I remember a time when shooters were games like Gradius and R-Type.
I remember a time when there were no bald, burly space marines.
I remember not giving a shit about 3D in games. Oh wait, I still don’t give a shit about 3D in games.
I remember (and loved) when GTA was in 2D.
I remember a time when the east ruled.
I remember when JRPG’s were referred to as just RPG’s.
I remember when Final Fantasy games had towns in them.
I remember when the people who imported their games at a premium price and learned another language to read the dialogue text on the screen in an RPG were known as “hardcore gamers”, and not people who simply play Madden and FPS.
I remember a time before DJ Hero when there was just Beat Mania.
I remember a time before Rock Band/Guitar Hero when there was just Un Jammer Lammy.
I remember a time before Def Jam Rapstar when there was just PaRappa The Rapper.
I remember as a kid I thought it would be cool to control games with nothing but my body.
I remember being an idiot when I was a kid.
I remember when games came out faster due to developers not being forced to add online multiplayer to a game that has no reason to have it in the first place.
I remember when you challenged someone to a game, you stood right next to them so that when you called someone a “faggot”, you could and would get smacked in the face.
I remember when certain Snes cartridges cost $60-$80 when they came out.($60 games aren’t a new thing, “stop bitching” is what I’m saying.)
I remember when video game magazines mattered.
I remember when magazines mattered.
I remember when we played games with a controller.
I remember when I wasn’t a bitter old man.
I am a big podcast nerd. I subscribe to 20+ podcasts and listen to them throughout the week. A majority of them are video game related podcasts which is ironic since I don’t play as many video games as I once use to. Oddly enough I still manage to follow everything going on in the scene. The one thing that I find sorely missing is in-depth coverage of Japanese imports. With the attention shifting more and more to western developed games, it feels like Japanese centric games are taking a back seat and the lack of coverage on them is proof of this.
Thankfully, former editors of the now defunct Play magazine Nick Des Barres aka “Nick Rox”, Casey Loe and Eric Patterson aka “Shidoshi” have a podcast that is strictly about import Japanese gaming entitled “Warning! A huge Podcast Is Approaching Fast” What’s great is that their prologue episode(#0) they talk about their history in the industry working for both Gamefan and Play magazines. Their little spat with EGM and Nick Rox goes into his frame counting prowess and how he got the legendary nickname “Blue Shadows”. In their official first episode they get into a more traditional routine and delve into 2 hours of straight import game talk. If you have any interest in the fading Japanese gaming scene, this podcast is for you.
Also keep an eye out for 8-4‘s podcast helmed by former EGM editors Mark Macdonald and John Riccardi which will also cover primarily Japanese games. Until then.
Team Ico is one of the main reasons why I play video games. Fumito Ueda is apart of my holy trinity of game designers. Shigeru Miyamoto, Hideo Kojima and Fumito Ueda are designers whose games I hold up on a pedestal. As long as these three continue to make video games, I will continue to play them.
On my list of favorite games of all time, Shadow of the Colossus and Ico are my number one and two. To say I’ve been eagerly awaiting a follow up from this team is an understatement. I’ve been anticipating this since I slayed the last colossus in SotC. I’ve kept tabs and written a post(once here and again here) anytime new information would leak out concerning the next Ueda/Kaido opus. To finally see something visually to go along with all I’ve heard about this game makes me incredibly happy.
Kaido/Ueda
Trico
Project Trico(tentative title) looks to have all of the trappings of a Team Ico game. An expansive, far reaching environment, a large puzzle filled labyrinth, an overall sense of isolation, the familiar level and character design. It’s all here. Just like past games, the reliance of another character plays heavy into the gameplay. Even though you relied on Agro while fighting many of the Colossi, he still felt like a secondary character. This new animal, a sort of dog faced griffin with underdeveloped wings, seems to be designed with more personality. Even more cutesy for the reason to what I’m guessing is to make the player grow more attached to it as it helps you along your journey. I have yet to play this game but watching the trailer of the animal carrying the child on his head with it’s body riddled with several arrows struck a chord with me. And if it can evoke this kind of reaction all before even playing the game, I can’t imagine how I’ll feel when I actually do.
That’s what makes Team Ico so brilliant as a development team. They convey emotion all with minimalism. Sure you can tell a heart breaking story in Final Fantasy when all you have is hours and hours of dialogue, but when you can do it with next to no talking, it’s a much more impressive feat. This game is the reason I bought a PS3 and I’m sure will be mentioned along with Ico and SotC as another strong example as games as art.
First episode of CO-OP is here! The former crew behind The 1UP Show are back and in this inaugural episode former 1UP/EGM staff talk Game of the Year 2008. Between CO-OP, Rebel FM and The Geekbox, it almost feels like old times. Now I just need Garnett, Shane and John Davidson to reunite and record a podcast on a weekly basis and then and only then will my need be completely satiated.
It’s been tough for me to see the recent demise of EGM and 1UP. I’ve been a huge fan of 1UP for a couple years now and I would spend literally 5 to 6 hours of my week listening to the various podcasts and watching the latest episode of the 1Up Show. After all that time you really got to know these people like they were your friends who you talked and played games with. To see so many of them lose their job is a very grim thing. Not only for many of us who are fans but most especially for them no longer having a job.
Electronic Gaming Monthly was the other major casualty of the UGO buyout. I haven’t subscribed to it since I was in high school but ever since I’ve been playing video games, it’s been Gamepro, EGM and which ever Dave Halverson magazine was out at the time. To have one of them not on the magazine rack is pretty damn depressing. It’s a small part of my childhood gone for good.
The earliest, most memorable EGM moment was back when I was in 5th or 6th grade. I was riding the bus home from school and someone had the EGM issue where they had that infamous “Sheng Long” screen cap. I freaked out and thought to myself, “Who the fuck is the old guy with fire on the end of his Dragon Punch?!”
My friends were saying how it was some secret boss even more harder to beat than Bison! My mind exploded. I don’t remember when I found out that that was all just a April Fools Day prank but I, along with EVERY other kid who was obsessed with Street Fighter, felt like a complete idiot.
*sigh* Remembering this makes me a little teary eyed. Goodbye Quarterman. Goodbye Sushi X. May you two live forever in the annals of game journalism. Farewell EGM, thanks for the memories.
If the graphics for the new King of Fighters game is proportional to the actual gameplay, it will be the greatest fighting game ever created by humans. Look at that flipping screen! The background characters, the detail, the colors, the character designs, the lovely hand drawn goodness. Good god, it’s 2D graphical Valhalla encapsulated in one screen shot. I might as well give SNK Playmore my $60 now cause I will buy this game, next gen system or not.
This picture makes me cry tears of pure uncut joy. I’m at a loss for words, so read up about it on Kotaku or wherever you choose to get your video gaming news from. I think only 200 are to be made available through the Capcom online store. So if you are one of the few to be lucky enough to snag one, just know you’ll be a marked man among retro gamers worldwide. I just can’t type right now from all the wiping away of happy tears. *sniff*
Side Note: The NES Cart is just a replica and doesn’t really work in your Nintendo system.
If I could go back in time, I would keep reliving the joyous moment a few weeks back when I found out that Chrono Trigger was coming to the Nintendo DS. Well, that or go back to when the actual “Dream Team” came up with the idea for this legendary game and somehow make it so that I was known as the one who named it or some shit like that.
I’m afraid though that during one of my many visits back, I would fuck something up and accidentally create a time paradox which would disrupt the space/time continuum and all existence would then cease to exist. Then sadly along with all of humanity non existent, we wouldn’t have Chrono Trigger for the DS, and that would be bad.
“Hey Frog, let’s take it back, waaaaay back. Back into time.”
“Metroidvania” is a term I feel more gamers should be aware of. Here Jeremy Parish, Scott Sharkey and Chris Kohler of 1up and Retronauts fame discuss a sub genre that is pretty much obsolete in our current state of gaming. “Metroidvania” is basically a free roaming, back tracking 2D game where your exploration relied on obtaining certain items which allowed you to continue to unlock and explore new areas. What’s funny is that the first Castlevania had definite level divisions with no back tracking whatsoever. That’s easily overlooked considering Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is probably THE pinnacle of all 2D “Metroidvania” games. It’s the gold standard in which all other games in this odd sub genre are compared to.
A totally interesting yet completely hilarious podcast. It made me realize how important and revolutionary both the Metroid and Castlevania series are and have a new found appreciation for them.
I’ve been thinking about how incredibly picky I am when it comes to which games I buy. I hardly have enough time to even play games. On top of that, I don’t buy as many games as your average gamer. This has lead me to the conclusion that at the current prices for this generations consoles(even the Wii), that it is still not worth it for me to go out and buy one just yet.
I have to say, MGS4 really pushed me to my limit though. I literally was there in the store cash in hand and the only thing that stopped me was that they were out of stock of PS3’s on that particular day and the deal I wanted to take advantage of ended on that day. I know it’s gonna be tough everytime a new Hot Shots Golf comes out or when Final Fantasy XIII, Little Big Planet and White Knight Story all make their way into the gaming publics hands. I feel I can withstand those releases considering MGS4 was the biggest hurdle I had to overcome thus far. It was the crack rock in the pipe and I withstood it and held my ground.
All this being said, mark my words right now. I will purchase a PS3 when the next Team Ico game is released. I repeat, I WILL PURCHASE A PS3 WHEN THE NEXT TEAM ICO GAME IS RELEASED. There will be no possible way I’ll be able to resist. Team Ico games are like heroin to me. I love both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus so much if I could I would melt them down and inject them directly into my veins.
A Love Supreme Dreaming... 
You must be logged in to post a comment.