Mar 30, 2007

80k of free video gaming bliss

80 kilobytes can hold more than enough data to keep most broadband challenged gamers off the streets (and zoos). To prove my point, I'll introduce you to the pretty self-explanatory Block Out 8k and Turrican 32k retro remakes, and to the definitely more original DaShoota 32k (pictured above). Now, you be helpful and stay off the streets. Thank you.
Related @ Gnome's Lair: Goldeneye: Source, Decker, Contra 20th Anniversary Edition, Star Wars Bloodlines


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Mar 28, 2007

RGCD a.k.a. retro gaming pr0n on disc

I've always been quite of fond of diskmags, you know, and I've followed them from the dark but happy BBS ages all the way to modern offerings like the demoscene oriented Hugi and PAiN. But a retro gaming diskmag? That would surely be too much to ask for, even during those weird corporate aeons we live in when Mario's co-star is Sonic.

Enter RGCD (linkety link), the best online diskmag a retro gaming gnome could ever ask for and a brilliant Independent Gaming find. Its first issue, a 160MB monster in .iso image format no less, can be downloaded here and features tons of exquisite content covering everything from retro remakes, to game reviews, to emulators, to interviews, to excellent freeware games. A stripped down 10MB version (sans games) can be downloaded here. Oh, and the Daemon Tools will definitely come in handy too.
Contents

Featured Game
  • Typhoon 2001 (PC)
Retro Reviews
  • Counter Clockwise (PC)
  • Darkside Adventures (PC)
  • DragonWing (VIC-20)
  • Greenrunner (C64)
  • Grid Assault (PC)
  • Head-On (Atari XE/XL)
  • Logic3 Gamespower 50 (DTV)
  • Lunar Blitz (VIC-20)
  • Nova (PC)
  • Nuclear Waste Dump (Atari STE)
  • Pocket UFO (Pocket PC)
  • Poker Square (Atari STE)
  • Qwak (GBA)
  • Scorpions 2.0 (Atari XE/XL)
  • Thrust Xtreme (PC)
  • Znax (Atari STE)
  • Zoo Mania (C64)
Extras
  • Cortex Command Preview (PC)
  • Crownland Preview (Atari XE/XL)
  • D-Bug Atari Falcon/Mega ST(E) Fixes
  • G-Force Preview (PC)
  • Micro Machines Preview (Atari STE)
  • Saucelifter Preview (PC)
  • Sub Hunter Preview (C64)
  • Tongueman's Logic Demo (PC Engine)
Emulators
  • AtariWin800 Plus 4.0 (PC)
  • Magic Engine (PC)
  • Steem (PC)
  • Visual Boy Advance 1.72 (PC)
  • Win Vice 1.20 (PC)
    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Namco's Galaxian, Peter Favaro on Alter Ego, 10 unsung Indiana Jones games, online emulation


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    @roguelike the magazine

    It's been out for over a week, features menacing @s and Game Set Watch has already blogged it, so you probably already know all about it. Just to make sure though, here's a sweet link to the premier issue of roguelike: the magazine, an excellent online mag dealing with all things rogue and dungeon crawling. Features tons of ASCII violence too.
    Related @ Gnome's Lair: adventure webradio, Warhammer comics, The Sandman free PDF

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    Mar 27, 2007

    PC Review: 'Feyruna - Fairy Forest'

    Detailed sprites, a colourful cutesy game character, pure arcade action and fantastic hand-painted backgrounds... it's got to be another (only slightly) retro Amiga game, right? Well, shockingly, no. It's Feyruna - Fairy Forest, a brand new PC indy game from Germany, sporting some refreshingly old fashioned game mechanics and lovely 2d visuals. Interested? Good, let me elaborate a bit then.

    FFF, as Feyruna - Fairy Forest will henceforth be referred to, probably features Feyruna, a fabulous fairy (which could also be the name of FFF's setting mind you, but really, I like the idea of calling the fairy Feyruna), and is quite frankly an alliteration heavy casual and/or retro gamer's wet dream. It also is one of the more polished (but less innovative...) indy games I've recently seen and one of the few PC offerings with three unlockable mini-games. They might not be much, they might be simple, basic even, but they're definitely a touch that shows the amount of care gone into the game.

    Then again, bonus games are just that, a bonus. The main course of FFF has the player assuming the role of a fairy (you know, the one probably named Feyruna), a decidedly non-slutty female character, and going on to liberate places from the Princes of Darkness in a rather ordinary plot, that certainly doesn't takes itself that seriously. After all, FFF, just like every other action heavy game before it, isn't about plot, it's about fun, and this it delivers in abundance.

    The game, a reflex honing experience with slight shoot-em-up tendencies, is surprisingly non violent and thus quite appropriate for kids, families and small orgies. You, the player, the happy lil' sprite, travel through 60 levels, each comprising of a beautiful screen, enemies trying to kill/stall you, power-ups and glowies (and butterflies and stuff) you must collect, and ...uhm... collect stuff and avoid/destroy the baddies. Eventually you'll have enough stashed glowies to progress to the next level, that will definitely be more challenging and might also add a new enemy, power-up or tactic to the whole experience. Mind you, that even though the gameplay does indeed get repetitive, these constantly appearing new elements do keep FFF an addictive little pass time, while some progressively tough boss battles to spice things up.

    Now, have a try for yourselves. Download the FFF demo. Oh, and I suppose...

    That's a (seven and a half) out of (ten).

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Wii & PC Reunion, Decker, Medieval II: Total War review, reviews archive


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    Mar 24, 2007

    Adventure Radio Webradio

    Adventure Europe might be a semi-defunct (partly due to its members developing games) video gaming site with point and click obsessions, but it did manage to revive the excellent Adventure Radio online radio thingy nonetheless. Tune in by following this link and all the music, starting from the Sierra/Lucasarts to the contemporary episodic Sam and Max era, will stream right through your shitty PC speakers and into your brain.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Agatha Christie ATTWN Wii, 2006 AGS Awards, Mapping Maniac Mansion


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    Mar 23, 2007

    Namco Galaxian: And then there was colour!

    1979. The year arcade games got proper colour graphics and also the year Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned and seized political power in Iran. But, really, who was responsible for this? The Shah? The US? Atari? Imperialism in general? Simple, it was Galaxian. The first ever colour video game and thus the first game to put a stop to the utterly disgusting habit of sticking colored cellophane across monochrome displays.

    Galaxian, a Namco creation and a glorified Space Invaders clone (ok, an evolution of the Space Invaders concept then) is one of the bestselling coin-ops ever and a ridiculously successful video game, that has already spawned almost 20 sequels on platforms ranging from the PSP, to the Game Boy Color to the ZX Spectrum. As for the remakes and ports, well, they are just countless.

    To have a taste of some Galaxian gameplay, or to simply remember those glorious arcade years, you could be cheap and try this decent online version, irrational and purchase the rather mediocre Namco Museum 50th Anniversary or even be truly adventurous and hit the road in search of old arcades, bootlegged whiskey, good jazz and that beat mentality of yore. Mind you, even though underage gamers are not allowed to go all Kerouac, they will definitely enjoy this classic shmup. It's much faster, definitely creepier (it's insectoid thingies you're fighting here) and way more polished than Space Invaders, thus still astonishingly addictive.

    On the other hand, if finding out more about Galaxian is all you're here for, then by all means do try some of those lovely hand-picked links:
    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Peter Favaro on Alter Ego, Mean Machines issue 0, Adventure, Guitar Hero C64


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    Mar 22, 2007

    It's Source, Goldeneye: Source

    Goldeneye: Source does something fantastic: it remakes the Ninendo 64 ueber classic GoldenEye 007 (it got a 9.8 @ GameSpot and a ridiculous 96% @ Metacritic) for the PC, or, to be more precise, for the still impressive Source engine. It is thus a brilliant and traditionally freeware Half Life 2 mod with a splash of retro gaming. So, uhm, download the Beta1 version of GE:S here.

    Oh, and if you must absolutely be convinced this download is worth your precious time, know that GE:S won third place in the illustrious MOTY 2006 competition. If, on the other hand, you'd rather enjoy this on the proper N64 hardware with the weirdly shaped controller, hang around Retro Treasures and you might just get lucky.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Unreal Tournament mods, Counter Strike: Fawlty Towers, quirky Half Life 2 mods, Ultima V revisited


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    Warhammer stuff for people who read

    Penny Arcade definitely has its moments and Ctrl Alt Del is quite a fetish, but none feature proper Warhammer humor. Not so with the brand new The Secret Lives of Mobs webcomic, a hilarious series of strips catering to the Warhammer lot and those that will soon enter Mythic's WAR MMORPG. It's really well done too, and also a fine addition to the already established Golden Throne and Light Dwarf.

    Warhammer 40k gamers on the other hand should really check out Firebase published by none others than the Warseer forumites. Check it out March 23.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Wargaming PDF magazines, Battle for Skull Pass review, lovely lovely Chaos Dwarfs

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    Mar 21, 2007

    Decker's Delight Links (21.Mar.07)

    Deckers are a capricious lot. They also are currently on strike, mainly due to the latest Shadowrun game being just another FPS. Then again, they are still all into hand-picking gaming links and trying to be regular about it too.
    Warren Spector, the master interactive storyteller and daddy of Deus Ex, got himself all interviewed in the most interesting of ways. Obviously and almost customarily over @ Gamasutra.

    Despite despising banks and consequently not caring much for their commercials, this one is so GTA a video, I simply couldn't resist. Nice one Kontraband.

    As for The Elderly Gamer, the most traditional figure of Decker's Delight Links, well, he and a leprechaun conjured a nice free games list featuring the Top 10 Dugg Flash Games. Raitendo and Cost of Life are the ones gnomes enjoyed the most, mind you.

    The ultimate free and indy games source, the illustrious Independent Gaming blog, presented the top 50 freeware shmups of 2006 (that's shoot 'em ups for us people over 25). Surely a blogging magnum opus.

    Turn-based cheap-ass gamers without an itchy trigger finger on the other hand, have The Download Munkey to thank for discovering the frankly amazing Vantage Master Online. It's a freeware strategy game in a fantasy setting, it is.

    Game Almighty, a smart gaming site with a lovely comic book feel, went into a PC gaming retro berserker mood (mode, even) and came up with an excellent Stunt Island feature, detailing how this fondly remembered flight-sim was a predecessor to movie making using video games.

    Game Set Watch, or to be more precise the brilliant Game Mag Weaseling column of GSW, was kind enough to bring us the Mag of the Future. The absolute gaming magazine fetishist's wet dream.

    Siliconera, dear Siliconera, found out a little something on Capcom's Wii project Treasure Hunter Z. Wanna see?

    Wanna see a severe case of Sega Dreamcast & Saturn rebirth, then?It's The Saturn Junkyard reporting from the distant shores of PS2.

    More Dreamcast pr0n is to be found over at bits bytes pixels & sprites, where Dan rants on about the Typing of the Dead. There's a lovely video of the game too showcasing its immense underestimation of the average keyboard's maiming capabilities.

    The almost traditional Quick Links:



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    Mar 19, 2007

    Nintendo Wii and the Adventure Company

    With the Nintendo DS proving to be quite an adventure-friendly little handheld and Sam and Max's rumored appearance on the Wii, it shouldn't come as a shock that The Adventure Company is porting its modestly successful And Then There Were None PC adventure game to the Nintendo Wii. Did I say porting? Well, I meant updating, as according to Adventure Gamers the new version will (unfortunately) be doing more than just using the Wiimote's obvious point-and-click capabilities:
    Players will have the freedom to control their character's actions, such as using a digging motion to unearth clues, or spinning the handle of a safe using the Wiimote; and the introduction of timed puzzles where, for example, players must race up a set of stairs from a boat docked below.
    Not really sure these are the brightest of ideas, really, but then again I'm no game designer. Let's just hope they give the graphics an update too and keep timed puzzles to a minimum. Oh, and for those who would like to learn more about the PC adaptation of Agatha Christie's immensely popular novel, well, here's a review. Those, on the other hand, who'd rather learn how excited and fluent in manager-speak The Adventure Company's CEO is click here.


    Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None, as the full name of the game will be, is already under development for the Wii and should hit shelves sometime during November 2007. Hopefully it, too, will come with a softback version of the original book.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: thrii Wii reviews, Reunion video, Beyond the Spirit's Eye, 2006 AGS Awards



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    Museum Monday #51

    Monday and the irony of the situation is more than obvious, as my Wii miraculously got connected to the Internet. Yes, today. I got all wireless on a Monday of all days, and all I'm hoping for is that fate won't strike back (not very hard at least), this weird Wi-Fi contraption won't mess with the Dreamcast and the PC will avoid getting burned.

    As for Museum Monday, well, a virtual visit to The Mega Man Homepage should satisfy most retro gamers out there. Especially those particularly fond of blue laser shooting heroes, for MMHP features an astonishing amount of Mega Man content that covers every single MM game ever released. Quite impressive, really. Oh, and something awful had some pretty silly Mega Man ideas quite some time ago.
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    Mar 17, 2007

    Cutting Edge: Unreal Tournament mods

    Let's get one thing out of the way: I know Unreal Tournament can no longer be considered cutting edge. It's so obvious an exploited Third World farmer would notice, which means cutting edge is only used as a form of light irony and is thus preferably read while subtly smiling. Why do I mention this? Well, just so nobody gets to comment simply to point out UT is not cutting edge. We're quite aware of the fact, really.

    That said, let me present you with some nice (and customarily freeware) mods that will hopefully breathe new life into this brilliant FPS of yore. They are absolutely cutting edge, mind you...

    Nali Chronicles, an old favorite and the first mod presented here, is one of those rare single player UT mods featuring an intricate and quite interesting story. You are cast as a Nali mage destined to fulfil an ancient prophecy, aided only by a brand new HUD, lots of new weapons and a handy selection of spells. Find out the rest and download said mod from its official website.

    Spatial Fear Prologue, another one of them seemingly not so rare single player UT modifications, features less Nalis but more creepy space-stations. It also totally remakes Unreal Tournament into something more suitable for the select few people that enjoyed Event Horizon, by wisely using a radically different HUD, new textures, new character models, new everything. Probably the best single player mod ever. Get it here.

    Regarding multiplayer mods, Infiltration should be of interest to the tormented souls that enjoy realistic squad based combat, as -allegedly- Infiltration is an immersion into realism, driven by intense military combat, in a squad-based, mission-oriented shooter. Each of those missions brings the distinctive taste of multifaceted warfare in any environment you can imagine. To download the mod visit the Infiltration website.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: System Shock 2 2K7, Battlefield 40,000: The mod, True Combat Elite, Half-Life 2 quirky mods


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    Mar 16, 2007

    Draconic for Dummies

    Draconians are the human-sized corruptions of dragons' eggs, which frankly doesn't sound very nice. Then again, they are quite a favorite among Dragonlance denizens and Dungeons & Dragons gamers, who can now show their appreciation by speaking and writing draconic by using this extra simple online Draconic Translator. Or to put it in a way a rotten egg would understand:

    Click tenpiswo ihk wer untaramar Common ekess Draconic swatina. Kwi, vur 300 ui an zifreinn shite film, llaar.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: some free RPG & wargaming online mags, a video featuring Bethuvian demon whores, Dragon magazine issue #1


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    Mar 15, 2007

    The Wii (?) & PC Reunion video


    I have already mentioned the tasty and still forthcoming Reunion platformer twice. Never posted a video before though. Nor shared the pretty interesting bit of information that this beautiful and very freeware little video game might also (besides the PC, that is) be coming to the Nintendo Wii. Ah, yes, a possible Wii freebie. Perhaps, the very first one too.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Alien Abduction, System Shock 2 2K7, 3 Wii micro-reviews, Kudos


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    a few gnomish questions / Dr Peter Favaro

    Dr. Peter Favaro was the man behind the excellent Alter Ego life-sim and also one of the few psychologists deeply interested in the Internet (think Tendrilmedia) and video gaming. What follows is quite obviously an interview with said gaming legend regarding both the past and the future. Have fun reading it and feel the retro gaming nostalgia ...uhm... feeling.

    It's been quite some time since Alter Ego hit the shelves and impressed the press. Have you designed any other video games since?

    Well, Alter Ego was to be followed by a game called Child's Play -a humorous simulation about raising children, but Activision fell on financial hard times and had to be scrapped. The project manager was someone named Brenda Laurel, whom everyone first referred to as "The Lizard Queen" in the early days of the Internet.

    Since then I have had some game ideas. One is finally coming to fruition. It's Internet based and code named K-OS.

    K-OS? Will it be an MMO sort of game? Could you describe it briefly?

    Only briefly. People purchase computer generated DNA. They feed, train and teach the creature that forms from it. The creatures meet in a virtual world on line, fight, consume each other's attributes until one becomes most superior. You know, the kind of touchy feely activities psychologists are known for.

    Any idea when it should be available to psychologist adoring masses?

    Well a lot depends on how much time I can slice from my media business which is doing quite well right now. My guess would be Winter 2007.

    So, back to the old days, if you don't mind. Alter-Ego. How would you describe it in a couple of sentences?

    Alter Ego was a life sim, written in a tongue in cheek style which permitted people to explore the consequences of their decision making. It was built on a foundation of hundreds of interviews I conducted with people about their most memorable life events. Combined with stuff I just made up!

    And how did you decide to undertake such an apparently mammoth task? What was your inspiration? Your PhD in psychology perhaps?

    Actually, it was the other way around--it was my love of game design and the prospect of making some money. Psychology was a way of breaking out of the pack of other designers.

    Hehe... A cunning plan indeed!

    Well, its more than that, although I am cunning. Technology is by nature an exploitative enterprise. You have to strike while the iron is hot and you need to innovate in order to achieve that. That is what juices me up about working in this business and that's why I rarely sit in a room with people who tell me about their anxieties.

    Alter Ego, despite being critically acclaimed, didn't sell very well. Why do you think this happened?

    It sold well enough to buy me a house and a car. However, it did not sell like Mortal Kombat.

    Why? Well, the egoist in me thinks it was before its time. It was developed during a period of gaming that did not know what a game activity was. It came after the initial shoot em ups and after some Zelda like stories, but was quite different than both. People have been begging me for years to re-do it.

    Actually, should you re-do it, it would still be innovative and unique... Creativity in the mainstream gaming media seems to be at an all-time low... Or not?

    Well, a project like that needs some cash behind it. It would have to go through a big developer like Sony. It would also have to be multimedia because that's what turns people on -and well it should be- better for the nakedness and the killings and all. However, large developers wisely stick to their franchises--sports games, carjackings, and war themes. I don't know if it would make it past the funding stage.

    Then again, the Sims did it... And it was the only truly successful spiritual child of Alter Ego.

    Yes it was, damn it. Can't do the Sims again though; it would be me imitating an imitator of me.

    How surreal and psycho-confusing....

    Thank you. If someone would toss a few million my way, I am sure I could come up with something.

    Which reminds me, have you played Timothy Leary's game? Actually met the man? Helped him with his game?

    Only by phone. Tim was an interesting sort of fellow. Lots of ideas about technology but no real clue. On the other hand, I don't like people mucking about with my stuff, so I learned programming from the ground up. I am actually quite a technical person.

    But where did you learn game-design and coming up with intuitive and never before seen interfaces?

    I think game design is a function of a person's idiosyncratic way of living. To some, life is just one big game. HA!

    Wow!

    I just realized what that implies about Alter Ego.When I was younger I used to make up games to amuse myself and to torment my little sister.

    Did you ever hit her with an Alter Ego manual, then?

    No, she was already too old and strong to mess with.

    Sisters, tsk... Like reviewers really. Remember any of the reactions and/or reviews back in the day Alter Ego was released?

    We all grew up in Brooklyn and had to learn to street fight relatively early in life.

    Oh people loved it, the reviews were excellent with the exception of two guys from Compuserve who hated it because it relied on manipulation and was nothing more than a simulation based on psychology. Imagine! I laughed my ass off when I read that review.

    Besides laughing at reviews, what else did you enjoy from the Activision era?

    Well, also, loved the perks. Activision was big on treating their designers like rock stars. It was hilarious that when we showed at Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas we were always right near the porn stars!

    Now, one final question. Which games did you recently enjoy?

    I like the online multies. World of Warcraft is a good game -causing quite a stir with parents who say their kids are too involved in it

    Well, parents can be funny, but WoW is a huge and all consuming time sink....

    Sure, but you can expect more of the same. People are becoming more vegetative, and the more they veg, the more they will be looking for these kinds of activities.

    Now, that I've never thought. Quite the vicious circle really...

    There's a reason televisions are getting bigger and bigger, and if you listen to Bill Gates everyone of them will have a web browser built in in just a few years.

    Actually, quite a few anarchist believe that a color TV equals a black 'n' white life...

    I can see that, but what's going to stop the deluge? Nothing.

    I see. Now, care to add anything else?

    Well, only that there will always be a fascinating interplay between people and the widgets they keep themselves occupied with -and in that there is still a lot to learn, explore and exploit.

    Thanks so much for the interview. Oh, and good luck both with K-OS and Tendrilmedia!


    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Takeshi no Chousenjou, Commodore 64 Guitar Hero, Re: Watergate Caper, more retro gaming features


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    Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle Walkthrough

    Hopefully you've already enjoyed the demo of Runaway 2 and probably even started getting all sucked into the shiny full version of this rather brilliant adventure game. I know I have. Apparently the people over at Eurogamer too. Anyway. Even though Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle isn't the most taxing of video games, a walkthrough would definitely come in handy. Well, here are three:
    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Beyond the Spirit's Eye, The Ugly Prince Duckling, 2006 AGS Awards, walkthrough archive


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    Mar 14, 2007

    Nintendo Famicom: Takeshi no Chousenjou

    the video game that broke every game-design rule
    Takeshi no Chousenjou, Takeshi's Challenge in English (well, I think), was -and to this day still is- the only video game ever designed by film director Takeshi Kitano. The game was released in 1986 for the Nintendo Famicom and never made it to the west, as the inferior NES never featured a Karaoke capable microphone in its second controller. Unlike the game itself though, its notoriety reached us. Here's agent Wikipedia's report:
    The game is infamously known for giving the player several ludicrous, near-impossible tasks to complete. Some examples include forcing the player to sing karaoke numerous times in a row (utilizing the second Famicom controller, that has a built-in microphone) and leaving the game at a certain point for one hour without touching the controller, as well as forcing the player to try jumping a precipice one pixel too short several dozen times, and hitting the final boss 20,000 times to defeat it.
    Proper Dada game-design, huh? Well, that's what you get when your experiment with stuff (provided you're a creative genius, that is). Oh, and before you go googling for the game's ROM, have a look at this most interesting video.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Mean Machines issue 0 PDF, 10 unsung Indiana Jones games, Encounter Zone DC, Retro Treasures


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    Decker: a cyberpunk hacking freebie

    Decker, a game mostly unrelated to Decker's Delight Links, definitely isn't a winner in the looks department. Or the sound department. But it's great. Thus, promptly ignoring its technical shortcomings is the obvious -nay, the wise- choice for both the enlightened reader and the mature gamer. For, you see dear gaming readers (or reading gamers), this game has dollops of gameplay, sports a lovely cyberpunk atmosphere, is very addictive and highly playable, while simultaneously offering a rare (and -unlike the forthcoming FPS stinker- proper) Shadowrun RPG experience. Graphics? Pah! William Gibson didn't need no stinking graphics.

    Now, click this particularly obvious link and download Decker for free, load up your cyberdeck and hack to your wicked hearts' delight. Just make sure those ICE programs don't fry your brains.

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: Star Wars Bloodlines, the best in online retro gaming, Alien Abduction gone freeware


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    Mar 13, 2007

    System Shock 2 2K7

    System Shock 2 is better than Deus EX, more elaborate than any of the Thief games, scarier then Resident Evil and quite frankly more engrossing than the whole porn DVD collection of planet Earth. In short, it's a fantastic game. A brilliant one too. I mean, it's even got itself a Gamespot retrospective. Unfortunately though, what with being almost retro, its graphics have started to age and their late nineties 3D engine simply doesn't look that scary anymore. Oh, and WinXP, minor gameplay and sound problems have also managed to creep up.

    Taking into account that the developers won't be easily threatened into producing a nice System Shock 3 (let alone the publishers...), the only realistic solution for the horror-RPG-FPS fan is to drag System Shock 2 kicking and screaming into 2007. Give it a face lift. And an aspirin. How? By injecting it with the proper mods, add-ons and fixes obviously.

    Start (yes, you, dear horror-RPG-FPS fan) with the latest official patch and a rather similar WinXP/2000 fix and only then move on to the much needed sound upgrade, via the SS2 DeepFriedBeer mod. Having a more stable and beefier sounding game, this should be the moment to reflect on life's intricacies, while simultaneously installing the excellent Straylight mod. This one fixes and rebalances a huge number of anomalies, discrepancies and bugs, all while staying true to the developers intentions.

    As for hugely improved graphics, these can be achieved through the combined use of SHTUP's (Shock Texture Upgrade Project) high resolution textures and Rebirth's brand new detailed polygons. Oh, and by having one of those spanking new Pentium 3 ninja-PCs...

    A Rebirth high-poly model

    The SHTUP effect

    Related @ Gnome's Lair: The Kipper and the Corpse, Starfox: Shadows of Lylat, Baldur's Gate I in high-res


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