When I played Battlefield 1942, I logged lots of time on a stunt server, where we would try to do jumps with Jeeps or fly planes through tunnels on custom maps. The physics in that game were nowhere as adaptable to extracurriculars as, say, Halo, so vehicles would land hard and explode at the slightest touch. Plus,…

Illusion of Gaia. The great evil force in the background of the game is a comet preventing the world from evolving, and everyone you meet is struggling with their future. Your cousin Neil is nervous about taking over his parents’ company; the angels in the underground Angel Village have no expectations for their…

This was a really good discussion about accessibility and nostalgia. I'd love to also hear from someone older who considered GoldenEye too much of an upgrade from what they were used to. There's an interesting dynamic to suss out between childhood familiarity and comfort level.

I really like Killer Instinct and enjoyed the Dojo tutorial too. But since then, the game continued adding new mechanics like recapture and flipout, and it hasn't done a good job explaining to players who don't follow the game's development why those matter or how they're useful.

So glad to see discussion of Spiderweb Software games! I haven't played Geneforge, but I love the strong thematic depth BadNflu3nce3 mentioned.

Ecco makes so much sense. The gaming landscape has changed enough in 25 years that now is the right moment for an ambient dolphin adventure. It's one of the few that could be brought back without just being a throwback.

It doesn't get better than UltraBots, which came in… what appears to be an expanding box? It's not clear what it is or why, but it looks amazing. http://farm4.static.flickr….

That game really was a disappointment. It wanted to be an endless runner and a tricky platformer and an extremely hard roguelike and Zelda 2 all at once.

One of the strengths of games is the freedom to… marinate in a setting, for lack of a better word. Rain World might be a drag, but looking at that screenshot, I want to walk around that room and look at all the details, like the fans, and feel the walls. The first two Oddworld games are great, and a big part of that…

Death Valley Rally, dear god. It's a gigantic game that doesn't want you to play it. It reminds me a little of Blasto in that way. I know there's like another 80% of those games I've never played, but they refuse to be seen.

From what I understand, they're a reclusive bunch, but holy moly what I wouldn't give for a re-translation and re-release.

I came here to make a mandatory Illusion of Gaia comment, but Terranigma! Touche!

Final Fantasy IX. Before I dove into VII and VIII, I had only ever played the first Final Fantasy on NES. Even though I loved the new games, they were a really far cry from the original, and I felt unmoored. IX came along, and as a sort of capper to the series up to that point, it had a lot of nostalgia for the first…

I've seen some really terrible films in theaters on purpose (Alone in the Dark, Cats and Dogs 2) and some expecting fun-bad and just getting bad-bad (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Independence Day: Resurgence). But the lousiest movie I've seen in theaters is The Trouble with Romance.

One really disheartening thing Matt brought up is the game's apparent obsession with fourth-wall breaking nostalgia. I get that people supported the Kickstarter because they have fond memories of Banjo-Kazooie, and certainly these developers lean into self-deprecating humor. But from everything I've seen without…

I was about to say that! For Tooie at least, the issue is less backtracking and more that stages can be too large for you to keep a mental checklist of what you were supposed to do in them. "That hippo on the ship is crying" is easier to keep track of than "Did I go underwater yet? Did I go in the left tunnel? Could I…

The most important thing – really the ONLY important thing – is that UMS maps still exist.

OMG I Can't Wait

Can Gameological do another bracket like the Best Treasure Ever contest, but for levels instead? It can be just as meaningless and wonderful. #BubbaDuckWasRobbed

It's Liz Lemon's dream come true!