Blogger Archive: MetalFRO 
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Posted on May 8th 2019 at 12:00:00 PM by ( MetalFRO) Posted under Switch N Shoot, Nintendo, Switch, eShop, download, shooter, shmup, shooting game, STG, shoot em up, Galaga, indie game |
[img width=700 height=350]https://i2.wp.com/cliqist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SwitchNShoot.jpg?fit=1600%2C800&ssl=1[/img] Title screen image shamelessly linked from Cliqist
Do you like Galaga? Do you like Space Invaders? Do you like Gorf? What about Phoenix? If you like blasting alien baddies in 8-bits, with simple, arcade style and fun, then boy, have I got a game for you! Switch 'N' Shoot, on the Nintendo Switch, might just scratch that old school arcade shooter itch you've been nursing.
Continue reading Switch N Shoot - Old School Arcade Fun Returns
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Posted on Apr 18th 2019 at 12:00:00 PM by ( MetalFRO) Posted under Crimzon Clover, shmup, podcast, Crimzon Clover, Yotsubane, doujin, danmaku, shooting game, STG, shooter, shoot em up |
[img width=500 height=500]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/2019-04-15_shoot_the_core-cast_ep_010_-_crimzon_clover.jpg[/img]
Welcome to Episode 010 of Shoot the Core-cast! This time around, MetalFRO and Addicted cover Crimzon Clover: World Ignition, the the hit PC shooter from Japanese doujin developer, Yotsubane! This danmaku game is quite special, and has been well received in the shooting game community. Here to help us discuss this game is Mark_MSX, from The Electric Underground Podcast! We cover the game's mechanics, try to "break" down the scoring, and look at its impact on the shmup scene over the last few years. Thanks for listening!
Here's the direct episode link:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2019-04-15_shoot_the_core-cast_ep_010_-_crimzon_clover.mp3
Check us out and subscribe (and rate!) on Apple Podcasts!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shoot-the-core-cast/id1432819542?mt=2
We're listed on Google Play - subscribe and review the podcast over there!
https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iih3vrijcro4yno3yrkeawnx6nu
We're on Stitcher Podcasts now, as well, so if you use that service, have a listen to the show from there!
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/shoot-the-corecast
We have t-shirts! Help support the podcast, and rep the shmup community by buying a Shoot the Core-cast tee!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jdieckmann/works/34582606-shoot-the-core-cast-podcast?asc=u&p=t-shirt
Here's the thread from the play-through:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=18959.0
Thanks for listening, and any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
[img width=700 height=463]https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/ALmDU0OxDpDLNWWW51luLdRC3ZQ=/1484x0/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/6X4NQTSKNYI6TDH4FROQTGOCDY.jpg[/img]
Image shamelessly linked from The Washington Post
Let me regale a story for you, from an event that occurred before I was born. On September 11, 1973, the Chilean government was overthrown. Sitting president Salvador Allende was ousted in a military coup, and was replaced with military leader General Augusto Pinochet. Despite Allende's refusal to step down, power was seized, and he was effectively removed from office. During the period of military occupation, famously, the Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago's giant sports arena and complex, was used as a detention center for civilians, Allende supporters, and ultimately, anyone seen as a dissident of the military coup.
Continue reading STADIA Nacional - An Examination of the Future of Gaming
[img width=700 height=480]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/2019-03-12_shoot_the_core-cast_episode_009_-_zanac.jpg[/img]
This is Episode 009 of Shoot the Core-cast! In this edition, MetalFRO and Addicted look at Zanac, the classic NES shooter that most of us played as kids. Does it hold up? What's good about it? Why is it so well loved? To help us answer these questions, we called upon Collectorcast members Duke.Togo and Crabmaster2000, to weigh in on the game. We hope you enjoy it!
Direct episode link:
http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2019-03-12_shoot_the_core-cast_episode_009_-_zanac.mp3
Check us out and subscribe (and rate!) on Apple Podcasts!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shoot-the-core-cast/id1432819542?mt=2
We're listed on Google Play - subscribe and review the podcast over there!
https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iih3vrijcro4yno3yrkeawnx6nu
We're on Stitcher Podcasts now, as well, so if you use that service, have a listen to the show from there!
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/shoot-the-corecast
We have t-shirts! Help support the podcast, and rep the shmup community by buying a Shoot the Core-cast tee!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jdieckmann/works/34582606-shoot-the-core-cast-podcast?asc=u&p=t-shirt
Here's the thread from the play-through:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=18934.0
Thanks for listening, and any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Here's my take on Championship Pool, from Mindscape and Bit Masters. You wouldn't think that you could do justice to a game like pool on the Game Boy's tiny 4" screen, but you'd be wrong. Rather than a simplistic game of billiards, this cart gives you a ton of game modes and options to play with, all backed by the "Billiard Congress of America" so you know it's official. Surprisingly deep and playable, Championship Pool condenses down the sport, without losing any of the rules or technique that you might expect. Even if you're not a fan of the game, this is a title worth looking into, especially for anyone looking for something different from the normal puzzle game fare on the handheld.
[img width=640 height=436]https://i.imgur.com/MOSi3ddl.jpg[/img]
This is Episode 008 of Shoot the Core-cast! This time around, MetalFRO and Addicted discuss, at length, the 16-bit powerhouse shmup Thunder Force IV, aka Lightening Force! Does MetalFRO's favorite shooter of all time still hold up? What are the differences between the different versions? And what's with the "lightening" anyway? All this and more, in store for you when you listen!
Direct episode link:
http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2019-02-12_shoot_the_core-cast_episode_008_-_thunder_force_iv.mp3
Check us out and subscribe (and rate!) on Apple Podcasts!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shoot-the-core-cast/id1432819542?mt=2
We're listed on Google Play - subscribe and review the podcast over there!
https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iih3vrijcro4yno3yrkeawnx6nu
We're on Stitcher Podcasts now, as well, so if you use that service, have a listen to the show from there!
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/shoot-the-corecast
We have t-shirts! Help support the podcast, and rep the shmup community by buying a Shoot the Core-cast tee!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jdieckmann/works/34582606-shoot-the-core-cast-podcast?asc=u&p=t-shirt
Here's the thread from the play-through:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=18881.0
Thanks for listening, and any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
[img width=640 height=360]https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/you_twitch.jpg[/img] I totally stole this graphic from Ars Technica. Give them some love.
Unless you've been living under a rock the last few years, you'll know that, not only is gaming a huge deal on YouTube, but it's exploded all over the internet, with regards to people streaming their gameplay live. With modern consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One allowing the ability to stream directly to services like Twitch.tv, YouTube, and others, it's more accessible now than ever. Some people even manage to make a living from streaming, or by offering services in conjunction with their streams, so they can make a living doing what they love. Those individuals are the exception, rather than the rule, but as the greater games industry continues to rake in billions of dollars each year, more and more people find creative ways to make a living either directly in the industry, or in the periphery. Others, like myself, see streaming as a fun way to expand upon the hobby we already love, and to be more active within said hobby. I thought I would regale my experiences from my first month of live streaming, and offer a few thoughts on the subject.
Continue reading Adventures In Streaming
[img width=700 height=472]https://i.imgur.com/dcLBXEb.jpg[/img]
Welcome to Episode 007 of Shoot the Core-cast! For December 2018, we decided to do a little something different. Instead of looking at a single game, we took 2 classics head-to-head, to decide which one is the superior proto-shmup on the Atari 2600: Imagic's Demon Attack, and Activision's Spider Fighter. Which game proved to be the bigger hit with the Shmup Club? Have a listen to the podcast, and hear what we had to say. Don't agree? Leave us a comment, or better yet, play the games for yourself, and decide!
Direct episode link:
http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2019-01-11_shoot_the_core-cast_episode_007_-_atari_2600_showdown.mp3
Check us out and subscribe (and rate!) on Apple Podcasts!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shoot-the-core-cast/id1432819542?mt=2
We're listed on Google Play - subscribe and review the podcast over there!
https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iih3vrijcro4yno3yrkeawnx6nu
We're on Stitcher Podcasts now, as well, so if you use that service, have a listen to the show from there!
ttps://www.stitcher.com/podcast/shoot-the-corecast
We have t-shirts! Help support the podcast, and rep the shmup community by buying a Shoot the Core-cast tee!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jdieckmann/works/34582606-shoot-the-core-cast-podcast?asc=u&p=t-shirt
Here's the thread from the play-through:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=18875.0
Thanks for listening!
[img width=350 height=459]http://www.wishbookweb.com/FB/1991_Sears_Wishbook/files/assets/common/page-substrates/page0003.jpg[/img]
The Sears 1991 Wish Book. The stuff dreams are made of.
Sometimes, a fond old memory can come rushing back to the forefront of your mind with such force that, you get a similar endorphin rush experiencing that memory as you did when it was happening to you the first time. Good memories of a departed loved one spring to mind, and you're instantly transported back in time to a happy memory of you and them, and you get that warm, safe feeling that makes you smile. Perhaps you had a favorite sports personality as a kid, and meeting them to sign a baseball or take a photo with them was a highlight. Years later, you find that baseball in a box in your parents' basement, or come across that photo in an old album, and the memories come rushing back, giving you that same big smile you had when it first happened. For me, I have very fond memories of lying on the floor of my grandparent's living room, next to my younger brother, quietly perusing the Sears and JC Penney catalogs my grandparents received in the mail.
Continue reading Wishful Thinking - Reminiscing About The Sears Wish Book
[img width=700 height=700]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/itunes_image.png[/img]
Welcome to Episode 006 of Shoot the Core-cast! This time around, we take a good look at the HOT-B Sega Genesis classic, Steel Empire! We dive into the original game, and dissect the re-releases since then, talking about the changes, and getting into the game's steampunk world. MetalFRO and Addicted go into great detail about the game's history, talk strategy, share high scores from the month's participants, and discuss how this game has lived on since its initial release.
http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2018-12-19_shoot_the_core-cast_episode_006_-_steel_empire.mp3
Check us out and subscribe (and rate!) on Apple Podcasts!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shoot-the-core-cast/id1432819542?mt=2
We're listed on Google Play - subscribe and review the podcast over there!
https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iih3vrijcro4yno3yrkeawnx6nu
We're on Stitcher Podcasts now, as well, so if you use that service, have a listen to the show from there!
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/shoot-the-corecast
We have t-shirts! Help support the podcast, and rep the shmup community by buying a Shoot the Core-cast tee!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jdieckmann/works/34582606-shoot-the-core-cast-podcast?asc=u&p=t-shirt
See all the discussion about Steel Empire, as well as participant high scores, in the discussion thread:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=18841.0
[img width=628 height=550]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-061/bf/U-061-S-11800-A.jpg[/img]
It's a good thing I bought this game based on the demo, not the cover art.
I have a very strong memory of when I first learned about Syphon Filter. It was probably late summer, or early fall, 1999. I was visiting a friend's house, and he was showing me his relatively new PlayStation console. I had previously played Twisted Metal, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy in college, but at this time, I had only recently acquired my own PlayStation, due to playing Tekken 2 at my cousin's house, and finding that I wanted to get something new, in terms of a game console. My friend showed me a PlayStation demo disc he had, and this cool new "spy action" game called Syphon Filter. I watched him play it for a few minutes, and thought it looked really cool. Then, when he was called downstairs to help finish getting dinner ready, he passed the controller over to me, and I dove in. From that point forward, I knew I had to have this game.
Continue reading Nostalgia Goggles - Syphon Filter
[img width=700 height=700]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/itunes_image.png[/img]
Episode 005 of Shoot the Core-cast, the RF Generation Shmup Club official podcast companion, is now live and online! This time, we cover Capcom's 1942, and look at its gameplay, lineage, and historical significance. We share community thoughts about the game, and discuss its playability today, in light of its much improved sequels.
Episode 005 direct link:
http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/?name=2018-11-11_shoot_the_core-cast_episode_005_1942.mp3
Check us out on iTunes!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shoot-the-core-cast/id1432819542?mt=2
We're on Google Play!
https://partnerdash.google.com/music/podcasts/portal/u/0#p:id=playpodcast/series&a=781627472
We're on Stitcher now, as well!
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/shoot-the-corecast
Check out our podcast t-shirts!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/jdieckmann/works/34582606-shoot-the-core-cast-podcast?asc=u&p=t-shirt
Original 1942 discussion thread:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=18797.0
Many thanks to Perikles, who lent the audio for his 1942 arcade clear, for us to use as the background ambiance for this episode. Check out his many great shoot-em-up clears at his YouTube Channel, Perikles STG:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7wF9rD2H9nsU-MX68iuNg
Konami was a prolific publisher, during the early days of the Game Boy, and the prowess they brought to the Famicom and NES translated well to the diminutive monochrome handheld. Aside from a minor misstep in the first portable outing with The Castlevania Adventure, Konami struck gold with most of their titles, including this one, the Game Boy exclusive shoot-em-up, Nemesis. They took the formula they established in the Gradius arcade and Famicom/NES games, and suitably shrunk it down to the Game Boy, but with some new areas, enemies, and elements at work. It makes for a unique and interesting diversion from the core series, and is a worthwhile game in its own right. It's certainly an impressive game for Nintendo's little, portable "box that could."
[img width=700 height=700]http://rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/images/itunes_image.png[/img]
Episode 04 of Shoot the Core-cast is online! MetalFRO and Addicted discuss the RF Generation Shmup Club game for September 2018; a lesser known Japanese doujin shmup called Warning Forever. This is a free to download PC game that is essentially a 25-stage boss rush. Have a listen, and see what we thought of it!
http://rfgeneration.com/p...de_04_warning_forever.mp3
ou can listen directly here on the site, or download the MP3 to listen to later:
http://www.rfgeneration.com/podcasts/shmupclub/
We're on Apple Podcasts (iTunes):
https://itunes.apple.com/...re-cast/id1432819542?mt=2
And we're also on Google Play!
https://partnerdash.googl...ied%253D1&a=781627472
We're now on Stitcher podcasts, as well!
https://www.stitcher.com/...odcast/shoot-the-corecast
Thanks so much for listening, and don't forget to subscribe on your favorite service!
[img width=616 height=431]https://www.retrogamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/thunder_force_iv-616x431.png[/img]
Thunder Force IV has been recently re-released on the Nintendo Switch as part of Sega's "Ages" series.
The last 5-6 years have been a marvelous time for the 'shmup' or shoot-em-up. Those of you reading the article are likely already familiar with the term, but for the uninitiated, it's a genre of games started in 1978, by Taito's Space Invaders, and continuing on through the 1980's, with landmark games like Namco's Galaga, Konami's Scramble, Namco's Xevious, Sega's Zaxxon, and later games like 1942 by Capcom, Gradius by Konami, and R-Type by Irem. These games usually scroll, though sometimes they're fixed, or single-screen, they're generally always 2D in nature, where the scrolling, or game area, remains on a single plane, and doesn't allow you to move in a "Z-Axis" sort of way, and pits you as a plane, space-ship, or other character/entity against a horde of oncoming enemies, all bent on your utter destruction.
Continue reading The Renaissance of the Shmup Part 2
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