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CultureTotal RecallBioWare’s Least Awkward Love Scene
But when it comes time to seal the romantic deal in a BioWare game, do things really need to be so awkward? Because damn, things have gotten weird. As Tom Bissell puts it in his Grantland critique of the game—”In fact, could we, as gamers, maybe politely band together to convince BioWare to can the…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 16, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallWhy Kickstarter is Best For Old Games & Dead Genres
Not very long after adventure game legend Tim Schafer proposed resurrecting a long-dormant genre, and made a ton of money for doing it, another long-dormant kind of game – this time an 80’s RPG – did something similar. The amount of money Brian Fargo and his Wasteland team has already made is raising eyebrows. Where…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 16, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallIn Which Jennifer Aniston & Matthew Perry Teach us About Windows 95
An oldie, to be sure, even by this feature’s standards, but still a fun watch. Especially when you notice it was put together by GT Interactive, the company which would later try to pass itself off as Atari
By Luke Plunkett Published March 15, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallThere is a Fighting Game Based on Les Misérables
Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables is a literary giant. You’re probably also familiar with its long-running theatrical adaptation, which has been treading the boards for over thirty years now. But have you ever played the Les Misérables video game? You really should. Especially since it’s a 2D fighting game. The game is called Arm…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 14, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallHell is a Dennis Hopper Video Game
Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller was a PC adventure game released in 1994. It’s OK if you’ve never heard of it, or can’t remember it. Actually, no, it’s not OK. Because you really should know as much as you can about a video game that didn’t just star Dennis Hopper, but Grace Jones as well. Hell,…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 13, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallGeorge Washington & Ben Franklin, as Seen by Video Games in 1993
Two of America’s founding fathers, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, will be starring in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed III. It’s not, you know, their first time in a video game. They’ve been in plenty, some serious, some less so, but my favourite in both cases is 1993 adventure game classic Day of the Tentacle, in…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 13, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
Science Proves Old Video Games Were Super Hard
Sitting down with a bunch of old games in the Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon and Metroid franchises, Belgian scientists have proven beyond all doubt that those games are way hard. To showcase their work, they’ve written a scientific paper outlining their findings. Greg Aloupis from the Free University of Brussels…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 12, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
Total Recall Will Return Next Week
Happy Friday everyone! Unfortunately for Total Recall fans, Kirk is out and about at the Game Developers Conference. But Luke will be providing you with old school gaming goodness as soon as Monday. Sit tight! In the meantime, you can browse through past Total Recall articles. Oh, and in case you were wondering, that image…
By Tina Amini Published March 9, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
A PlayStation in Pieces Looks Strangely Beautiful
There’s a touch of the macabre to seeing it laid out like this, I grant you, but for the most part the effect of seeing an original PlayStation and its controller stripped bare and put on display is just lovely. Things Organized Neatly [Tumblr]
By Luke Plunkett Published March 9, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallWho Would Have Thought Skiing Down a Mountain Would be so Damn Hard
It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for another instalment of grown men playing competitive, mostly awful arcade classics for nothing but internet fame. In tonight’s episode, the boys are facing off on Alpine Ski, a Taito game first released all the way back in 1981. Which kicks their ass like only a senior citizen of…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 8, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
The Tiniest Little PlayStation You Ever Did See
Sebastián Vargas has a fetish for tiny things. Tiny PlayStations, tiny Game Boys,you name it, if it’s a tiny video game console, he’s got it. These are Japanese gashapon pieces, all of them for old consoles and handhelds, all photographed wonderfully by Vargas. If you like tiny things as much as he does, check out…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 8, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallAn Inspiring, Sad Interview With the Father of Video Games
If you care about the history of video games, at all, and would like to hear from one of the founding fathers of the medium (who is, remember, a total badass), then please, watch this video interview with Ralph Baer. At times it’s fascinating. Inspiring, even. There’s one point, though, where I actually teared up.…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 7, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallWhy Peter Molyneux Leaving Microsoft is a Very Good Thing
So, after a decade working almost exclusively with Microsoft for Xbox consoles (and occasionally the PC as well), Lionhead founder Peter Molyneux has called it quits, and will soon be joining British start-up 22 Cans (or Twenty Toucans, if you prefer). It’s a sad day for Microsoft, who bought Lionhead in 2006, but as we’re…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 7, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall
What is This, Sonic or Mirror’s Edge?
This is from Sonic Advance 3, released on the Game Boy Advance in 2004. But boy, it looks a lot more like a demake of Mirror’s Edge, no? [via Noirlac] Total Recall is a look back at the history of video games through their characters, franchises, developers and trends. You’ll find Total Recall stories every…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 6, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallThis Game is Terribly Sorry About Michael Jackson, S&M and Dead Japanese Politicians
In Japan, this game was called Gonbee I’m Sorry. In the West, it’s more commonly referred to as just I’m Sorry. But really, it has nothing to be sorry about whatsoever. Because it’s wonderful. Not to play, necessarily. I’ll be honest, I’ve never played it. But just as a thing, as an idea, it’s amazing.…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 6, 2012 -
CultureTotal Recall1943 Gives These Men the Least Satisfying Three Way Ever
Competitive 1943? It doesn’t really exist, but for the purposes of tonight’s episode of Retro Rumble, it does, OK? Watch to see Capcom’s classic shooter put three men through their paces for, well, not money, not trophies, just fame. Internet fame. Which isn’t even real fame, but they’re only playing the game for like a…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 6, 2012
