Y'all know Retronauts is back, right?

I would have posted this when the first episode went up, but life kinda decided to strike me to the ground, then proceeded kicking my stomach whenever I tried to get up. (Even though that description is somewhat overly pathos-filled, that was also the reason why all the more or less regular columns I'm in charge of went on quiet hiatus.)

Anyway, here's a reminder that the new, independent Retronauts has started two weeks ago. The first episode was a look 20 years back at the summer of 1983, which saw the release of three important gaming platforms in Japan. Every other week there's a "Retronauts Pocket" mini-episode, which was started rather bravely with a topic that's only tangentially related to video games (prog rock).

Today the second "full" episode went online, in which the Retronauts-Mainstays Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish and Ray Barnholt, along with special guest Kat Bailey talk for 90 minutes about the Wario Land series. The formula of the podcast hasn't changed that much (aside from the mini-episodes), so if you enjoyed listening in the past, you'll feel right at home here. So check it out if you somehow missed it thus far!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKGPEKuL-JPYxz7NqR9CKvcUruCsOCEPdXBh4tC1nBaRUMd-gaZD5Ie7VmQjRPw90LOoobPn8hnN_MxpTnXS5KLcR3IwhIXsX-u-zGw27WAIvzZ4ljepYM2-_OYBNWqKfU6fEBp2fG7I/s1600/Retronauts-2-cover-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKGPEKuL-JPYxz7NqR9CKvcUruCsOCEPdXBh4tC1nBaRUMd-gaZD5Ie7VmQjRPw90LOoobPn8hnN_MxpTnXS5KLcR3IwhIXsX-u-zGw27WAIvzZ4ljepYM2-_OYBNWqKfU6fEBp2fG7I/s320/Retronauts-2-cover-art.jpg" /></a></div> I would have posted this when the first episode went up, but life kinda decided to strike me to the ground, then proceeded kicking my stomach whenever I tried to get up. (Even though that description is somewhat overly pathos-filled, that was also the reason why all the more or less regular columns I'm in charge of went on quiet hiatus.)<br /> <br /> Anyway, here's a reminder that the new, independent <a href="http://www.retronauts.com/">Retronauts</a> has started two weeks ago. The first episode was a look 20 years back at the summer of 1983, which saw the release of three important gaming platforms in Japan. Every other week there's a "Retronauts Pocket" mini-episode, which was started rather bravely with a topic that's only tangentially related to video games (prog rock).<br /> <br /> Today the second "full" episode went online, in which the Retronauts-Mainstays Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish and Ray Barnholt, along with special guest Kat Bailey talk for 90 minutes about the Wario Land series. The formula of the podcast hasn't changed that much (aside from the mini-episodes), so if you enjoyed listening in the past, you'll feel right at home here. So check it out if you somehow missed it thus far!

199X Dispatch - JC Denton and the Prison of Possibility

muteKi keeps it gangsta.

JC Denton is a nanotech-augmented UNATCO super-cop. He can survive a ten-story fall, hack ATM machines, and swim with a trench coat on. Malt liquor heals him. So why the hell can't he just CLIMB DAMMIT!? CLIMB! JUST GRAB THE LEDGE AND PULL YOURSELF UP! DAMN.

The one thing everyone knows about Deus Ex is that it has a very wide range of meaningful gameplay options. I say "meaningful" to distinguish it from the lower tier of "sandbox" games, wherein the wide variety of options are, in truth, different cars to steal and NPCs to murder. DX is a game where you can hide behind a sofa, or use it to barricade a door, or pick it up and throw it at a helicopter.

Even twelve years ago, this kind of thing wasn't unique to Deus Ex. Computer RPGs had long provided at least as much gameplay variety, if not more. But the fact that Deus Ex gives the player so much control within a three-dimensional environment is something more than variety — it's freedom.

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/594727976564964957/45BFE7D87EC0430AF744155CA80F62D6599D962E/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/594727976564964957/45BFE7D87EC0430AF744155CA80F62D6599D962E/" width="320"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">muteKi keeps it gangsta.</span></b></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br> <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;"> JC Denton is a nanotech-augmented UNATCO super-cop. He can survive a ten-story fall, hack ATM machines, and swim with a trench coat on. Malt liquor <i>heals</i> him. So why the hell can't he just CLIMB DAMMIT!? CLIMB! JUST GRAB THE LEDGE AND PULL YOURSELF UP! <i>DAMN</i>.</div> <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;"> <br></div> <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> The one thing everyone knows about Deus Ex is that it has a very wide range of meaningful gameplay options. I say "meaningful" to distinguish it from the lower tier of "sandbox" games, wherein the wide variety of options are, in truth, different cars to steal and NPCs to murder. DX is a game where you can hide behind a sofa, or use it to barricade a door, or pick it up and throw it at a helicopter.</div> <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;"> <br></div> <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> Even twelve years ago, this kind of thing wasn't unique to Deus Ex. Computer RPGs had long provided at least as much gameplay variety, if not more. But the fact that Deus Ex gives the player so much control within a three-dimensional environment is something more than variety — it's <i>freedom</i>.</div> <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </div>

Retronauts Ep. 22 Starring Kunio

Episode 22 of the reborn Retronauts podcast was posted over the weekend, which I guest starred on! We spend a good hour and a half or so trying to wade through the massive lineage of Kunio games, beginning with the brawlers (the sub-average Renegade, the cult classic River City Ransom to its various sequels/spinoffs) through the xtreme-ish sports games (beginning with the rad but sluggish Super Dodgeball, and eventually branching out to most other major sports, including the silly USA-based basketball game, Ganbare Dunk Heroes.) There are a few things I wanted to note, partially because we ran out of time, and partially because the Kunio article on the site needs a bit of updating, so consider this an addendum to both:

-I think I quoted the name of the Japanese gangs as "bousouzuka" when it's actually "bousouzoku". Whenever I get around to revamping the Kunio article I want to include a quick dictionary of some of the terms related to this subculture.

-All versions of Renegade are awful, but the Euro-exclusive, Natsume-developed Sega Master System port is the least awful. Maybe the upcoming 3DS remake will be better, but it sounds ridiculously thin given that it's a retail release.

-Here is a picture of the referenced title screen for Renegade III:



Yes, it is awful. Here's a longplay to show you why.

-And here is a picture of Nijiiro Dodge Ball: Otome Tachi no Seishun:



As you can see, it's more or less identical to the Kunio dodgeball games, but with an all girl squad.

On an unrelated note, www.hardcoregaming101.net seems to be busted and I don't know why...I'm assuming it's something with the domain registrar. In the meantime, the direct URL, http://hg101.kontek.net will work OK. Same deal with the Castlevania Dungeon - http://castlevania.kontek.net is good to go. What an excellent day for Go Daddy to screw up, right on the 25th anniversary of the series. In fact, hopefully you can view this post through somewhere that isn't just a news reader. I guess we'll see!

UPDATE: Turns out my ISP is having issues with DNS forwarding, or something like that. So if you have Optimum Online like I do you may have issues, otherwise it's business as usual!
<center><img src="http://hg101.kontek.net/kunio/rcr-1.gif"></center><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.1up.com/1upblogs/3/">Episode 22 of the reborn Retronauts podcast</a> was posted over the weekend, which I guest starred on! We spend a good hour and a half or so trying to wade through the massive lineage of Kunio games, beginning with the brawlers (the sub-average Renegade, the cult classic River City Ransom to its various sequels/spinoffs) through the xtreme-ish sports games (beginning with the rad but sluggish Super Dodgeball, and eventually branching out to most other major sports, including the silly USA-based basketball game, Ganbare Dunk Heroes.) There are a few things I wanted to note, partially because we ran out of time, and partially because the <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/kunio/kunio.htm">Kunio</a> article on the site needs a bit of updating, so consider this an addendum to both:<br /> <br /> -I think I quoted the name of the Japanese gangs as "bousouzuka" when it's actually <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C5%8Ds%C5%8Dzoku">"bousouzoku"</a>. Whenever I get around to revamping the Kunio article I want to include a quick dictionary of some of the terms related to this subculture.<br /> <br /> -All versions of Renegade are awful, but the Euro-exclusive, Natsume-developed Sega Master System port is the least awful. Maybe the upcoming 3DS remake will be better, but it sounds ridiculously thin given that it's a retail release.<br /> <br /> -Here is a picture of the referenced title screen for Renegade III:<br /> <br /> <center><img src="http://hg101.kontek.net/kunio/renegade3.gif"></center><br /> <br /> Yes, it is awful. Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNlCrrUWclI">longplay</a> to show you why.<br /> <br /> -And here is a picture of Nijiiro Dodge Ball: Otome Tachi no Seishun:<br /> <br /> <center><img src="http://hg101.kontek.net/kunio/otome-dodgeball.png"></center><br /> <br /> As you can see, it's more or less identical to the Kunio dodgeball games, but with an all girl squad. <br /> <br /> On an unrelated note, www.hardcoregaming101.net seems to be busted and I don't know why...I'm assuming it's something with the domain registrar. In the meantime, the direct URL, <a href="http://hg101.kontek.net">http://hg101.kontek.net</a> will work OK. Same deal with the Castlevania Dungeon - <a href="http://castlevania.kontek.net">http://castlevania.kontek.net</a> is good to go. What an excellent day for Go Daddy to screw up, right on the 25th anniversary of the series. In fact, hopefully you can view this post through somewhere that isn't just a news reader. I guess we'll see!<br /> <br /> UPDATE: Turns out my ISP is having issues with DNS forwarding, or something like that. So if you have Optimum Online like I do you may have issues, otherwise it's business as usual!