The End of a Legend

Legend of Wukong came to a sudden end after a final boss fight that seemed rather too easy. Right up until the credits rolled, I was expecting one last plot twist or a bit more action before the "real" conclusion. In any case, the game was an absolute blast, and a worthy addition to my Evercade Hall of Fame. What's more, Wukong inspired me to pick up Journey to the West, the early Chinese novel upon which the game is (loosely) based.

Legend of Wukong

It's a busy summer of Scouting activities, brief trips, and lots and lots (and lots) of work, but I'm steadily making my way through a '90s Taiwanese JRPG called Legend of Wukong on my Evercade. (Interestingly enough, it's the second game I've played that's based on an early Chinese novel.) I am, of course, a sucker for full-party, turn-based RPGs, so naturally I'm enjoying this one. There's plenty of action mixed with  memorable characters and goofy humor, which reminds me quite a bit of the superior Brave Battle Saga. 

Flawless Victory

Recently I got a hankering to play through Drakkhen again with a new party, and it was just as much fun as last time. The final boss fight was pretty hilarious -- we walked into the room, listened to his evil monologue, and then my wizard killed him two seconds later with a single spell!

Shadowrun Returns

I mentioned recently that Nathaniel was playing through the classic Mass Effect, which Matt had gifted me many years ago. Another game he graciously gifted me was Shadowrun: Dragonfall. I've been thinking about cyberpunk a lot lately with my city of Vesper under construction, so I decided to check out the predecessor of Dragonfall, Shadowrun Returns. It's been a while since I've played any video game that wasn't on an Evercade platform, and I'm really enjoying a return to the Shadowrun universe!

Random Retro-Gaming Thought

We'll never get old-school D&D games on Evercade because of the licensing costs -- but why not games from The Bard's Tale franchise? Make it happen, guys!

DC League -- Season 5

After wrapping up baseball, I'll be switching over to soccer on my Evercade. Up next is Season 5 of the league set in my Druid Cycle campaign world. Perhaps megastar Agrippa will finally get that elusive championship!

Broken Sword

Anybody know anything about the Broken Sword game series? I checked out the Legacy of Kain series on my Evercade and found them to be kind of ho-hum, so I'm on the lookout for something else. Broken Sword is the latest classic game series to debut on Evercade, and it looks like of cool!

DC League Season 4

Sensible Soccer is one of my favorite retro games on Evercade, and lately I've been using it to play through a fourth season of my Druid Cycle soccer league. This league must take place in some sort of alternate version of the Druid Cycle campaign setting, however, or perhaps is set at some point in the future, because, as the PCs know quite well, it's not all fun and games on the continent of First Home these days. The looming threat of war hangs like a storm-cloud over the continent, and it seems inevitable that there will come a day when differences will be settled not on the soccer pitch, but on the battlefield.

Tomb, Raided

I played through the original Tomb Raider on my Evercade and, well, I don't think I'll play through the two sequels that are bundled on the same cartridge. I'm sure I played at least one of these titles back in the day, but this time around, the whole experience just felt kind of...tedious. I constantly found myself scouring YouTube playthroughs to find some hidden switch or lever that I needed in order to move forward. At this point, I think I'll go back to some Commodore 64 classics.

Legacy of Kain

At long last, my Legacy of Kain Collection for Evercade is on its way. I've never played any games from this acclaimed vampire series, so I can't wait to sink my teeth into them!

Waiting Game

I've been waiting patiently (well, not really) for my latest Evercade fix: Tomb Raider Collection 1 and the Legacy of Kain Collection. In the meantime, I've been catching up on some Warhammer painting projects and planning lots of encounters and subplots for the current Druid Cycle storyline. After years (decades) of campaigns focused on supervillain-type foes, it feels fresh and exciting to be building toward a very different kind of crisis: World War Druid Cycle!

Evercade Alpha

Evercade launched a revamped website today and it includes a bombshell development: They're getting into cabinets now! I don't know if I'll purchase the Evercade Alpha when it comes out in the fall, but damn, it's a pretty cool concept!

Evercade Hall of Fame

Adding up all the games on all the carts, I probably have upwards of 200 retro games I can play on my Evercade systems. Of those games, I've completed probably about two dozen. Of those two dozen, only a select few merit inclusion in my new Evercade Hall of Fame -- games so awesome or so memorable that they rank among my favorite video games of all time, regardless of the era or system. 

Here is the inaugural class of Hall of Famers, presented in alphabetical order:

• Brave Battle Saga
• Captain Commando 
• Dragon View (Drakkhen II)
• Drakkhen
• Final Fight
• Flashback 
• Sensible Soccer

What's likely to be the next entry in the EHOF? Well, the first three Tomb Raider titles come out for Evercade in July...

Sensible Soccer

Sensible Soccer -- named for the company, although the game is pretty sensible too -- may just be one of the most perfect sports games I've ever played. I picked up an out-of-print Evercade cartridge basically just to get this game, and it hasn't disappointed. It's infinitely customizable and the gameplay is intuitive and fun. I foresee many, many tournaments and leagues in my future...

Back to the Tomb!

Just when I was wondering what else Evercade had up their sleeves...

Friends Knocking Down My Door

I'm at a natural pause point with Brave Battle Saga, so I've put that game aside for a few days to explore an Evercade cartridge containing nothing but Commodore 64 classics. How come no one has knocked down my door yet?

BBS -- TLOTMW

As titles go, Brave Battle Saga -- The Legend of the Magic Warrior is kind of an awkward jumble. (I'm sure its original Mandarin title has a nicer ring to it.) As games go, however, it's kind of a blast! BBS -- TLOTMW (wow, the initialism seems almost as long as the actual title!) is the latest game I'm working through on my Evercade. It was originally a Sega Genesis game released only in Taiwan, but now it has a full English version. The endless random encounters add unnecessary length and monotony, but the story is pretty fun (and occasionally downright funny) and there's a funky science-fantasy vibe that's getting stronger as I get deeper into the game. Anticipating later classics like Baldur's Gate, it opens with a single protagonist, but ultimately you pick up a rag-tag band of companions who all have their own personal storylines and motivations. Can't wait to see how it all plays out!

2023 Goal Achieved

Looking back on the year that was, I could rattle off any number of gaming-related accomplishments. (Yes, granted, it's all recreational, but I view anything I learn or do as an opportunity to accomplish something.) I painted tons of 3D-printed terrain, delved into retrogaming, and ran a Doctor Who campaign that was pretty dang cool, but I think I'm most proud of reinvigorating the Druid Cycle world. Matthew and Nathaniel had played most of their D&D in my Shattered Realm setting, but in 2023, they leveled up to the big leagues. We started one campaign just for them, and then a separate one where their two older cousins join us via Zoom, and in both cases it's been absolutely fantastic. It's like 1998 all over again!

Flashback

I won Delphine's amazing Flashback today, and the game was just as fun on my wonky Evercade as it was on the ol' Sega Genesis. At this point, I can put the Evercade EXP hardware aside and now load up carts on my new Super Pocket. First on the list is a collection of Atari Lynx classics!

EXP Stands for "Expired"

The good news is that I completed the Bond-esque Operation Stealth, one of Delphine's cinematic titles of yesteryear. The bad news is that my Evercade EXP now only works if it's plugged in -- a distinct disadvantage for a handheld game system. I'm going to try my luck with the Blaze Taito Super Pocket, which also plays Evercade cartridges. Here's hoping the lil' guy will give me portability when I need it. Next up on my list is Delphine's masterpiece, Flashback, which I absolutely adored on my Sega Genesis back in the early '90s.