I'm up for April's Together Retro theme, and I like to get them decided early so people have to time to purchase games if they want to!
Because I know it's been mentioned that sometimes the themes are too loose to foster discussion, I've also proposed some talking points the themes might offer, and as usual I've listed some game ideas for each too!
Without further ado, here's the options:
Little Big Adventure
RPGs and Action Adventure games have typically been on the more epic end of the scale when it comes to gameplay - Lengthy quests with lots to see and lots to do. This category aims to take a look at how these games function under more restrictive conditions by exploring the genre on 8 bit handhelds. Do the games still manage to feel epic despite running on tiny cartridges with tiny amounts of memory on a tiny screen?
Discussion points:
How do games carry a sense of scale to the small screen limitations
Do portable editions of bigger series differ from their big-screen cousins?
Are there gems of the genre which started life on portables or which were standout entries?
Possible games:
The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Ages, Pokémon series, For The Frog The Bell Tolls, Final Fantasy Adventure, Final Fantasy Legend, The Sword of Hope, Rolan's Curse, Ultima: Runes of Virtue, Great Greed, Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya, Crystal Warriors, Defenders of Oasis, Madou Monogatari, Faselei, Evolution, Biomotor Unitron and many others.
Gotta Play 'Em All!
It's the 25th Anniversary of the Pokémon series this year, and whilst my attempts to get Racketeers to play the main games have been without success previously, I wanted to suggest something different this time - let's play the Pokémon spin-offs! There's something for everyone here, from pinball to puzzle games, roguelikes to strategy, minigames, photography, even Typing games! Even if you're not interested in the franchise, I guarantee there'll be something interesting to try!
Talking points:
How well do the core series elements translate into other genres?
How does Pokémon add/detract from franchises like Mystery Dungeon that have their own mechanics?
What's your attachment to the franchise, if any?
Possible games:
Pokémon Pinball, Pokémon Pinball Ruby & Sapphire, Pokemon Trading Card Game, Pokémon Card 2: Here Comes Team Rocket!, Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Stadium 2, Pokémon Picross, Pokémon Puzzle League, Pokemon Puzzle Challenge, Pokemon Trozei, Pokemon Dash, Pokemon Snap, Hey You Pikachu!, Pokemon Channel, Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, Pokemon Conquest, Pokemon Ranger series, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, Pokemon Typing Adventure, Pokepark Wii, Pokemon Rumble
Miniature Heroes
This category is all about perspective. Sometimes it's nice to see things from the viewpoint of the little guy, and this is a category all about little guys. This selection is about games where you get to play as a small character in a regular sized world, and see what the world looks like when you're just a few inches tall. The key thing is it needs to be a small hero in a regular world, so no stuff like Shadow of the Colossus where a regular sized guy fights giant enemies.
Talking points:
Does the game create a convincing sense of being miniature
How does the change of perspective make the world feel different, gameplay wise
Possible games:
Chibi-Robo series, Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers, Toy Commander, Micro Machines, Clockwork Knight, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bugs Life, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Katamari Damacy series, Hamtaro series, Pikmin series, Army Men series, Monster in my Pocket, Gremlins 2
Too Rich For My Blood
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Those of us who have been collecting a long time may remember the glory days when even rarer games could be had for pittance. Those days are long gone, and there's probably some games that are well out of your price range now - there certainly are for me. The fact is, if I ever want to play some of these games I'll need to accept that I may need to resort to other means to play them. Fire up your everdrives, and let's play the games that you're never going to pay for together. Think any game that costs at least 3 figures for starters...
Talking points:
How has the game's price changed over time?
Is it worth the money, or does it at least justify the demand?
Are any racketeers lucky enough to own the real thing?
Possible games:
Magical Chase, Shantae, Psychic Killer Taromaru, Sylpheed, Bomberman 64: The Second Attack, MUSHA, Radiant Silvergun, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Hagane, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Little Samson, Mr. Gimmick, Trip World, Alien Solder, Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Power Strike 2, Cubivore and many, many more...
