In From Pixels to Polygons, we examine classic game franchises that have survived the long transition from the 8- or 16-bit era to the current console generation.
Maxis’ SimCity franchise, the game that brought designer Will Wright into the forefront, is a historic franchise. It led to the creation and popularization of many Sim-based game franchises, including SimCity spin-offs such as the beloved Sims series. Although 2013’s release of the new SimCity is behind us now, it’s time we took a look at the series’ evolution and, more importantly, how it ended up where it is today. READ MORE
Lucas, Henry, Jeff, Andrew and Graham convene to discuss series that tried to be more accessible, and whether that turned out well. Also: Wind Waker HD, Disgaea D2, Rain and Rune Factory 4, plus Steam Machines and the Wii U update!
Check out the show here, check us out on iTunes or use the RSS feed in your favorite podcast aggregator. Let us know what you think! Email podcast[at]snackbar-games.com.
Hosts: Jeff deSolla, Andrew Passafiume, Graham Russell, Henry Skey, Lucas White. Music: Podcast theme by Tom Casper.
Bionic Dues has exactly what I want in a roguelike: direction. Most feature the absolute least amount of story possible: go to the bottom of the dungeon, get a thing, come back up and try not to die. Bionic Dues, like FTL before it, put just a little bit more into the story, and wormed itself that much deeper into me because of it. The scenario crafted by Arcen Games is an interesting one, and it means that there is a push to see the conclusion to the evolving story as well as the push of “just one more mission.” READ MORE
There is no denying the cult status of the original Disgaea, and its lovable cast of characters is no small part of that legacy. Laharl, Etna and Flonne are names that will instantly paint a smile on any fan’s face. Some would even argue that the subsequent titles in the series never harnessed the same energy as the first.
So here we are, ten years later, with Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness, a direct sequel to the first game that takes great pride in bringing the old gang back to the forefront. It is an exciting (albeit predictable) move for the franchise, but I cannot help but wonder if NIS ever gave us a chance to really miss these characters in the first place. READ MORE
It seems Grand Theft Auto V is on most people’s minds these days, and for good reason. With any new GTA game, there are conversations about its importance in medium, some of the game’s more controversial scenes and, most importantly of all, the three protagonists. While GTA V isn’t the first game to introduce multiple protagonists, it is the first of its scale that split the story between the protagonists and allows you to switch between them at will.
Conceptually, it’s a neat trick, but it adds a whole new dynamic to a series that could have easily become stale. Most importantly of all, it shows how such a narrative can work, which leads me to believe it could have a place in other games as well.
