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Puppet Zoo Pilomy

At first, Puppet Zoo Pilomy seems like a cute and friendly game. You control an unnamed human as he joins up with an alien named Pilomy to create your own animals, here called puppets. Taking place in a small town, you walk around and talk to the various denizens to get Love Points. Then, you visit a professor and cash in those Love Points to get a random assortment of animal parts from his vending machines. Then, you can mix and match parts to create your own puppets, sending them off to various locales where they appear as polygonal models that walk around.

Top 47K - Phantasy Star IV (and Fallout: New Vegas!)

Join the HG101 gang, plus returning special guest Ghaleon Unlimited/Chris Hatala, as they discuss and rank the last trace of Phantasy Star’s existence as an offline RPG. Then stick around for Fallout: New Vegas, a game about how terrible it would be to deliver mail in a nuclear apocalypse!

#phantasy star iv #phantasy star the end of the millennium #sega #sega genesis #role playing games #jrpg #fallout new vegas #obsidian entertainment #bethesda softworks #action rpg #first person shooter #microsoft windows #playstation 3 #xbox 360 #hardcore gaming 101 #podcast #top 47858 games of all time #video games #retro games

Plus Alpha

Plus Alpha stars two girls, Selia and Rumy, in round ships that kind of resemble TwinBee, but it doesn’t do much with the cute -em-up aesthetic beyond that. As the heroines attempt to liberate seven countries from the villains, you’ll encounter some things that fit the subgenre like bright flower fields, little bees and a group of cute fiery wisps, but many of the enemies are just generic looking vehicles and most of the environments are plain choices like deserts and valleys. It’s an uneven game, offering glimmers of potential while just as often making the attainment of said potential more trouble than it’s worth. There’s even a sign that says “Kusoge” that the player is respawned in front of whenever they lose to the final boss! This was likely put in by Jaleco for a laugh – some self-deprecating humor that’s “cute” in its own way – but a frustrated player could uncharitably read it as a lack of confidence in the game.

Top 47K - Popful Mail (Sega CD) (and Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel!)

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG HAS RETURNED! Join the HG101 gang, plus returning special guest Ghaleon Unlimited/Chris Hatala, as they discuss and rank Falcom’s action-RPG that introduced the world to a new adjective. Then stick around for Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel, a visual novel that brings fans exactly what any traumatized mech pilot would want – dating!

#popful mail #falcom #sega #working designs #sega cd #action rpg #neon genesis evangelion girlfriend of steel #gainax #sega saturn #visual novel #hardcore gaming 101 #podcast #top 47858 games of all time #video games #retro games

Forbidden Solitaire

2026 has seen an unexpected indie success, due to the fact that it’s an extremely unexpected team up. On one hand, you have Grey Alien Games, long time grinders of the solitaire genre, most known by you HG101 readers as the creators of Shadowhand. On the other, we have Night Signal Entertainment, a newcomer created by a former actor for the Evermore theme park that made some waves with Home Safety Hotline, combining a mixed media approach and analog horror techniques to make a unique and tongue in cheek horror experience. This is not a combination of talents you’d ever expect, and yet it happened, and quickly cleared 10,000 copies sold in just 48 hours.

bitmapbooks

Happy Birthday to Dragon Quest, released in Japan on the Famicom 40 years ago today 🐲🎂

Check it out in our book - A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games

Out now: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/all-books/products/a-guide-to-japanese-role-playing-games

#bitmapbooks #retrogaming #gaming #dragonquest #jrpg

#dragon quest #square enix #role playing games #jrpg #a guide to japanese role playing games #bitmap books #hardcore gaming 101 #books #literature #video games #retro games

Super Bomberman Collection

Over a decade after Konami’s acquisition of Hudson Soft, the Super Bomberman Collection marks a potential sea change for the treatment of the character’s history. Up to this point, it has been exceedingly rare for Konami to do anything with Bomberman’s past beyond the occasional merchandising opportunity or Bombergirl character. Even before the acquisition, the Super Bomberman games skipped Nintendo’s Virtual Console service and never had any re-releases outside of an incredibly obscure PC compilation. But at long last, this collection by Red Art Games brings all five Super Bomberman games together (with a couple of bonuses) and gives people a chance to easily check out some of the most notable games in the entire franchise.

Top 47K - The Citadel (and Magical Date: Doki Doki Kokuhaku Daisakusen!)

FPS Through the Ages draws to an explosive close! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2020s first-person shooter that blends classic and modern FPS elements into a gory cybernetic thrill ride. Then stick around as returning special guest Sean Seanson joins for Magical Date: Doki Doki Kokuhaku Daisakusen, an arcade game about wooing girls based on your ability to do basic math!

#the citadel #doekuramori #top hat studios #microsoft windows #first person shooter #magical date #taito #arcade #dating sim #hardcore gaming 101 #podcast #top 47858 games of all time #video games #retro games

Spyro 2: Season of Flame

Work began on Spyro‘s second GBA adventure not too long after Season of Ice‘s completion, with plans to make numerous improvements based on the developers’ and fans’ feedback, and even to make it more akin to an RPG. However, a tighter production schedule and staff forced the folks at Digital Eclipse to create a more traditional sequel. But this also allowed Season of Flame to retain much of its predecessor’s appeal while fixing many issues, resulting in a considerably improved platformer.

Top 47K - SUPERHOT (and Muppet RaceMania!)

FPS Through the Ages moves when you move! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2010s viral hit that attempts to redefine the first-person shooter genre. Then stick around for Muppet RaceMania, a kart racer with a surprising amount of platforming mixed in!

#superhot #superhot team #first person shooter #muppet racemania #traveller's tales #playstation #racing games #hardcore gaming 101 #podcast #top 47858 games of all time #video games #indie games #retro games

Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly

While Insomniac Games went off to create the Ratchet & Clank series, Universal Interactive kept the rights to Spyro and handed the next console game off to fledgling studios Check Six Studios (who would handle programming and design) and Equinoxe Digital Entertainment (who would handle the art). This was their first big project, and it would unfortunately be their last due to a protracted development cycle full of issues, disagreements with Universal who frequently flip-flopped on the game’s direction, and weeks of unpaid crunch.

Spyro: Season of Ice

While Spyro struggled to follow up the original trilogy on consoles, a series of side games were developed for the Game Boy Advance throughout the early 00s. Considering Spyro was conceived as a fully 3D freeform series, it wouldn’t be as easy to adapt to a system that normally didn’t do 3D. But Digital Eclipse stepped up to the plate and managed it with a trio of solid isometric platformers, starting with the decent if sometimes frustrating Season of Ice.

HG101 Presents: Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Other Konami Classics

Metal Gear. Silent Hill. Two Konami series, inspired by American movies, that ushered in the 21st century with cinematic grandeur. This book covers both franchises extensively, including their spinoffs and media tie-ins. Also included are several other works of director/producer Hideo Kojima, including Snatcher, Policenauts, and Zone of the Enders, as well as many classic Konami titles! Coming soon!

ChainStaff

Earth has been overwhelmed with Star Spores from space, mutating its flora and fauna in ferocious ways! Courageous soldier Jesse Varlette has fought valiantly, except he’s ended up with an alien parasite on his body. He is, fundamentally, still human, and uses his newly mutated powers to fight back against the alien menace. Chainstaff comes from Mommy’s Best Games, an indie American studio that’s specialized in 2D shoot-em-ups and run-and-guns since the XBLIG era, including titles like Weapon of Choice and Serious Sam DD. This is a culmination of everything they’ve done up until this point, with a distinct visual style and over-the-top gunplay that sets them apart from retro titles like Contra.

Top 47K - Half-Life 2 (and 3D Dot Game Heroes!)

FPS Through the Ages brings out the big (gravity) guns! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2000s first-person shooter that brings forth the stunning innovation of chucking objects at an NPC’s head. Then stick around for 3D Dot Game Heroes, a 2D-turned-3D Zelda clone that lets you create your own player character!

#half life 2 #valve #first person shooter #microsoft windows #3d dot game heroes #silicon studio #fromsoftware #action adventure #playstation 3 #hardcore gaming 101 #podcast #top 47858 games of all time #video games #retro games

Top 47K - Rise of the Triad: Dark War (and Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith!)

FPS Through the Ages patrols forth! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 1990s first-person shooter that pushes the Wolfenstein 3D engine to absurd heights… literally. Then stick around for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the movie tie-in that completes the prequel trilogy!

#rise of the triad #apogee software #first person shooter #microsoft windows #star wars episode iii #revenge of the sith #star wars #the collective #lucasarts #playstation 2 #xbox #action games #hardcore gaming 101 #podcast #top 47858 games of all time #video games #retro games

ZPF

Homebrew Genesis shooter ZPF owes a big debt to Wings of Wor and the Thunder Force series, owing to its pacing and its general feel. But it’s also visually striking in a way that gives it a completely distinct identity.

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