retro games

The First Aladdin’s Castle Arcade

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I’ve said a lot about the last Aladdin’s Castle. Let’s talk about a better story: The first Aladdin’s Castle arcade at the Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, IL circa 1969.

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Rygar Book Author Brian Riggsbee

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Brian Riggsbee calls in with loads of insight about the arcade classic Rygar and the scoop on the upcoming second edition of his sold-out book, The Legend of Argus: The complete history of Rygar.

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Retro Space Ball Developer Rik Oclon

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3D Generalist Rik Oclon calls in to discuss his project Retro Space Ball, how he navigated a huge debacle with a major games publisher (and received no payment), and he gives us some great data about his player base as well as some insight into his marketing and community management research.

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Boss Fight Books Author Sebastian Deken

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Sebastian Deken calls in to discuss his book, Final Fantasy VI from Boss Fight Books, and how his musical background led to his unique approach in covering the game. We go over the Final Fantasy series’ history in the US and how the games have progressed over time. There is almost no gotcha journalism.

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NBA Jam Book Author Reyan Ali Returns

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Reyan Ali returns after the launch of NBA Jam from Boss Fight Books to weigh in on Cowboy vs. McGregor, Smash Bros. headlines, the Aaron Hernandez documentary, how to cover up an R. Kelly tattoo, and making loved ones eat just a small, supermarket-sized sampling of crow.

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Retro Developer Paul Nicholas

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Update: Paul is turning heads again with his demake of No Man’s Sky. Check out Low Mem Sky at Itch.io!

This week, UK-based retro developer Paul Nicholas Skypes in to talk about his recent development project, SCUMM-8, a Pico-8 recreation of LucasArts’ legendary engine for Maniac Mansion among other hits from the golden age.

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The Legend of Extreme Paintbrawl’s Mysterious Soundtrack

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I was talking shop with a close friend recently about OST composition (he’s an extraordinary musician, producer, and almost certainly one of my studio’s future composers) when he brought up a desire to compose a game soundtrack he would really enjoy listening to, even when he’s not playing the game. It’s a noble goal, and in fact, it immediately made me think of Extreme Paintbrawl (Head Games/Creative Carnage, 1998): a game most agree is greatly inferior to its own music. 

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Catch Me on Hacker Public Radio!

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Just a quick note that my segment for Hacker Public Radio went out today!

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