Together Retro 2016 Calendar - FINAL

[alienjesus]

If we're going to double up on genre, I'd rather have 2 platformers than 2 RPGs for a few reasons, and none of them have anything to do with Bonk (I'm happy with a ton of platformer options):

1. We already have a Together RPG thread where lots of RPGs get played. I don't mind RPGs being in Together Retro, but I feel having 2 would detract from Together RPGs activity.

2. Pitfall is a platformer yes, but it's still very different to your typical platformer due to it's short length and high score focus.

3. The platformer is the most rich genre of retro gaming there is. Like 50% or more of the worthwhile games for 8 and 16 bit consoles were platformers. If we double up, this would be my vote because we could play platformers every month for the next decade and still not run out of good candidates.

Another one I'd be happy to double up on is Puzzle. A puzzle platformer like Solomon's key is very different to a more arcadey match 3 puzzle game, like say, Magical Drop.

Actually, have we played Magical Drop? That could be fun!

Some other genre ideas would be nice, but sometimes I worry by sticking too strictly to genres we ignore the types of games that are perhaps not as easily classified.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Is Oddworld a puzzle-platformer? Same type of category we had The Lost Vikings in a few years ago? It's on GOG and looks like something I'd play. I'll back it - if we don't play it this year alienjesus will continue to nominate it.

Call of Duty is 2003. Not retro enough for me personally. I'd be fine with DOOM, GoldenEye, or Perfect Dark - though GoldenEye would be my top pick.

[alienjesus]

Is Oddworld a puzzle-platformer? Same type of category we had The Lost Vikings in a few years ago? It's on GOG and looks like something I'd play. I'll back it - if we don't play it this year alienjesus will continue to nominate it.
.

From my understanding it's like a very puzzle orientated cinematic platformer - think of a more puzzle based Flashback or Another World.

I'm not even sure if I'll like it, I just want to give it a go

Call of Duty is 2003. Not retro enough for me personally. I'd be fine with DOOM, GoldenEye, or Perfect Dark - though GoldenEye would be my top pick.

Medal of Honour would be my pick over CoD tbh. I remember it being massive in the PS2 era, pre-CoD.

For what it's worth, I think the Xbox 360/XBone ports of Perfect Dark have online play too. Community multiplayer

EDIT: What do people think about Harvest Moon? The SNES game is pricy, but it's easily available on Virtual Console, it has a GB adaptation which is also on VC and it's got sequels all over the place. We've not done a life sim before, right?

[noiseredux]

as far as FPS goes, I don't want to see Doom honestly. I agree it's a classic and hugely influential. But we've done Wolf3D and Quake - both iD games - already. I really want us to step outside the comfort zone.

I think 2003 is perfectly acceptable, and still support COD. I can't speak on MOH, back then. But certainly the series as a whole has remained more influential? Or at least relevant?

Perfect Dark/Golden Finger are not as interesting to me technically. But I'm open to majority rule...

Harvest Moon was mentioned last year, too. Could be interesting.

[Ack]

Yeah, makes sense alienjesus. Medal of Honor was really big in Europe when it was released. It was basically the PS1's response to GoldenEye over there. I admit, I don't care for the MoH series as much as the early CoDs, but neither are bad choices. There were a lot of solid WWII FPS around that time in gaming.

1. We already have a Together RPG thread where lots of RPGs get played. I don't mind RPGs being in Together Retro, but I feel having 2 would detract from Together RPGs activity.

Here's the problem though: most of you guys only play JRPGs. The nominating group for Together RPG has noticed that generally only JRPGs garner much attention from anyone who isn't in the nominating group. I should know, I'm in it!

Hell, I nominated our current game for Together RPG, Anachronox. It's a WRPG that pulls heavy inspiration from JRPG systems. Yet only two of us are currently playing it, myself and MrPopo(also in the nominating group). Yet when Ultima IV was put up in Together Retro, it actually generated discussion! Sure, maybe not as much as some of our bigger names, and sure, some of that discussion was to complain about it, but folks talked about a WRPG! If it requires just throwing RPGs at the crowd until they finally actually start playing a genre that they seem to avoid, then I'll do it! Because I am crazy!

Call of Duty is 2003. Not retro enough for me personally. I'd be fine with DOOM, GoldenEye, or Perfect Dark - though GoldenEye would be my top pick.

You don't think any games younger than you are old enough, you crotchety loon! Don't make me nominate Catacomb 3-D!

I'm not big on racers, but I'd be happy to hear folks put up nominations in that genre. What do you guys think we should be going for?

Also...any further thoughts on what I wrote about horror stuff? Any of those really sticking out for some of you?

[alienjesus]

as far as FPS goes, I don't want to see Doom honestly. I agree it's a classic and hugely influential. But we've done Wolf3D and Quake - both iD games - already. I really want us to step outside the comfort zone.

I think 2003 is perfectly acceptable, and still support COD. I can't speak on MOH, back then. But certainly the series as a whole has remained more influential? Or at least relevant?

Perfect Dark/Golden Finger are not as interesting to me technically. But I'm open to majority rule...

Harvest Moon was mentioned last year, too. Could be interesting.

The thing with CoD is that I don't really think it was especially influential until CoD4. The original was meant to be a Medal of Honor beater. MoH was definitely the notable console FPS series for the time period.

Have we ever played Timesplitters? Timesplitters 2 is on lots of consoles and it's meant to be pretty great

If we go with Harvest Moon, might I suggest we don't go with the slightly tired first game, but instead go with Back to Nature for PS1 and Friends of Mineral Town for GBA, which are essentially 2 versions of the same game. They're much more refined, cheaper than the original and regarded as high points in the series. They also open the option of More Friends of Mineral Town where you can play as a girl aswell. So inclusive!

[noiseredux]

Here's the problem though: most of you guys only play JRPGs. The nominating group for Together RPG has noticed that generally only JRPGs garner much attention from anyone who isn't in the nominating group. I should know, I'm in it!

Hell, I nominated our current game for Together RPG, Anachronox. It's a WRPG that pulls heavy inspiration from JRPG systems. Yet only two of us are currently playing it, myself and MrPopo(also in the nominating group). Yet when Ultima IV was put up in Together Retro, it actually generated discussion! Sure, maybe not as much as some of our bigger names, and sure, some of that discussion was to complain about it, but folks talked about a WRPG! If it requires just throwing RPGs at the crowd until they finally actually start playing a genre that they seem to avoid, then I'll do it! Because I am crazy!

This is where my head's at too. I'd love to see us play some classic that we wouldn't have otherwise, which is why the stuff like Elder Scrolls III felt so appealing to me.

I'm not big on racers, but I'd be happy to hear folks put up nominations in that genre. What do you guys think we should be going for?

Episode I Pod Racers?


EDIT: OMG! What about KOTOR as a WRPG for the conversation???

[Ack]

The thing with CoD is that I don't really think it was especially influential until CoD4. The original was meant to be a Medal of Honor beater. MoH was definitely the notable console FPS series for the time period.

See, this is where things get a bit weird. Call of Duty was influential...in the US. It was never as popular in Europe. Medal of Honor was really influential...in Europe. MoH: Allied Assault made the biggest splash in the US, but beyond that it wasn't nearly as popular. Both games are excellent though and would make good choices.

[alienjesus]

This is where my head's at too. I'd love to see us play some classic that we wouldn't have otherwise, which is why the stuff like Elder Scrolls III felt so appealing to me.

I'm not big on racers, but I'd be happy to hear folks put up nominations in that genre. What do you guys think we should be going for?

Episode I Pod Racers?

If we're going with stuff we wouldn't play otherwise, we could try a more realistic racing game like Gran Turismo

Or we could think more outside the box and go with something like 1080 Snowboarding (which is a racing game more than an extreme sports game like Tony Hawk) or Wave Race.

Another option is to go for another European classic and we could play Micro Machines. Tons of ports for this one.

[noiseredux]

Another option is to go for another European classic and we could play Micro Machines. Tons of ports for this one.

this is a really good suggestion, I think!

(and you guys saw my KOTOR edit right?)