At work I inherited a new lab so I’ve been putting in extra hours, which means most things around here have suffered. I did get posts scheduled for next week, though, so the socials are at least working if not squeaky clean. I did get a bit of a change to work my way through more of the Ultimate Unreal Engine 2D class on Udemy. Still a long way to go, but it’s interesting and I really dug his YouTube videos on creating HD2D in Unreal.
And the February playlist on YouTube as well:
Weekly Finds
I pull a lot of the items about gaming and movie news here from a number of sources: The Atari Age forums, Retro Indie News, Time Extension, IGN, Retro Hour podcast, Itch.io, Facebook, Twitter, etc. What shows up here will change weekly depending on what I happen to find in the wild. I try to include the original sources in the links.
Dakar Desert Rally free on Epic Games
If you’re into racing, Dakar Desert Rally is currently free on the Epic Games Store.
Daily Drop Roundup
You can get daily drops in your socials wherever you live. First Facebook link is the the Nostalgia Drop page, and the second is to the group. The group is more fun.
February 11th, 2024
CAKE – “The Distance”
Mattel Knit Magic Toy
This is pretty cool and something I never knew existed. The Mattel Knit Magic Toy. Learning to knit can be very intimidating, but this gets you started easily and early!
Lufia & The Fortress of Doom (1993)
When the Fortress of Doom, a giant floating castle on an island in the sky, appears, it is up to Maxim, Selen, Artea, and Guy to fight the Sinistrals and free the land from their dark embrace. It is a very traditional role-playing game inspired by the Dragon Quest series.
South Park (1997)
One of the most influential adult cartoons of all time.
February 12th, 2024
Jamiroquai – “Virtual Insanity”
Leather Dresses
The 80s had some peculiar fashion, but the leather dress had to be one of the more interesting, and probably most uncomfortable, dress fashions of the decade. At least until the 2000s when The Matrix and Underworld popularized vinyl clothing.
Ecco the Dolphin (1992)
When I saw ads for Ecco the Dolphin, I had two thoughts. First, this is absolutely beautiful. Second, playing a dolphin must suck! Boy was I wrong about the second one. Ecco could move wonderfully through the underwater environments, and the expansive environments were engaging and interesting. Plus it was a damn beautiful game.
Blue Steel (1990)
Blue Steel is an action-thriller starring Jamie Lee Curtis. During a robbery, Curtis kills a robber, but a patron in the store picks up the robber’s gun. He then begins murdering people with it while hearing voices. She is suspended for killing an unarmed man, and the robber becomes obsessed with her. So, she starts dating him. And then it all comes out in a crazy but cool ending showdown.
February 13th, 2024
Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
Butterfly Top
I know so many people who had this butterfly top. Similar tops have made a comeback in the late 2000s.
Tori Tori (2001)
Tori Tori is a colorful platformer from 2001.
What Dreams May Come (1998)
Hey, you? You like Robin Williams? You like sad movies about dead wives? Do you like to wander through surreal environments to find said dead wife? Well, here is the movie for you!
February 14th, 2024
Modern English – “I Melt With You”
Neon Dance floor
I feel like every 80s movie had this dancefloor.
Metroid Fusion (2002)
Metroid Fusion is an open world action platformer that was relased in 2002. It focused more on story than previous entries, so it led the player along in a more focused manner.
Super Fly (1972)
This hands down had one of the best soundtracks of any 1970s film, and that is saying a LOT!
February 15th, 2024
The Hooters – “And We Danced”
Waterbed
Who thought of this? These things made my back hurt when I was a kid. I think this is why my back hurts today. Plus filling them was a nightmare…but not as nightmarish as if they popped.
Gunstar Heroes (1995)
Gunstar Heroes for the Sega Genesis is one of my favorite Treasure shooter-platformers.
The New Adventures of Snow White (1969)
No one does fairy tales quite like the Germans, and with a combination of slapstick comedy and a grotesquerie of original fairy tale magic (the wicked step-sisters cut off heels and toes to fit in the slipper to wed the prince, for example), The New Adventures of Snow White does not disappoint. I don’t think I ever saw the whole film, even in edited form, when I was a kid, but I remember vividly mushrooms turning into the seven dwarves from some long-lost memory. Luckily, I have seen it since and was extremely excited to recognize Marie Leljedahl as Snow White. The version on Amazon Prime was converted run through a shoddy quick edit to 4:5 and trims off the edges of the widescreen film edition. There are times when characters are cut off or partially cut off. It does, however, have an English voice-over track if you do not like subtitles.
February 16th, 2024
Scandal – “The Warrior”
Inflatable Furniture
90s groups on Facebook: EVERTHING was better in the 90s!
Me: How about inflatable furniture?
90s groups on Facebook: *ban*
Warlocked (2000)
Warlocked is a real-time strategy game for the Game Boy Color.
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
Andrew Lloyd Weber made this trippy Jesus tale in 1973. It was met with praise among some Christians and derision among others for its rock and roll/disco portrayal of Jesus.
February 17th, 2024
T’Pau – “Heart And Soul”
Glow in the dark stars on the ceiling
This hits in the late 80s, too. But man did I know a lot of people with glow-in-the-dark stars on their ceilings in the 90s.
Samurai Shodown (1993)
Samurai Shodown was released in 1993 in the arcades and later on the Neo Geo. It is a straight-forward fighting game…with swords. And as expected, those swords do huge damage.
Short Circuit (1986)
“No disassemble!”