Two of my Turok books say “special edition” where the barcode would otherwise be… anybody know what’s up with that?
Maybe they came in a set, which had a barcode on an exterior slipcase? I have game cases that have a “not for individual sale” notice where the barcode should be if they came in a box with a controller or something.
In the not too distant past I did a previous MST3K pixel art, but I’ve now updated it to add the newest iteration (plus tweaking some designs and adding Cambot and Erhardt)! I’m quite happy with the new seasons, and glad to add them here alongside the classics.
The Hosts: Joel Robinson, Mike Nelson, Jonah Heston
The Bots: Cambot, Gypsy, Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, M. Waverley, Growler
The Mads: Clayton Forrester, Pearl Forrester, Kinga Forrester, Laurence Erhardt, TV’s Frank, Bobo, Brain Guy, Max, Synthia Forrester
The original Epic Mickey was a bit underwhelming to me, but the concept behind this 3DS sidescroller is it’s a dual sequel, following up on both Epic Mickey and the old Sega Illusion platformers. This double lineage and a broad acknowledgment of the animated canon doesn’t guarantee a flawless experience, though.
I’ve just read this Marvel comic series from the 90s, and it’s pretty dang good! Expanding on TOS’s original pilot The Cage, it introduces a bunch of new characters to fill out the Pike and Number One staff, and some classic sci-fi adventures ensue. Note that the comic ignores the subtle colour distinction between command and operations jumpers, but I’ve tried to reflect how they appeared in the show’s two pilots.
Christopher Pike, E. Robbins, Spock, Phillip Boyce, Moves-With-Burning-Grace, Nano, Sita Mohindas, José Tyler, Mia Colt, Gabrielle Carlotti
Yoku’s Island Express was a delight, and naturally caused me to tee up this game that also enhances pinball mechanics with a story, an adventure, etc. It’s very much on a tinier scale (I think I got through the campaign in an hour) but with a corresponding tinier price.
Of the two games in the Xbox Zero’s GTA collection, Vice City was the clear standout for me. Apart from the refined gameplay, flying vehicles, and a talking protagonist, it also had a more appealing world. Vice City has wide streets, bright colours, trees, plus the radio is filled with poppin’ 80s sounds. Now I revisit that world.
I love a good pinball video game, especially when it breaks the limitations of real-life machines. Yoku is the most extreme version of this, fusing pinball mechanics into a large Metroid-style explorable world. This mechanical novelty combined with the glorious look and soundtrack makes for a very special experience indeed.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, low-res pixel style!
I’ve recently read two different comic spinoff series about the Academy. One is a gnarly 90s Marvel comic, giving Nog a supporting cast and some crazy adventures, sometimes tying in to Deep Space Nine. The other is a recent one from IDW set in the universe of the new movies, which continues in the Boldly Go series. Both have fun, diverse casts that I enjoyed drawing!
Omega Squad from the Marvel comic: Kamilah Goldstein, Matthew Decker, Nog, T’Priell/Selke, Pava Ek’Noor Aqabaa, Edam Astrun, Kyethn Zund
The crew from the IDW comic: T’Laan, Lucia Gonzales, Jaylah, Grace Chen, Shev Akria, Vel K’Bentayr
I’ve been reading a bunch of Kelvin comics from the latest Star Trek comics Humble Bundle, and they acknowledge the events of this game, which made me keen to experience it. In terms of being a performed piece of media with all the main cast reprising their roles, it’s almost like another movie in this series. A really long, boring movie with a ton of shooting.
For my game club this month, I picked this one. I have no history with it but its premise—you are a creature with magical evolving powers, who can take on different forms over the course of history—intrigued me, and seemed like it would make for good comparative discussion.
How does a relic like Carmageddon survive in the modern era? This game doesn’t answer that question because it does nothing whatsoever to advance beyond the retrograde sensibilities that made it “subversive” in 1997.
Doctor Who: Classic era spin-offs, low-res pixel style!
Continuing my big series of pixel arts of the Doctor Who universe, here’s a selection of the spin-offs that evolved from Classic characters and situations. A lot of characters are lacking in visual reference material so I had to scour book/audio covers, promotional art, and occasionally fanart (especially from Paul Hanley, again). It was fun! Of course there’re many more spin-offs I didn’t cover, so sorry to Graceless, Big Finish’s Charlotte Pollard and other companion works, various Dalek and Cybermen audios and comics, other BBV and Reeltime video and audio productions, Kaldor City, other UNIT stories, Alan Moore’s Special Executive characters, Olive Hawthorne, The Forge, etc, etc. (And don’t worry, modern spin-offs will be coming later!)
While looking for more games like Excite Truck, I gave Trackmania a try. I prefer my racing games somewhat detached from reality, and TM’s approach was enjoyable, for a time.
