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Count_Zero

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  1. Count_Zero
    <p>The Remember Me Let’s Play continues, with proof why you shouldn’t play video games with a cat on your shoulder.</p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/cyberpunk/'>Cyberpunk</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/remember-me/'>Remember Me</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/science-fiction/'>science fiction</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/transhumanism/'>Transhumanism</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2682/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2682/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2682&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/lets-play-remember-me-part-11-protip-do-not-play-with-cat-on-shoulder/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  2. Count_Zero
    <p>This time we make our way through the game’s second sewer level.</p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/cyberpunk/'>Cyberpunk</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/remember-me/'>Remember Me</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/science-fiction/'>science fiction</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/transhumanism/'>Transhumanism</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2686/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2686/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2686&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/lets-play-remember-me-part-13-yet-another-sewer-level/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  3. Count_Zero
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/kgx5f_7RYlQ?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
    <p>My latest review is up, as I give my thoughts on John Scalzi’s Hugo Award nominated book, “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765334798/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0765334798&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Redshirts</a><img style="border:none !important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765334798" width="1" height="1" border="0" />“</p>
    <p>The short version – it wasn’t my cup of tea.</p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/books/'>Books</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/book-review/'>book review</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hugo-award/'>Hugo Award</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hugo-awards/'>Hugo Awards</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hugo-awards-2013/'>Hugo Awards 2013</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/john-scalzi/'>John Scalzi</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/redshirts/'>Redshirts</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/science-fiction/'>science fiction</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/videos-2/'>Videos</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2634/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2634/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2634&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
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  4. Count_Zero
    Get Bones: Season 1 from Amazon.com
    I enjoy mysteries. I read Sherlock Holmes novels as a kid. I read pulp detective novels and Agatha Christie novels as a teen. As a grown up I’ve found myself drawn to the current trend of forensic detective TV series, like CSI on CBS. After missing the boat early on, I’ve picked up the first season of Bones, and have given it a watch.
    The show focuses on Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (played by Emily Deschanel), a woman with a doctorate in Forensic Anthropology who works at the Jeffersonian Institution (not-the-Smithsonian). She’s also a novelist, and probably on-spectrum (and it doesn’t help her mental state that she was knocked around the foster kid system for a while). She’s partnered with FBI Special Agent Seely Booth, an ex-marine sniper (played by David Boreanaz), a more intuitive kind of guy. Togeather–wait for it–they fight crime!
    Internet meme’s aside, this is a good show. The forensic anthropologist take on the genre is one that’s a nice twist on the standard Forensic Cop Show formula, which has been iterated upon ever since Quincy M.E. and refined by the CSI Franchise. The acting is excellent, the writing is generally good, and I can kind of keep track of the technobabble (though I’m taking a Medical Terminology class, so that effects things some).
    This doesn’t mean the show’s flawless. One of the things I hated about Quincy is that in the show, the police treated forensic evidence and the scientific method with slightly less respect and validity than the Amazing Randi would treat tarot card readings and using a ouija board. While the FBI treats forensic anthropology with a little more respect than that, there’s this constantly running trend on the show of conflict between cops and the “squints”. Ultimately the squints are always vindicated, that’s one running trend that I would be happy to see die in popular culture.
    All of that said, Bones (at least its first season) is a solid forensic detective show, and a good pick for someone who is looking for a show of that type that doesn’t involve Jerry Bruckheimer.
    Filed under: Reviews, Television
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  5. Count_Zero
    <p>This week I’m starting a Let’s Play of <em>Remember Me</em>, a 2013 title from Capcom with some Transhumanist Cyberpunk themes.</p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/capcom/'>Capcom</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/remember-me/'>Remember Me</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2660/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2660/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2660&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/lets-play-remember-me-part-1-jailbreak-2/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  6. Count_Zero
    <p>At long last we get through the first chapter of the game.</p>
    <embed src="http://blip.tv/play/h6Vcg4qpPAA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/genji-days-of-the-blade/'>Genji: Days of the Blade</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/playstation-3/'>PlayStation 3</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/ps3/'>PS3</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2318/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2318/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2318&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
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  7. Count_Zero
    <p>This time we get to the actual data-steal.</p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a> Tagged: <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/remember-me/'>Remember Me</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/science-fiction/'>science fiction</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2673/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2673/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="https://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2673&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/lets-play-remember-me-part-7-the-heist/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  8. Count_Zero
    We’re continuing with our Nintendo Power Recaps, with issue 42 for November of 1992. Our cover story for this issue is Super Star Wars for the SNES.
    Joe & Mac Guide
    The first major cave man platformer has come out for the NES, and the art on this preview fails anatomy pretty badly. We get maps of the first 4 levels of the game, as well as notes for fighting the various bosses.
    Crash & The Boys Street Challenge Guide
    This is, essentially, a Track & Field game with a River City Ransom skin. We have Hammer Throw Golf, Water Slaughter (a swimming event, where both competitors can fight underwater if they so choose, and they do choose), Skyline Scramble (pole vault between the roofs of buildings), and Judo (straight-up fight).
    Mega Man 1 Guide
    It’s been some time since Mega Man 1 came out, but they’re gonna take a moment to revisit it for those who didn’t subscribe to the old Nintendo Fun Club newsletter. We get maps of the stages for Bomb Man, Guts Man, Cut Man, Elecman, Ice Man, Fire Man, and Dr. Wily’s castle.
    Legend of Zelda Comic
    Roam defeats the multi-headed serpent, and Zelda is freed. Link and Zelda and Roam escape the fire temple before it explodes. Roam then says that he’ll be the one to defeat Ganon and sets out on his own. Zelda tells Link that while a magic arrow is what it takes to defeat Ganon, Roam’s attitude will likely be his downfall. As they’re about to enter the castle, Roam appears, and his negative emotions summons spirits of the various enemies Link has defeated, including Aghanim. The spirit of Aghanim overcomes Roam, and they merge into Ganon! To Be Continued.
    The Flintstones Guide
    Last issue we got a guide for the Jetson’s game. This issue we have a guide from the Flintstones game. We get notes for each of the levels in the game, but no maps for the levels.
    Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins Guide
    We get notes on the various zones in the game, but not maps for the various levels in the game.
    Track & Field Guide
    The Game Boy has a track and field game of its very own now. We get a run down of the events in the game.
    WWF Superstars 2 Guide
    Another wrestling game for the Game Boy. We get a run down of 3 of the 6 wrestlers who appear in the game, Hogan, the Undertaker, and the Mountie.
    Super Mario Adventures Comic
    The wedding of Bowser and Peach has arrived! The ceremony begins and Mario makes his dramatic entrance right at “Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peaceâ€.
    Final Fantasy Mystic Quest Guide
    Instead of getting Final Fantasy V, we’re getting this incredibly simplified RPG. It’s probably even more linear than Final Fantasy XIII was accused of being. We get maps of the dungeons and information on where to go (though, having played the game, I can say that it’s really hard to get lost.) We get maps of the forest dungeon, the earth dungeon, and the water dungeon.
    Super Star Wars Guide
    We get maps of the levels in the game, and some power up notes. It looks like while the graphics are better, they have made the levels a little smaller, and have dropped some of the more non-linear elements of the original, which is for the best. The notes for the levels continue on to the poster, covering every level in the game.
    Shooter Feature
    We get coverage of two shooters this issue, one is Axelay, which was an Also Ran that became a Quality Control pick several issues ago, and Space Megaforce from Toho. Space Megaforce is a top-down shooter like Xevious, but with Gradius & Thunder Force style weapon upgrades. We get some notes for areas 1 through 8 in this game. For Axelay we get notes on the various weapon upgrades, as well as on the first 6 stages of the game.
    Faceball 2000 Guide
    The SNES now has a First Person shooter, and a tame one at that. We get some notes on the gameplay and little else than that.
    Top 20
    While Mario still holds the top spot on the NES and the Game Boy (with the first Super Mario Land), Street Fighter II has bumped Legend of Zelda and Mario from the top spot on the SNES side of the list.
    The Celebrity Player Profiles are now no more, replaced with a crossword puzzle. It’s the end of an era.
    Nester’s Adventures
    This issue Nester is playing “Out of this World†and he has some difficulty controlling the hover vehicle.
    Now Playing
    We have a special guest reviewer, Jade Hall, who won an earlier contest. This issue, I’m going to be sticking with reviews that particularly catch my attention. Jade likes just about everything except for Amazing Spider-Man 2 for the Game Boy, the space sim Out of Gas, and shump Starhawk (all for the Game Boy). As far as Rob and George go, they’re split and Crash & The Boys Street Challenge and Rocky & Bullwinkle. Not too much else caught my eye.
    Pak Watch
    Of note this issue is Spider-Man & The X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge from LJN. Vic Tokai is working on “Super Conflict†a turn based (hex base) strategy game based on Operation Desert Storm.
    My Quality Control pick for this issue is Super Star Wars, as I said I would pick several recaps ago.
    Filed under: Video games, Where I Read Tagged: Nintendo Power, video game magazines, Video games, Where I Read
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  9. Count_Zero
    Get Mighty FInal Fight from eBay.com
    On multiple occasions, I’ve heard the expression mentioned that restrictions breed creativity. Sometimes that doesn’t hold true. My last Quality Control pick, Raging Fighter, was a great example of this. The game was a fighting game that just didn’t hold up well on what was essentially a 4-bit hand-held system. Such is the opposite with this Quality Control pick, Mighty Final Fight, from Capcom for the NES. Capcom was basically given the task of porting the SNES (and arcade) classic brawler Final Fight to an 8-bit platform. I would say that they succeeded admirably.
    Now, to be fair, Final Fight wasn’t a particularly complex brawler ? and the brawler genre in general doesn’t have as much complexity to it as fighting games do. That said, Capcom handled the port very well. As the game couldn’t support the same size of sprites that the original game used, characters are instead depicted in a ?Super Deformed? style. To tie in with the change in art style, the story has been altered to something more comedic. This in turn really helps to differentiate this version of the game from the original and give it a sense of identity.
    Similarly to the original game, Mayor Mike Haggar‘s daughter, Jessica has been kidnapped by the sinister leader of the Mad Gear Gang, who has gone absolutely gaga for her. Haggar, Jessica’s beau, Cody, and Cody’s friend and training partner, Guy (yes, Guy is in this game), must fight through all the members of the Mad Gear Gang before the wedding ceremony. The game only has a single player mode, instead of an alternating two-player mode like in Double Dragon. However, similarly to Double Dragon, only two enemies can be depicted on-screen at any one time, making crowd control a little simpler.
    The game also borrows the sort of ?leveling? system used by Double Dragon, among other similar games, of gaining experience points by defeating enemies, which in turn, in theory, unlocks additional moves. I say in theory because, really, you can only unlock one move, and that’s at level 4. Each fighter has a special move that can be unlocked, and is performed by hitting the attack button and a direction on the D-Pad. This move gets you a little extra XP if you defeat an enemy with it. However, by this point you really don’t need to level up any further and the move itself does less damage on average than your regular combo, and you gain no other benefits, like life bar increases or anything else). Power-ups are also moderately scarce, as are weapons (there’s one dropped weapon in the whole game, at the obligatory Elevator level).
    All in all, this is a decent classic style brawler, and I would say that I like it better than the original Final Fight, blasphemy though that may be. I would recommend picking it up, if you can find a copy, either as the NES cart or in the GBA collection ?Capcom Classics Mini-Mix?.
    Filed under: Quality Control, Video games Tagged: Capcom, Final Fight, NES, Nintendo Power, Quality Control, review, Video games
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  10. Count_Zero
    Moving on with the Nintendo Power Recaps, we have issue 41 for October of 1992. Our cover game for this issue is Super Mario Kart, which would go on to spring a very long series of cart racers (and, if you really think about it, also bringing about the Wipeout series). This issue’s letters are all on the topic of how readers got the money for their NES (aside from, you know, asking your parents).
    Adventure Island 3 Guide
    Master Higgins is back. We don’t get complete maps of each area, but we get maps of at least half the levels in the first two areas, as well as strategies for beating the final boss (which is part of the important part, as well as notes on Stage 3 through Stage 8.
    Power Blade 2 Guide
    The second installment of the series adds various suits of powered that the character can wear that bestow various abilities. We get a run down of what they are and what they can do. As with the Adventure Island guide, we don’t get complete maps of the stages, but we do get partial maps of sections which (I guess) they figured were some of the harder parts of the stages. We also get strategies for beating the final bosses for stages 1 through 4.
    Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six Guide
    We get a run-down of Spidey’s moves, as well as maps of stages 1 through 4, and strategies for beating each member of the Sinister Six.
    Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past Comic
    So, Link has learned that the Princess Zelda can be found a Turtle Rock, so he needs a map with directions on how to get there. Thus, he’s going across a tundra on, essentially, a sled with a sail, traveling to the Ice Tower, where the map can be found. He reaches the tower and beats the maps guardians, and thus learns how to get to Turtle Rock. He arrives and finds himself facing a multi-headed serpent that breathes both fire and ice. Just when all seems lost, Roam arrives, possibly for the rescue.
    Bionic Commando Guide
    This is for the Game Boy version of the game. The levels look fairly similar to the NES, except the fights between zones are side-scrolling instead of top down. We get maps of areas 1 through 8.
    </p>One of the level maps from Tom & Jerry
    Tom & Jerry Guide
    Another Tom & Jerry game, with the player playing as Jerry this time. We get a run down of what the power-ups are, and maps of the first four levels, which look pretty big, in my opinion.
    Double Dragon 3: The Arcade Game Guide
    Double Dragon is desperately trying to hold on to relevance in this era of Streets of Rage & Final Fight. This is their attempt to continue hanging on for dear life on the Game Boy. We get maps for all 5 levels plus strategies for the boss fight.
    Super Mario Adventures Comic
    Mario and Luigi continue to square off with the semi-moe Boos. Fortunately, they manage to provide the Boos with some psychotherapy and resolve their trauma, allowing Mario and Luigi to escape so they can go break up a wedding.
    Super Play Action Football Guide
    A new console generation, a new first party football game. I’m kind of disappointed by the fact that even before EA got exclusive video game rights for the NFL, Nintendo didn’t continue the Play Action series onto the N64 and the Game Cube. In particular, considering how poorly football games from 3rd parties have turned out on the Wii, I would have been interested to see how Nintendo themselves handled making a football game. Anyway, they take us through a Super Bowl in Play Action Football with the then defending champion Buffalo Bills taking on the Redskins in a rematch of Super Bowl XXVI. The result is pretty much the same, the Redskins win.
    The Simpsons: Bart’s Nightmare Guide
    We get guides for each of the little mini-games in this collection. I’ve played this game and I really wasn’t too fond of it.
    Super Mario Kart Guide
    I’ve already gone into how influential this game is. We get general driving tricks and race tricks (like shooting banana peels out in front instead of behind you). We also get maps of some of the tracks.
    Out Of This World Guide
    This is something of a precursor to the Oddworld Inhabitants games. We get maps of stages 1 through 6.
    Nester’s Adventures
    This issue the Nester is playing Prince of Persia, and we actually get some advice for swordfighting, sort of (I’m not convinced it’s useful advice).
    Now Playing
    First game getting reviewed by George & Rob is Legend of the Ghost Lion, an Dragon Warrior style RPG aimed more for girls. George and Rob were split on this, but the fact that the game wasn’t really intended for them probably doesn’t help. They also like the strategy game Overlord, which sounds like it’s got a bit of an 4X aspect to it. They also really like Power Blade 2.
    George and Rob aren’t too impressed with WWF Steel Cage Challenge, Double Dragon 3, and Return of the Sinister Six. Roger Clements MVP Baseball for the Game Boy had a bit of a learning curve, and they liked Tom & Jerry and Track & Field. Not too surprisingly, they like Bart’s Nightmare (they tend to say favorable things about games that are featured in the magazine). They also like Axelay (as did EGM’s staff around this time), along with Robocop 3 and Super Double Dragon but they’re not too impressed with King of the Monsters.
    Top 20
    Mario has regained the top spot on the Game Boy (and still holds the top spot on the NES), with Metroid II and TMNT III holding the #2 spots, respectively. On the SNES Legend of Zelda holds the top spot, with Mario holding #2.
    Celebrity Player Profile
    This issue we have an interview with Ken Griffey Jr, who is back with the Seattle Mariners, where he belongs. Now, Ken has been a long time gamer, and still (as of this interview) plays video games. So, what I want to know is this – Ken, if you’re reading this (which I doubt), Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, or what combination of the above?
    Pak Watch
    Well, we’re not getting Final Fantasy V. Instead, we get Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. EA’s bringing Desert Strike to the SNES, and Accolade is working on the space simulator Warp Speed. In Japan they’re working on the RPG Kaeru, which features a cute frog as it’s main character.
    My Quality Control pick for this issue is going to be Axelay. The game got 9s across the board from EGM when they reviewed it (back when they really didn’t give games 10s),
    Filed under: Video games, Where I Read Tagged: Nintendo Power, video game magazines, Video games, Where I Read
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  11. Count_Zero
    Get The Crimson Cult from Ebay
    Occasionally a horror film comes about where the premise might be unimpressive, but the film’s cast commands attention. The Crimson Cult, originally titled ?The Curse of the Crimson Altar? in the UK, is one of such films.
    The film follows Robert Manning, an antique dealer who has come to the town of Graymarsh, in search of his brother ? another dealer who has failed to return from an antique buying expedition. In the town he arrives in time for a festival celebrating the burning of a witch 300 years earlier, and he finds himself suffering from horrific and vivid nightmares that are more real than they seem.
    The plot itself is nothing special. It allegedly takes its plot incredibly loosely from the HP Lovecraft story ?The Dreams in the Witch House?, however it’s little more than a standard Satanic/Occult Horror film. What makes the film special is the film’s two co-stars ? Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff. Both characters are similar. The script has Lee and Karloff both playing warm, welcoming, landed gentry, with each seeming to have sinister undertones. This, combined with Lee and Karloff’s history in horror films playing dark and sinister villains leaves the audience wondering who the villain is. Is Lee’s character, J. D. Morley who our hero is staying with, the villain. Is Karloff’s Professor Marshe, who collects torture instruments and studies the history of witchcraft the villain. Or are they in cahoots?
    The rest of the cast’s performances are fair, and Manning’s nightmares of a ?Witch’s Sabbath? are bizarrely surreal ? with the witch wearing green body paint and wearing leather nipple covers, and attended by a large hooded man in an almost-too-tight loincloth. The series of sequences feel far too much like something out of a bad horror comic than anything else, and make the film more laughable than sinister.
    Fortunately, Lee and Karloff’s genteel menace really help to carry the film, and help get across the audience’s confusion on who our hero can trust. I can definitely recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys older horror films, particularly those which focus a little less on the gore effects, and more on building a sense of dread and the supernatural.
    Note: This film is not in print on DVD, so if you want to get it, you’ll have to go to eBay.
    Filed under: film, Reviews Tagged: Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, film, horror, Horror film, review
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  12. Count_Zero
    <p>This week I’m taking a look at Nintendo Power #9 for November & December of 1989.</p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/EXS2MO1--fI?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
    <p><span id="more-2628"></span>Games Reviewed:</p>
    <ul>
    <li><a class="zem_slink" title="Dragon Warrior" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Warrior" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">Dragon Warrior</a></li>
    <li>Willow</li>
    <li><a class="zem_slink" title="Games in Concert - Tetris" href="
    " target="_blank" rel="youtube">Tetris</a> (<a class="zem_slink" title="Famicom Dojo: Famicom and Disk System" href=" " target="_blank" rel="youtube">NES</a>)</li><li><a class="zem_slink" title="Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_%27Ironman%27_Stewart%27s_Super_Off_Road" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">Super Off-Road</a></li>
    <li>Ironsword: <a class="zem_slink" title="Wizards & Warriors" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizards_%26_Warriors" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">Wizards & Warriors</a> 2</li>
    <li><a class="zem_slink" title="NES Play Action Football" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NES_Play_Action_Football" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">NES Play Action Football</a></li>
    <li><a class="zem_slink" title="Super Mario Land" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Land" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">Super Mario Land</a></li>
    <li><a class="zem_slink" title="The Guardian Legend" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian_Legend" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">The Guardian Legend</a></li>
    </ul>
    <p><a class="zem_slink" title="The Angry Video Game Nerd" href="http://www.cinemassacre.com/" target="_blank" rel="homepage">The Angry Video Game Nerd</a>‘s NES Accessories review: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kBMscW_dVgs" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kBMscW_dVgs</a></p>
    <p> </p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/acclaim/'>Acclaim</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/capcom/'>Capcom</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/compile/'>Compile</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dragon-quest/'>Dragon Quest</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dragon-warrior/'>Dragon Warrior</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/enix/'>Enix</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/game-boy/'>Game Boy</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/mario/'>Mario</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-entertainment-system/'>Nintendo Entertainment System</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/rare/'>Rare</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/retro-video-games/'>Retro Video Games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/super-mario-land/'>Super Mario Land</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/super-off-road/'>Super Off-Road</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/tetris/'>Tetris</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/the-guardian-legend/'>The Guardian Legend</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/tradewest/'>Tradewest</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-game/'>video game</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/willow/'>Willow</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/wizards-warriors/'>Wizards & Warriors</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/wizards-warriors-2/'>Wizards & Warriors 2</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2628/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2628/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2628&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    Source
  13. Count_Zero
    <p>After a long absence, the <a class="zem_slink" title="Nintendo Power" href="href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/game-boy/'>Game Boy</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power-retrospective/'>Nintendo Power Retrospective</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/retro-video-games/'>Retro Video Games</a>, <a href='https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2675/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2675/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="https://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2675&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="https://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/the-nintendo-power-retrospectives-part-22/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  14. Count_Zero
    We continue with the launch of the classic EU with Dark Horse Comics first comic outing – Dark Empire I.
    Opening Credits: Star Wars Theme from Super Star Wars on the SNES.
    Closing Credits: Chiptune Cantina Band from Chiptune Inc. – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvJtiGFudFlvYMfjiU1NKJg
    Please support my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/countzeroor
    Member of The Console Xplosion Network: http://www.theconsolexplosion.com/
    Watch my Live-Streams on http://twitch.tv/countzeroor/

    Filed under: comics, Star Wars, videos Tagged: comics, Dark Horse Comics, Legends of the Force, Star Wars, Star Wars Expanded Universe

  15. Count_Zero
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/5-Yfg7LAqFk?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
    <p>This week I’m doing a list with 6 tabletop RPGs you might like, based on your taste in video games. If you’re interested in any of the tabletop RPGs mentioned, lists to the games can be found below.</p>
    <p>Also, the weekend of June 15th, 2013 is <a class="zem_slink" title="Free RPG Day" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_RPG_Day" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">Free RPG Day</a>! Stop by a participating game store see about picking up one of these games, or many others that might strike your fancy! <a href="http://www.freerpgday.com/stores.htm" target="_blank">You can find participating stores here</a>.<span id="more-2615"></span></p>
    <p>Gameplay Credits:<br /><a class="zem_slink" title="Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactics_Ogre%3A_Let_Us_Cling_Together" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">Tactics Ogre</a> Let’s Play – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/imbiggy" target="_blank">Biggy’s Let’s Plays</a><br />Skyrim Gameplay – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/VintageBeef" target="_blank">VintageBeef</a><br />Guilty Gear Gameplay – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/BradRy2" target="_blank">Brad Ry</a><br />Amnesia Gameplay – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnnyKnodoff" target="_blank">JohnnyKnodoff</a><br /><a class="zem_slink" title="Dark Souls" href="http://www.preparetodie.com/" target="_blank" rel="homepage">Dark Souls</a> Gameplay – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Northernlion" target="_blank">NorthernLion</a></p>
    <p>Music Credits<br />Nazgul at Your Back – Performed by Weirdland, released under Creative Commons License<br />In The Hall of the Mountain King – Composed by <a class="zem_slink" title="Edvard Grieg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Grieg" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">Edvard Grieg</a>, Performed by <a href="http://incompetech.com/" target="_blank">Kevin McCloud</a>, released under Creative Commons License</p>
    <p>Links to Games:<br />Strategy RPGs<br />- <a href="http://www.dndclassics.com/product/110212/H1-Keep-on-the-Shadowfell-%26-Quick-Start-Rules-%284e%29" target="_blank">Keep on the Shadowfell</a><br /><a class="zem_slink" title="The Elder Scrolls" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">The Elder Scrolls</a><br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/103566/RuneQuest-6th-Edition" target="_blank">Runequest 6</a><br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/97239/Legend?filters=0_2140_1500_0_0_0" target="_blank">Mongoose Press’s Legend</a><br />Deus Ex & Syndicate<br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/83289/Interface-Zero-%28Savage-Worlds-Edition" target="_blank">Interface Zero</a><br />- <a href="http://www.peginc.com/pdfstore/savage-worlds-deluxe-pdf/" target="_blank">Savage Worlds</a><br />Fighting Games<br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/79179/Fight%21-The-Fighting-Game-RPG">Fight!</a><br />Amnesia & Eternal Darkness<br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/56336/Call-of-Cthulhu?cPath=74_79">Call of Cthulhu</a><br />- <a href="
    ">Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition Kickstarter</a><br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/101287/Masks-of-Nyarlathotep">Masks of Nyrlathotep</a><br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/82097/Beyond-the-Mountains-of-Madness?cPath=74_79">Mountains of Madness</a><br /><a class="zem_slink" title="Demon's Souls" href="http://www.demons-souls.com/" target="_blank" rel="homepage">Demon’s Souls</a> & Dark Souls:<br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/62346/Swords-%26-Wizardry-Core-Rules">Swords & Wizardry</a><br />- <a href="http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/">OSRIC</a><br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/101050/Dungeon-Crawl-Classics-Role-Playing-Game-%28DCC-RPG%29" target="_blank">Dungeon Crawl Classics</a><br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/64331/Labyrinth-Lord%3A-Revised-Edition-%28no-art-version%29" target="_blank">Labyrinth Lord</a><br />- <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/93220/Castles-%26-Crusades-Complete-%5BBUNDLE%5D" target="_blank">Castles & Crusades</a></p><h6 class="zemanta-related-title" style="font-size:1em;">Related articles</h6>
    <ul class="zemanta-article-ul">
    <li class="zemanta-article-ul-li"><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/take-the-5-pledge-this-saturday-on-free-rpg-day?cid=rss" target="_blank">Take the $5 Pledge this Saturday on Free RPG Day</a> (examiner.com)</li>
    </ul>
    <p> </p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/role-playing-games/'>Role Playing Games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/amnesia/'>Amnesia</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/call-of-cthulhu/'>Call of Cthulhu</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/cyberpunk/'>Cyberpunk</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dark-souls/'>Dark Souls</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/demons-souls/'>Demon's Souls</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/deus-ex/'>Deus Ex</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dungeon-crawl-classics/'>dungeon crawl classics</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dungeons-dragons-4th-edition/'>Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/elder-scrolls/'>Elder Scrolls</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/fight/'>Fight!</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/fighting-games/'>Fighting Games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/free-rpg-day/'>Free RPG Day</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/guilty-gear/'>Guilty Gear</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hex-crawl/'>Hex Crawl</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/interface-zero/'>Interface Zero</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/old-school-renaissance/'>Old School Renaissance</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/osr/'>OSR</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/osric/'>osric</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/role-playing-game/'>Role-playing game</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/runequest/'>Runequest</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/savage-worlds/'>Savage Worlds</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/strategy-rpgs/'>Strategy RPGs</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/tabletop-rpgs/'>Tabletop RPGs</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/tactics-ogre/'>Tactics Ogre</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/the-elder-scrolls/'>The Elder Scrolls</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2615/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2615/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2615&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    Source
  16. Count_Zero
    <p>This time we continue to make our way through the slums.</p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/cyberpunk/'>Cyberpunk</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/remember-me/'>Remember Me</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/science-fiction/'>science fiction</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/transhumanism/'>Transhumanism</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2680/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2680/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2680&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/lets-play-remember-me-part-10-paved-with-good-intentions/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  17. Count_Zero
    <p>This time we’re taking a look at Nintendo Power #8, for September and October of 1989, and our first Game Boy game!</p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/r6dPLZaMu5o?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
    <p><strong>Games Reviewed:</strong></p>
    <ul>
    <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVPA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVPA&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Duck Tales</a><img style="border:none !important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVPA" width="1" height="1" border="0" /></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVQJ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVQJ&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Hoops</a><img style="border:none !important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVQJ" width="1" height="1" border="0" /></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EUTM8W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000EUTM8W&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Who Framed Roger Rabbit</a><img style="border:none !important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000EUTM8W" width="1" height="1" border="0" /></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00002SVEO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00002SVEO&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Tetris (Game Boy)</a><img style="border:none !important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00002SVEO" width="1" height="1" border="0" /></li>
    </ul>
    <p> </p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/capcom/'>Capcom</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/duck-tales/'>Duck Tales</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/game-boy/'>Game Boy</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hoops/'>Hoops</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/jaleco/'>Jaleco</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/ljn/'>LJN</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/rare/'>Rare</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/tetris/'>Tetris</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/who-framed-roger-rabbit/'>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2621/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2621/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2621&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    Source
  18. Count_Zero
    <p>After a long absence due to school, the Nintendo Power Retrospectives have returned. This episode I recap Nintendo Power #7… where I’ve apparently already reviewed every game this issue that isn’t featured in a later issue. Whupps!<span id="more-2608"></span></p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/S8UAL-uEX1E?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
    <p>Mega Man II Gameplay Footage by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ClementJ642" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/user/ClementJ642</a><br />Opening Music: ‘Super Buck II’ by Estradasphere – <a href="http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00577/" rel="nofollow">http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00577/</a><br />Closing Music: ‘Air Shooter’ by Joshua Morse – <a href="http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02208/" rel="nofollow">http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02208/</a></p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/dragon-warrior/'>Dragon Warrior</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/faxanadu/'>Faxanadu</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/mega-man-ii/'>Mega Man II</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power/'>Nintendo Power</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo-power-retrospective/'>Nintendo Power Retrospective</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/retro-gaming/'>Retro Gaming</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/strider/'>Strider</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2608/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2608/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2608&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    Source
  19. Count_Zero
    <p>This week I’ve come to the end of Nintendo Power’s first year, and boy is this issue weak on games to review. On the bright side, one of these is a classic from Capcom. We also have the results of the first annual Nintendo Power Awards, which can best be described as a mixed bag.<span id="more-2580"></span></p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='620' height='379' src='http://www.youtube.com/embed/IcZ8rROVh1s?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' frameborder='0'></iframe></span>
    <p>Opening Music: ‘Jazz Plumber Trio’ – Remixed by DJPretzel – <a href="http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00055/" rel="nofollow">http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00055/</a><br />Closing Remix: ‘Air Shooter’ – Remixed by Joshua Morse – <a href="http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02208/" rel="nofollow">http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02208/</a></p>
    <p>Games:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVS3/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVS3&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Mega Man 2</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVS3" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00081RQ08/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00081RQ08&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Faxanadu</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00081RQ08" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVPL/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVPL&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Fester’s Quest</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVPL" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SVO9/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004SVO9&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Clash at Demonhead</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004SVO9" width="1" height="1" border="0" /></p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/videos/'>videos</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/capcom/'>Capcom</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/clash-at-demonhead/'>Clash at Demonhead</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/falcom/'>Falcom</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/faxanadu/'>Faxanadu</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/festers-quest/'>Fester's Quest</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/mega-man-ii/'>Mega Man II</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nes/'>NES</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nintendo/'>Nintendo</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/retro-gaming/'>Retro Gaming</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/sunsoft/'>Sunsoft</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/vic-tokai/'>Vic Tokai</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2580/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2580/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2580&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
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  20. Count_Zero
    <p>I have a manga review that’s actually topical for Valentine’s Day next week.</p>
    <p><a style="float:left;padding-right:20px;" href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3364546-hayate-the-combat-butler-vol-7"><img alt="Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 7" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348591219m/3364546.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>
    <p><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3364546-hayate-the-combat-butler-vol-7">Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 7</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/434425.Kenjiro_Hata">Kenjiro Hata</a></p>
    <p>My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/530798897">4 of 5 stars</a></p>
    <p>Whenever I’ve had a rough day, and I feel like I can’t remember the last time I laughed, one of the manga or anime I turn to, in order to lighten my spirits is Hayate the Combat Butler. The blend of oddball comedy and reverentially referential humor, along with a willingness to just chip away at that fourth wall blends together well to make an enjoyable comic, and the fact that the characters are incredibly likable really helps to keep me coming back in a way that TV shows like Family Guy, which also relies on referential humor, fails to do.<span id="more-2550"></span></p>
    <p>This volume in particular, with Nagi’s attempts to help around the house, and your annual Valentine’s Day hijinks are particularly enjoyable. The fact that this volume not only features stories with Isumi, as well as Nagi’s cousin Sakuya, and Wataru also helps. The only real point against it is a small sub-plot featuring the ghost of the “priest” from the “Butler’s Tiger Pit” storyline, with the premise that the ghost is haunting Hayate and only he can hear and see him, which picks up at the start of the volume and is dropped with very little fanfare partway through.</p>
    <p>On the one hand, the end of the plot is somewhat abrupt, and I’m kind of confused over why it was included in the first place. On the other hand, I’m not a fan of the character, and he doesn’t particularly work well in the context of his main story, so I’m not particularly upset that he’s gone. I just wish his departure had been handled better (like with an exorcism by Isumi or something).</p>
    <p>Other than that, this is a great volume, and a good continuation of the series. I look forward to reading volume 8.</p>
    <p>Get <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1421516829/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1421516829&linkCode=as2&tag=themillenn0b3-20">Hayate the Combat Butler, Volume 7</a><img style="border:none!important;margin:0!important;" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=themillenn0b3-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1421516829" width="1" height="1" border="0" />, from Amazon.com</p>
    <p><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2002695-alexander-case">View all my reviews</a></p>
    <br />Filed under: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/comics/manga-comics/'>Manga</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/reviews/'>Reviews</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/anime/'>Anime</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hayate/'>Hayate</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/hayate-the-combat-butler/'>Hayate the Combat Butler</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/kenjiro-hata/'>Kenjiro Hata</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/manga/'>manga</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/nagi/'>Nagi</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/videogames/'>videogames</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2550/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2550/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2550&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
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  21. Count_Zero
    With its next episode, one of the Internet’s best retro game podcasts, Retronauts, is coming to an end. This leaves a bit of a void, as I can’t think of a lot of truly great retro game podcasts out there. Destructoid’s Retro Game Podcast, which was okay, but not great, has ended. IGN’s retro game podcast is similarly over. However, I can still think of demand for podcasts in this field, and even material that the Retronauts themselves haven’t covered yet (if only retro Wrestling video games). So, with that in mind, I’ve put some thought to the concept of what made Retronauts great, and what other podcasts (or new retro game podcasters) can do to meet or exceed the standards set by Retronauts.
    Now, I’m going to stay centric to podcasts about retro video games here. There are plenty of books and web pages with general-purpose podcast advice, not to mention a really nice Dummies book on the topic.
    Do a Lot of Research: This probably doesn’t bear mentioning, but I’m going to say it anyway. Do a boatload of research. Beyond what you can find in searchable articles on the internet ? get old video game magazines, build a library about the video game industry, particularly with books like Game Over. However, the 1up Crew also has contacts with people who were in the game industry at the time ? primary sources, if you will. If you really want to hit the pinnacle for this genre, you need to cultivate some of those.
    Don’t Spend Time Bashing New Games: I listen to retro podcasts because I enjoy used games, partly out of nostalgia, and partly because many of them are very good. However, as Sturgeon’s Law says, 90% of everything is crap ? even old games. Just because they’re older doesn’t mean they’re good. Additionally, just because newer games are mainstream, and trying to appeal to the ?causal? market doesn’t mean they’re all dumbed down crap for babies. If you’re going to talk about old games, discuss old games. Don’t waste time complaining about how horrible new games are, and how old games are better. I don’t need nor want to listen to a bunch of grognards go on about how great everything was back in the day. If I did, I’d hang out on Dragonfoot, and listen to the Dungeons & Dragons equivalent of the Four Yorkshiremen sketch.
    Do Bring Up Personal Recollections: Part of the fun of video game history is remembering what it was like for us as kids playing these kinds of video games. Consequently, personal experience playing these games and game systems as a kid is important for making discussion of these events fun, and more than just a series of historical events ? though that can be fun to listen to as well.
    Don’t Have A Love-In: Yes, we have fond recollections of playing classic video games as young people, and for retro games in general. However, we shouldn’t let fond memories color our discussions of them too much now. Limited continues on console games are crap. Enemies spawning out of nowhere solely to block your jump is crap game design. If you wouldn’t forgive a modern game for a similar gameplay design choice, stop before you give a classic game a pass.
    Don’t Be Over Hateful: Normally I alternate my Dos and Don’ts, but here I need to have two in a row. We have the Nostalgia Critic, the Angry Video Game Nerd, and Yahtzee. They do a wonderful job of unleashing their vitriol on classic games and film (and modern games for that matter) on video. We don’t need an hour-long or longer podcast doing the same thing.
    Do Get Panelists With Chemistry: Podcasts live and die by their hosts. Get people you can have a long conversation with, who you don’t always agree with, but who you can come to compromise with on various topics, particularly in your podcast. If you’ve had a long, discussion with someone about video games regularly In Real Life, then you’ll probably want them on your podcast.
    Finally, Have Fun: If you and your panelists are having fun, that will carry over in your voices to the podcast you’re having. If you’re faking it, that will carry over as well. So, relax, you’re talking about video games. It’s supposed to be fun.
    Filed under: Video games Tagged: 1UP Shows and Podcasts, Retrogaming, video game, Video games
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  22. Count_Zero
    Get "Dear Zachary" at Amazon.com
    There are 4 kinds of documentary that I like. There are nature documentaries, particularly of the bent of PBS’s Nature, and David Attenborough’s wildlife programs, as well as the work of the National Geographic Society. There are Historical documentaries, particularly stuff like the American Experience, as well as stuff like the Connections series and some documentaries like One Day in September. There are Journalistic documentaries, such as the material from PBS’s Frontline series, and some of the films that are part of the POV series. Then, finally, there are documentaries that I would describe as Gonzo Journalism. Dear Zachary is one those documentaries.
    First, I need to clarify something. Michael Moore’s documentaries aren’t Gonzo Journalism. Morgan Spurlock’s documentaries aren’t Gonzo Journalism. Also, you don’t need to be on drugs to make a documentary that is Gonzo Journalism. Ultimately, Gonzo Journalism, as it was when Hunter S. Thompson came up with it, is the idea that someone covering an event, or witnessing an event, cannot not become a part of the event. Thus, rather then attempt to hang on to some form of clinical detachment, you should become a participant in events. The classic example from Thompson’s work isn’t Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but rather Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail.
    Dear Zachary is Gonzo Journalism at its most sober and most serious. The impetus behind the film, at the very beginning, is probably very similar to the impetus that I had when I wrote my blog post about Beau Jacobson, after I learned of his death. However, there were two differences, between the two, at the outset. First, I’m a blogger, who is working to get into IT (and wouldn’t mind getting into Journalism), while the director of Dear Zachary was a documentary filmmaker, one who had been working in the field for quite some time. The second is that Beau’s death was an accident, while the death of director Kurt Kuenne’s friend Andrew Bagby was an act of pre-meditated murder.
    So, Kurt’s plan was simple, to meet with some of the people whose lives Andrew had touched, and record remembrances about him. Then a revelation came that changed the plan. Andrew’s murderer, an psychotic ex-girlfriend (this was confirmed by prior psychiatric treatment) was pregnant with Andrew’s son, she gave birth to and named Zachary. So, Kurt changed the tack of his documentary, turning the film into a sort of film scrapbook to tell Zachary who his father was, and why people cared so much about him. However, this is a documentary with a twist. While this film is 2 years old, I would be remiss as a critic if  I stated this twist, at least not without a giant chunk of spoiler space, so I won’t.
    The documentary is a Gonzo Documentary mainly because of how it handles it’s narrative. The film puts itself squarely in Kurt’s head, and he tells us regularly what he thinks about things. That said, this he doesn’t editorialize at length in this for much of it, letting Andrew’s friends and family express their opinions for them. That said, this is a very personal piece. Kurt narrates the documentary, and scores it. Clips from short films he made with Andrew when they were younger are included in the documentary, and Kurt’s voice audibly breaks up when he reads from Andrew’s coroner’s report. Kurt goes at great detail about the circumstances leading up to Andrew’s death, as well as the events that follow–Andrew’s ex-girlfriend’s flight to Canada after she was released on bail, the discovery that she was pregnant with Zachary, and then after Zachary’s birth the custody battle between Andrew’s ex-girlfriend and Andrew’s parents for custody of Zachary.
    However, and this is perhaps my sole complaint, from a narrative standpoint, and only from that standpoint. The twist is heavily telegraphed. Well, not so much the twist itself, but the fact that a twist is coming. When you’re looking to tell your best friend’s son about the father he’ll never know, you don’t go at length over the custody battle between the psycho mother you hope he’ll never know and the people you hope he’ll know as his parents (as opposed to going through the foster system). If your goal is educating a son about his father, you make a biography. You take him through his father’s childhood years, through school (including college) and his professional life until he died. That’s how you want to do it, whether the father was murdered, killed in the line of duty while serving his country, or succumbed to cancer. While the approach Kurt takes helps to build up a sense of dread in the viewer about the twist, that wouldn’t do much good to your stated target audience of one.
    Thus, when the film changes the direction it’s going, stops addressing Zachary and begins addressing us, the viewer, it shocks us, and perhaps strikes us numb, but we can’t really say we didn’t know that something was coming. We can’t say we didn’t hear the footsteps coming up behind us. We just didn’t know what was coming would be so bad.
    All that said, this is a masterwork documentary, and it is a crime against film that it was not nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. This film is the Platonic Form of the Gonzo Documentary, one that puts its audience through the wringer, in a fashion that is emotionally honest and legitimate, and leaves them motivated to do what they can to make sure that no one has to suffer like the Bagbys did ever again.
    Filed under: film, Reviews Tagged: Documentary, film, review
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  23. Count_Zero
    <p>In this episode, we get our first look at one of the S-Pressins.</p>
    <span class='embed-youtube' style='text-align:center; display: block;'><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='585' height='360' src='href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/category/video-games/'>Video games</a> Tagged: <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/lets-play/'>Let's Play</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/remember-me/'>Remember Me</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/science-fiction/'>science fiction</a>, <a href='http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/tag/video-games/'>Video games</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2665/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/countzeroor.wordpress.com/2665/" /></a> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=countzeroor.wordpress.com&blog=3836055&post=2665&subd=countzeroor&ref=&feed=1" width="1" height="1" />
    <a href="http://countzeroor.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/lets-play-remember-me-part-3-s-pressin-yourself/" class='bbc_url' rel='nofollow external'>Source</a>
  24. Count_Zero
    Dallos is an anime that reminds me a lot of what got me into anime in the first place. I came into anime as a fan of science fiction and fantasy, and I came in through OVAs and films like Akira, Demon City Shinjuku, Ghost in the Shell, and Record of Lodoss War. So, when I found out that Dallos, an anime considered to be the first OVA (or one of the first alongside the Cream Lemon series), and which was directed by Mamoru Oshii (who also directed Ghost in the Shell and Angel’s Egg – which I’ve previously reviewed), had been licensed by Discotek Media, and later made available for streaming on Crunchyroll, I put it on my to-watch list.
    As far as the premise of Dallos goes, it borrows a little bit from the concept of Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, in particular the book’s first act. The anime is set on The Moon. As with Heinlein’s novel, the moon has been built as a colony to provide needed materials (ore and other raw materials) to Earth. However, in Heinlein’s book, the moon’s colonists were political dissidents and prisoners, while in the original colonists were workers who chose to work to build the lunar colony, with the agreement that they would settle there.
    The protagonist of the series, Shun Nonomura, is a third generation inhabitant of the colony or “Lunarian”. While the first two generations have a distinct sense of loyalty to Earth – the first generations having gone to the Moon to work for the betterment of Earth, and the second generation having inherited their parents sense of obligation – the third generation Lunarians don’t have the same sense of obligation. They have never seen Earth – indeed, the colony is on the dark side of the moon, and the Lunarians are forbidden to travel to the moon’s near side so they could see the Earth. The main unified belief among the three generations is a reverence to “Dallos” a mysterious giant head, built with incredibly advanced technology, that was uncovered during the development of the colony.
    The lack of personal experience of Earth or ability to travel to Earth, combined with the poor treatment of the colonists by the administration, has lead to a revolutionary movement in the settlement, and this leads to the focus of the story, as Shun and his childhood friend Rachel, are caught up in the separatist movement lead by Dog McCoy, which is contending with counterinsurgency efforts by the civil administrator, Alex Leiger.
    The first half of the anime borrows a lot from films like Battle of Algiers, as it follows the efforts of the revolutionaries as things escalate further and further, and Shun is brought more and more involved, before the last two episodes in the series bring things into open revolt and almost into something resembling a real-robot anime.
    I can’t really review this show without getting into the ending. The ending of the series feels like the end of an act break, as opposed to an actual satisfactory conclusion. There has been a narrative arc, with rising action to a climax, and then some denouement, with characters being in different places than they were at the start of the series. However, it doesn’t really have any resolution. The moon is still under the thumb of Earth (and things are about to get worse), and in spite of Dallos itself becoming a major part of the conflict which changes things dramatically in the series final part, not only do we not know what Dallos is, no-one is taking this as an incentive to make a more concerted effort to find out what Dallos is.
    It feels like this show was pitched as a 12 episode OVA, and early in production they decided to make it a 4 episode series instead, and if it did really well, it would get another 4 episodes, but it never did quite well enough to get those final parts. Unfortunately, co-writer Hisayuki Toriumi passed away in 2009, so I don’t know if we’ll really get a resolution to this story.
    If you’re planning on picking this up, Dallos is available from Amazon and RightStuf.

    Filed under: Anime

  25. Count_Zero
    My original intention for my next EGM recap was to do a recap of issue #117, but  my copy of that issue was incomplete. So, I’m moving on to issue #120. Our cover story for this issue is WWF Attitude, and it’s autographed by Stone Cold Steve Austin even. Now, while this is EGM’s 12th year, they’re calling this their 10th anniversary issue. That doesn’t quite make any sense with me, but I’ll leave that aside.
    Our editorial column for this issue reflects on another of the string of school shootings the nation was contending with in 1998 and 1999, and the worst of the shootings at that – the school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. On the one hand, while this was the worst of all the school shootings, to my knowledge any school shootings after that point either didn’t get any media attention, or they didn’t happen. However, this shooting, being the biggest, and because the shooters listened to heavy metal music and developed custom levels for Doom, brought the anti-video game hysteria to a pitch above that caused by the Night Trap hysteria, and wouldn’t be seen again until the Hot Coffee controversy. Thanks to some poorly informed and in poor taste remarks from Littleton’s sheriff that were jumped upon by the New York Times Magazine, it even threatened to resurrect the anti-D&D hysteria, that had died when Patricia Pulling had been discredited.
    Fortunately, this game industry appears to have weathered this storm, though some of the consequences have yet to be resolved. As I write this, California’s video game sale restriction legislation is going to the United States Supreme Court, having been overturned as unconstitutional at all lower levels. If the Supreme Court declares the law constitutional, then we can finally move past the video game violence controversy, and we’ll finally be able to move out of the shadow of Columbine. If the Supreme Court upholds the law, then the dark shadow that Klebold and Harris shall forever linger on this country, and those two psychopaths will have obtained an immortality that they do not deserve.
    Letters
    Unsurprisingly, much of the letters in this issue of the magazine are also about the video game violence debate that has once again come to the forefront after the Columbine shooting. Being that this is a video game magazine, the letters are universally anti-censorship. Which is fine. We also get few letters defending wrestling fans, particularly of the “Smart†variety (who tend to watch a bit more ECW than WWF, and who later become early members of Ring of Honor’s fan base). There’s also a letter about the Cho Aniki series.
    Press Start (News & Features)
    You have three guesses to find out what the first article is about, and the first two don’t count. Seriously, I’d say that the political and media reactions to the Columbine shooting (and other school shootings) was the event that built the most political apathy in my generation, which kept a great deal of inertia until Barack Obama ran for President. Rare is the situation where the media and most elected politicians are able to essentially insult an entire generation of young people, who aren’t old enough to vote so they can’t make their displeasure known by giving the people insulting them a swift kick in the rear – thus instead breeding a massive amount of voter apathy.
    We also get a sidebar developer profile of Silicon Knights, listing as their two projects in the works as Eternal Darkness for the N64 (which is later released for the GameCube), and Too Human, which doesn’t get released until the current console generation, and only on the Xbox 360. Speaking of which, Nintendo is expected to unveil their Project Dolphin at E3 (the system later becomes the GameCube). We also have an interview with Jenny Stigile, who does the voice of Luna in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, and she hasn’t done much since then, at least not in terms of voice acting, or acting on the screen, judging by her IMDB profile. She may have done some stuff on the stage, but I have no record of that.
    Quartermann’s rumors for this issue are that Capcom’s already working on titles for the PlayStation 2 (which is possible). Another rumor suggests the next Metal Gear Solid is going to come out for the Dreamcast. Q-Mann also suggests this one is probable, but it is ultimately shown to not pan out. There are still rumors going around about a N64 Metroid game, but no such game comes out. We do, however get the Metroid Prime series for the GameCube, as well as a new Metroid game for the Game Boy Advance when it comes out.
    Previews
    The Dreamcast is getting an arcade-style boxing game (ala Mike Tyson’s Punch Out) with Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, featuring the voice and likeness of Michael Buffer (the guy who brought you that phrase). As an aside, considering how much TNA wants to be WCW at times, I wonder why they haven’t hired Michael Buffer yet, especially considering that Buffer was probably one of the best celebrities that WCW ever hired. For that matter, I’m surprised WWE didn’t hire him after WCW went under either. Michael Buffer doing ring announcing for the main event at Wrestlemania has a certain appeal to it – especially since Howard Finkel has retired from active duty.
    It's Thinking (whispers)
    Oh, and by the way, we have one of the 9.9.99 “It’s Thinking†ads for the Dreamcast. I kind of like the way the Dreamcast was marketed. Throughout the Genesis and Saturn eras, we had the Sega Scream and the attitude that came with it. The Dreamcast turned that on its head by switching from a shout of defiance to a sneaky whisper. The Dreamcast is also getting the survival horror game Carrier, about an outbreak of a virus that (wait for it) turns people into horrible monsters on an aircraft carrier.
    We get another interesting ad, for the fighting game Evil Zone from Yukes for the PlayStation, which is an anime style fighting game, presented with the structure of an anime series. However, much to my surprise, it doesn’t get a spin-off anime series. I’m interested to see what critical response it gets, and then I might even consider hunting down a copy of the game.
    Anyway, the N64 is going to be getting Pokemon Stadium, which is also one of the first games for the N64 to feature connectivity with the Game Boy. 3DO is also working on a new Army Men game for the system, sub-titled Sarge’s Heroes. This one is more of a 3rd person action game, then the real-time strategy game the first title in the series was.
    The game looks absolutely nothing like this. It also doesn't come out for another 10 years.
    On the PlayStation, we have R-Type Delta (which I’ve reviewed for Bureau42). We also get a look at the PlayStation version of Too Human, which doesn’t particularly appear to have any of the Norse mythology trappings that the final version of the game has. We also get brief mention of Fear Factor, a survival horror action game which features some lesbian characters, as well as Suikoden II, along with Final Fantasy Anthology, which compiles Final Fantasy V and VI, both of which have since been released for the Game Boy Advance. We also get a look at a semi-aerial fighting game Psychic Force, which takes some inspirations from Katsuhiro Otomo’s work, like Akira, as well as his earlier Mai: The Psychic Girl, and other stuff from around that time.
    As far as the Game Boy goes, we’ve got a couple titles of note. In particular, we have Revelations: Demon Slayer, which is another of the games in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. It’s not a core title in the series, and it doesn’t have the same degree of demon summoning that, well, the Demon Summoner games or core games in the series has. We also get Oddworld Adventures II, which features Abe as a protagonist.
    Meanwhile, in the arcades (remember them), Tekken Tag Tournament is coming out, along with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, which ends up being tied with Street Fighter Alpha 3 for the title of “Best Street Fighter Game†until Street Fighter IV, and now Super Street Fighter IV, come out. There’s also SNK’s fighting game Buriki One, which is one of their early attempts at a 3D fighting game ala Tekken. It has never gotten a home console release.
    Feature Articles
    Our first feature this issue is about the WWF (now the WWE). Now, this article isn’t going to be a complete shoot, but it does take the half-shoot/half-work style that the WWE’s used for some of their more recent documentary works. For those unfamiliar with the terms I just used, a “work†is something that maintains the fiction that everything you see in the ring is “real†and not planned in advance – wrestlers gimmicks are their real personalities, finishes aren’t booked in advance, that sort of thing. On the other hand, “Shoots†take the audience behind the curtain – they’re more inside baseball. Gimmicks are just personas that wrestlers put on to perform. They’re not trying to actually hurt each other, and the winners of the matches are planned out in advance. Anyway, this leads into inside information about the development of Acclaim’s last WWF title, WWF Attitude, as well as notes on where the series is going when THQ takes the reins after Acclaim (Aki developing the Wrestlemania series on the N64, and Yukes developing the Smackdown series on the PlayStation).
    We get a 10-year retrospective about where EGM has been. Now, if you’ve been following my recaps, you kind of already know where it’s been. A few notable things – Acclaim was the first publisher to pull advertising from EGM over the bad review score they got for Total Recall.
    Review Crew
    For the first time thus far, Sushi-X is absent from the Review Crew. Instead, the lineup this issue is Crispin Boyer, Dan “Shoe†Hsu, newcomers Che Chou and Chris Johnson. Chou has since become Community Manager at Turn 10 Studios (developers of the Forza series), and Johnson is currently working on the Player One Podcast. John Davison, John Riccardi, and Shawn Smith are still on the Crew, and in the course of the gap the crew has added Dean Hager. I don’t know what Dean’s been up to, if anyone has that information, please feel free to let me know.

    A Bug’s Life (N64, Activision): Licensed game based on the Disney movie, developed by Traveler’s Tales (who have since gone on to develop all the Lego games). They’d probably rather that we forgot all about this game though. In particular, this game has problems with character and camera controls, though the graphics look good. Chris gives this a 5, and Shawn, Crispin and Dean give it 4s. Overall: 17/40. Hybrid Heaven (N64, Konami): This is a kind of odd mix of survival horror, 3D platformer (ala Tomb Raider) and RPG. The crew has some problems with the camera and the framerate in widescreen mode, though the story and the controls seem to be enough to compensate for this. To be fair, most games during this period had terrible cameras, so at the time you just had to role with them. Chris gives this an 8, Crispin and Shoe give it 7.5s, and Shawn gives it a 7. Overall: 30/40. Ken Griffey Jr’s Slugfest (N64, Nintendo): While the game is an improvement from prior games in the series, it still has some significant problems with bugs in the game, particularly related to fielding and base-running. Dean gives it an 8, Shawn a 7, Che a 6.5, and Shoe a 5.5. Overall: 27/40. Monaco Grand Prix (N64, Ubi Soft): Formula 1 racing fame without the Formula 1 license. The game is pretty solid, with the main complaints being more design philosophy related. John Davison gives the game a 6.5 because it’s too accessible, while Shawn gives the game a 6 because it doesn’t let you do some of the things that arcade style racers let you do, like ram opponents into walls and cut off road, because that isn’t the Formula 1 way. On the other hand, Che and Dean enjoy the game much more, and give the game 8s. Overall: 28.5/40. Quake II (N64, Activision): This version of the game has simpler level designs than the PC version, but apparently the four-player multiplayer is still good (which is important). However, there are still some significant problems with single player. In particular, there are no mid-mission checkpoints, and you can’t save anywhere, so you have to complete the level in one go, including the boss. Shawn gives the game a 9, John Davison and Shoe give it 8s, and Crispin gives it an 8.5. Overall: 33.5/40 and it receives an Editor’s Choice Silver Award. Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer (N64, Nintendo): One of the better parts of Episode One gets its own racing game. There are concerns with the speed of the game outpacing the responsiveness of the control. Otherwise they like it. Crispin and Dean give the game 9s, Chris gives it a 9.5, and Che gives it an 8.5. Overall: 36/40 and it gets an Editor’s Choice Gold Award, along with Game of the Month. Superman 64 (N64, Titus): Here’s a stinkburger if I ever saw one, and the scores demonstrate this. This game is terrible in literally every single possible respect, from controls (both in terms of the player and the camera), the level design, the mission objectives, the story, the graphics, everything. John Davison gives the game a 0.5, Shoe gives a 1.5, Dean gives a 2, and Chris gives it the incredibly high score of a 4. I wonder why John didn’t give the game a zero? Overall: 8/40. World Driver Championship (N64, Midway): This is a sort of Gran Turismo racing game, but without the licenses for the cars. The game is also lacking the sense of speed that the Gran Turismo games have (sort of). Che gives the game a 6.5, Shawn gives a 7, Dean gives a 7.5, and John Davison gives the game an 8. Overall: 29/40. Castrol-Honda Superbike Racing (PlayStation, EA): You really don’t get a lot of dedicated motorcycle racing games in general anymore. This one runs into some problems in the review scores, because of the limited number of licensed bikes, mediocre graphics and AI, particularly with some framerate problems. John Davison gives it a 6.5, Dean gives it a 5, Che gives it a 3, and John Ricciardi gives it a 4. Overall: 18.5/40. Centipede (PlayStation, Hasbro Interactive): Basically this is Centipede with 3D polygonal graphics – which is the game’s main problem, because the graphics aren’t good, and the camera angle shows of the graphics instead of being the ideal angle for gameplay (the original game has a top-down camera angle). Chris gives the game a 2.5, Che gives it a 6, and Dean and Shawn give 3.5s. Overall: 15.5/40. Croc 2 (PlayStation, Fox Interactive): While the graphics for this 3D mascot platformer are good, the camera and the controls are very unresponsive. John Davison gives this a 5. Crispin and John Ricciardi give this 5.5s, and Chris gives this a 4.5. Overall: 19.5/40 High Heat Baseball 2000 (PlayStation, 3DO): Basically this is a pretty awful baseball game, with terrible ball physics and animations. John Ricciardi gives the game a 1, Dean gives it a 2, Shawn gives it a 3.5, and Shoe gives it a 4. Overall: 10.5/40 Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (PlayStation, Working Designs): This is the last port of Lunar from Working Designs. I mean it (the later ports are by other people). This version has been given a much needed overhaul, and the scores reflect it. Now, the PlayStation Portable version has further been overhauled, but it doesn’t have all the extra features that this version has. John Ricciardi and Crispin give this 9s, Chris gives it a 9.5, and Che gives it an 8.5. Overall: 36/40, and it gets the Editor’s Choice Gold Award and Game of the Month. Monaco Grand Prix (PlayStation, Ubi Soft): PlayStation version of the racing game that also got released for the N64 (see above). The scores, and the justifications thereof, are the same as the N64 version, except Shawn’s is half a point higher. Overall: 29/40. Star Ocean: The Second Story (PlayStation, SCEA): I actually owned this one, but for some insane reason I traded it in. I’m still kicking myself over that – I need to hunt that game down again. Anyway, the players like the multiple story perspectives and many ways you can go through the game, with multiple characters and multiple endings. Not enough JRPGs have that anymore. It’s odd how Western RPGs have taken up that sense of consequence instead, particularly with games like Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. Some one at Square Enix asked a writer at 1up about why Mass Effect was so popular – it’s because decisions matter. They need to go back and look and see how character decisions were handled in Chrono Trigger & Star Ocean 2. Anyway, the Crew likes this game, particularly the game’s story (as I’ve gone into), and the game’s combat. John Davison and Shoe give the game 8s, Crispin gives it an 8.5, and John Ricciardi gives it a 9. Overall: 33.5/40 and it receives and Editor’s Choice Silver Award. Warzone 2100 (PlayStation, Eidos): This is a Real-Time Strategy game. Chris isn’t an RTS guy – he just doesn’t like the genre, and this didn’t change his mind, so he gives it a 5. The rest of the crew (Shoe, Crispin and Che) thought this was a decent RTS, and give it 7.5s. Look, you have the rotating Crew for a reason, to avoid situations where the guy who hates RTS ends up reviewing a RTS and messing with the average & overall scores. Overall: 27.5/40. We’ve also got a few games which didn’t get the full Crew Treatment. These are Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (which, much as they’d later give the series the Scarface and the Boys ‘n The Hood treatment, they give the The Long Good Friday treatment in this game) and Ultimate 8 Ball for the PlayStation, and WWF Attitude and All-Star Baseball 2000 for the Game Boy Color.
    The Final Word for this issue comes from John Davison, Dan Hsu, Chris Johnson, and Shawn Smith on one topic – the importance of explaining what the ESRB ratings mean and why games get the ratings they receive. Fortunately, we have gotten some significant strides in clarifying the ESRB rating system, both what the ratings mean, and why they’re handed out. For example, my copy of Dissidia that I picked up recently says on the back that the game received a T rating – which is defined as meaning “Teenâ€, and that it received it for “Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, and Partial Nudityâ€. Now it needs to take the next step, by giving a numerical
    Filed under: Video games, Where I Read Tagged: EGM, video game magazines, Video games, Where I Read
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