Retro Spectives

The Burnout series is famous for one thing: combining racing with carnage.  Less focused on customisation than Need for Speed, but with more traditional racing structure than Carmageddon, Burnout 3 seeks to elevate car-on-car battles to be equally important to navigating around its tracks skillfully.  Rewards for taking out other racers come thick and fast, and it even has an entire mode dedicated to crashing into intersections.

But does it all add up to a compelling video game?  Does the focus on combat actively detract from the art of racing?  Or does it end up being a gimmicky mess?

On this episode, we discuss:

• What’s the deal with Burnout 3’s famous crash mode?  Is a puzzle mode really what we want from a racing game?
• Is having rubber banding AI ever justified?  Or is it a fundamentally terrible thing to include in a racing game?
• How does Burnout 3 hold up aesthetically?  Do its graphics ever actively affect the gameplay experience?

We answer these questions and many more on the 54th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Burnout 3 OST: Various artists (see individual youtube descriptions)

Old Man Murray article on adventure games

The Civilization series is one of the most consistently successful 4x titles throughout video game history.  It saw its first entry way back in 1991, and would continue to refine its history spanning empire building over the years.  Perhaps the most well regarded of them was Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword, a standalone expansion pack for Civ IV that promised the deepest and most complex strategy up to that date.

Civilisation V, however, seemed to break from a lot of what defined the main series up to that point.  Unit stacking, global happiness and the removal/replacement of the civics system saw fans outraged.  But with time (and more expansion packs) the love for Civ V’s systems grew, and it quickly became the most popular Civ game ever.  

But were all the changes that were made actually improvements over the systems present in Civilization IV?  Was the game changed for the better?  Were they sidegrades, or even worse, downgrades?

On this episode, we discuss:

• How does the existence of combat stacking affect both the tactical skirmishes and strategic positioning of your forces?  How does it compare to a one unit per tile system?
• How well does Civ IV communicate the details of your empire to the player?  How easy is it to read the broader landscape of all out war in a glance?
• How much shit will Patrick get for pronouncing 4x as ‘four times’?  I’ve only ever read it online before, please forgive me!

We answer these questions and many more on the 53rd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Civ IV OST: Various Composers (see under each video in playlist)

Civilization IV BUG mod (recommended)

Did we misunderstand anything fundamental about how the combat system works?  Does one unit per tile lead to more sophisticated combat encounters than we gave it credit for?  What 4x title should we tackle next?  Come let us know our our community discord server!

2020 saw Pat and James play through another 23 retro games, ranging from the delightful insanity of Katamari Damacy to the far more lukewarm Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.  We played a lot of stealth games, had our fair share of mental breakdowns over what each of us saw as terrible games (Pat and James, respectively), and even got to finally talk about none other than Dark Souls.

Within the margins of our game reviews, however, were many potential conversations ended prematurely, many argumentative tangents unaired.  Sometimes an interesting discussion won’t fit in the constraints of a single episode, and sometimes we get too mad in the moment to actually express ourselves coherently.  Here then, are the bits and pieces that wouldn’t fit; a revisiting of what we consider the most interesting threads of discussion that we weren’t able to get into during the episode.  

On this episode, we discuss:

• Are games enhanced by having the protagonist be fundamentally vulnerable in some way?  Can a power fantasy be genuinely enjoyable for very long, or is it unsustainable?
• What does it mean for a game to have its quality of life features improved upon?  Is it possible for these things to constitute ‘side-grades’ rather than being all upside?
• Do controllers have basically zero upside over a mouse and keyboard setup?  Pat doesn’t think so, and must defend himself using insane reasoning in the face of James’ sound logic.

We answer these questions, and many more, on the 52nd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Katamari Damacy OST: Asuka Sakai - Que Sera Sera

Super Mario World OST: Koji Kondo - Athletic

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Celeste Twitter Thread

Day Z or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance

Thief Is Just A Stealth Game

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Have a game suggestion for us to play in 2021?  Did we give the games this year enough credit for their soundtracks?  Are you one of those filthy defenders of removing skill based matchmaking?  Whoever you are, and whatever degenerate gaming beliefs you hold, we would be delighted if you stopped by our discord server to continue the discussion in a somewhat civil manner!

It's time for part 1 of the Season 2 wrapup: The Mailbag!  Year 2 of Retro Spectives saw many new users join our discord server, and even more in depth discussions.  We argued about whether Super Metroid’s storytelling was too light a touch, whether System Shock’s UI was the worst in existence, and if all JRPGS were literally created by the devil.  In all these instances, though, it was us who was leading the discussion.

The mailbag episode gives our listeners a chance to flip this dynamic on its head.  For episode 51 we’ve opened up the floor to our listeners to grill us on any subject they choose, whether related to our time spent playing these games or otherwise.  Big thanks to everyone who submitted questions, keep ‘em coming!

On this episode, we discuss:

• How do Pat and James approach objectivity in how they review video games?  Is it possible to be objective?  Should they strive for objectivity?
• If there was one game that was ineligible for the podcast that you could force the other person to play, what would it be?
• And the real heavy hitter: What are Pat and James’ favourite sandwiches?

We answer this question and many more on the 51st episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Laurence, The First Vicar: Bloodborne OST - Ryan Amon, Tsukasa Saitoh, Michael Wandmacher, Yuka Kitamura, Cris Velasco, Nobuyoshi Suzuki

Apocalypsis Noctis Dramatic: FFXV OST - Yoko Shimomura

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If you have any questions to ask, games to suggest, or feuds to start, please do drop by our community text based discord server!  We love discussing and arguing over the nitty gritty of video games more than anything else and we’d love to have you join us!

Patrick and James have a problem.  Almost every single episode, they’ve brought up Dark Souls.  Level design?  Not as good as Dark Souls.  Combat System?  Not as good as Dark Souls.  Even when they’re playing racing games like F-Zero GX or 2D platformers like Cave Story, the comparisons still come thick and fast.

So, for this very special 50th episode of the podcast, we’ve decided to review and discuss Dark Souls, the yardstick by which we’ve praised and criticised so many other games.  The impact that Dark Souls had on the video game industry as a whole cannot be questioned.  From Software went from the weird Armored Core guys to one of the most prominent video game companies today.  But is Dark Souls still fun to play today?  Or has it’s darksign been eclipsed by the many Souls-likes that have come in its wake?

On this episode, we discuss:

• In what way does Dark Souls tell its story?  Does Dark Souls even have a substantive story to engage with?  Or is it all just a mess of vague ancient myths and legends?
• What’s so special about Dark Souls’ level design?  Are a few shortcuts really that special, or has the value of helix level design been blown out of proportion?
• Dark Souls is supposedly an action-rpg.  But where on the line between those two disparate ideas does it truly lie?  Is Dark Souls a mechanical, action filled experience?  Or a methodical and deep role-playing game?

We answer these questions and many more on the 50th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Dark Souls OST: Motoi Sakuraba

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Was there a part of Dark Souls that we didn’t praise enough?  Are you one of those dirty Dark Souls 2 apologists that we keep ragging on?  Are you secretly hoping we never talk about this game ever again?  We would love to hear what you have to say on our 

community text based discord server!

In 2004, Relic brought the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000 to life with its real time strategy game Dawn of War.  Fans of the franchise adored it, and it brought in entire legions of new zealots ready to die for the glory of the Emperor.  Dawn of War went on to feature three expansion packs, one superb sequel, and another sequel probably best left forgotten.  With so many games and fans around the world, the success of this bold experiment is unquestionable.

But how fun an experiment is it to play today?  Is it really possible to fully capture the spirit of the models, the lore, and the gameplay in an entirely different genre?  Is Dawn of War’s campaign still fun to play today?

On this episode, we discuss:

• How well does Dawn of War’s story gel with the broader lore of the Warhammer 40k universe?  How interesting is that lore, and are there any problems with a story based around unending military conflict?
• Does the focus on controlling strategic points around the map actually lead to a difference in macro strategy and economics?  Or is it just a different flavour of mineral patches?
• How well does the game implement squad customisation?  Does the game incentivise different kinds of modularity to overcome specific enemy compositions and challenges?

We answer these questions and many more on the 49th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Looking to play Dawn of War? Find a widescreen fix here

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Dawn of War OST: Jeremy Soule

Is Warhammer 40k Dawn of War’s gameplay more sophisticated than we give it credit for?  Is there a particular expansion we should try that will blow our minds?  Have we completely butchered and misunderstood the lore?  Let us know on our community text based discord server!

The Metroidvania genre has a long and complicated history, but the game that invented the modern model is without a doubt Super Metroid.  Released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo, it blew critics away with its smooth gameplay, open level design and incredible boss battles.  While previous metroid games had similar open ended level structure, it was Super Metroid that refined it into the smooth progression and pacing that we take for granted today.

But does Super Metroid still hold up today in the face of the many advancements made in the genre over the past 25 years?  The genre has seen a renaissance in the last 5-10 years, particularly in the indie sphere, headlined by Hollow Knight and Ori.  Can the original possibly hope to stand strong when compared side by side to these masterpieces?

On this episode, we discuss:

• How well does Samus control?  Is her awkward, vertical inclined jumping a dealbreaker, or can you adapt to her moveset with time and practice?
• How linear is Super Metroid?  Are metroidvanias really as open as they appear, and if not, is this even a problem?
• What’s in a secret?  How does Super Metroid incentivise secret hunting, and is the process of uncovering them really all that enjoyable?

We answer these questions and many more on the 48th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Super Metroid OST: Minako Hamano

Is there another Metroid game we should play?  Were there more diverse routes to explore the world than we gave Super Metroid credit for?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

The first Thief game was widely beloved, and critically acclaimed, but not entirely free of criticism.  The gawking masses loved sneaking around the mansions of the wealthy, but were not too hot on the descending into caves filled with Zombies and Burricks.  For the 2000 release of Thief 2, Looking Glass Studios decided to make some changes.

Thief 2 takes place in the metal age, a steampunk inspired transformation that sees The City covered in factories, security cameras and ever vigilant automatons, patrolling back and forth.  Gone are the monsters, pushed to the outskirts of society or hunted to extinction.  Gone are the long and confusing tomb robbing missions, replaced with more mansions and other more mundane locations where nobility dwell.  The world has changed.

But is it ultimately for the better?  Or has Thief 2 lost the magic that made Thief 1 so special?

On our very first sequel episode, we discuss:

• How does Thief 2’s level design compare to Thief 1’s?  Do it's more grounded and realistic locations lead to more enjoyable sneaking?
• How does Thief 2 tell its story?  Can small pieces of incidental story telling add up to something just as meaningful as a central thread?
• Does the game ever sink into repetitiveness?  Are there enough tools at your disposal as a Thief to keep the game interesting?  Or is the level design doing all the heavy lifting?

We answer these questions and many more on the 47th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Thief 2 OST: Eric Brosius

We highly recommend you listen to our episode on Thief Gold here before listening to our episode on Thief 2!  We draw a lot of comparisons and assume that you know the basics of what the game is like!

When you play Thief 2 should you install t2fix, which you can find here.  This fixes a lot of bug and scripting issues while keeping the fundamental gameplay intact.

Did you enjoy Thief 1 more than Thief 2?  Should we play Deadly Shadows or The Dark Mod?  Are there any other secret stealth gems that we’ve neglected and should check out?  Come let us know on our text based community discord server!

The Super Mario franchise is what many would label as the dawn of videogames. While it wasn't the first, its impact on the infant medium of gaming was certainly the biggest and to this day the franchise is held in high-regard. 

But even in a franchise filled to the brim with historic titles, there are some that shine brighter than others. Released in 1990 alongside the launch of the SNES, Super Mario World is often argued to be one of the greatest 2D platformers ever made. Filled with unique ideas, zany power-ups and a gorgeous aesthetic, Super Mario World has won the hearts of many.

But just how well does this classic game hold up against modern platforming gems like Celeste and Super Meat Boy?

To answer this, we discuss:

• Super Mario World is a much looser experience compared to  many modern platformers. Is this a bad thing or can playground-esque level design still keep up with the precision platformers of the present?
• Platformers live or die by their controls; does Mario steer like a truck or is there something to be said for commiting to your actions?
• In the past Patrick has had a low opinion of cartoony graphics, but can Super Mario World's sheer charm win him over in the end? 

Find out on the 46th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Super Mario World Soundtrack -  Koji Kondo

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Is Super Mario World just as good as people say? Or is it simply overrated? You can suggest new games for us to play or tell us exactly why we’re wrong on our text based community discord server!

The Lord Of The Rings is unquestionably the most impactful fantasy work ever written.  And in 2001, Peter Jackson did what many thought was impossible, bringing Tolkien’s vision to the big screen in an enormously successful way.  The movies were cultural phenomenons, praised by critics and fans alike, and for many is the definitive adaptation of the works of Tolkien.

With the success of the movie game companies were galvanised to create a video game based on it.  Tolkien heavily inspired fantasy role playing games, of course, but this was an opportunity to capture the imagination of thousands of movie watchers.  In fact, the game we played this fortnight - The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers - was released several weeks before the movie, filled with footage and interviews that was only available from the game itself.  Many people have fond childhood memories of this third person action rpg brawler.

But was Two Towers actually a well crafted video game that really complimented the movies, and made you feel like Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli?  Or was it a cheap and nasty job, cashing in on fans and their hype for one of the best movie series ever made?

On this episode, we discuss:

• How well does The Two Towers capture the spirit of the movie's story?  Is it important for the  story to get fully fleshed out in an action video game?
• What does it mean for a video game’s combat to be ‘clunky’?  Are fixed camera angles, low mobility options and delayed input combos intrinsically unfun, or do they have their merits?
• How important are concepts like poise and hyper armor when designing and playing a third person brawler?

We answer these questions and many more on the 45th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

LOTR: The Two Towers Soundtrack -  Howard Shore

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Is Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King a worthy sequel to this game?  Are we wrong in our criticisms?  You can suggest new games for us to play or tell us exactly why we’re wrong on our text based community discord server!