Here are your options for the May, 2019, Together Retro!
‘80s Espionage x ‘90s Ninjas - For this sneaky category, you pick at least one game released in the 1980s about espionage, sabotage, spying, etc. and at least one game from the 1990s about ninjas. Then, you go on the Together Retro thread and write about them. Some good combinations would be: Elevator Action x Shinobi III, Metal Gear x Ninja Gaiden II, Rolling Thunder x TMNT: Turtles in Time, etc. These are pretty popular themes; so, am sure you can sneak in a few more!
Bad to the Bone - This loathsome category is dedicated to games that are bad. Seriously. Bad games. Games that aren’t good...or fun. Games that assault the senses and fill your heart with dread. Games that make you break controllers or that leave you sad and confused. Games everyone hates. Kusoge. For this category, you pick some of those games; you play them (no one actually expects you to beat them); and you go on the Together Retro thread to write about them. If you spend some time with some of these bad games, you may even find that some of them aren’t THAT bad. Some of them might even be defensible...maybe even...kind of good? Good choices for this bad category include: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Deadly Towers, Shaq Fu, Bubsy 3D, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), etc. (I’m just kidding about ET, BTW. It’s actually a pretty good game!). The world of video games is full of misery; so, for better or for worse, I’m sure this group can come up with even more.
Prominent Product Placement - Yo! Noid! You’re Too Cool to Fool. Why don’t you Chase the Chuckwagon and Spot (Goes to Hollywood) some of these awesome games brought to you by our generous corporate sponsors! For this category, you pick games that prominently feature real-world products, play the games, try the products, and write about both in the Together Retro thread. Good games for this category include: Darkened Skye, California Raisins, Chase the Chuckwagon, Chester Cheetah, Crazy Taxi, Pepsi Invaders, Spot, TMNT: The Arcade Game, WipeOut XL, Yo! Noid!, etc....But wait! There’s more! (At least...I’m sure you can think of more.)
Sega Before Sonic - This category takes us back to a time when Sega has less ‘tude and more personality. A time before Sonic the Hedgehog. A time before June 23, 1991. For this category, you pick games developed or published by Sega before June 23, 1991, and then write about them in the Together Retro thread. Some good choices would be: Alex Kidd, Bonanza Bros., Congo Bongo, Fantasy Zone, Golden Axe, Moonwalker, Phantasy Star, Shinobi, Space Harrier, Tac-Scan, Zaxxon, etc. Sega was a pretty prolific developer and publisher; so, you will be able to choose from a lot of games if this category wins the vote (which it probably will because you guys love Sega so much).
We Need to Talk About Kemco - This dark horse category celebrates one of the all-time great video game developers and publishers...Kemco. While today it’s a prolific publisher of mobile JRPGs, there was a time when Kemco was a powerhouse developer and publisher, with many games across a variety of genres. You want a tactical, squad-based FPS? Try Rescue: The Embassy Mission. What about an ARPG? Give Lagoon a shot. Adventure games? Kemco published all of the classic MacVenture games on the NES, and it developed Shadowgate 64. Racing? Top Gear. Puzzle? Crazy Castle. Strategy? Desert Commander. What about an old-fashioned platformer? Try out Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout. Kemco published something for everyone, and a list of its games is available at: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/company/12920-kemco
The poll runs until I call it sometime on Saturday, April 27. Vote twice and have fun talking about the topics!