Blogger Archive: MetalFRO 
 |
Posted on Dec 14th 2021 at 01:00:00 PM by ( MetalFRO) Posted under Shoot the Corecast, Shmup Club, Irem, Tamtex, R Type, SNES, Super Famicom, Super Nintendo, shooting game, shoot em up, shooter |
[img width=500 height=543]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/2021-12-13_stcc_ep_041_r-type_iii.jpg[/img]
In Episode 041, MetalFRO and Addicted take a close look at a game from a venerable arcade developer, as it moved away from the arcade setting, and into people's living rooms. How does this third entry in the R-Type series fare against its arcade forbears, and does it successfully bring the formula home?
You can stream or download the episode right here on RF Generation:
https://www.rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2021-12-13_stcc_ep_041_r-type_iii.mp3
Or check out our Linktree page, to find the feed for your preferred podcast platform:
https://linktr.ee/shootthecorecast
Check out the original discussion thread for the game here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19618.0
Thanks for listening!
[img width=700 height=393]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FjWIZiLol6tWFx_rs-w333WZwSiE%3D%2F0x38%3A400x263%2F1600x900%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_image%2Fimage%2F5678783%2Fn64-kid.0.jpg&f=1&nofb=1[/img]
Growing up as a child in the 80's, I recall a few stories from friends and classmates about the video game goodies they got to open at their family Christmas celebrations. It was always fun to hear what they got, in part because I knew I would probably get a chance to play some of those games soon enough, when I could go over to their house. Sometimes it was high praise for the game or console that mom & dad (or grandparents) bought them, and occasionally it was complaints that they got a game they thought was "lame" or that they had already thoroughly played via rentals or borrowing from friends. Typically, I was more than a little jealous, since I never got gaming stuff for Christmas. My first game system was the Game Boy at age 12, and I didn't get my own console until I was 14, and I had to buy it (and the TV it hooked to) myself. So I had to live vicariously through others, reveling in their new acquisitions as best I could from afar.
Continue reading Gaming Around Christmas Time
RF Generation is a collector's site, first and foremost. But throughout the years, most of us have dabbled with emulation, in one form or another. Whether it's through official means, like the Wii or Wii U Virtual Console, or buying officially released collections of older games, such as the venerable Namco Museum line, or the Capcom Classics Collection and similar compilations, or via other means that are, shall we say, not quite on the up and up. Whatever the case is, we've probably all encountered emulation, and utilized it to some extent. Even older games built into newer games, such as NES titles found in the original Animal Crossing on Game Cube, or the arcade games present in each of the Shenmue and Yakuza series games would qualify.
Continue reading Introducing the MiSTer FPGA
[img width=600 height=338]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.com%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2Fnoa%2Fen_US%2Fgames%2Fswitch%2Fa%2Faxiom-verge-2-switch%2FSwitch_AxiomVerge2_1200x675.jpg&f=1&nofb=1[/img]
In 2015, Thomas Happ released a game that he had been working on for quite some time. Styled similarly to the classic Super Metroid, his game Axiom Verge was loosed upon the world, and in my estimation, it hasn't quite been the same. As if the "Metroidvania" genre wasn't already popular enough, this game created quite a stir, and has been met with much acclaim over the past few years, enough to garner a physical release across multiple platforms, including a special posthumous physical release on the Wii U. The amazing thing is that Happ created the game all by himself: design, programming, music, graphics, level design...all of it. In 2019, it was announced that he was officially working on a 2nd game. Initially, it was thought it would be a prequel. 2021 saw the release of Axiom Verge 2, and a forthcoming physical edition from Limited Run Games is also happening.
I was very busy when the game came out, so it was a couple weeks before I was able to purchase and download it to my Nintendo Switch. Thankfully, I was able to make time to play through it. I decided to stream my first run through the game, which I did. I managed to beat it my first time in 5 sittings, and I think I have somewhere between 15-20 hours into the game. I took my time, didn't rush through the game, and tried not to solicit too much help, so I could finish it as organically as possible my first try. Here are some thoughts about the game, and how I think it compares to the original.
Continue reading Axiom Verge 2 Review
[img width=375 height=489]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-060/bf/U-060-S-01930-A.jpg[/img]
In the 80's and early 90's, ninjas were a big deal. They were everywhere in media, from cartoons like G.I. Joe to movies like the American Ninja series, those of the adolescent mutant amphibious variety, and of course, video games. For those who played on Nintendo consoles, we had a number of options, but the most obvious of those was the Ninja Gaiden series, at least through the 8-bit days. On the Sega side of the fence, there was Shinobi, which received a Master System reinterpretation of the arcade game. The series branched into 3 paths, 1 being the more straight-forward Shadow Dancer which followed the original arcade game (and had a different, but similar outing on the Genesis), and then the 2 Super Shinobi games for the Mega Drive, which we know in the West as The Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi III, respectively. The 3rd path is the 2 GG Shinobi games on the Game Gear, but whether or not those are canon in the series I cannot say. The final 2D entry, prior to the series' soft reboot on PS2, is often ignored, or worse, frequently either forgotten or maligned. With the RF Generation Community Playthrough group focusing on the series' 16-bit entries this month, I thought it was timely to look at the final original 2D game from the venerable series.
Continue reading Shinobi Legions: The Forgotten Shinobi Game
[img width=500 height=392]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/2021-08-31_stcc_ep_037_project_starship_x.jpg[/img]
In Episode 037, Addicted and MetalFRO welcome in Ed from the Bullet Heaven series on YouTube to discuss the game that Bullet Heaven awarded its top honors to for the year: Project Starship X! Do the Rogue-lite elements enhance the fun, or get in the way? We talk about that, and much more!
Check out the episode right here at RF Generation:
http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2021-08-31_stcc_ep_037_project_starship_x.mp3
Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast service, all available through our Linktree page:
https://linktr.ee/shootthecorecast
Check out the original discussion thread for the game here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19565.0
Thanks for listening!
[img width=320 height=320]https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJ2G4aimw1Q/YP3IaEm6Y3I/AAAAAAAAJIU/S1Vy-uP8qMQidF3MS_IfViL8HrvKiOoqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/gb_mercenary_force_p_vy85t3.jpg[/img]
For some reason, Meldac decided the mercenaries
needed to look like firefighters.
In the early '80s, as Atari VCS/2600 units were flying off store shelves, a lot of companies jumped on the video game publishing bandwagon. The glut of terrible software in 1982 and early 1983 created a situation where too much supply met waning demand, and the North American video game market bubble burst. In reviving the market during the mid-late '80s, Nintendo was careful to try and exercise better control over publishers to ensure that the software met at least some bare minimum standard before it could be licensed for the console. While the rest of the world had no such "crash" regarding video game sales and their viability as a vertical market, a lot of Japanese companies tried their hand at video game publishing to expand their portfolio. Some flirted with the idea briefly; others went all in and managed to create another business line for themselves.
Continue reading Mercenary Force - 1990
[img width=500 height=445]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/2021-07-11_stcc_ep_036_mercenary_force.jpg[/img]
In Episode 036, Addicted and MetalFRO cover a game that doesn't get much attention and is frequently forgotten among fans of shmups and retrogaming in general. This Game Boy classic needs more love, so we're giving it some, hoping to see more discussion about it. It's Mercenary Force!
Catch the episode right here at RF Generation:
http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2021-07-11_stcc_ep_036_mercenary_force.mp3
Get the episode on your preferred service, by using the links on our Linktree page:
https://linktr.ee/shootthecorecast
Check out the original discussion thread for the game here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19553.0
Thanks for listening!
[img width=700 height=393]https://i.gadgets360cdn.com/large/Nintendo_switch_OLED_launch_1625636844418.jpg[/img]
The initial response to Nintendo's new Switch model has been underwhelming, at least from what I've seen online. For well over a year, persistent rumors about the next iteration of a Nintendo Switch have swirled online. A lot of industry pundits have posited what the updated specs would be, what new features would be in store, and how much it would change from the system's initial outing. Whether it's been dubbed the "Switch Pro" or "Switch 2" in various media outlets, it seems most industry figures were convinced that the Switch was going to get a mid-cycle refresh with updated hardware that would include additional enhancements. Now that the announcement has been officially made, the hype cycle has screeched to an abrupt halt, and the resulting whiplash has some people very disappointed that there wasn't more to it than what the reveal video showed.
Continue reading Great Expectations or How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Hype Cycle
[img width=510 height=510]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/2021-06-12_stcc_ep_035_-_gunbird.jpg[/img]
In Episode 035, Addicted and MetalFRO dive back into the Psikyo catalog, to dissect an earlier shooting game from their canon. This time around, we look at the whimsical, but no less difficult, Gunbird!
Stream or download the episode right here at RF Generation:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2021-06-12_stcc_ep_035_-_gunbird.mp3
Check out our Linktree page, to find the feed for your favorite podcasting service:
https://linktr.ee/shootthecorecast
Check out the original discussion thread for the game here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19540.0
[img width=616 height=353]https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/589500/capsule_616x353.jpg[/img]
Ah, Shovel Knight. The poster child and gold standard for a successful Kickstarter. Also an excellent game!
In decades past, development studios would plot out a game concept, determine its viability, assign a team, and dedicate funds and resources to make the game concept a reality. Sometimes the funds would come from an outside publisher or other interested party, and other times the development studio was part of a publisher, so it would be funded internally. If a game was fully developed, it would "go gold" and be submitted for approval by the company whose platform on which the game was to appear. Once approval was given, it would go into a queue for manufacturing, and the advertising hype cycle could begin.
That model still exists, of course, and is still used by many companies. But over the last decade, a new paradigm has gone from a novelty to a norm. With the rise of indie gaming, many smaller studios have sought other means of funding their creations. Couple that with developers from the old guard who want to continue to make retro-styled games or smaller adventures that don't warrant big budgets, and the larger publishing houses often see those projects as loss leaders, and they get very little attention next to the big franchises. The new paradigm for self-contained experiences is crowdfunding.
Continue reading Crowdfunding And The New Normal
|
Posted on May 29th 2021 at 12:00:00 PM by ( MetalFRO) Posted under Vritra, Shoot the Corecast, podcast, Shmup Club, Neotro, dragons, Indra, STG, shmup, shooting game, shooter, shoot em up, indie |
[img width=500 height=500]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/2021-05-20_stcc_ep_034_vritra.jpg[/img]
In Episode 034, Addicted and MetalFRO wade into the Japanese doujin scene again, to look at a game that wears its influences on its proverbial sleeve, but still carves out an identity of its own, and manages to impress. Have a listen, as we talk all about Vritra Complete Edition!
Find your preferred feed on our Linktree page:
https://linktr.ee/shootthecorecast
Check out the original discussion thread for the game here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19531.0
Thanks for listening!
[img width=700 height=457]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fc%2Fc3%2FNeo-Geo-CDZ-FR.jpg[/img]
In life, we often have big dreams. Some of them revolve around family, some of them are career goals, and others dream of financial independence. Most of us, when we're kids, have lofty goals of what we're going to achieve when we finally reach adulthood, which always seems so far away when you're young. In my case, I probably wanted to be an astronaut at some point, though that notion faded quickly. When I hit high school, I wanted to be a singer in a band, and become famous. At this point in my life, I can see how silly that dream was, given my introverted nature, and I don't exactly have the looks, either.
Thankfully, as we age, and hopefully attain some measure of wisdom, our dreams become more grounded in reality. I went from wanting to be a rock star to becoming a hot shot video game programmer/designer, and then settled into a comfortable life in Information Technology, which is at least adjacent to what I wanted to do when I went to college. Once I reached adulthood, and the reality of dream chasing set in, my goals became much smaller, and began to include collecting games. Of course, as a child of the 80's and 90's, that was naturally going to include the expensive, elusive, Neo Geo.
Continue reading Realizing A Game Collecting Dream
|
Posted on Apr 27th 2021 at 03:44:25 PM by ( MetalFRO) Posted under Demonizer, Shoot the Corecast, podcast, Shmup Club, indie, Iori Branford, Doujin, STG, shooting game, shooter, shoot em up |
[img width=500 height=464]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/2021-04-16_stcc_episode_033_demonizer.jpg[/img]
In Episode 033, Addicted and MetalFRO dig into a relatively new indie shooting game, with a decidedly old school look, feel, and sound. Demonizer brings a 16-bit, early 90's arcade aesthetic to the table, but does it bring the fun? Listen to our thoughts, as we talk about the game.
You can stream or download the episode right here at RF Generation:
http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2021-04-16_stcc_episode_033_demonizer.mp3
Or check our Linktree page, to find the feed from your favorite podcasting service:
https://linktr.ee/shootthecorecast
Check out the original discussion thread for the game here:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=19499.0
Thanks for listening, and we appreciate any/all feedback!
[img width=700 height=393]https://www.eastasiasoft.com/images/Void-Gore_screenshot_02.jpg[/img]
As everyone on this site knows by now, I'm a big shmup fan. It's my favorite genre, and I play a lot of these games. I run the RF Generation Shmup Club here, as well as Shoot the Core-cast, the companion podcast. Because the shooter genre has seen such a renaissance in the past few years, more games are coming out all the time, and it can be hard to keep track of them all. Here are a handful of games to keep your eye on, to help you maybe choose a couple that will click with you.
Continue reading Recent Shmups To Watch
|
