hg101 posts
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Video Review: Magical Chase
Quest's adorable TG16 cute-em-up doesn't quite live up to the expectations of its high price tag, but it's a fun game with a great soundtrack and plenty of distinctive details.Text review here:http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/magicalchase/magicalchase.htmThis is going up a bit early for all of you Patreons, we hope to streamline video production content more in the future!
Shogun Warriors / Blood Warrior
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/shogunwarriors/shogunwarriors.htm A duology of fighting games from Kaneko, which manage to rip off both Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat.
An Interview with 8ing and developers from Compile and TechnoSoft
From the Untold History of Japanese Game Developers DVD. A brief chat with developers at 8ing (AKA Eighting), including Yuichi Toyama, Mitsuakira Tatsuta, Kenichi Yokoo, Satoshi Fujishima (creator of Golvellius) and Takayuki Hirono. Here they discuss an early game and also the sound capabilities of the PC Engine.
Timequest
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/timequest/timequest.htm A time traveling adventure from Legend, the spiritual successor to Infocom's legacy.
Mystik Belle
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/mystikbelle/mystikbelle.htm A cutesy platformer/adventure game hybrid with gorgeous pixel artwork, recalling classic British Spectrum games like Dizzy.
Dragon Dance
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragondance/dragondance.htm San nin fai lok! Celebrate the Chinese New Year with this interesting take on the brick breaker formula for the Game Boy Color.
Sinistron
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/sinistron/sinistron.htm A TurboGrafx-16 HuCard shooter influenced by R-Type, with a giant beak on the front of your ship that can be used as a shield or opened/closed to expand your fire.
500 Word Indies: Streets of Fury EX
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/500wordindies/500wordindies-streetsoffuryex.htm Originating as an XBLIG game, this beat-em-up uses digitized sprites in a way that recalls the worst of the 90s arcade brawlers, but actually comes together to form a fairly fun title.
ROM Hacker Interview: Nightcrawler
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/romhacks/nightcrawler-interview.htm Nightcrawler is one of the most prolific members of the ROM hacking community, the collection of hobbyists who tinker with old video games to transform them into new creations. His English fan translations include I'Max's Dual Orb II, Bullet Proof Software's The Magical Land of Wozz, and Alfa System's Emerald Drag...
Albion
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/albion/albion.htmA sci-fi fantasy RPG made by demoscene veterans that combines elements of both Western and Japanese genre conventions, with a great setting on a fascinating alien planet but somewhat tiring gameplay.
Sly Spy
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/slyspy/slyspy.htm Data East's spy-themed side-scroller owes a very (very, very) huge debt to James Bond.
Tass Times in Tonetown
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/tasstimes/tasstimes.htm This proto point-and-click adventure designed by Infocom alumnus Michael Berlyn takes you to a weird world where a dog is a newspaper reporter, everyone dresses in garish 80s new wave clothing, and a sinister real estate tycoon/monstrous animal hybrid is slowly terrorizing the town by setting up uncool housing developments.
Rise of Nations
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/riseofnations/riseofnations.htm BrianReynolds, lead designer for strategy classicsCivilization IIandSid Meier's Alpha Centauri, created this RTS game, that succeeds in integrating elements from his previous turn-based work in a seamless, entertaining package
January 2016 patron supported
Thank you so much for the support this month!
Ultionus: A Tale of Petty Revenge
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ultionus/ultionus.htm A pseudo-remake of the European side-scroller Phantis, this indie title features some absolutely gorgeous pixel artwork.
Inventories: The Hottest Characters in Gaming
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/inventories/hottest.htm Characters with an extreme affinity for fire are common in video games, but there's been little in the way of heated debate regarding how well they complement the games they're in. Here we take a look at some of gaming's hottest characters to see whether or not their design, abilities and personality can really bring the heat.
Tempo
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/tempo/tempo.htm A forgotten attempt at a mascot platformer by Sega, which was off to an unfortunate start on the 32X and then further doomed to obscurity by peaking with a Japan-exclusive Saturn sequel.
Penarium
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/500wordindies/500wordindies-penarium.htm Avoid nefarious traps in morbid circus to beat tough platforming challenges contained on a single screen, inspired by early arcade games.
l'Abbaye des Morts
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/labbayedesmorts/labbaye.htm An excellent homage to ZX Spectrum titles courtesy of indie freeware developer Locomalito.
Coming Soon! Hardcore Gaming 101 Digest Vol. 2: Taito Arcade Classics
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/digest2/digest2.htm Warning! A new HG101 book is approaching fast! The second HG101 digest comes in at 98 pages and covers the arcade games of Taito. While mostly known for Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble, Taito was one of the most prolific developers in the 80s and 90s arcade scene, challenging even the likes of Konami and Sega. Unfortunately they aren't near...
46 Okunen Monogatari / EVO: The Search for Eden
Enix's EVO: The Search for Eden, a platformer focused around evolution, is a cult classic amongst SNES fans, but it's actually a sequel to an older, Japan-only RPG,46 Okunen Monogatari ("4.6 Billion Year Story").http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/46okunen/46okunen.htm
Deus Ex
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/deusex/deusex.htm Ion Storm's legendary FPS-RPG hybrid is well regarded as one of the best games of all times.
Barbarian
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/bardbarian/bardbarian.htm An unusual RTS / tower defense / action hybrid, starring a savage musician who commands his armies with the power of his instrument.
An Interview with Satoshi Nakai and Masayuki Suzuki (Success, NCS/Masaya)
From the Untold History of Japanese Game Developers DVD. An interview with two developers, currently at Success, who worked at NCS/Masata on titles like Langrisser, Assault Suits Valken/Cybernator, and Shubibinman. Includes look at artwork from the Assault Suits game, along with an explanation of how parallax scrolling was programmed on the PC Engine.
Blue's Journey
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/bluesjourney/bluesjourney.htm One of the early Neo Geo titles, ADK's environmentally themed 2D platformer showcases the vibrant colors of the powerful system.
Your Weekly Kusoge: Rock-On
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/kusoge/kusoge-rockon.htm The joke about this PCE shooter is that it does most certainly not "rock on".
ChainDive
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/chaindive/chaindive.htm A Japan-only Playstation 2 cult classic, featuring high-flying, wire-slinging action, from some of the developers that would later work on Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
Video: Interview with Yutaka Isokawa
From the Untold History of Japanese Game Developers DVD. An interview with Yutaka Isokawa, the creator of Pitman/Catman, and one of the members on the Namco team that created the neGcon controller, which was used for R4: Ridge Racer.
Mad Motor
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/madmotor/madmotor.htm A (most likely) unreleased arcade game by Mitchell and Data East, featuring a motorcycle riding punk who can turn into a werewolf...and may have been the origins of Data East's NES game released a few years later
Werewolf: The Last Warrior
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/werewolf/werewolf.htm Data East's NES side-scroller featuring a werewolf with blades for arms, mostly famous for infuriating games by switching the attack and jump buttons on the game pad.
