Month: December 2017

Retro News: Retro-Bit Partners with Sega to create Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast Hardware

On December 19th Retro-Bit announced a  Partnership with SEGA to produce hardware for the dreamcast SEGA Saturn and SEGA Genesis. This first round of releases will be revealed at CES 2018 and is set to include:

“several accessories that feature the same great quality as their original Sega counterparts like the original console port, but also with modern upgrades such as a USB® port for PC compatibility and Bluetooth®wireless technology.”

The article also states that these 3 consoles are not the only SEGA systems Retro-Bit would be permitted to create hardware for. What could this mean for the future, a Dreamcast and Saturn Classic Editions? Fingers crossed.
Special thanks to the YouTuber RGT 85 for making this well publicized.

Thank him by watching his episode on his channel; I like his speculation.

Japan-Only Release: Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (SNES) Resource

UPDATE: a new, complete translation patch has been released by Team Exile, CLICK HERE to download

I will never forget the day I unlocked Roy and Marth in Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube. My initial reaction was “who the hell are these dudes,” but this sentiment was quickly replaced by exaltation when I realized how much I enjoyed playing as these characters. Unlocking their trophies revealed tales of medieval battles and saving kingdoms. I had no idea which genre these game’s fell into, I imagined it was some sort of action or role playing game. As I grew more fond of the characters I became increasingly perturbed, knowing I may never get the chance to play their original games. Then came the day Fire Emblem was announced for the Gameboy Advance. To my pleasant surprise it was a turn-based strategy game, similar to the previously released Advance Wars. Being a huge fan of the latter, I pre-ordered Fire Emblem immediately and was treated to one of my favorite games of all time. After playing through eight times and completing all possible routes, I ventured forth to the internet to search for new  route of Fire Emblem delivery to satisfy my new addiction. This was when I was introduced to emulation in all its early, somewhat inaccurate glory. The first game I obtained, or “ripped from my personal copy of a Japanese Super Famicom cartridge” was Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu (translation: Genealogy of the Holy War) along with an early version of its translation patch. I was absolutely blown away by the game, its multi-generational plot, large scale battles, and series staple perma-death mechanics resulted in it being instantly classified in my top 5 favorite games of all time. I yearned for more, and luckily my needs were satisfied by Seisen no Keifu’s epic “mid-quel” entitled Fire Emblem: Thracia 776.



Continue reading “Japan-Only Release: Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (SNES) Resource”

Streets of Rage Series Resource

Easily my favorite beat em’ up series of all time, Streets of Rage/Bare Knuckle is an essential for any retro gamer. The gameplay in this series is timeless, setting standards in the genre that have rarely been surpassed. The music is the best in the genre bar none, and can be included in talks for best video game soundtracks of all time.

In addition to the objective greatness of the series, the games have been central to many of my childhood memories and are so universally appealing that even my wife, who has only a mild interest in video games, adores the games.

Below is a link to a hub pages article I wrote that includes an overview of the entire series as well as fan projects. The article was written before I created this blog, but it contains a tremendous amount of useful information.

https://hubpages.com/games-hobbies/streets-of-rage-series-resource

 

What do you think about the Streets of Rage Series? Is it the best beat em’ up series ever, or am I biased (probably)? Comment Below.

PSA: Battle for Net Neutrality 

To keep it simple and brief, ISPs are pushing Congress to abolish net neutrality. This would allow ISPs the control internet speeds, displayed content and much more. The internet as we know it will cease to exist, replaced with a corporate-controlled shell of its former self. These companies would have the ability to charge extra for full speed access to certain sites, like social media, much like HBO packages on cable. These companies are already like Shinra, from FF7, don’t give them anymore power.

Fight for the Internet below, the vote is in 2 days:

https://www.battleforthenet.com

Retro News: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection Announced for Switch, Xbox One, PC and PS4

Piggybacking off of the recent announcement of Megaman 11 and the future re-release of the of the entire Megaman X series, Capcom has again made my week with the announcement of a 30th Anniversary Street Fighter Collection. The collection is jam-packed with content, containing the following:

  • Street Fighter
  • Street Fighter 2
  • Street Fighter 2: Champion Edition
  • Street Fighter 2: Hyper Fighting
  • Super Street Fighter 2
  • Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo
  • Street Fighter Alpha
  • Street Fighter Alpha 2
  • Street Fighter Alpha 3
  • Street Fighter 3
  • Street Fighter 3: 2nd Impact
  • Street Fighter 3: Third Strike


In addition to the massive collection of games, there will be four games with online functionality including Street Fighter 2: Hyper Fighting, Street Fighter 2: Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.  The pack also contains a sprite viewer, versus CPU battles while waiting for online matchmaking and save states to bookmark single player progress. 

Street Fighter II was one of the first few games my cousin taught me to play when I was two years old, and for that reason the series has held a special place in my heart. I have spent countless hours on consoles and in arcades being thoroughly mediocre at this series, and relishing every second of it.

Is this a return of Capcom to its former glory? Or just a quick, albeit desirable, cash grab? 

Retro Revamped # 1: Bravely Default (3DS)

Image result for bravely default cover

Retro Revamped is a series of review articles written about new games that attempt to embody the founding principles of their respective genres, whilst still yielding an experience that feels nuanced and fresh. What constitutes a game that “feels” retro is completely my subjective opinion, and may not have been the intention of the developers.

Introduction

Bravely Default is a spiritual successor to the DS game, Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light, which sought to carry on the legacy created by the original Final Fantasy on the NES. Unlike The Four Heroes of Light, however, Bravely Default, chooses to innovate rather than rely purely on nostalgia and fan-service. This game retains the turn-based elements of antiquity, while enhancing it with an innovative battle system that uses risk-reward as a central tenet.

This game is responsible for reviving my interest in JRPGs, following a 5-year hiatus related to burn out. I grew up in the golden age of RPGs, during the SNES and PSX days and have played hundreds of games in the genre, including some obscure titles. As time went on I had less and less time to spend enveloped in 60-90 hour JRPGs and had to settle for other genres with less daunting playtimes that provide more short-term rewards. Despite lack of time Bravely Default hooked me so fast I was quickly trading valuable sleep for just a “few more minutes,” that quickly turned in to hours.

Continue reading “Retro Revamped # 1: Bravely Default (3DS)”