Retro Spectives

Blood, first released in 1997 by Monolith Studios, was the middle child of the big three Build Engine games, sandwiched in between Duke 3D and Shadow Warrior.  Its combination of gory horror-inspired…

Metal Gear Solid 2 was easily the most hotly anticipated game for the Playstation 2.  The first game had blown everyone away, and the jaw-dropping graphics of previews combined with the quality of th…

Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 was a staple of many people’s PC desktop screens back in the early 2000s.  Nestled in between the big hitters like Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2 you would find this odd game that str…

It feels like Metal Gear Solid barely needs an introduction.  First released in 1998 for the playstation, it launched Hideo Kojima into the western spotlight and has been credited as a foundational g…

In the 90’s turn based strategy and tactics games were everywhere, but by the turn of the millennium the RTS genre was stealing its thunder.  So it was a surprise to most when in 2001 Advance Wars se…

Power fantasies are the norm for video games.  We play them to blow off steam, to escape into another world where we can let our worries drop away.  But Pulse Entertainment wanted to do things a litt…

Luigi’s Mansion was the cornerstone of the Nintendo Gamecube’s launch in 2001.  It sold more copies than any other launch title, received positive critical acclaim, and occupied prime place in every …

Unreal was the Crysis of its time.  It pushed PCs to their absolute limits, with its advanced shader effects and enormous levels.  It featured AI that was far beyond the stilted and simplistic enemie…

When Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers first released in 1993, it was not a crack commercial hit.  It did however instantly earn itself widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its dark…

Arkane Studios was founded with a dream: to create a sequel to the highly revered grandfather of immersive sims Ultima Underworld.  Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t quite secure the rights to th…

Puzzles are like crack cocaine for their very special audience.  Whether it be a crossword, a logic problem, or even a riddle, unravelling them shoots a heavy dose of endorphins directly to the brain…

Relic Entertainment has a long history of innovating in the RTS space.  Both Company of Heroes and Dawn of War are much beloved and respected titles that could hold their heads high even when compare…

Before Todd Howard’s promises about the climbability of mountains was Peter Molyneux and Fable, a game which promised a level of interactivity never seen before in an RPG.  Have children (that could …

The original Pathologic has long been regarded as a cult classic.  Obtuse, frustrating, boring and unfriendly, it nonetheless captured people’s imaginations with its densely woven storytelling and my…

When we started this podcast nearly 4 years ago, we did so with a clear goal in mind.  We wanted to play, review and critique games of the past from a perspective free of nostalgia.  As the gaming in…

The Metroid games are certified classics for a reason.  Super Metroid, in particular, is responsible for inventing an entire genre, with a shockingly tight design that puts all other games of its era…

When Resident Evil first came out in 1996, it wrote the book on what 3D survival horror was meant to be.  Fixed camera angles, a creepy atmosphere, tank controls and bizarrely themed puzzles - these …

The Chronicles of Riddick, when it first released in 2004, was the definition of mediocre sci-fi schlock.  Riddick, played by Vin Diesel, came across as a generic edgelord, and it seemed to lean into…

Gamefreak, on the rarest of occasions, takes a break from toiling away in the Pokemon mines.  And when they do, sometimes they strike gold.  Such was the case with Drill Dozer, first released in 2005…

Mega Man X, first released in 1993 and developed by Capcom, is a certified Super Nintendo classic.  Widely considered to be one of the strongest entries in the entire expanded Mega Man franchise, it …