Even the biggest name in gaming let its whimsy get the best of it, and how it managed to release one of the most confounding pieces of gaming hardware ever conceived is a bit difficult to untangle. But to understand how the Virtual Boy was ever released, you first have to understand the economic, political, and social factors of the turbulent mid-1990s that culminated in its release. READ MORE
The Bandai WonderSwan is something of a poster child for the quirk-seeking importer. It’s the most prominent system to never see a Western release, and its intent to stay in its home territory means it’s full of the types of weird, insular experiences that fans of Japanese games crave. It’s also rough to get into; without the super-expensive late-life SwanCrystal, the screen’s tough to see, and the library doesn’t exactly shy away from being text-heavy. Thankfully, you can get a better sense of what the system had to offer, and you can do it in English! READ MORE
The busy season is upon us! Hear our thoughts on Batman: Arkham Origins, WWE 2K14, The Typing of the Dead: Overkill, Sonic Lost World, the latest first-party Wii U releases, the future of Metal Gear Solid and where The Walking Dead is heading next. Plus: we send off the 360 and PS3 by talking about our favorites.
Check out the show here, check us out on iTunes or use the RSS feed in your favorite podcast aggregator. Let us know what you think! Email podcast[at]snackbar-games.com.
Hosts: Andrew Passafiume, Graham Russell, Henry Skey, Lucas White.
Music: Podcast theme by Tom Casper.
I love cooperative play in games. Playing with a partner isn’t always feasible, though, but thankfully games have been getting better at implementing AI partners. Ellie in The Last of Us and BioShock Infinite‘s Elizabeth show that escort quests don’t have to be excruciating, and if you don’t have a friend to play with, you’re not completely alone.
But Elizabeth isn’t going to punch me on the arm excitedly when we beat a tough boss, or scream at me loudly when an enemy pops out of nowhere. Ellie will never call me in real life and ask if I’m down to play a session of Gears of War or bring over beer. READ MORE
The vehicles in Micro Machines have this wildly-exaggerated movement. They feel as if they were actually small cars, with little weight and a powerful engine. They accelerate in seconds to ludicrous speeds, raising their kinetic energy to levels your small traction can’t keep under control. Cars bounce around corners, and go flying when hit just to criss-cross the road a second later. It’s fast and chaotic, yet (with practice) perfectly controllable. READ MORE
