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Stiq Figures, November 26 - December 2: ATV Offroad edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. ATV Offroad Fury doesn't feel like an old game, even though it launched in 2001 for PS2. When taking one look at the game's official website, its age certainly shows.Of all the old websites for games we've looked at on Stiq Figures, this one certainly stands out. Not only is it complete with a rather awful flash game, but it also allows viewers to get a 360 degree panoramic view of a few of the game's tracks. Arguably the best (read: worst) part is the site's ATV builder section, which features two tire types: a large set "for the adventurer" and a small set "for wussies." These web designers weren't messing around, apparently.
Stiq Figures, November 19 - 25: Madden 2000 edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. One thing floating around the web this week was a wonderful reminder of the intro to Madden NFL 2000, the hard-hitting EA Sports football game that had more of a chip on its shoulder than Madden games seem to have today.With the constant concerns for player safety in the NFL, it's hard to imagine EA Sports glorifying some of the big hits seen in this intro video today. But if Ludacris took Ray Lewis' spot in the intro video to Madden NFL 13, we're not sure there would be many complaints.
Stiq Figures, November 12 - 18: Game Gear edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. This commercial for Sega's 1991 handheld system, the Game Gear, features actor Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl) playing a Game Boy with a total lack of enthusiasm. The message in the commercial is pretty clear: Game Boy + dead squirrel = Game Gear.There are six AA batteries somewhere in that equation for the Game Gear, not that battery life has been a great aspect of Nintendo's more recent portable efforts.
Stiq Figures, November 5 - 11: Paperboy edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. This week, we look up briefly from our new Wii U systems to watch this commercial for the 1988 Mindscape-published NES version of Paperboy. With rolling tires, erratic lawnmowers and carefree skateboarders on the loose, Paperboy is seen doing what he does best in this ad: avoiding obstacles and breaking the windows of any house in the neighborhood that he can.These live-action classic gaming commercials never get old to us, especially when they end with a faux-disclaimer that encourages players to "try this at home."
Stiq Figures, October 29 - November 4: Spider The Video Game edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. When your video game has a spider holding a gun and a knife on the cover, you know it should be a sure-fire masterpiece. That turned out to be half-true for Boss Game Studios' 1997 PlayStation game, Spider: The Video Game.The game's description, at least according to the above intro video, is certainly part of the masterpiece side of the game: "The mind of a genius. The body of a spider. A mortally wounded scientist accidentally implants his consciousness in a nano-tech marvel – a cybernetic spider. Now shrunk to the size of a bug you must fight to stay alive."While its platforming and general gameplay elements certainly didn't get prettier with age, Spider: The Video Game should at least remind us that firing missiles as as creepy critter should happen much more than it does in gaming.
Stiq Figures, October 22 - 28: Po-clone-mon edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Pokemon is typically known for its shiny, polished nature. Fans contemplate the many ways the series hasn't changed, and even what a Pokemon MMO would be like (oh, to dream). There is also a dark side of Pokemon to consider, and not exactly the type that PETA likes to take up on occasion.This take on the series from Nightmare Mode addresses the cultural implications of the series from its inception, from the economy of the Kanto region to the segregation of people and Pokemon in the first games that appeared on Game Boy. The article also briefly discusses The Silph Company's monopoly and the controversial topic of cloning in relation to Mew, Mewtwo and the famous MissingNo glitch.The Nightmare Mode piece is worth the read, especially for those that already miss Halloween and love kind of creepy things.
Stiq Figures, October 15 - 21: Immortality edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. This week, we're looking back at a rad 1991 TV commercial for the legendary add-on device, the Game Genie. This "pass-through" style cartridge allowed players the chance to input cheat codes for their favorite games on a number of consoles.The ad above focused on the NES version of the Game Genie while paying homage to the comedic duo Bill and Ted. What stood out wasn't just the exploding television, but the use of "live forever" as a selling point for the peripheral. The phrase popped up in other Game Genie commercials, and clearly referred to the common cheat code players could plug in to nearly any game, unlimited lives.The prospect of immortality in video games was strong enough for players to buy the device, and for Sega to stamp its seal of approval on it. Apparently, the Game Genie is still immortal, as it was resurrected by Hyperkin this year for PS3.
Stiq Figures, October 8 - 14: Ape Escape edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Last week on Stiq Figures, we paged through the official Final Fantasy VIII website. Taking a nostalgic ride through a tiny Flash site was so fun that we visited another one this week: the official site for Sony's PS1 classic, Ape Escape.Ape Escape, which released in June 1999, was considered innovative in its use of Sony's DualShock controller, as players moved a boy named Spike while swinging a net to capture monkeys by using both analog sticks on the controller.Naturally, the game's official site drove the point home, as the Flash-based webpage included an image of a DualShock controller for viewers to use for navigation. The still-active site also contains two mini-games for players to toy with, one of which is seen above. Now, bask in the collective cringes from web designers across the globe.
Stiq Figures, October 1 - 7: Final Fantasy VIII edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Final Fantasy VIII isn't exactly an obscure game. As my personal favorite of the franchise, Squaresoft's (now Square Enix's) 1999 PlayStation entry in the series maintains the sci-fi stylings of the arguably more popular Final Fantasy VII while improving CG techniques to make it prettier. The game is also four discs long, which still kind of amazes me.A few interesting facts about the game can be found on its still-operating official site. Namely, a Nazi-styled uniform was removed when the game was localized to European territories, and it cost 3 billion yen to develop. The site still has "coming soon" labels for its strategy guide and hints sections, but we wouldn't hold our breath on that ever coming to life.
Stiq Figures, September 24 - 30: Colossal edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. For a game that's just turning seven years old, Team ICO's Shadow of the Colossus has quite the legacy in gaming. A game with the level of commonly accepted importance in the medium such as Shadow of the Colossus tends to receive its share of tributes.The above tribute artwork is one of 18 from a collection by artist James Gilleard, and can be seen at OhNo!Doom's "Belligerent & Numerous" art gallery in Chicago. The gallery is open for public viewing until November 3.For those that can't make the trip to Illinois in the next month, the rest of the images can be seen on Gilleard's blog and on Venus Patrol.
Stiq Figures, September 17 - 23: Funky Kong edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. A majority of gamers are familiar with Donkey Kong, one of Nintendo's core video game characters. The words Donkey Kong Country will likely remind players of their time with the classic SNES game. Unless they live in France, in which case it could also bring back memories of a 1996 French television show that featured CG-animated characters from the games interacting with real-life actors.This clip from the show demonstrates just how well apes can sing, dance and generally rock. The show was originally called "La planète Donkey Kong" (translated as "The Planet of Donkey Kong"), and was televised in a variety of regions, including the US. Still, it didn't quite reach the level of popularity that it received in France, its country of origin.
Stiq Figures, September 10 - 16: Super Spike edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. With the release of Double Dragon Neon this month, we're looking at one game that the fighting duo Billy and Jimmy have cameoed in, Super Spike V'Ball for the NES. This high-powered volleyball game has always been a favorite of mine, and was one of the few sports games for the system in which I managed to beat the campaign mode on multiple occasions while using the Double Dragon heroes.I also beat the game without the use of any Game Genie-type devices, which enabled the use of debug codes for now-retro games. Had I known that four unused teams were laying dormant in Super Spike V'Ball's code, I might have reconsidered my use of a Game Genie device to unlock them in the game. The fact that the second team of ladies hidden in the game have rad mullets turns this piece of missing content into a travesty.
Stiq Figures, September 3 - 9: WWF WrestleMania edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Last weekend, I celebrated my older brother's wedding. During the rehearsal dinner, he gave me a few gifts for being his best man, one gift being a copy of WWF WrestleMania for NES. Complete with the original box, manual, and poster of the game, we immediately reminisced about the notoriously bad (yet so, so great) wrestling game and its impact on our childhood.Game manuals from the late 80s tend to be loaded with gems, such as WWF WrestleMania's detailed instructions on how to turn the system on, including step three: "You'll first see an awesome picture of the explosive Hulk Hogan and he's ready to take on any challenger (Especially if it's you!)."I'm not sure anything beats the profile of Andre the Giant in the manual, though, which reads, "He wears a size 22 boot. And in addition to having very big feet, he accomplished very big feats. Like his claim that he's never been defeated."
Stiq Figures, August 27 - September 2: Tabletop gaming edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Video games thrive as masters of the digital realm, but there was a time when asking a friend, "Do you want to play a game?" meant meeting that person somewhere, sitting down together, sharing a pizza and staring at a tabletop all night. There was also a time when that question meant Jigsaw was right behind you, but this particular fear has long since passed.Tabletop gaming has existed in some form since at least 3500 BC, when the first board game, Senet, was documented in Predynastic Egypt. Even in the modern era of blockbuster digital entertainment, tabletop gaming is alive and well. Wil Wheaton, professional nerd extraordinaire, highlights the diversity and entertainment of the craft in Geek & Sundry's TableTop online series, alongside notable names in gaming and geek culture.Now we learn Terry Cavanagh, developer of Super Hexagon, has two board games under his belt, and earlier this year our very own Mike Schramm rekindled his love for the tabletop in the form of a card game he created when he was 16.Game on, tabletoppers.
Stiq Figures, August 20 - 26: Poke-nightmare edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. We'd wager that fans of the Pokemon series would hate to see these creatures jumping out of the tall grass at night. Unless they also happen to be huge Tim Burton fans, of course. These excellent Pokemon illustrations are the work of Vaughn Pinpin, a student at The UP College of Fine Arts, and take inspiration from Burton's twisted style.These redesigned first-generation starter Pokemon seem to get progressively creepier as they evolve. While some don't stray far from their original designs, such as Caterpie, others begin to look like demented characters from Ratatouille (see: Raticate). Even more character illustrations can be found on Pinpin's Tumblr, which notes plans to complete the first 151 creatures.Now if only we could get these redesigns in an actual Pokemon-styled game called The Nightmare Before Johto. Who wouldn't play that?
Stiq Figures, August 13 - 19: SkiFree edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. SkiFree is one of those games that I felt completely hopeless while playing. No matter how well I navigated around rocks and trees, the speedy yeti-like monster would always catch my skier, gobbling his entire body in one gulp.Released in 1991 by developer Chris Pirih, SkiFree would eventually be included in the Best of Windows Entertainment Pack alongside games like JezzBall and Chip's Challenge. According to Pirih's official site for the game, he began work on a second version in 1993 that would later be abandoned. SkiFree 2.0 was slated to include multiplayer, robot opponents, network play and enhanced physics.Thanks to DeviantArt user Omny87, who recently crafted a more terrifying version of the monster, I'm definitely never going skiing again. And yes, I anticipate that every comment on this post will start with "Press 'F' to go faster." I wouldn't have it any other way.
Stiq Figures, August 6 - 12: Ridiculously intense edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. It's "ridiculous game trailer week" on this week's Stiq Figures, and there's no better trailer to watch than one recently released for RAWR Interactive's new game, Count to a Billion.Debuting on iOS last week, Count to a Billion gives players 90 seconds to score billions of points using all of their fingers. If its $1 price isn't enticing enough, the power thirst-styled trailer above might do the trick. The thought of all those delicious points was enough for us to give it a look.
Stiq Figures, July 16 - 22: Pepsiman edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. It's "hilariously terrible gameplay video week" on this week's Stiq Figures. While some folks find product placement offensive, Pepsiman would tell those people, "Relax, and drink this Pepsi I just picked up while running through the neighborhood."Released in Japan in 1999 for PlayStation, Pepsiman is an "on-rails running game" featuring the soft drink company's former mascot. Check out the gameplay video above while quietly drinking a two-liter bottle of Pepsi. Caffeine is a hell of a drug, friends.
Stiq Figures, July 9 - 15: Carmen Sandiego edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Keeping in line with yesterday's Webcomic Wrapup theme of kleptomania, we're looking back at one of gaming's greatest thieves: Carmen Sandiego. The mysterious and crafty lady in red first appeared on Apple II computers in 1985 as the main villain of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? by Broderbund Software.Broderbund kept its hit educational series going through 2001, though it saw a series of tumultuous corporate changes in the mid-90's, when the company pulled out of a merger agreement with Electronic Arts in 1994. In June 1998, Broderbund was acquired by The Learning Company (ironically, the same company Broderbund attempted to purchase three years earlier). The Learning Company proceeded to lay off 500 Broderbund employees before being purchased by Mattel. The Learning Company's entertainment holdings, which included the Carmen Sandiego and Myst series of games, would go through a few hands before landing with Ubisoft.Carmen Sandiego solidified her place as one of gaming's greatest thieves early on. In the 1989 title Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?, Sandiego's henchmen are responsible for the theft of Napoleon's hat and Paul Revere's horse. The games even spurred on a series of educational TV game shows (seen in the video above). In fact, a movie adaptation of the educational series was announced in late June 2012.
Stiq Figures, July 2 - 8: Sega history lesson edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.By now, Nintendo's origin as a playing card company in late 1800s Japan is a major bullet point on gaming history's "Interesting Things" list, but lesser known are Sega's humble origins. In 1940, a company called Service Games (see where we're going with this?) began operations in Honolulu, Hawaii and in 1951 relocated to Tokyo to get into the jukebox and slot machine manufacturing business.Then, in 1954, an American Air Force officer named David Rosen founded a company in Tokyo that would eventually evolve into Rosen Enterprises, which focused on photo booth production and importing coin-operated games into Japan. Rosen Enterprises' success lead it to own 200-plus arcades in Japan.Rosen himself, recognizing a still-thriving Service Games as his only real competition, arranged a merger of the two corporations with himself as the new company's chief executive officer. That company's name, of course, was SEGA, a pseudo portmanteau of "service" and "games." Sega's focus shifted from importing to production, with its first title being a submarine game called Periscope. As it happens, Periscope was the first arcade game to ever cost 25 cents per play.
