Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The aging horror of Kenji Eno's D]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/the-aging-horror-of-kenji-enos-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/the-aging-horror-of-kenji-enos-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/the-aging-horror-of-kenji-enos-d/#commentsThis is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again.


The inspiration to whip up a new column about an old game can come from anywhere, even a sad loss for the video game industry. In February, upon hearing about the death of Kenji Eno, I scanned Amazon and eBay for copies of his games, thinking I might write them up in remembrance, but ultimately never pulled the trigger on a purchase.

Two months later, I walk into a recently-opened used game shop (named ThrillHouse, if you can believe it), and what should I see under the glass? A boxed Sega Saturn copy of Kenji Eno's D in great condition, the creepy cover just as effective now as it was seventeen years ago. I gladly paid $30 for it.

Having played it for the first time since I was thirteen, D isn't as scary as I remember. While it isn't a very good game, I still find myself enjoying the experience.

Continue reading The aging horror of Kenji Eno's D

JoystiqThe aging horror of Kenji Eno's D originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dkenji-enomaking-timepcwarpFri, 10 May 2013 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Getting Dark Souls all wrong]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/getting-dark-souls-all-wrong/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/getting-dark-souls-all-wrong/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/getting-dark-souls-all-wrong/#comments This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again.

Getting Dark Souls all wrong
When Dark Souls first launched in October 2011, I picked it up immediately. Though that statement may seem to be tied to my love of the game's spiritual predecessor, the truth is I've never touched Demon's Souls. It was the rampant fan excitement for a new entry in From Software's action-RPG that drew me in. But Dark Souls didn't resonate with me.

It was a combination of elements that made it easy for me to shelve my copy: the continuous discussion of its incredible difficulty and the "if you don't like it, you don't get it" attitude from fanatics. I never planned to play Dark Souls again.

Early this morning, I wrapped up my fifth hour of the game on Xbox 360, after putting three-plus hours in on the (only worth playing with fan-made fixes) PC version. Dark Souls' hooks are firmly embedded under my skin.

Gallery: Dark Souls (Gamescom 2011)

Continue reading Getting Dark Souls all wrong

JoystiqGetting Dark Souls all wrong originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dark-soulsFrom-Softwaremaking-timemicrosoftNamco-BandaiOpinionpcplaystationproject-darkps3xboxWed, 13 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Reliving the controversy of Phantasmagoria]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/11/reliving-the-controversy-of-phantasmagoria/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/11/reliving-the-controversy-of-phantasmagoria/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/11/reliving-the-controversy-of-phantasmagoria/#comments This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again.

Reliving the controversy of Phantasmagoria
I have a confession to make. The only reason this column exists is because I wanted an excuse to write about Phantasmagoria, an adventure game created by industry pioneer Roberta Williams. Not that I could have told you who Roberta Williams was when I first played the game in the mid-1990s. I played the majority of the game on my friends Danny and Mikey's computer. My family didn't have much of a PC at the time, but Danny and Mikey had a 486 beast that could run Windows 95 and a glut of incredible games I couldn't get at home. (Maybe I'll tell you about my family's PCJr in a future column.)

In some ways, Phantasmagoria is the quintessential 90s game, borrowing elements - intentionally or not - from some of the decade's biggest phenomena. Released in 1995, it was smack in the middle of publisher Sierra's adventure game heyday. Like CD-ROM sensation Myst, all the characters are rendered using full-motion video, while the environments are all composed of static, pre-rendered 3D backgrounds. And, like Mortal Kombat and Night Trap before it, Phantasmagoria's realistic and often gruesome depiction of its characters stirred up controversy.

Gallery: Making Time: Phantasmagoria

Continue reading Reliving the controversy of Phantasmagoria

JoystiqReliving the controversy of Phantasmagoria originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>making-timepcphantasmagoriasierrasierra-onlineMon, 11 Feb 2013 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Vagrant Story: Game of a million swords]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/vagrant-story-game-of-a-million-swords/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/vagrant-story-game-of-a-million-swords/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/21/vagrant-story-game-of-a-million-swords/#comments This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again.

I'm not sure when it happened, but it must have been sometime in 1999. My friend Stephen and I engaged in a sort of foreign exchange program. We didn't go overseas or anything - we just loaned our respective game consoles to each other. I borrowed his entirely alien PlayStation and a few games, notably Silent Hill, which had just come out and that I was dying to play. Meanwhile, he borrowed my Sega Saturn. (He really liked Dragon Force, which is easily worth a column of its own.)

I wound up spending the bulk of my time with Silent Hill (mostly alone, eek), but I also tried out Vagrant Story, and I remember enjoying it. Fast-forward 13 years or so, and I've finally picked it back up via PSOne Classics to finish what I started. It's taken me several hours to come to this conclusion, but I think I still like it.

Gallery: Making Time: Vagrant Story

Continue reading Vagrant Story: Game of a million swords

JoystiqVagrant Story: Game of a million swords originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>making-timeplaystationplaystation-vitaps3pspsonysquare-enixvagrant-storyvitaMon, 21 Jan 2013 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Solving the 3D platforming problem in Jumping Flash]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/solving-the-3d-platforming-problem-in-jumping-flash/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/solving-the-3d-platforming-problem-in-jumping-flash/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/05/solving-the-3d-platforming-problem-in-jumping-flash/#comments This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again.

Solving the 3D platforming problem in Jumping Flash
I never owned a PlayStation during the 32-bit era. I had a Sega Saturn, which I loved, though that didn't stop me from envying my PlayStation-owning friends. I was lucky enough to play a handful of games on friends' consoles - Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Vagrant Story - but I missed out on most of the games that would help solidify Sony's legacy in the game industry.

One of those games was Jumping Flash. It was a platformer, and it was in 3D, a mind-boggling concept back in 1995. With no PlayStation, all I had were magazines filled with glowing reviews and screenshots, showcasing a beautiful, colorful world and a cool mechanical rabbit. With YouTube still a decade away, I couldn't even watch a Let's Play. All I could do was imagine, imagine what it must be like to leap and soar over those wonderful floating islands.

Now, thanks to the magic of PSOne Classics and a Black Friday Vita purchase, I can play it pretty much whenever I want. I've done so for the past few days, and it turns out that Jumping Flash holds up surprisingly well. Not only that, it makes for a great portable game.

Continue reading Solving the 3D platforming problem in Jumping Flash

JoystiqSolving the 3D platforming problem in Jumping Flash originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jumping-flashmaking-timeplaystationplaystation-vitaps3psnpsone-classicsvitaWed, 05 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The overlooked innovation of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/the-overlooked-innovation-of-zelda-2-the-adventure-of-link/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/the-overlooked-innovation-of-zelda-2-the-adventure-of-link/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/29/the-overlooked-innovation-of-zelda-2-the-adventure-of-link/#comments This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again.

The overlooked innovation of Zelda 2 The Adventure of Link
Choosing the definitive Zelda game is a fool's errand. There are those who say the series peaked with Ocarina of Time. Twilight Princess has its adherents. Others - for reasons I cannot fathom - insist that Wind Waker is the best. Heck, there are even some fans that really love the quirky (haunted?) Majora's Mask. Personally, I tend to opt for the 16-bit opus, A Link to the Past.

That is only, however, if you asked me which Zelda I thought was the best. Now, if you were to ask me which one was my favorite, I'd have to go with Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link. I tend to play through it every few years, and its recent jaunt onto the 3DS eShop (just in time for Thanksgiving) gave me the perfect opportunity to revisit it again.

Continue reading The overlooked innovation of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link

JoystiqThe overlooked innovation of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>making-timenintendozelda-2Zelda-2-The-Adventure-of-LinkThu, 29 Nov 2012 17:45:00 EST