This worked out pretty well last year, so with 2022 upon us, it’s time to start a new list! As with 2021’s list, new entries will be added to the top. There’s plenty to play, so let’s get busy:
Continue reading “FINISHED in 2022! (Updated 6/14/22)”
This visit has been a long time coming, in more ways than one. Aftershock Classic Arcade is a new game room that’s actually been around for over 20 years. Confused? Sure you are! That’s why I’m here to tell you all about it.
Continue reading “Arcade Pilgrimage: Aftershock Classic Arcade, Madison, Wisconsin”
After a three-year wait to get back to a normal schedule, Midwest Gaming Classic returned to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in full force this year. Having canceled the event in 2020 because…well, because 2020, then postponing the usual spring weekend in 2021 from April to November because…well, because 2020 again, April 28-30, 2022 finally saw MGC back in action the way we remember it from the Before Times.
Continue reading “Midwest Gaming Classic 2022!”
A lot of gamers keep lists of all the games they’ve finished throughout each year. That’s something I’ve always kinda-sorta intended to do, but I’ve tried to keep them all in my head, and at my advanced age (I’m all of forty-damn-seven), that’s nearly impossible for my withered old brain.
So since the beginning of the year, I figured I could keep track of them right here in a blog post, which I continually updated throughout the year. The latest games were added to the top. (I did not include re-playing old games I’ve already finished, like, say, Super Metroid or Mega Man.)
With the final update on New Year’s Eve, I ended up finishing 15 games in 2021. It’s not a lot by some standards, but considering how busy I’ve been with “real life,” I’m fairly pleased with that count, especially considering there are a couple long RPGs on the list. Hopefully 2022 will bring an even longer list, but for now, here’s a look at my year in gaming:
Continue reading “FINISHED in 2021! (Final update: 12/31/21)”
Just the other day, the Nintendo Direct broadcast on the 23rd of September, 2021, my mind was blown clean out of my skull by Square Enix’s surprise announcement of Actraiser Renaissance, a remake of one of my all-time favorite, put-on-a-pedestal games, Actraiser for the Super NES. Making the news that much more nuclear was the uranium cherry on top: the game was available THAT DAY.
Continue reading “Never Say Never”
You can always tell when it’s this time of year, because the blog gets kinda silent. You know I’m working on something — well here it is! The FOURTH big issue of Retro Game SuperHyper fanzine is available now!
Continue reading “Retro Game SuperHyper Fanzine Issue #4 is OUT NOW!!”
This morning, after 18 years of waiting, I finally finished Shenmue III. As I’ve referenced before, I am a huge fan of the original two Shenmue games, and an eager Kickstarter backer of this third part.
So obviously, the big question is: How was it? Well, I’ve got a lot to say. Continue reading “Shenmue III: FINISHED!”
Wow! It’s been FOREVER since I did a WAWP post! So…what ARE we playing?
Continue reading “What Are We Playing? 01.12.19: Stranding Judgment Glory”
There have been so many milestone birthdays in video gaming to celebrate recently that all I can do is combine them into one big birthday bash post!
So who are the guests of honor? Continue reading “Belated Birthdays!”
Who makes video game consoles?
It’s typically the heaviest hitters in the industry, like Nintendo and Sega, or major electronics manufacturers, like Sony and NEC. In the early days it was Magnavox, Atari, and major toy companies Mattel and Coleco. Sure, there will be a lesser-known scrapper in there once in a while, like SNK, but their products typically cater to a more hardcore niche.
But remember, once upon a time back in the early 1980s, Nintendo wasn’t a console juggernaut — they just made and licensed arcade games. They were known for Donkey Kong and Popeye, which they licensed out to companies like Coleco and Parker Brothers to get them on the Atari 2600 or Intellivision. Nobody expected them to suddenly enter the market with their own home console. Same with Sega — I recall thinking, What? The company that made Zaxxon and Congo Bongo has their own systems??
With this in mind over the years, I’ve often wondered what it would be like if some of my other favorite software or electronic companies would throw their hats into the ring and produce new video game hardware. What would happen if, say, Capcom made a game console? Or Konami? Or Hitachi? Turns out, many of those companies not only asked the same question, but actually had plans of their own home video game platforms having reached various stages of completion. Some of them even actually made it to market, and I hadn’t even been aware of them until recently!
So what happens when some of the biggest names in the games and electronics business start kicking around the idea of introducing a new video game console?
Man, June was a heck of a month for games! Considering I don’t buy a ton of new games these days, any month where at least three new titles are must-haves for me is some sort of record. So what are we playing? Continue reading “What Are We Playing? 07.03.19”
With E3 2019 just about here, I thought I’d finally talk about that time some friends and I weaseled our way into the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Retro Game SuperHyper 