Posted on August 5, 2021
Livestream 8/4/2021 – NES on the MiSTer
The livestream ended up a day early this week due to a scheduling conflict for the regular day. I’m really happy to have seen so many people show up regardless as the people is what makes the stream fun after all!
The game in question was the legendary Civilization II. Sid Meier’s iconic series really took off with the second installment giving us a new viewpoint and expanded systems basically across the board. If you play any of the later Civ games at this point it’s not hard to see the roots in this game. It actually still holds up remarkably well and will keep you hooked for hours.
Chances are you’ve heard of the Civilization series but if you haven’t they are games that task you with managing an entire empire from humble beginnings during the stone age all the way to the modern day and beyond. Found new cities, tweak your production, manage diplomacy with other nations and of course wage war. The game attempts to broadly simulate the path of well… a civilization. Incredibly addictive and I had to pull the plug to not keep going just one more turn. Just one more turn… anyway check out the replay below!
Posted on July 31, 2021
Far Cry Spec Test
My buddy Sucra over on the well… Sucra YouTube channel (check him out here) collaborated on a new video idea. We would look at the requirements of a game both from the minimum specs and the recommended specs then put that to the test. First playing the game using the low end machine and then using the supposedly good enough machine per the developer and maybe throw in some overpowered footage in there as well.
The first game we decided to cover is Far Cry from 2004 made by now famous developer Crytek. They would of course continue making games in the series and the legendary Crysis a few years later. Far Cry was something new when it came to how open the game was and the freedom you were granted in tackling your objectives.
The game is set on a lush tropical island with thick vegetation that was brutal to render for the computers of the day. It was THE benchmark game for a while to say the least stressing even the beefiest rigs to their limits. At the same time the game scales wonderfully well up into newer machines and turning on all the eye candy and max settings it actually holds up remarkably well.
It was really fun collaboration with Sucra so keep an eye out for future videos where we work together. Also make sure you watch his full video here as while there is some overlap he does it in his own style. The difference between our videos while having that overlap is what I think made it so fun.
Posted on July 30, 2021
Livestream 7/29/2021 – Civilization II
You ask a few people who’ve been playing PC games for a while to list some early 2000s iconic games Half-Life 2 will likely get mentioned by just about everyone. Valve crafted a sequel to an already groundbreaking game that took interactive storytelling, world interaction and a physics engine into directions that had not been explored yet to that degree. While the game is basically linear in design the story it tells through the world and your gameplay is sublime and the emount of world puzzles that rely on physics was at least for me completely new.
Other games touted interactivity but it was usually just a button to flip or a level to pull like Duke Nukem 3D. It did something neat but that was the end of it. Half-Life 2 offered full physical interaction with the objects in the game world which provided some really neat puzzles. The gravity gun picking up objects and launching them with excessive force will always be a favorite. Flying sawblades and zombies a plenty to be had in this game and it’s a blast.
I can see why Valve has opted not to make Half-Life 3 at this point because the expectations on that sort of game would basically be unreachable. They’ve instead gone the route of making games around that world but not a direct sequels like Half-Life Alyx which is a VR exclusive game. One I’d love to experience because Valve has proven they really are the masters of sublime story telling and fun to play games. Look at Portal and Portal 2 to see other terrific examples there.
I could wax on forever about how awesome the Half-Life games are and specifically 2 here but for now feel free to check out the livestream replay below. It was super fun to revisit the game after not having played it for so long.
Posted on July 27, 2021
Random Retro
I was taking a new picture to use as a banner for YouTube and I realized that my retro interests truly are random.
In an attempt to vaguely cover everything I’m interested in there is a collection of retro computers, consoles and of course the MiSTer all in one shot. I’d like to think I’m as inclusive as possible when it comes to what is considered retro. Like many communities gatekeeping can be a real problem.
When I say gatekeeping I mean mostly that people draw lines in the sand between which is the “right” way to play or do something or if anyone is a “true” gamer or retro enthusiast just because they enjoy their retro a certain way. I think that’s a detriment to the entire community. Not to mention trying to very specifically define what is retro or not.
Regardless if you enjoy original hardware, emulation or just watching videos of retro stuff it’s all perfectly ok. No gatekeeping should prevent anyone from enjoying their hobbies. I go between playing consoles, tinkering with computers, enjoying emulation or just watching other content creators all the time. Enjoy your retro your own way. Go be random and have fun.
Posted on July 23, 2021
Livestream 7/22/2021 – X-Com Terror from the Deep
We’ve been playing a lot of action games lately so this week I decided to go for something a bit slower paced. Much slower paced. X-Com: Terror from the Deep is the direct sequel to the hit X-Com: UFO Defense or UFO: Enemy Unknown (the name varied a bit depending on region). It follows the exact same mold of the previous game where you are tasked with defending the world from an alien threat. This time it’s set mostly under water! But it uses basically the exact same mechanics.
That means you are juggling base building, budgets, your solders, what equipment to buy and sell, what to research and finally actual tactical combat. It’s a lot but suprisingly all the systems do work together to provide a somewhat cohesive experience.
The X-Com games are well known for the difficulty and this is no exception. A single bad move can be enough for most of your squad to not make it back from a mission severly limiting your chances of making it in the long run. Still it’s engaging to play and keeps pulling you in to see if you can just make it a bit further. The newer X-Com games made by Firaxis took the original formula a successfully brough it into the modern age. It’s fun to see how many systems were introduced in these originals though. Check out the replay of the livestream below.
