WIth the seventh year of the Retro Spectives Podcast officially done and dusted, it is once again time for our Mailbag Episode!  Every year we take the time to answer questions from our listeners about old games and new, our favourite beverages and the nature of the podcast itself.  Thank you so much to everyone who listens - you’re the reason we keep doing this all these years later.

So, as is tradition, grab yourself a mug of hot cocoa and snuggle in to listen to us gasbagging about all kinds of gaming.

We answer and discuss questions like:

What gaming discussion/analysis content titillated you this year?

If you had to execute one video game or fictional character on live tv/stream, who would it be?

If you were suddenly made supreme emperor of Earth and could demand any game either be remade or get a sequel, and it would be made to your exact specifications, what game would that be and what would you change in the sequel/remake?

We answer these questions and many more on the 137th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

—

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

—
Pat's link re horse race tests:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GesBe0XY-U

Warcraft II is one of the most influential RTS games of all time.  It brought the genre to the mainstream with insane sales, and set the standard for UI and tech trees for years to come.  Blizzard had cracked the code on what made RTS games tick, and it laid the groundwork for the classics that would come in its wake.

But for all its influence, how much fun is Warcraft II to actually play today?  Does it suffer from its far more simplistic mechanics and mirrored factions, or is there something elegant and refined about a more stripped back and focused RTS?

On this episode, we discuss:

Presentation
How well does Warcraft 2 sell its aesthetic and lore?  Do its cartoony graphics hold up well compared to RTS’s of today?  Are the responses of its units annoying or endearing?

Macro
Are the macro elements of Warcraft II well realised?  How does it balance building up your economy versus developing a standing army to take the battle to the enemy?  Are there diverse objectives or constraints to liven up the experience of building up your base?

Micro
How fun is it to micro your units in Warcraft II?  Do the lack of quality of life features like unit queuing, rally points and limited units per control group make the experience miserable?  Are there any units that stand out as affecting the flow of battle?

We answer these questions and many more on the 136th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

—

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K
Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another
Warcraft 2 OST: Glenn Stafford

—

If you’d like more RTS discussion, Pat guested on the Nostalgia Goggles Podcast for Starcraft 1!  You can listen to that episode here.

—

Was your experience playing Warcraft 2 back in the day radically different from our own?  Were there any strategies or tactics that we missed?  What other under the radar modern RTS games should we play?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our buy me a coffee page!

Yu-Gi-Oh!, along with Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon, is one of the original big 3 trading card games.  Starting its life as a Manga, then a tv series, the story about the card game eventually became a card game.  Since then Yugioh has morphed through many different iterations and is still going strong today, even if its present self doesn’t have much to do with its humble beginnings. 

Nestled right in between the birth of the card game and the current format is Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s World Championship 2011: Over the Nexus.  It's an interesting middle child of the franchise for many reasons - it builds off previous games in the franchise while still being primarily a single player game.  Its format at full power makes the decks of yesteryear look like a joke, but would get trounced by anything played today.  It boasts a truly absurd card pool of ~4300 cards, and they’re shockingly mostly coded correctly.

So, is it worth going back to a different time and place to play some single player Yu-Gi-Oh?  Or is this weird slice of history more of a curio to look back on and never experience?

On this episode, we discuss:

Identity

What exactly is the identity of Yu-Gi-Oh! compared to other trading card games like Magic or Hearthstone?  What does it excel at, and where is it at its weakest?  How does the game actually play out, with its extra deck and high consistency tutors?

Deckbuilding

How viable is it for the player to build their own deck from scratch?  How well does the UI facilitate both experimenting with ideas, and finding cards that synergise together?  Do enemy decks give you inspiration and options, or are they generic and copy pasted?

Progression Systems

How do you unlock the cards required to build your decks?  Are unlocks intelligently seeded throughout your playthrough to give you a gradual increase in power?  Is it satisfying to gradually build a deck up from its basic roots, or is it too difficult to acquire key cards?

We answer these questions and many more on the 135th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

--

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Yugioh 2001 OST: Miki Murai, Kazuma Jinnouchi, Yasuhita Iso

--

Is there a better Yugioh video game out there that we somehow missed on?  What other single player card games, retro or modern, are worth our time?  Are you a fan of card games on motorcycles?  Come let us know what you think on our Community Discord Server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee Page!

Released towards the end of the Nintendo 64’s lifespan in 2000, Perfect Dark was the culmination of several years of FPS development on consoles.  After Rare released Goldeneye in 1997, they wanted to take another spin at the formula, but this time with an original IP.  Enter Perfect Dark, featuring many of the cornerstones of FPS design that defined Goldeneye, but far more refined.

The game featured more varied level design, a ridiculous selection of weapons, improved enemy AI (with a wider range of reactions to damage) and more advanced scripting.  No longer tied down to realism, Rare was free to throw in sci-fi weapons and surreal alien environments.  And this extended to the story as well, which went to some absolutely wild places.

But for all its improvements upon Goldeneye, is there a fatal flaw at the heart of N64 FPS design?  Or is it just an awkward middle child, playing in the shadows of both the PC behemoths and the specter of Halo?

On this episode, we discuss:

Level Design

• Perfect Dark retains the mission structure of Goldeneye, with multiple objectives set in short and sharp missions.  Do the improved and better explained mission objectives bring a clarity to the mission design that Goldeneye lacked, or is it still confusing and incoherent?

Guns

• Perfect Dark has an absolute plethora of weapons, from guided rocket launchers to wallhack alien sniper rifles.  Does its wide variety of weapons provide a deep and replayable moment to moment gameplay experience, or is it undone by its identity as a hitscan FPS?

Enemies

• Most of the enemies you face in Perfect Dark are regular humans, who die in a single headshot.  What does the game do to add challenge and variety to the FPS hitscanning experience of clicking on heads, and is it way too easy with a mouse and keyboard?

We answer these questions and many more on the 134th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

—

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Perfect Dark OST: Grant Kirkhope

—

What was your favourite level in Perfect Dark?  Are there any indie FPS games coming out (or already out) that are evocative of its design?  Did you find there was anything at all remotely redeeming about the story?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee Page!

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is without a doubt one of the most influential video games ever made.  Unlike some titles that struggled with the transition to 3D, Zelda absolutely smashed it, setting the blueprint for what successful open world level design looked like for many years to come.

It introduced (or popularised) many mechanics, including lock-on, c-button item selection and even an active day/night cycle.  It somehow took the 2D dungeon design of the earlier Zeldas and transformed them into something that modern games struggle to emulate to this day.  And its legacy is so strong that even people who have never played the games are familiar with “Hey, Listen!”.  

But for all its fame and fortune, for all of its innovation and brilliance - it is 27 years later.  What was once revolutionary is now standard or even passe.  Ocarina of Time not only has to compete against all the games that have copied and built on its foundations, but also itself, with many more 3D zelda games launched in its wake.  Has Ocarina of Time truly stood the test of time, or should it go back to kid mode and stay there?

On this episode, we discuss:

Dungeons

Ocarina of Time’s major gameplay draw, its deepest mechanics, are all found in its dungeons.  It's a mix of puzzles, combat and exploration, gated by keys and items.  Are the dungeons in OOT well designed with good pacing, or are they frustrating slogs with endless backtracking?

Items

The longer you play Ocarina of Time, the more tools you have at your disposal.  Nuts, hookshots, hover boots, ocarina songs, spells - the list goes on and on.  Does the game manage to balance this huge array of options, or does each one end up feeling too shallow and specific?

Combat

One of the pillars of Ocarina of Time, and all Zelda games, are their combat systems.  OOT introduced the concept of a lock on, with some very aggressive mini boss enemies that feel like prototype Dark Souls skeletons.  Is the combat here fun and engaging, or does the camera control and AI hold it back?

We answer these questions and many more on the 133rd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

—

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Zelda OOT OST: Koji Kondo

—

We played Zelda: Ocarina of Time using Ship of Harkinian, a custom modded port of the game that runs like a dream on modern PCs.  Definitely check it out!

—

Is our take on the Water Temple spot on, or highly controversial?  DId you ever get stuck while wandering the greater open world, or was that just a feature so you could catch more fish?  Which Zelda game should we play next?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee page

Resident Evil changed everything.  When originally released in 1996, what was once a niche genre for enthusiasts was now a blockbuster staple in every second home.  All of a sudden people were craving zombies, horrifying monsters and disturbing themes.  It was so popular that Square, far more known for its more traditional JRPGs, decided to throw its hat in the ring and make Parasite Eve.

On the surface, the game appeared to be textbook survival horror.  But dig a little deeper and you could see that Square was unable to escape its roots.  Turn based mode happened in a sphere similar to Vagrant Story, upgrades were plentiful and incremental, and the storytelling had more cutscenes than gameplay at least in the early stages.  Thematically this was still horrifying…but under the hood was a different story.

Was this blend of genres ultimately successful, giving survival horror a fresh new perspective?  Or is it impossible to reconcile grim resources management with the power fantasy that RPGS almost always offer?

On this episode, we discuss:

Story

How does Parasite Eve use real world science to lend an air of credibility to the horrific changes that are happening all over Manhattan?  Does it execute the smaller details well even if the larger picture is a bit silly at times?

Combat

How enjoyable is the moment to moment real time combat of Parasite Eve?  The game requires you to dodge attacks, and pick the best moment to strike.  Is this too simplistic or does it work well?

Progression

How do the weapon and armour upgrades work in Parasite Eve?  Does it provide the player with a satisfying sense of progression, or is it all just a confusing mess?

We answer these questions and many more on the 132nd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

—

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Parasite Eve OST: Yoko Shinomura

—

What crazy weapon upgrade paths do you like to use?  Is the NG+ mode worth playing?  How is Parasite Eve 2 different from the original?  Come let us know what you think on our discord server!

Come let us know what you think or recommend us a new game on our community discord server!

If you would like to support the show monetarily, you can buy us a coffee here!

Director Fumeto Ueda has been hailed by many as somewhat of an auteur of the gaming landscape. A creative whose style embraces minimalist desolation. Known best for his work on Shadow of the Colossus, Ueda's directorial debut took place in 2001 with Ico, a boy-meets-girl action-adventure released for the PlayStation 2. Born with horns in a small village, Ico was seen as a great misfortune and was locked away in an eerie castle across the sea. Just as Ico settled in to his stony tomb, an earthquake strikes, freeing him and beginning the long journey to freedom. Along the way Ico meets Yorda, the daughter of the evil shadowy queen who rules over the land and the two work together to escape. 

While the premise was simple the game was considered by many to be a success, and has been cited by many prominent directors as an influence in their games. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Uncharted, Dark Souls, The Legend of Zelda, Metal Gear Solid 3, you name it, Ico as certainly left its mark on the world. 

But is it still fun to play today?
On this episode, we discuss:

Puzzle Solving.

Ico often presents the player with simple diagetic puzzles that make use of the environment.
Unlike many other games, it makes almost no attempt to guide the player.
Is this too harsh, or is the lack of handholding refreshing in the moden era?

Combat.

Despite its claim to fame, Ico's combat has very little going for it.
What exactly makes it so unsatisfying and could it be improved?

Yorda.

An enscort quest that lasts an entire game would surely raise eyebrows if released today.
Did the team at Sony Computer Entertainment manage to bring Yorda to life?
Or is she simply a frustrating Key for the player to drag about the gameworld?
 

We answer these questions and many more on the 131st episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

--

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Ico OST: Michiru Oshima

--

Is Ico worth playing in the year 2025 and beyond? Are escort quests inherently unfun design? Does Patrick just hate fun or is James too easily impressed ? Come let us know on our community discord server!

You can support us monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee page

Third person cover based shooters were all the rage in the late 2000s.  Unveiled in 2003 in Killswitch  and later popularised with Gears of War, they became an essential part of most third person action games.  Coming in 2010, Vanquish sought to revolutionise this paradigm by giving the player an omnidirectional slide boost to move around the battlefield in an attempt to energise its plodding pacing.

And, broadly speaking, it was a resounding success.  People loved the faster pace, the bullet time, the enemy design and the more action orientated dodging of enemies.  And even though it didn’t sell as well as many other similar games, it developed a huge cult following of people who are still wildly holding on for a sequel to this day.

But is Vanquish still as refreshing and innovative as it was back in 2010?  Are bullet time and moving around quickly really all that impressive.  Can this fast and furious take on third person shooters truly break out of the straitjacket that the genre insists upon?

On this episode, we discuss:

Weapons

• Vanquish provides you a wide range of weapons to murder robots, from the more conventional shotguns and sniper rifles to grav cannons and lock on lasers.  How fun are these to use, and how well does the weapon upgrade system work in balancing your arsenal?

Enemy Design

• Vanquish enemies are mostly robots of different varieties.  Do these serve as compelling foes, from the lowliest grunt to the huge mech-like Argus?  Or are they boring to fight against, an endless wave of repetitive drones?

Cover

• Vanquish is, at its heart, a third person shooter.  Does it do enough to incentivise you to play into the throbbing heart of intense action and brinkmanship, or do you end up ducking behind cover and taking potshots at enemies as you slowly whittle them away?

We answer these questions and many more on the 130th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

—
Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Vanquish OST: Erina Niwa, Masafumi Takada 

—

How aggressively did you play Vanquish?  What is god hard mode, and does it drastically change the experience?  How would you rank Vanquish compared to other Platinum Games titles?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support us monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee page

Video games usually place you in the role of the plucky adventurer.  You are the wizard, the warrior, or the rogue, and it's your duty (and often destiny) to save the world.  On your journey, one of the most important things to do is to acquire more powerful gear to make your character stronger.  But who exactly are you buying that gear from?

Enter: Recettear.  First released in 2007 (and later 2010 in a global english localisation), Reccetear places you in the role of an 8 year old girl tasked with running an adventurer’s item shop in order to pay back a very suspicious loan.  You hire adventurers to go on dungeon runs, and you strive to buy low and sell high in an attempt to pay back ever increasing debts.

On release this concept was entirely novel, and that novelty turned it into a smash success.  But how does this game really work under the hood?  Is Reccetear only a good game thanks to its charming presentation and unique concept, or is this actually an enjoyable and engaging video game?

On this episode, we discuss:

Shopkeeping

Recettear’s item stocking and selling revolves around multiple mechanics, some of which are very deviously hidden from the player.  Combo selling chains and customer loyalty has to be balanced against extracting the maximum possible profit from your customers.  How well explained are these mechanics?  Are they balanced?  Does the balancing act become too much to handle as the game progresses?

Dungeoneering

Ask anyone - the dungeon arpg gameplay in Recettear is almost universally despised.  No review is complete without bemoaning this part of the experience.  But are they really that bad?  We dive deep and explore what doesn’t work about these dungeons, and more surprisingly, what does.

Presentation

Reccetear’s presentation is simple.  Items get snapped onto predetermined locations, selling items is a series of fast menus popping off in succession, and moving around town is as simple as selecting a location.  Does this simplicity of UI navigation lead to a crisp and clean experience, or is it ultimately too restrictive and limiting for the player?

We answer these questions and many more on the 129th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Reccetear OST: sarumotto, Araibear, ni_ya, m_box

Are the mechanics behind Reccetear really as exploitable as we described?  Are the dungeons worse than we thought?  What other games in the shopkeeper genre would you recommend?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

If you’d like to support the show, please check out our Buy Me a Coffee page!

In 1998 Bioware changed the gaming landscape with Baldur’s Gate, a Dungeons and Dragons inspired adventure.  Taking cues from second edition D&D and the many stories written about it, Bioware wrote a low level adventure that jammed everything they could find inside it.  They attempted to copy mage spells directly from the manual, and even added in famous characters like Drizzt. 

It was exactly what the fans had been waiting for.  Not only were they able to see everything come to life, the game used the radical real time with pause system, allowing combat to flow far more freely than other turn- based games before it.  Fights were fast and frequently deadly, adding a thrill to RPG combat, even if it came at the cost of precision and control.

But CRPGs are now a dime a dozen.  Not only are there later games in the series, Baldur’s Gate now has to compete against Pathfinder, Warhammer and Divinity, to name a few.  With all the advancements in tech, in UIs, in skill systems, can the original Baldur’s Gate really compete?  Has it stood the test of time, or has it been made obsolete by the wave of modern RPGS that came in its wake?

On this episode, we discuss:

Exploration

• Much of the early-mid game of Baldur’s Gate 1 is spent exploring the environment around the towns and keeps that are dotted around the Sword’s Coast.  Is this exploration enjoyable to engage with intrinsically, and does it provide enough extrinsic rewards to motivate you to continue?

Combat

• Baldur’s Gate’s combat is scrappy, disorganised and messy.  There is a high level of vulnerability on both sides, spells have unclear areas of effect, and high rolls can produce instant-death in many circumstances.  Does this combat system lead to  dynamic and novel encounters that allow for tactical depth, or does it just encourage reloading until you get the outcome that you want?

Character Customisation

• Baldur’s Gate is a very complex game under the hood, but those calculations, and level up decisions are mostly hidden from the player.  Does the game give sufficient options to the player to customise their character with skill choices and gear, or is it all predetermined the moment you first select your character?
   

We answer these questions and many more on the 128th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast?

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Baldurs Gate OST - Michael Hoenig

Are you meant to eventually multiclass everyone to a mage in DND?  Is Sanctuary really as overpowered as it seems?  When will you play Baldur’s Gate 2, you pair of sniveling cowards?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy me a Coffee Page!