So, tonight I change things. The news archive page goes up and I'm fixing all those broken links. The content that's been waiting around forever? That's definately going up. Daily news updates resume tomorrow. You can count on at least one new article from yours truly by the end of this week. And for next week... heh, well, you'll just have to wait n' see.
-Zerekile

9.12.02- Return to Normalcy
So yeah, things are still kind of up-in-the-air. Geocities' generally craptastic performance contributed to the lack of recent updates (as did yesterday's events). Whenever someone finds the time and/or desire to update, the site's down.

Luckily, tonight isn't one of those times.

Currently, rumors abound regarding Rare's future. But something that might have gotten lost in the shuffle is little-known developer, Left Field. Creators of Excitebike 64, they've recently escaped Nintendo's clutches. While many months in the making, it's a notable move nonetheless.

It's not going to cripple Nintendo, or even significantly hurt them. But Gamecube owners who appreciate quality and innovation might mourn this loss more than any move Rare might make.
-Smorange

9.14.02- Exit Elessar, enter Zerekile
Looking back on things today, it seems weird that Reverse Engine, second version, has been running for little over five months. In these months, the orphans of the GIA have found a temporary home at first, then a place to stay, a place to witness the GIA's foster child struggle, and eventually it turned into a workshop out of which the idea of a site came, a fan-made videogames site which tries to do the things that other sites do wrong the right way. Although it is still, no need to explain, at the state of work in progress, I do have the hope that within a year it will have become much more.

As most of the moderators and REO (site) staffers know, I am going to be away from home for nearly half a year, starting October 1st, and this also means I'm going to be away from all games except my trusted little Cube, away from the Pc and away from the internet, as I don't think I'll have even time to breathe while I try to get my life back on track. Therefore, I have willingly kept my involvement with the site at a minimum, although it did cost me a great deal of control not to try and take over everything.

Eventually, I do have hopes I get the chance to give more to the site once I 'm back, and I am confident that zerekile, smorange, hanzo and the rest of you are going to build something worth reading, linking to, and contributing to. We have a living example of how not to run a site right before our eyes (gameforms), and a well managed professional site to browse to when we're not on REO (gamers.com). Maybe, we'll fill in the space in between, or maybe we're going to take over the internet and be known as Zerekile-san, Elly-sama, Smorange-kun etc.. in the centuries to come.

As for me, my only wish is to find Reverse Engine still standing when I come back. Zerekile is going to substitute me as a board admin as well, so please, everyone, support him in every way you can, and let's make REO a reason to be glad of the loss of the GIA.

Konnichiwa.
-Elessar

9.17.02- The days of yore
Every time we come to the prime gaming season, that magical time between September and January during which a literal avalanche of good (and not-so-good) titles are released, I get a bit nostalgic for the "good old days."

It has nothing to do with the quality of the upcoming games, or the style in which they're created/played. I like the newer games, and there's no denying that important improvements have been made in almost every aspect of the hobby. But, deep down, there's a little bit in my brain that screams "Mario Sunshine? Psh. Running about, collecting things in 3D... We didn't hold much truck with that kind of thing back in MY day. Now, Super Mario Brothers 2, THERE was a game, no mistake."

And almost every single time that happens, I tell that little bit to shut-up, and I return to my "Shine Get!"-ing. But, occasionally, I can't block that little voice out. And I end up powering down my GameCube and powering UP my NES, because no matter how far gaming stretches beyond its roots, that little bit of my brain is right. The Castlevania's, Ninja Gaiden's, Zelda's, Mega Man's and Mario's of then were, are, what gaming was all about.

They were ugly, and so difficult that a good controller bite'n'toss was sometimes in order, but they were also fun.

I'm not saying that older games are better than newer ones, or even that they're more fun. I am saying, amidst the virtual deluge of new and pretty and great games, don't forget about those special titles modern gaming is bulit upon. Because I'm willing to bet there's an awful lot of life left in your Mario 2 cart, and maybe even a few hours of the sort of simple, bite'n'toss fun that's tough to find these days.
-Zerekile

9.18.02- Obnoxious ads
What comes to mind when you think of an old videogame commercial? Here's what I envision:

It'll have little, if any, in-game footage. Usually the focus of the ad centers around someone or something only tangentially related to the game's subject matter. This isn't entirely false but, happily, things have changed.

Think of the latest movie ad you've seen. It's probably a trailer showing clips from the film, usually complimented by a narrator telling something about the movie. That's probably closer to the reality of today's videogame ads. Recent examples include Super Mario Sunshine and Kingdom Hearts.

Still, there are examples to the contrary. Namely, the latest Animal Crossing commercial. Sega also has a habit of running completely useless ads. Do execs think outrageous antics will help sell their games? If you're going to run an ad, at least show me what it's selling.
-Smorange

9.20.02- Finding their voice
The just-released Kingdom Hearts breaks new ground for Squaresoft. It's the first time past Final Fantasy characters have made a meaningful appearance in another game, other than the original in which they starred. It's also the first time many of these characters have voiced their dialogue.

Many people didn't think either would be a good idea. The Final Fantasy name is sacred and its traditions must be adhered to, or so the thinking goes. But after gamers get over the shock of hearing their favorite characters speaking their own lines, all in the same game, I think most will support Square's decision.

Speaking as a fan, it's incredibly odd to see characters from FF7 interacting with those from FF8. Likewise, it's equally strange hearing them speak to each other. It may be weird, but it's also indescribably satisfying. I hope no one avoids this game because of some silly Final Fantasy fanboyism. At least give it a try.
-Smorange

9.24.02- NES games, again
Nintendo released its E-Card Reader last week, a device that enables the company to distribute NES games on trading cards at minimal cost. Initial games include Tennis, Donkey Kong Jr, and Pinball.

It's an interesting idea to be sure. Using dirt-cheap media to reintroduce "classics" to a new generation -- good idea, right?

Interesting? Yes. Good? Eh... we'll see. Most NES games aren't exactly what you'd call fun, not by today's standards. Virtually every genre born on the NES has undergone massive change since the system reigned supreme. Most of those "classics" won't hold up to today's standards. But for the few that will, it's a neat idea. The question is: How many will?
-Smorange

9.25.02- Things I hate about you
Puzzles. Whenever this word shows its face in a review, I get weary -- except regarding puzzle games which belong to, ironically enough, one of my favorite genres. If the word is prefaced by adjectives like "ingenious" or "brilliant", I won't get completely scared. If, however, I see "devious" or "obscure", or anything in that vein, I know it's time to run far away.

99% of the time, puzzles are not fun. They're terribly frustrating ways to increase a game's play-time. Did anyone, anyone, actually enjoy those sphere puzzles in FFX? No? How about the timed levers in Tomb Raider?

So please, developers, can you stop inventing justifications for Gamefaqs' continued existence? Please?
-Smorange

9.26.02- Things I hate about you 2
Yesterday it was puzzles. Today it's artificial length in general.

Most RPGs top 30-40 hours. Many of them shouldn't. Occupying this space in the past have been rants deriding frustrating minigames, side quests, and yesterday, puzzles. Eliminate those -- along with random battles, the most obvious offender of good gameplay -- and the latest RPG gets much shorter. Is that such a bad thing?

When someone argues RPGs are fundamentally boring, we often scoff at the thought. However, it's hard to say, objectively, that dodging lightning bolts or encountering endless battles is enjoyable. But fans of the genre tolerate its less appealing aspects. Not everyone does, and the genre loses fans because of it.
-Smorange

We needed an archive and now we have one. Here you can check out any older entries from our "Daily Commentary" section.

You can find the month you want on the main archive page and then browse specific dates from there. Each page contains 5 days of DC-ey goodness (DC = Daily Commentary, but don't tell anyone).