A few months ago, the company ModRetro released the Chromatic, an FPGA-based system made exclusively to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. Alongside this, ModRetro has also began creating a line of games – both original and rereleases of classic titles – compatible with both the Chromatic and original Game Boy systems. While
It’s been wild watching the visual novel genre grow in the west over the past few years. What started as a niche of a niche when I first discovered them has become a genre that, while still not mainstream, has become something that most gamers are at least aware of. And this growth has led
As I’ve dove further into the world of retro games, my interests have become a bit more…eclectic. Sure, I spent my time playing and collecting NES and SNES games. Even spent some time further back with the Atari 2600, and nearly got my hands on a Fairchild Channel F (nearly…). But I decided that I
And once again, we find ourselves at the end of a year. Time to toss out the old calendar, pop a bottle of the sparkling beverage of your choice, and make some resolutions that you’ll inevitably drop within a month. But hey, I swear I’m totally going to start going to the gym once the
Six years ago, I was introduced to Nomada Studio through their first game: Gris. A simple yet beautiful platformer, it immediately struck me when I first tried the demo at PAX West, and is still one I point to when asked what games I believe everyone must play. It’s a powerful tale told completely through
When it comes to the Legend of Zelda series, I’ve always found myself gravitating more to the 2D iterations rather than the more modern 3D ones. Sure, I’ve had my fun with Ocarina of Time and such, but I will happily pick Link’s Awakening or the Oracle games over it any day. And, it pains
When talking about the most impactful video games of all time, it’s hard to understate the importance of 1993’s Myst. A seemingly simple-looking point-and-click adventure on the surface, the game went on to be the top selling PC game for nearly a decade, only being thrown off its throne by The Sims in 2000. The
“The pride and joy of our studio.” “Kind of our crown jewel.” This is how CEO and Co-founder of studio Cyan, Rand Miller, described their 1997 release, Riven. The sequel to arguably one of the most well-known and impactful PC games of the 90s, Myst, Riven is held in even higher esteem by many gamers
New Year’s Eve, 2023. You’re preparing to ring in what is sure to be another great year to come. You have bottles of your sparkling beverage of choice lined up and ready to go. Perhaps you have a stream of the Times Square ball drop up on your monitor or television. Maybe you’re still trying
Out of all of the (probably too many at this point) games that I play, there are two genres that I always get excited for: rhythm games, and games that draw emotions out of my cold dead heart. One is a fun way to jam out to great music while testing my button pressings skills,
The following article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI. During this year’s PAX West convention, Square Enix hosted the panel “Voices From Valisthea,” featuring a discussion with the Localization Director and multiple voice actors from the recently released Final Fantasy XVI. Following the panel, we had the opportunity to sit and chat with a number
Rhythm games are basically my lifeblood. I own more than one person probably should, invested way too much money into an arcade style controller for one of them, and occasionally slack off from work by visiting the local Round 1 arcade to play some for an hour or two. With the state of the genre
I can hardly remember a time that an upcoming game has had simultaneously as much hype and hesitancy amongst its fanbase than Final Fantasy XVI. On one hand, we have the first mainline release in the series in over five years, being helmed by the oft lauded producers and designers behind Final Fantasy XIV. A
Warring nations. Broken families. People that can turn into literal gods. A massive shift in tone, but still a familiarity that feels like returning home. A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to visit Square Enix HQ in Los Angeles, California, to finally experience a greatly anticipated upcoming title years in the making: Final
Rhythm games are kind of my passion. If I’m not busy pouring time into a JRPG (or wasting away my days in Final Fantasy XIV), you can usually find me jamming away in some sort of musical experience. Project Diva, DJMax, Taiko no Tatsujin…hell, even music adjacent games like Tetris Effect get a ton of
As the sun rises on the final day of 2022 (at least, at the time we’re writing this), it’s now the time to keep a Gamer Escape tradition alive. You know it, and you love it. It’s what you’ve been waiting for, the only end of the year list on the internet that matters: Gamer
The Star Ocean series is a storied one that has been going through somewhat of a rough patch recently. Typically releasing a game once per console generation, the series has gone from unknown (the previously Japanese only Star Ocean for Super Famicom) to cult favorite (Second Story and Til the End of Time) to generally
You know, I could kick off this review by talking about the history of the Trails series, or its developer Falcom, or how long fans of the series have been waiting for the opportunity to play the game we are discussing here today (previous fan translation notwithstanding). However, I’m pretty confident that if you’re here
Cyberpunk. An evergreen aesthetic beloved by many, especially those of us in “geeky” communities such as gaming and anime. A genre and/or theming that has birthed both greats in their respective mediums, as well as some impressive flops. In some cases both at the same time, what with the reception Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is receiving and
The Bayonetta series is probably one of the most infamous cult classics coming out of studio PlatinumGames. The original, way back in ye olde days of 2009, gained a number of fans…but not enough for original publisher Sega to consider the series viable. That’s where Nintendo swooped in, reviving the series with a second entry