Tapuak has been with the site since the day it opened. Of the four initial reviews the site consisted of, one (Chaos Engine) was written by him, just under a different alias. He 'officially' joined the crew in late 2000 as webmaster of the newly established SNES section.
It's about time to offer our younger visitors something with educational value. I'll do it with Goof Troop and I also admit that I played it although I'm not 8 any more (didn't you guess that?). How embarassing, but I'll try hard to justify it with this review.
Is Theme Park the best game of 1994? Back in 1994, this would have been a defensible position. The game was immensely popular at the time of its release. Not surprising after Bullfrog's previous hits and based on the incredible first impression this one left. With the benefit of hindsight, it is of course very far from being the best of anything. How much of its appeal the game loses when played longer could not be easily perceived at the time. Showing how important such retrospective looks really are.
Mr Creosote
Staying with robots, but a good ten years later, MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries should have been the ultimate game for all BattleTech fans. And indeed, it occupied me once again for much longer than I anticipated. In spite of all the frustration associated with it.
Mr Creosote
It is watching you… The Sentinel (released as The Sentry in the US) was the very game which showed me just how immersive first person perspective could be. For the first time, I had this nagging feeling of not having any clue what is going on on most of the playfield, i.e. behind my in-game avatar. Sweaty hands while moving around this three-dimensional chessboard were just the least of my worries. Technology aside, this game has stood the test of time.
Mr Creosote
Yes, yet another obscure, completely forgotten game. I'm not going to pretend it's a hidden gem. On gameplay side, it sports some good ideas at least. On top, it is a historically highly interesting one. Enjoy!
Mr Creosote
Yes, Iridion is sort of Uridium, or rather it wants to be. But on the Amiga, where the original didn't exist (yet). With games like this one, I would be really curious about sales statistics and marketing strategy…
Mr Creosote
Uh, yes, you have probably never heard of C.P.U. Bach. Or if you have, you have likely forgotten all about it. Believe it or not, this is what legendary designer Sid Meier committed himself to after Civilization. Not entertaining on the long term in the classic sense, but a highly interesting piece of software!
Mr Creosote
You know those games which were incredibly fascinating in their time, but revisiting them, it is really hard to still see the appeal? Castle Master is one such game. I gave it a rather lukewarm review already in 2009. This time around, I want to be fair and explain its historical context at least. Distinguish a bit between what it meant then and how it plays now.
Mr Creosote
You try that, buddy! Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi has ace pilot Splunge face off with the cats again. But he also gains a feline friend. And keeps himself busy looking for a killer on his carrier. Also, he is seduced by his commanding officer. Those were innocent times when such plot motifs were still considered acceptable…
Mr Creosote
Jeep or chopper? This remains the key question in any game of Hunter. Of course, you will want to try both. And the tanks, the speedboats, the trucks, the… bicycles? Yes, believe it or not, the latter are quite useful in your military operation. Don't let the dated graphics and the daunting first impression fool you. The game isn't nearly as complex as it looks at first glance.
Mr Creosote
Yes, they do! And, by the way, believe it or not, this is the game's good guy. Inferno: The Odyssey Continues followed hot on the trails of Epic: The Adventure Begins. Those who did experience the first part may not actually be all that keen on going head to head with the Rexxons again, but let me assure you that Inferno did introduce some really noteworthy features in its scope, its mission design etc.
Mr Creosote