Todd's columns have appeared in many publications such as GamePro, Electronic Gaming Monthly, PC Gamer, and Electronic Games. Todd is a founding member of GiN and speaks from an "old school" gamer's perspective. Embracing the notions of all classic gaming, game soundtracks, and the original "hardcore style," he also shuns the trends he feels are ruining the game industry, such as the embracement of 3D, the over-saturation of MMOs, and misleading game advertising.
I know we’ve all been through those games where a hero goes through a dungeon in search of treasure, only to have the most vile, insidious monsters lurking at every corner. But how many of us wanted to take on the other side? We all really wanted to be the most evil dungeon creator ever known, setting up the most hideous traps and recruiting the lowest of the low to patrol our dank, dark corridors. Bullfrog took this idea and ran with their original Dungeon Keeper, and now with the sequel, it looks like Bullfrog is still doing what it … Continue reading Dungeon Keeper 2 makes evil oh so good→
Almost five years ago, Looking Glass Technologies took the idea of the typical first person shooter, and implemented it into a futuristic role-playing style environment. The role-playing theme worked successfully in their past games Ultima Underworld I and II. And their futuristic version, System Shock, was just as successful. In fact, System Shock has been rated by certain publications as one of the greatest games of all time. It was almost inevitable for a sequel to arrive, and now that sequel is here. And just like its predecessor, it is something to remember. Taking place 30 years after the first … Continue reading System Shock 2→
Stop dreaming, It’s here. For a while, it seemed as though 9-9-99 was never going to arrive. For three months, I waited oh so impatiently for this magical day to arrive, because I knew that on that day I would be a proud owner of Sega’s new 128-bit Dreamcast system. Even test runs on imports and severe cases of insomnia during the final days didn’t hold me back. And on that great day of 9-9-99, I was the first person in line at my local Software Etc., ready to dedicate my life towards the new world that Dreamcast would offer. … Continue reading Dreamcast launches to fanfare, worthy titles→
I don’t understand why it seems that every N64 game is being translated over to the PC. While some I have seen some turn out to be pretty good [Turok 2 and Rogue Squadron] there are also those that turn out to be very bad. Two years ago, there was a little known racer for the Nintendo 64 called Top Gear Rally. Back then I considered it to be pretty average, and now in 1999, its PC sibling, now titled Boss Rally, is just as average. First of all, you will notice that the graphics are almost identical to that … Continue reading Boss Rally should have never left the N64→
Unless you’ve been living on another planet, I’m sure you know that the new Star Wars movie is out. Contrary to what those so-called critics said about it (face it, with the exception of Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert, critics hate science fiction), I found it to be a wonderful movie, and have already seen it multiple times. And while waiting for the new Star Wars Episode I games to be released, I spent most of my time working on the latest X-Wing game, X-Wing Alliance, and have been enjoying it for what it is. XWA takes place between The … Continue reading X-Wing Alliance is light years ahead of previous combat sims→
I can’t really recall my childhood really well, but I do remember playing with those little plastic soldiers. Now, while my method of play was pretty clean, some of my friends added a little bit of sadism to their soldiers: tying M-80s on their backs, frying them with a magnifying glass, you name it. Last year 3DO released a realtime strategy game called Army Men which incorporated these toy soldiers we all grew up with. While I never had the chance to play the original, I did get a chance to test out the sequel, Army Men II, which although … Continue reading Army Men II brings nostalgia, strategy to backyard.→
Japanese animation has always been an interest of mine, especially those giant robot combat series such as Macross. I was also a big Transformers fan, which I consider the closest the Americans can come to decent anime. I’ve always wanted to be able to play a game that allowed me to control a giant transforming robot just like in the greatest anime. Monolith’s anime shooter Shogo gave me the chance to do so. Shogo centers around Sanjuro Makabe, a Mobile Command Armor (MCA) pilot in the UCA Security Force, involved in a war against a terrorist organization led by a … Continue reading Shogo Mobile Armor Division brings anime excitement to PC→
When I first started college, I was exposed to a game that was unlike any other; a game that took the concept of playing a world leader and enhanced it deeply. It was also a game that was responsible for me spending many sleepless hours just trying to conquer one more city. That game was Sid Meier’s Civilization, considered by many as the greatest game of all time. That was, until Civilization 2 came out in 1995. With an easier to operate interface and a multimedia facelift, Civ 2 resurrected all those factors that I loved about the original Civilization. … Continue reading Alpha Centauri is A+ all the way→
Before I get started on my perspective on the Wing Commander movie, I want it to be perfectly clear that I am NOT a film critic. To me, film critics are snobby, art-loving individuals who get hot over Victorian-era, tear-jerking, sleep-inducing, adultery-supporting (i.e. Bridges of Madison County) flicks that no real moviegoer of my caliber would ever see. Just watching the Shakespeare movie beat Saving Private Ryan this weekend for best picture is a prime example of the problem. If you want to see a review from a movie critic, check out the gushing reviews for Shakespeare in Love. If … Continue reading Wing Commander movie is not for series purists→
Valve Software’s Half-Life has been hyped for the past three years, claiming that it has the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) found on any first person shooter. It was supposed to be the AI that would surpass Half-Life form its competition. Fortunately, I am able to say that as far as the main game goes, that hype is proven to be true, as the final release provides the most challenging, involving single player action there is to offer. Half-Life, published by Sierra, centers on Gordon Freeman, doctor of Nanotechnology and Charlie Sheen look-a-like. What appears to start off as a … Continue reading Half-life aims to kill other first person shooters→
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