and stay away from forums discussing the new old shows.

“I wonder what they’re wearing in Addis Ababa?”

Looks like a burnous, Miss Tesmacher. Looks like a burnous.

(Hmmm, someone better tell Miss Tesmacher and Otis that not only are we NOT going to Addis Ababa, they’re completely in the wrong post…)

RETRO Magazine Kickstarter: Old Folks Talkin’ About Games Seems Like A Darn Good Idea…

Posted on October 6, 2013 by geelw

And given that I’m ancient enough myself to actually know and have read a lot of work from these old folks, that’s not an insult above and this KS is right up my alley. OK, I’ll be good from this point on, folks. Anyway, RETRO is a big Kickstarter project by some of he best known names from the gaming press’ best years as you’ll see when you check out that link. I know of a few people who could be potential contributors (well, I’m on that list I have in my head as well), but we’ll see if this mag makes its target. It SHOULD, as there’s way too little gaming history and appreciation out there with all the internet whining and moaning about modern gaming’s many issues. RETRO should be a kick in the pants and head the community clearly needs.

Creepy Archives #17: Nostalgia is Sheer Terror, NYC, Hot Pants, and Sharks…

Posted on September 30, 2013 by geelw

Dark Horse Comics has been compiling every issue of Warren Publishing’s excellent horror anthology magazines CREEPY and EERIE for some time now and I’ve finally had the chance to sit down with a few volumes. I had most of these mads back in the late 70’s and early 80’s when my comic collecting was getting seriously out of hand, so these reprints have been kicking me right in the nostalgic bits and it hurts so good.

Creepy Archives #17 is available as a pre-order from Things From Another World (buy it!) and among the other fine and frightening tales in this tome drawn by some great illustrators, by the way) are a few I recall quite fondly for different reasons Creepy #83 (October 1976) featured “Country Pie”, an interesting tale from workhorse writer Bruce Jones about a small town’s police trying to track a serial killer using a psychic’s clues as the killer meets up with his latest victim. While far Jones’ best script (it gives up its secret too soon and some will guess the twist right away), the story is remembered for its art from the unusual pairing of Carmine Infantino and Berni Wrightson (yes, it’s as weird as it sounds, but it works wonderfully). Infantino gets to ink his own work later in Bill DuBay’s somewhat average “The Last Super Hero”, but you’ll need to be a huge fan of his quirky artwork to truly appreciate it…

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Humor: Oh, I Have Bad Dreams Every Now and Then…

Posted on September 22, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, awesomelybadcrap!)

Well, “bad” being relative. OK, it had Twiki from that awful as hell Buck Rogers in the 25th Century show from the 80’s (and by “awful”, I mean I watched it every freakin’ week hoping to hell it would get better). I stuck around for the effects and hated the acting, cheap costumes and most of all that cross between R2-D2 and Tattoo from Fantasy Island, Twiki. Despite (or because) of the late Mel Blanc voicing the robot as if he was a Borscht Belt Looney Tunes character, that tacky as hell gold paint job and the fact that for some reason, he got a love interest (what, there was an affirmative action program for little people on TV shows back then?). Anyway, I guess it wasn’t that bad a dream as I didn’t drop dead in my sleep…

That only happens if I dream of Jason of Star Command:

(thanks, AgentX35!)