Skip to main content

Gaming off the Beaten Path Podcast


Want more retro gaming content? Just don't like reading? Then check out the Gaming off the Beaten Path podcast, available wherever podcasts are available.


Apple Podcasts




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Alex Kidd in Miracle World

I've been skirting around it for a few years now, but its finally time to add yet another console to the list. A few years ago, I reviewed Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, a Genesis platformer that I didn't really enjoy all that much. I talked a little bit about how Alex Kidd was Sega's mascot before Sonic became a thing and how hyped up I was to give AKITEC a try, having heard so much about the series. That was part of the reason the game fell flat for me, though poor level design and awful boss fights were more than likely the bigger culprits. What I didn't realize at the time was that much of the positive sentiment I had heard about the series had nothing to do with its lone Genesis entry. Instead, much of the positivity was focused on the various entries on Sega's third generation console, a machine that I have been looking for an excuse to play for a long time. For most North American gamers, the Genesis was the first time we interacted with Sega. Many peop...

Valkyrie Profile: Part 1

Since I started creating gaming content, I've promised myself and the few readers I have that I was going to be as honest as possible. I'm going to do that, even if it gets me in trouble. While I try to avoid really ridiculous hot takes, I'm going to absolutely call out games that I don't really like, even if they are otherwise popular. That goes for the popular selections for "hidden gems" or "underrated" games as well. I don't do it often, but I certainly have demonstrated that I have no problem doing it. I did it relatively recently with Yoshi's Island and I've done it in the past with other games like Alundra or Jet Grind Radio. Some of those games I've liked, just not as much as others. Some of them I have actively disliked despite how well regarded they are. Sometimes I get why these games are so beloved (I hated the controls in Yoshi's Island but my goodness is it beautiful and unique). Other times, I don't (Alundra is...

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance

It's time to keep the GBA Metroidvania train rolling. We started with Castlevania, then moved on to Metroid, and now it's time to make our way back to Dracula's castle. I was pleasantly surprised last year when I, sort of on a whim, decided to take a shot at Castlevania: Circle of the Moon on the Game Boy Advance. I had heard good things about the handheld titles in the series, but never actually took the time to play any of them. And that's a shame, because Circle of the Moon was outstanding. It was truly an exceptional example of just what the tiny but mighty GBA was capable of. It got me excited to dig into the other games in the genre I had missed from that console, both Metroid and Castlevania alike. I moved right along to Metroid: Zero Mission and while I wasn't as high on it as I was COTM, it was still a solid experience that was incredibly well designed and polished. So naturally, the next step in the progression was back to 'Vania with the next in that...