Author: Alex Lucard
-
Retrograding 02.28.04
Before we start: Preamble Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 #21. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Released: 1/26/04 Developer: Black Isle Publisher: Interplay Systems Released On: Microsoft X-Box, Sony Playstation 2 Yes. A game released only a month ago has made the list. And to be honest I’m not comfortable about it, even if it…
-
Henry Rollins Spoken Word – Pantages Theatre Minneapolis MN 02.23.04
Ah Mr. Rollins, you truly deserve your status as an “Aging Alternative Icon.” From Black Flag to Rollins Band, you’ve proved us with songs that have transcended into Americana pop culture. You’ve performed all around the world, and evolved from “just” a singer to a man whose tendrils can be felt in all fields of…
-
Retrograding 02.21.04
#24 Phantasy Star 2 Release Date: 12/31/88 Developer: Sega Publisher: Sega Systems Released on: Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, GBA Okay. Let’s get it out first thing so I don’t have to harp on it time and time again. Those that worship FFVII’s pivotal plot point are simply those that have not played Phantasy…
-
Retrograding 02.14.04
Retrograding 02.13.04 Tagline: The countdown continues: 27-25 Great response so far! I really appreciate it. For those of you just joining in you, can read the preamble here, and Part 1 here, . 27. SUPER HYDLIDE Release Date: 10/05/1989 Developer: T&E Soft Publisher: Asmik (Japan) Seismic (USA) Systems released on: Sega Genesis And a hushed…
-
Retrograding 02.07.04
Here we go people. My 30 favorite RPG’s. And instead of explaining the format, I’m just going to go into it. Watch the format because it’s going to be the Standard from here on out. If you havent read the Intro, then DO SO NOW! #30: SLAYERS ROYAL Release Date: 7/25/97 Designer: Kadakowa Shoten Publisher:…
-
Review: XIII (XB)
I love Adam West. I think this is the first video game he’s ever been in to boot. And that was the sole reason I went to pick up this game. I generally don’t enjoy First Person Shooters, unless they are RAIL shooters. I find Cell Shading way overdone and it’s never been something that…
-
RETROGRADING 02.04.04
Holy + Fuck = the ride it’s been to get this thing done. Originally it was going to be a redux of the Top Ten Franchises column I did to start Retrograding. But I went a little to hardcore by doing a listing of every game in all of my top ten series, a history,…
-
Review: Baldur’s Gate 2: Dark Alliance (XB)
Interplay, Interplay, Interplay. You’re no stranger to stupid decisions. You piss off Fallout fans by not giving them the game they wanted. Granted you gave them a good hack N slash game, and something to introduce new fans to the series, but in the end you wanked off a large portion of your fan base.…
-
Review: Curse: The Eye Of Isis (XB)
As always, if you can name the quote I paraphrased as my tagline, I’ll but you in the MAILBAG. Okay. I admit, I’d never heard a peep of this game until I saw it in the stores going for twenty bucks. I saw the Dreamcatcher logo and decided to pick it up. And it looked…
-
Retrograding MAILBAG 01.23.04
Holy crap. So many emails to go through. This is what happens when I don’t do one of these for a month. But now, it’s time for the best of your letters. RG top 25 RPG countdown is postponed ANOTHER week due to me doing 4 reviews this week (Arx, Fallout, Curse, Dark Alliance 2)…
-
Review: Fallout: Brotherhood Of Steel (XB)
It’s been labeled Fallout for Non-Fallout fans, Fallout for Non-PC gamers, a festering sack of crap, Spelljammer but not in space, Baldur’s Gate: Nuclear Alliance, and a decent game. And it’s only been out for a week. Fallout: BoS is the latest game in the series that started in 1997 to critical acclaim. Fallout Tactics…
-
Review: Arx Fatalis (XB)
Ah Dreamcatcher. A publisher I have a strange love-hate relationship for. They’ve given me some incredible games I’ve fallen in love with like Dracula: Resurrection, Dracula: Last Sanctuary and Necronomicon. However, they’ve also released some real crap like Jekyll and Hyde. And now they’ve given us Arx Fatalis. In truth, Arx has been out for…
-
Review: I-Ninja (All)
I-Ninja Platform: Xbox, PlayStation2, GameCube Publisher: Namco Developer: Argonaut Games Genre: Action-Platformer Release Date: 12/04/2003 Cheap Plug for Realultimatepower.net. I like ninjas. Love ’em in fact. My business cards at Charthouse do not hold a fancy title like Director of OutBound Sales or Internet Marketing Analyst. No, they in fact read ‘SNEAKY NINJA.’ I-Ninja is…
-
Retrograding 01.12.04
Well, the columns been slacking due to the amount of reviews I’ve been churning out. This week you’ll see reviews on Arx Fatalis, I-Ninja, and Curse. But as well, I’m finishing up Lucard’s Top Ten RPG’s of all time. Not franchises like we did last year, but solo games. It’s been a lot of fun,…
-
Review: Beyond Good & Evil (XB)
Wow. I’ve just beaten the game twice now and I have to get my thoughts on paper. It is an absolute mystery to me how many people love this game. I can’t fathom it. I can’t. Never has a game pissed me off so much with shoddy controls, the worst camera angles I have ever…
-
Review: Sword Of Mana (Game Boy Advance)
Wow. It’s been a long time since I picked up this game. And this is by far my favorite Square series. I first picked this game up on a flight to my moms when in the winter of 1991. This was before Final Fantasy had the big “overrated pile of crap’ label I have placed…
-
The Complete History Of Shining Force
Okay people. Chances are you’ve seen this article before, albeit in its five smaller parts. However much like the lions that make up Voltron III (Voltron 1 is FAR superior), the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. A lot of you have asked for a handy dandy linkable history instead of searching…
-
RETROGRADING MAILBAG 01.01.04
Let’s see if anyone catches that Pop Culture reference. Busy week for HBK. I’ve got Curse, Beyond Good and Evil, I-Ninja, and Arx Fatalis all to review over the next coming weeks. I’m exceptionally addicted to Morrowind after playing it for the first time this Christmas, and have managed to turn my roommate into a…
-
Review: CIMA: The Enemy (Game Boy Advance)
Right. I’ve had this game for over a month. I’ve tried to review it. I honestly, honestly have. But I can’t do it. It’s too hard. I trusted Natsume. They’ve never steered me wrong before. They gave me Harvest Moon. They gave me Legend of the River King. They gave me Wizardry: Summoner. For god’s…
-
Review: Midway Arcade Treasures (Nintendo Gamecube)
God bless you Midway. That’s all I can say. God bless you for giving us amazing classic games that I spent large quantities of my single digit years. God bless you for re-releasing them all on one disc for all systems. And most of all, god bless you for having games that were made nigh…