DAY ONE "Dev diary". Tch. Sounds a bit... pompous, don't you think? All I'm doing is making a game, and that's... that's not the same as being a developer, somehow. In any case, this log serves two purposes: One, to put off actually starting this project for just a tiny bit longer because once I … Continue reading A dev diary
Category: _Ramblings
The what, why, and how of playing arcade games at home
What "What" is the easiest part: This is a ramble covering the topic mentioned in the title above - playing arcade games at home, specifically using real arcade hardware connected to an ordinary TV rather than bringing a cabinet into the living room. I will stress this is not a guide as such, more "practical … Continue reading The what, why, and how of playing arcade games at home
The same in a different way
Look, I'll admit it - when Ys Seven was in its teasing pre-release advertising phase I didn't like what I saw at all. Why has the artwork been changed? What's this about a party system? And there's no PC version at all? Seriously?! Whatever this made-for-PSP Ys was going to be, it sure as heck wasn't going to … Continue reading The same in a different way
Suffer, like G did!
The House of the Dead 2 is fondly remembered for many reasons: Its incredible gameplay, its abundance of enjoyably gruesome enemies, its complex route system bursting with secrets... and its cheesy dialogue, spoken cheesily by cheesy characters. Today I am going to defend that giant block of gaming Cheddar, and I'm not going to fall back … Continue reading Suffer, like G did!
One more can’t hurt…
Not all DLC is created equal. There are traditional expansions, regularly refreshed season passes, and little playable extras that are too good to be free even if they're not quite substantial enough to be sold as a full campaign. There are premium music bundles to listen to (hi there, Super Robot Wars), and shiny new cars … Continue reading One more can’t hurt…
Playing with portable power
Casio's catchily named PB-100 launched in 1983, and while not cheap (it cost about £50 at the time, which is roughly £170 today) it was always intended to be a reasonably basic BASIC-compatible pocket computer and so has a feature set to match. This relative lack of power comes with one big benefit: Battery life. … Continue reading Playing with portable power
Der Wille zur Macht
I don't remember much about any part of this trilogy - the last time I played these games they were newly released US imports, which would have been... about eighteen years ago now - but I do remember they were stuffed full of religious imagery, a memory Xenosaga: Episode I is eager to refresh over and over … Continue reading Der Wille zur Macht
For FAQs sake
I love strategy guides. I use them a lot, and I think everyone should turn to them when they get stuck. When you're time-poor, have no patience or energy for "One of us always tells the truth/One of us always lies" style riddles, and possess a sense of direction so woeful an amoeba would find … Continue reading For FAQs sake
Let’s get ready to rhumble!
Nintendo ushered in rumble-tastic gaming with the wonderful Star Fox 64 (or Lylat Wars, as we used to call it over here) in 1997 with Sony's PlayStation introducing the new all-in-one DualShock controller just a few months later, offering not only built-in battery-free vibrations but also two - two! - analogue sticks as standard, unknowingly defining the basic features and … Continue reading Let’s get ready to rhumble!
Online players are real people
Square-Enix recently published a lengthy FAQ outlining in great detail, with collapsible segments and example conversations, the sort of behaviour they deem to be unacceptable in their hugely successful MMO, Final Fantasy XIV. This is in many ways extraordinary in itself, going far beyond the broad and safely acceptable (and largely ignorable and/or under-moderated) rules … Continue reading Online players are real people