Dungeons of Time - Savage Worlds

Believe it or not, dear readers, there was a time when I was completely jaded with the hobby of tabletop roleplaying.  In 2003, Wizards of the Coast came out with Dungeons & Dragons 3.5.  Since this made the hundreds of dollars worth of 3rd Edition D&D books I bought obsolete, I got pissed and parted ways with their products (and if 4th Edition is any indication, I'm not coming back anytime soon).

The other system I played, White Wolf's World of Darkness, was improving their system.  But, in 2004, my "rpg mistress" went from being this dark, mysterious, sexy, and sophisticated piece of ass to a mopey, depressing, juvenile bitch.  They basically wrote the end of the world for each game in the system and it ended up being a poorly executed doomfest.  I promptly ignored their little pity party and kept playing with the old story they wrote before they ruined everything.  Then, White Wolf dropped a bomb: they retconned the entire World of Darkness.  Some things seemed familiar, others were interesting, but, as a whole, I was severely disappointed.

I was also tired of the same old crap.  I fooled around with other sytems over the years: Rifts, Legend of the Five Rings, etc., but none of them inspired me.  All of their dice systems were getting stale and I got sick of having to remember complex rules for dice mechanics or being frustrated by bad rolls ruining a game (especially those game sessions when all of my die rolls sucked).  I also felt that systems like d20 didn't give you as much of a heroic feeling (unless you were high level, then, it just got boring).

At this point, I came to one conclusion about roleplaying games:

Fuck this shit!

I was about to hang up my dice bag for good.  Roleplaying was one of the few hobbies that I cherished since I was very young and I was about to abandon it.  The spark wasn't there, anymore.  I loved her, but I wasn't in love with her.  It was killing me.

Fortunately, I think it was toward the end of 2007, I discovered a game that reignited my love for the hobby and reminded me why I got into it in the first place.

That game is Savage Worlds.

Games You Should Know About... Retro Game Challenge

First off, this week marks the official 20th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog.  I plan on doing a Cart Classics retrospective of the series, but that will take time to get going.  Hopefully, you'll see it later this year.  Until then, happy birthday, Sonic.

My other announcement is that one of the best video game shows you probably aren't watching is finally hitting Stateside.  Game Center CX is a Japanese TV show where the host, comedian Shinya Arino, is asked to complete challenges in difficult old school games.  Much to the amusement of the show's staff and countless Japanese viewers, Arino often struggles in his quest, but usually emerges triumphant.  Other segments in the show have Arino visiting arcades in Japan, interviewing game designers (usually for the game he's playing during that episode), or trying out failed consoles and peripherals.  For the past couple of years, Fuji TV (the company behind Game Center CX as well as the original Iron Chef) was looking for international distributors to bring the show to other countries.  Finally, Gawker Media got the rights to broadcast the show on one of their flagship blog sites, Kotaku.  Starting tomorrow, June 23, Kotaku will stream translated episodes of the show every Thursday at 8 pm EST (that's 7:00 pm Central, for us Midwesterners).

Currently, it is unknown whether the show will have English subtitles or be dubbed by a voice-over (I'm gunning for subtitles), but the show's name has been changed to Retro Game Master.  They most likely did this to tie in brand recognition with the DS game Retro Game Challenge, which came to the States two years ago.  By the way, this is definitely a game you should know about...

Free Dungeons!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into your favorite comic book/gaming store, it returns!  They thought the madness would end after Free Comic Book Day, but it has only begun.  Gather your dice bag and your courage, for only the mightiest wizards and warriors can stand against the monstrosity that is...

That's right, this Saturday is the fifth annual Free RPG Day.  Retailers worldwide are offering promotional products (such as free adventures, quick start rules, even dice) from many different RPGs, including Dungeons & Dragons, White Wolf's World of Darkness, Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, and much more.  Many stores are also having free RPG demos you can join and play in.  It's the perfect time to find that new RPG you're looking for or meet with others who play the same games you do.  Don't forget to support these stores.  If you find a new RPG that you can't wait to play, speak to one of the staff members of your local store and see if they have it, or, at the very least, if they can get it for you.

Hope to see you there, just don't touch my dice.

Forgotten Worlds - Galaga Turns 30 (Part 1)

Thirty years ago, arcade history was made.  Namco released one of the most popular video games in the world, Galaga.  Now, Namco has had a storied history of some of the greatest arcade games ever made, including Dig Dug, Pole Position, Tekken, Soul Edge/Soul Calibur, and, of course, Pac-Man, but Galaga is special.  It's one of those few games from the golden age of arcades that just about everyone has played.  Even kids today have played this game.  It begs the question of how a simple shooter from 1981 became such a phenomenon.

The answer is simple: Galaga was friggin' everywhere.  Galaga is one of the most prevalent arcade cabinets (whether by itself, or with Ms. Pac-Man in the 20th Anniversary arcade cabinet, which means Ms. Pac-Man is also 30).  You could find it at thousands of arcades, movie theaters, laundromats, bars, pizza places, etc.  Many major video game systems, from the Atari 7800 to the XBOX 360, have a version of Galaga.  It's even been available on most cell phones (I know I had a copy of the game on an old phone of mine).  On top of that, there have been a couple re-imaginings of the classic game, such as Galaga: Destination Earth on the original Playstation and Galaga Legions (along with the forthcoming DX version) on the XBOX 360.

Okay, perhaps the answer is not as simple as that.  No game would be an established part of the video gaming consciousness if it sucked.  While Galaga was not the first top down shooter, it certainly did revolutionize the genre with action never seen before in an arcade game.  Even when other shooters eventually surpassed it in technological advancement, Galaga remained a steadfast favorite of arcade goers.  Perhaps it was the waves of oncoming enemies, or the classic arcade strategy needed for scoring the most points.  Maybe it's the iconic visuals and sounds.  Personally, I just think it has that "x-factor" -- a combination of challenge and fun that is so hard to attain.  Not even its predecessor, Galaxian, nor its multiple successors could duplicate the phenomenon that was Galaga.

But there's much more about this franchise than Galaga, including many other games.  Games which I will go over in the upcoming weeks.  For now, enjoy this anniversary present: a papercraft of the classic Galaga cabinet, courtesy of WayoftheRodent.com.  Just click on the image below, print it out, and start cutting, folding, and gluing.

Until next time, keep your scores high and don't let your last ship get captured.

Classic Gaming Anniversaries

(Update: Just found out that the Dragon Quest series of rpgs is celebrating its 25th anniversary.  Holy crap, I've got a full plate commemorating all these franchises.)

This week, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, is dazzling game enthusiasts in Los Angeles.  All sorts of new games are being announced and even a few new consoles, such as the Wii U (?), are making a debut.  Then again, you know me.  I'm all about the classic gaming experience.  Fortunately, a couple of legendary franchises are celebrating their anniversaries at E3 this year with a lot of fanfare.

First off, one of my favorite arcade games turns 30.  The classic space shooter Galaga is still devouring quarters from arcade enthusiasts, even after three decades.  Namco Bandai is celebrating by releasing the Galaga series on smart phones and iOS, as well as the upcoming Galaga Legions DX on XBOX 360 Live Arcade and a new title on the 3DS that combines a 3D version of Galaga with a game featuring last year's trentagenarian: Pac Man.  There was even a World Galaga Championship at New Hampshire's American Classic Arcade Museum this past weekend.  It was part of their world famous International Classic Video Game Tournament, but was actually sponsored by Namco Bandai.  Hopefully, I can scrounge around the internet and get more details on the championship at a later time.

This year also sees 20 years with my favorite speedster, Sonic the Hedgehog.  While I usually dislike platforming games, the classic Sonic games are still some of my favorite games on the Genesis.  Though his games have not been as good as of late, Sega hopes to change that with Sonic Generations.  This new game supposedly gives you the opportunity to choose play style between modern Sonic or "old skool" Sonic.  Will it deliver?  We'll have to wait and see.

Of course, one of the biggest announcements has been the 25th anniversary of Nintendo's Legend of Zelda franchise.  At their press conference, Nintendo let out all the bells and whistles.  An orchestra started the conference with a medley of classic music from the legendary franchise.  Then, Shigeru Miyamoto himself announced a slew of great things for the franchise.  For instance, the Game Boy Color classic Link's Awakening DX is one of the first games available for the 3DS Virtual Console (Aww, yeah!).  Of course, there's the remastered release of Ocarina of Time for the 3DS, but now they announced the game's soundtrack for the first people who register their copy of the game on Nintendo's website.  On top of that, a new Legend of Zelda: Four Swords adventure will be available on DSiWare (for those who have a DSi or the 3DS) for FREE!  To cap it off, they're doing a worldwide tour of symphonic Legend of Zelda and there's going to be a symphonic CD available (most likely as a limited edition add-on for Skyward Sword).  There's a lot for Zelda fans to look forward to.

Later on, I'll go more in depth with each of these classic franchises and the games that helped define a generation of video gamers.  For now, I'm really sick and can only muster up enough to write this short blurb.

There was also another video game series celebrating an anniversary.  Nothing too fancy, really.  It's this small video game that a couple of people may have played.  I think it's called Halo, or something.  It turned 10.  They're doing a remastered version of the original game for XBOX 360.  No big deal.

I'll see you guys next week.

Dungeons of Time - Heroclix

 

Yes, it's time again for a new segment.  I've found, through my experience, that if you're going to write a blog article every week, you better talk about a lot of different things.  So far, I've talked about arcade games, home video game systems, board games, free comic books, pro wrestling, and a heaping helping of nostalgia.  Well, let me add one more to that list.

If you recall from my last Forgotten Worlds article, I have been interested in tabletop role-playing games since I was four. I've played many of the major games that have come out:  Dungeons & Dragons (in most of its incarnations), Rifts, White Wolf's World of Darkness (the original, not that new crap), Savage Worlds, GURPS (okay, so I only got as far as creating my character, but that's because the group got so sick of making GURPS characters for two straight hours that we gave up on the game), and so on.  I've also played my fair share of tabletop miniatures games, including Games Workshop's HeroQuest (classic!) and Mordheim (because it was a hell of a lot cheaper than Warhammer 40K).  Since I've been playing these games for most of my life, I figure why not talk about the tabletop games of the past, present and future?

And so, I invite you to strap on your armor, grab your weapons, and get your spells in order.  You're about to delve into the deepest caverns of my imagination.  But beware, for you never know what dangers may lurk in the Dungeons of Time.

Remembering a Legend of the Squared Circle

Randall Mario Poffo -- November 1952 - May 2011

By now, it's all over the news and internet -- "Macho Man" Randy Savage died from a heart attack while driving with his wife in Florida.  According to some reports, he lost consciousness and his Jeep careened through the median, into opposing traffic.  Randy's wife, Lynn, took the wheel to avoid hitting a motorcyclist and crashed into a tree.  She suffered minor injuries, but Savage was not so fortunate.  It was believed that he was already gone before the crash.

There are plenty of articles and stories about what happened, and me just repeating the facts would just sound like second-hand news.  No, I'm not here to report on his death.  I'm here to remember his accomplishments and his effect on an impressionable young boy growing up in suburban Missouri.

I grew up watching pro wrestling at a young age; my dad watched it, my cousin down the street watched it, even my grandmother watched it.  There were many larger than life characters who electrified the ring: Hogan, Piper, Snuka, the Ultimate Warrior.  But few superstars were as flashy, outspoken, or hard working as Randy Savage.  Inside or outside the ring, he left an impression.  When his entrance music, the classic "Pomp and Circumstance" played, you knew you were about to see a great performer.  Although he has won the World Wrestling Federation's World Championship Belt, he is more commonly considered the greatest Intercontinental Champion in WWF history.

In a time when wrestlers, such as Hulk Hogan, captured the attention of the fans, Randy Savage still found great success and secured himself as a wrestling legend (Take Wrestlemania III, for instance; while the battle between Hogan and Andre the Giant was extremely hyped, Savage's clash with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat is still considered one of the greatest matches in pro wrestling history).  The Macho Man also had some great feuds with other wrestling legends, like Ric Flair, the Ultimate Warrior, and, of course, the Hulkster.

Not only was the Macho Man a consummate performer in the ring, he could cut a promo like few could.  With his gravelly voice, outlandish style, and, of course, his machismo, he earned the cheers and jeers of wrestling fans.  Whether he played a face or a heel, he made sure you never forgot him.  His dynamic personality lit up arenas for many years; so much that he became just as famous as the spokesman for Slim Jim snacks (if you don't know the famous line, by now, I'm not telling you), as well as his roles in TV shows and movies, such as wrestler Bone Saw McGraw in Spider-Man.

Strangely enough, Randy Poffo's original dream wasn't pro wrestling.  He tried to get into Major League Baseball.  At one time, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the Gulf Coast Minor League.  Unfortunately, this dream was broken and his destiny of a second generation wrestler was revealed (his father, Angelo Poffo, was a pro wrestler and a situp record holder).  The rest is pro wrestling history.

After his 30-year career, he withdrew from pro wrestling, but he kept his macho persona.  Recently, he seemed to be making a new life for himself, marrying Barbara Lynn Payne last year.  They celebrated their first anniversary only a few weeks ago on May 10, which makes Randy's death all the more tragic.

Randy and his new wife, Lynn, at their wedding in 2010.

Since his death, many great wrestlers have spoken out about the legacy that the Macho Man left in professional wrestling, including Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Roddy Piper.  One of the most touching was a poem from former TNA wrestler Jay Lethal (Savage was one of his idols who he imitated with his "Black Machismo" persona).

This Monday, I watched Monday Night Raw, hoping they would show some sort of tribute for the man who gave so much to help make the WWE the greatest wrestling promotion in the 1980s.  While there has been said to be some rancor between Vince McMahon and Randy Savage, the 2009 release of the Macho Madness DVD has shown that the company recognizes the legacy of this amazing performer.  And, indeed, the live broadcast of Raw did air a tribute to Randy Savage, which, afterward, the crowd was chanting "one more match" and I did tear up a bit.

I wish the best for Randy's family, his brother, and his wife.  The world has lost one of the greatest, most crowd pleasing pro wrestlers in history.  Rest in peace, Mr. Poffo.  As you used to say, "Space is the place and the sky's the limit."

Video courtesy of WWEFanNation on YouTube.