Gaming off the Beaten Path

  As someone who plays old games almost exclusively, I'm constantly reminded of how big the jump between console generations could be. Look at a PS4 game vs. a PS5 title, or an XBox One game vs. a Series S game and it can be hard to tell they are even from different generations. Sure, if you look more closely you can see the newer consoles are superior, but the differences don't always jump off the screen at you. But compare a PS1 game to a PS2 game, or an NES game to an SNES title and you will know the difference immediately. This was a major part of Sega's marketing strategy in the late 80's and early 90's, when the 16-bit Genesis was still competing directly with the 8-bit NES. Sure, the NES may have boasted a much larger library of games featuring some classic titles, but it was much easier to point to a simple screenshot of a Genesis game and say "look." Sure, it was a lot easier to do with some games than others. I've reviewed some earlier Genesi

  Looks like we have yet another video game adaptation, this time from streaming giant Netflix. And this one at least started off promising. I'm not really a big TV person and I had already heard some pretty bad things about the new Resident Evil series. But when I saw that home screen thumbnail with the licker, I had to at least give it a shot. Even though I haven't really discussed it that much here, RE is one of my favorite gaming series of all time. I have three of them on my 10's list, tied for the most with Final Fantasy. Really, I just haven't gotten around to playing any of them yet, it totally has nothing to do with the fact that I largely play games alone, at night in the dark and I'm a huge wimp. Nothing at all. Anyway, I was excited to see what RE would bring to the streaming world and I'm glad I gave this show a shot...so I could let you all know it's probably not worth your time. Let's start with the story. You all know the story of Residen

In a lot of ways, it always seemed like Sega was always chasing the magic that Nintendo was so frequently able to capture. A lot of developers, publishers and general gaming related companies have gotten themselves into trouble with the "because Nintendo did it" mentality. The offending parties quickly learn that just copying the big N isn't enough, if you aren't taking the same care with the games you are building. That usually wasn't a problem with Sega. Sure, they copied their rivals more than I think they should have, but they usually did a pretty good job of doing so. It almost seems like they've gotten better at it than they were when the two companies were actually competing. Even still, it's a little frustrating to see them do it at all, unlike some of the other inferior game companies out there Sega didn't need to try to match their competition move for move. But hey, if you are going to do it, at least do it well. Sega has tried to give Sonic

I have always found strategy RPGs to be among the most interesting subgenres in gaming. In some respects, they feel very different from their more traditional Japanese or Western counterparts in terms of presentation, pacing and structure. On the other, they offer similar party structures and require the same kinds of resource and character management the genre is known for. A lot of people love them, a lot of people don't but I've always been a fan, espec II ially of SRPGs from the 5th generation. The genre was relatively popular at that point, as developers attempted to ride the wave of what most of us consider to be its most commercially successful, mainstream title: Final Fantasy Tactics. There were SRPGs before Tactics (I've already reviewed Shining Force I and II ) and there have been SRPGs since, but FFT went a long way in bringing the genre to the mainstream. And why wouldn't it have? It was a great game in a highly visible series that offered something that wa

  It looks I've gotten myself into a nice little pattern with reviewing Wii games. I started with a typical licensed Wii title, then moved on to an actual game. Well, now it's time to get back to those super fun, always top-quality licensed titles. This week, we have ourselves yet another licensed video game based on another reality show. But this time is going to be a little bit different. Unlike the Amazing Race, which I had only some familiarity with, I've watched a ton of Survivor. I wouldn't call myself a super fan, but I'm definitely a fan and I've seen most of the seasons. Reality shows get a lot of flak for being staged and unoriginal, but remember, Survivor was kind of the OG of the genre. It's crazy that what started as a one-time social experiment has turned into a game show that's run for more than 40 seasons across three decades. I guess it makes sense, stick 20 randos on an island, deny them food, pit them against each other in various gam

While I love retro games as much as the next person, I have mixed feelings about how the video game industry as a whole milks nostalgia for all it's worth. On one hand, it stifles creativity, as studios pump out never ending streams of remakes and remasters of the same games we played 20 years ago. It also prevents those games from standing on their own, almost as if they weren't worthwhile. On the other hand, it has led to some really, really great titles, like the Final Fantasy VII Remake. It has also brough us an almost-subgenre of games, games done in an old school style as homages to their classic counterparts. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night fits squarely into that almost-subgenre and it's easy to see why. The game was the brainchild of Koji Igarashi, a former producer for Konami who had a major role in the creation of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. After leaving the company in 2014, Igarashi couldn't escape fan requests to create a game similar to SOTN. S

Looks Like Bowser is at it again! Nintendo was the unquestioned king of the home console video game world in the 80's, but by the time the 90's rolled around they found their castle was under siege. This siege, led by a super-fast, super hip hedgehog and his edgy compatriots, was going quite well for the Big N's latest rival. Their biggest weapon in all of this was a new, sleek, 16-bit gaming machine that has the aging NES on the ropes. Between the marketing blitz and blast processing and top-of-the-line graphics, Nintendo had their hands full. The NES had some great games, like Super Mario Bros. 3, but it just couldn't compete with the Genesis from a technical standpoint. However, Nintendo wasn't about to hand over the crown just yet. They were ready with some brand-new firepower of their own, kicking off the 90's with the new Super NES. Now they had their own 16-bit machine, a new console to help them defend their figurative crown. But a console alone wasn'