QCF: Shovel Knight

ot that it's a bad thing, but retro styled games are practically everywhere now. Both visually and gameplay wise tons of products on the indie scene are embracing gaming's origins to varying degrees. Some are parodies like Super Meat Boy or Retro City Rampage, while a smaller batch are genuine attempts at capturing the actual feel these classics gave us in the very beginning. Shovel Knight is the latter.

While many games fall short of replicating the mediums glory days, Shovel Knight does the near impossible and surpasses it. If you've been looking for a new benchmark in retro gaming then the day has finally arrived. Shovel Knight is the real (old school) deal.

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PAX East 2014: Feeling young again with Shovel Knight

ore often than not, we see independent developers task themselves towards producing games that do nothing more than romanticize games of the past; only a handful of them introduce ideas that stand them tall above the rose-tinted masses one-dimensional nostalgia.

Therefore, it's quite a feat when you see something like Yacht Club Game's Shovel Knight excel by doing the exact opposite. The Blue Digger’s adventure passionately celebrates the giant melting pot of NES tributes that it is and manages to conjure the perfect storm of design that's fun for veterans and new comers alike in the process.

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PPR Presents Play Play: DuckTales 2

apcom and WayForward brought back the Duck with the bucks, and while the game holds up in its own little ways, too few have ever been able to check out the rare sequel that released late within the NES’ lifespan. George and Ser bring you the latest Play Play, where we tackle the elusive DuckTales 2, and discuss why it’s a shame that a lot of people haven’t played it.

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QCF: DuckTales Remastered

s binary as the term “remake” would suggest by definition, the reality can actually elicit a variety of responses, anywhere from positive to “this is horse-shit.”  I’ve mentioned nostalgia quite a number of times and the sensitivity that revolves around applying it when you’re remaking a game versus re-releasing it.

The dilemma of mishandling swings both ways, you either desecrate the source material and kick the loyalists right in the childhood, or you over coat your product with the rose-tinted sugar of reminiscence that panders down memory lane instead, isolating your audience from the youngsters who’re late to the party, and just don’t get what the fuss was all about.  There are certain exceptions to this scenario, where the experience is so brilliant that they’re regarded as a timeless treat to everyone who plays them—to be completely honest, DuckTales is not one of those exceptions; and that what makes DuckTales Remastered amazing…WayForward recognized that the sacred cow wasn’t beyond the flaws of time.

The studio famous for injecting whimsy and charm, made subtle tweaks to an admittedly aged but solid formula, and in the process, adapted a twenty-four year old gem into a game that appeals to everyone in today’s video game generation.

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PAX East 2013: Press Pause Radio Podcast Special

e’re approaching the last day of PAX East and we’re surprisingly chipper for what we covered so far but it’s a momentous PAX. It’s the first PAX to see an exclusive reveal, with Capcom and WayForward debuting their remake of an NES classic, Ducktales Remastered. Bob Mackey and the gang were able to fund their Retronauts Kickstarter within hours, and when we weren’t playing a lot of games, then we were treated some of the finer citizens in Boston. Special guest Seth Macy of the internet joins us as we gab up the event and recount our plans for Sunday.

If you happen to see us, then don’t be shy! Rate and subscribe to us iTunes today, follow us on our new Twitch page, mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, and be sure to stop by at our Forums and register as well!

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