The Upper Memory Block (Joe Mastroianni)

It's episode 86 where I focus on the 1994 Maxis construction management sim, SimTower.

As always we read a bunch of emails and dive deep into genre, gameplay, tech focus and dev story before hearing if I think this unique game holds up today.

Sadly there's no legal place to buy SimTower aside from finding a used CD.

Next time, I'll be touching on the 1994 Bullfrog 3D shooter, Magic Carpet.

It's the news! This time I'm switching up the format a bit and we'll have a bit of a casual chat about things that have happened since the last news ep, up to and including E3!

Here are the stories covered:

Broken Age Act 2:
http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/28573

GOG's Galaxy client is making good progress:
http://www.pcgamer.com/gogs-galaxy-client-is-making-good-progress/

HANDS ON: OCULUS RIFT CONSUMER MODEL:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/vr-headset-reviews/oculus-rift-hands-on/

Hulu Lands ‘Myst’ Drama From Legendary TV & Matt Tolmach Based On Video Game:
http://deadline.com/2015/05/myst-tv-series-video-game-hulu-legendary-matt-tolmach-1201421271/

STAR TREK PREMIERES ON GOG.COM
https://www.gog.com/news/star_trek_premieres_on_gogcom

Hero-U Fantasy Adventure Role-Playing Game:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/transolargames/hero-u-adventure-role-playing-game

Master of Orion reboot coming from the team behind World of Tanks:
http://www.polygon.com/2015/6/9/8746959/master-of-orion-reboot-coming-from-the-team-behind-world-of-tanks

XCOM 2 details emerge, and it's bad news for humanity:
http://www.pcgamer.com/xcom-2-details-emerge-and-its-bad-news-for-humanity/

Fallout 4:
http://www.fallout4.com/

Fallout Shelter:
http://toucharcade.com/2015/06/19/toucharcade-game-of-the-week-fallout-shelter/

New King's Quest is out Next Month:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-16-the-first-chapter-of-the-new-kings-quest-is-out-next-month

After the news, we hear from Brian about his experiences with Mod music and the Demoscene.

Jaime sent in a great segment for us talking about the Demoscene, here are the links to what he discusses

kenny chow (cc catch from renaissance) one must fall 2097 music remake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvlVaQl7kEk

second reality by future crew:
http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=63
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Reality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFv7mHTf0nA

fr-08 the product:
http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=1221

kkreiger:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.kkrieger
http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=12036
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NBG-sKFaB0

8088mph runs on ibm cga 4.77mhz
http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=65371
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHXx3orN35Y

Hi Blockers!

This week, we're talking about the incredible space sim series, X-Wing.

Before we talk about that, the news:

The team that brought us the original Planetscape: Torment are kicksarting a new game, Torment: Tides of Numenera.

Lord British told us what he meant to. Check out his new game on kickstarter, Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues.

Finally, the developers working on the new Shadowrun Returns game, which raised 18 million dollars last year, released 20 minute of alpha gameplay footage. Looks like they're on track.

Next, a quick email talking about Humungous games and where you can get them today.

Finaly we get to X-Wing. We talk about the story, gameplay and tech focus. In dev story, we go through the history of the series and a bit about each of the sequels. Then we hear a few listener memories of the games.

Buy X-Wing on eBay

Buy X-Wing on Amazon

Next time, not only is it the podcast's 1 year anniversary, but we will also be discussing the awesome Fallout series!

Enjoy!

Stream the show live:
[audio src="http://umbcast.com/podcast/025-UMBCast-X-Wing.mp3"]

Direct download:
http://umbcast.com/podcast/025-UMBCast-X-Wing.mp3

We've got a special one for episode 106 in which second time guest-host Father Beast takes us on a tour of the 1994 business and management simulator, Transport Tycoon.
Links

Reunion (1994) Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk_L8BL0r48

Play Transport Tycoon in your browser
https://www.playdosgames.com/online/transport-tycoon/

Play Transport Tycoon Deluxe in your browser
https://classicreload.com/transport-tycoon-deluxe.html

Screenshots from Chris Sawyer's Transport game. (And a video of Chris Sawyer playing it!)
http://www.transporttycoon.com/transportgame

TTD Patch site
http://www.ttdpatch.net/

Buy Chris Sawyer's Locomotion on Steam
http://store.steampowered.com/app/356430/Chris_Sawyers_Locomotion/

Buy Chris Sawyer's Locomotion on GOG.com
https://www.gog.com/game/chris_sawyers_locomotion

Open TTD
https://www.openttd.org/en/

Star Control: Origins Pre-order on Steam
http://store.steampowered.com/app/271260/Star_Control_Origins/

Star Control 1+2 on Steam (Renamed Star Control: The Ur-Quan Masters
http://store.steampowered.com/app/358920/Star_Control_The_UrQuan_Masters/

Star Control 3 on Steam (Renamed Star Control: Kessari Quadrant)
http://store.steampowered.com/app/358930/Star_Control_Kessari_Quadrant/

Ghosts Of The Precusors Early Website
https://dogarandkazon.squarespace.com/

Ur-Quan Masters HD
https://sourceforge.net/projects/urquanmastershd/

Remnants Of The Precursors (Master Of Orion 1 Fan Remake)
https://remnantsoftheprecursors.com/

Next Episode

Next time, we will be covering the 1997 Jordan Mechner adventure, The Last Express.

Thanks and enjoy!

In episode 111, we hit our first fighting game, 1994's One Must Fall 2097 by Diversions Entertainment.

Links:

My video research sessions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ-OBT0PYE0&list=PL2whCuUnKwYBNDRCGWvJzjmVSIg0Ij8Tk

One Must Fall 2097 on archive.org:
https://archive.org/details/OneMustFall2097

One Must Fall 1.0 (Demo) on archive.org:
https://archive.org/details/msdos_MUSTFALL_shareware

Tomer's interview with Rob Elam on Mobygames:
Part 1 http://www.mobygames.com/featured_article/feature,8/
Part 2 http://www.mobygames.com/featured_article/feature,8/section,31/

Next Episode:

Next time, we'll be covering the 1991 Dynamix adventure, Heart of China.

In episode 107, we cover a unique adventure game by Jordan Mechner, 1997's The Last Express.

Links:

Get The Last Express on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/game/last_express_the

Get The Last Express Gold on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/252710/The_Last_Express_Gold_Edition/

Get The Last Express on iOS:
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/the-last-express/id508049561?mt=8

Get The Last Express on Android:
https://www.amazon.com/DotEmu-The-Last-Express/dp/B00FVZKMJI

Next Episode:

Next time, we'll be covering the Sierra edutainment classics in the Dr. Brain series.

It's time for episode 55, an "extended memory" episode. In these extended memory shows, I break format to do something a little bit different.

In light of the recent news of Activision reviving the Sierra brand, I decided to dedicate and entire show to your thoughts, my thoughts and the history of Sierra in relation to this potentially game-changing news.

I also got an email informing me of an "in development" fan remake of King's Quest 4: The Perils of Rosella. You can find more info on it here:

http://unicorntales.org/kq4-perilsofrosella-remake/

We'll get back on track with the "regularly scheduled" UMBCast on Indianapolis 500: The Simulation next week.

Welcome to episode 114, where I dive into the prolific Access Software golf sim series, Links.

Links:

My video research sessions:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2whCuUnKwYBC6SHvfn6c5yf0RTk9z9s1

French PC game magazine archive:

https://www.abandonware-magazines.org/index.php

Buy Links online:

https://www.linkscountryclub.com/

Here's episode 38 where I delve deep into the 1989 Access Software adventure series, Tex Murphy.

Before that though, the news:

Transport Tycoon for iOS is out!

The new Thief game is available for pre-order unlocking Feb 25, 2014.

The state of SimCity.

Rand Miller and Cyan Worlds are getting together for a "large project".

A new version of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is being developed by Jane Jensen for its 20th anniversary.

We then read some emails and get into the main topic, Tex Murphy.

Buy Tex Murphy 1 & 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/tex_murphy_1_2?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Under a Killing Moon on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/tex_murphy_under_a_killing_moon?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy The Pandora Directive on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/tex_murphy_the_pandora_directive?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Overseer on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/tex_murphy_overseer?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Next time, I'll be covering the 1989 Bullfrog god game, Populous.

For this show, something a bit different. I'm away so won't have time to put out a proper show. Instead, I'll be bookending a Treks in Sci Fi show I did back in September of 2012 where I talk about the great Interplay games Star Trek: 25th Anniversary and Star Trek: Judgement Rites.

Still though, there's some news:

Tim Schafer has stated that the second part of Broken Age has funded and can now begin development.

Next, it appears that Descent 1 & 2 are now available on Steam.

We then get into the TrekSF episode. It's slightly truncated from the original which ca be found here:

http://treksinscifi.com/podcast_notes/?p=2564

Next time, I'll be covering the 1994 Revolution Software adventure, Beneath a Steel Sky.

Hope you enjoy the show!

It's episode 39 where I will be discussing the iconic 1989 Bullfrog god game, Populous.

But first a little bit of news:

Last time we talked about Rand Miller and Cyan getting back together fr a project. Well, it's out and it's called Obduction. It is a spiritual sucessor to Myst and Riven.

Next, in Thief news, The Dark Mod, a Thief mod for Doom 3 has released it's second version. Dark Mod 2.0 is now standalone and does not require any resources from Doom 3.

We then get to the main topic, the Populous series. We cover all the usual suspects and also read an email from Paul where he talks about building his own version of Populous during Lionhead's Creative Day in 2011.

Buy Populous on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/populous?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Populous 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/populous_2?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Populous: The Beginning on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/populous_the_beginning?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Next time I'll be covering the 1995 LucasArts FPS, Dark Forces.

Here is the long awaited episode 104 in which I dive deep into the 1986 strategy/action game, Defender of the Crown from Cinemaware.

Links:

Jim Cuomo's Amiga and gameplay CD music (authorized hosting from Tomer):
http://www.tomergabel.com/DefenderOfTheCrownMusic.aspx

Buy Defender of the Crown on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/game/defender_of_the_crown?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Next Episode:

Next time, we'll be discussing the 1992 Blizzard puzzle/platformer, The Lost Vikings.

This week, we're covering the 1990 LucasArts adventure, The Secret of Monkey Island and its sequels.

I got my hands on Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards: Reloaded. I played an hour or two and so for, I'm luke warm on the game. A more complete review will come later on.

Two items of Steam news:

Firstly, the Steam Summer Sale is on! Lots of old games here to be had.

Secondly, I have created a steam group for the show, join up!

The winner of the retro game music bundle contest announced! I hope Jeffery enjoys his bundle.

Then we get to the main topic, the Monkey Island series. We go through the story, gameplay, tech specs and history for the entire series up to today.

Buy The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/32360

Buy Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge Special Edition on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/32460

Buy Tales of Monkey Island on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/tales_of_monkey_island

Buy Tales on Monkey Island on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/31170

Next week, we'll be covering the great space sim series, Descent Freespace.

Time for episode 112, in which we explore the mysterious world of 1930's Hong Kong in the 1991 Dynamix adventure, Heart of China.

Links:

My video research sessions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKLSnBxpjNM&list=PL2whCuUnKwYC1gOgCR6N229FHnVpkI5MZ

Buy Heart of China on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/game/heart_of_china?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Next Episode:

Next time, we jump forward to 1998 with the Unreal series from Epic games.

It's time for episode 75 where I discuss the 1998 Lucasarts strategy game, Star Wars: Rebellion.

First, I've been off so I've been playing games and watching TV so I talk about that a bit.

Check out the interesting little programming puzzle game TIS-100:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/370360/

Also I quickly discuss the AMC series Halt and Catch Fire:
http://www.amc.com/shows/halt-and-catch-fire

We then get to Rebellion, where we discuss the story, tons about the gameplay, tech focus, dev story, some emails and voicemails and of course my opinion as to whether or not it holds up.

Buy Rebellion on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/star_wars_rebellion?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Next time, I'll be covering the 1989 Microprose military simulation, M1 Tank Platoon.

Enjoy!

A little late, but here I am with episode 14! This time around we chat about the great paranormal mystery adventure game series, Gabriel Knight.

As usual though, the news:

Project Eternity is a kickstarter RPG made in the vein of late 90's PC RPG's like Icewind Dale and Planetscape: Torment. If you like that style of game, check it out!

Sword of Fargoal 2 is an attempt (again on kickstarter) to bring back the Sword of Fargoal roguelike dungeon crawler from the Commodore 64. Again, if this type of game is your bag, give it a look!

Finally, in Steam news, the demo for the new X-COM: Enemy Unknown game is available for download. The full game is due to release on October 9th, 2012.

We then have two great listener emails where we go back and chat a bit about Command & Conquer.

Now, on to our main topic for the week, Sierra's Gabriel Knight series. I go into great detail about the first game, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. We talk story, gameplay, tech focus and the rest. In dev story I go into the rest of the games in the series as well.

I end off with a live performance of some soundtrack music from the first game.

You can get all three GK games on GoG.com:

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery

Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned

Next time, we check out an interesting 1993 tactical strategy series, Syndicate. Hope to see you then!

Heya Blockers!

It's time for episode 51! This time around I'm changing things up a bit and covering a new game, Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure which came out back on May 7th, 2014.

In the news:

More accusations in the Zenimax/Oculus VR lawsuit.

Levar Burton has launched a kickstarter to bring Reading Rainbow to the web.

We then get to the main topic, Tesla Effect. Despite this being a new game, we cover some Tex history and then talk gameplay, tech stuff, dev story read some emails and give the final verdict.

Buy Tesla Effect on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/tesla_effect_a_tex_murphy_adventure?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy the soundtrack:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tex-murphy-tesla-effect-soundtrack/id854785997

For more Tex Murphy info, check out UMBCast 038

Next time, I'll be hitting some Star Wars with Rebel Assault.

It's time for episode 59, covering the 1989 Sierra Adventure series, the Laura Bow Mysteries.

Since we hit the 50 dollar/episode Patreon goal, the news has been moved into its own show, so look for the news rollup in the next few weeks!

We read some emails where we chat about two gaming related podcasts, Three Moves Ahead and Blue Cup Tools.

We then get to the main event, the Laura Bow Mysteries. We discuss both The Colonel's Bequest and The Dagger of Amon Ra. All the usual topics are covered, including some more emails from you!

YouTube play session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yxIdmVfQG8

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be covering the 1985 Micoprose sub simulation, Silent Service.

Enjoy!

Here's episode 83 where I delve into the world of the 1930's with Indiana Jones. I touch on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Adventure Game and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.

Indiana Jones and the Seven Cities of Gold fan game:
http://binarylegends.cbm8bit.com/

Buy Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/32310/

Buy Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/6010/
On GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/indiana_jones_and_the_fate_of_atlantis?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/indiana_jones_and_the_emperors_tomb?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

YouTube playthroughs:
Last Crusade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xNHzeAod1g
Fate of Atlantis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7mZ6KTbwvw&index=1&list=PL2whCuUnKwYD_yBXcPZ3gxGszdnA3ph3o
Ending music and bumper from Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - Orchestral Cover Album

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/indiana-jones-fate-atlantis/id677440416

Next time, I'll be covering the 1995 Maxis building simulator (literally!), SimTower.

Hello Blockers!

Episode 3 is here! The big discussion topic this week is Maxis' groundbreaking game series, SimCity. Before we get into that I talk a little bit about my half-marathon training and my resultant sore legs. Then on to a bit of news, I revisit the Larry Kickstarter which has now reached its funding goal, give you guys some details about finding the podcast on Stitcher Radio and finally cover what's going on with my DOS gaming box build.

Then we get to our main topic, SimCity! We discuss the genre and the history of both the original game and SimCity 2000. We then do a quick review of SC2000, listen to my very first voicemail and much more! I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for downloading and stay tuned for the next show where we'll talk about the great strategy game, X-Com: UFO Defense.

Here it is! My long overdue return from "parental leave" and episode 100 of the podcast! This time around I celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek with the 1995 Spectrum Holobyte adventure, Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity. Find CD copies of the game via this eBay search. A Final Unity research on YouTube: https://youtu.be/h30smq8aX0c Support the show on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/umbcast Next time, we'll be flying again with F-19 Stealth Fighter and F-117A Stealth Fighter 2.0.

Here's episode 77 where I dive deep into the 1998 BioWare RPG, Baldur's Gate.

We get into the details of not only the history of the game, but also the creation of the Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting that hosts it. This is a big one!

Buy the original Baldur's gate on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/baldurs_gate_the_original_saga?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy the original Baldur's gate 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/baldurs_gate_2_complete?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition...
on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/baldurs_gate_enhanced_edition?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/228280/

Buy Baldur's Gate 2 Enhanced Edition...
on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/baldurs_gate_2_enhanced_edition?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/257350/

Next time, we're moving into 2015 with coverage of the new King's Quest developed by The Odd Gentlemen and published by the revivied Sierra!

Enjoy!

The time has come for episode 16 where I cover the great 1990 game series from Toys for Bob, Star Control.

Before I even get to the news, a small program note: From now on, the show will be releasing on Sundays instead of Thursday as it has been in the past.

Housekeeping aside, news time!

Hero-U, the new game project from Lori and Corey Cole, creators of Quest for Glory now has an active kickstarter! If you want to give to this project, go check out their page.

Big news over at GoG.com, they have released over 50 games with native mac support! OSX-ers rejoice! The developer of Boxer, who is working with them also posted a great article talking details of his work.

Finally, SimCity 5 now has a release date!

After an email, we get to the main topic, the great Star Control series. I cover all the usual suspects for the first two games in the set. We end off with an email and a cool look into the lego community with a set of Star Control ships competing to be made into a real licensed lego set! If you want to see these happen put in your vote.

Buy Star Control on GoG: http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/star_control_1_2/

Get the open source Ur-Quan Masters: http://sc2.sourceforge.net/

Check out Project 6014: http://code.google.com/p/project6014/

Welcome to episode 68 where I discuss the 1998 Lucasarts adventure game, Grim Fandango.

We go through some emails, then get into the nitty gritty in the land of the dead.

If you like Grim Fandago, you might also enjoy a game called The Cheap Detective (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cheap_Detective).

For great Grim Fandango and other retro gaming art, clothing and jewellery, check out Maya Pixelskaya (http://shop.mayapixelskaya.com/)

Buy Grim Fandango on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/grim_fandango_remastered?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Grim Fandango on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/316790/

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be covering the 1998 Stainless Software game, Carmageddeon.

Enjoy!

Welcome to episode 69 where we discuss the 1997 Stainless Games car combat sim, Carmageddon.

We chat about all the regular stuff including genre, setting, gameplay, tech focus and dev story. We also focus a bit on the controversy surrounding the game and her a bunch of great listener emails and voicemails.

Troels, Akago, Ben Chandler and myself play multiplayer very poorly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEKfv8RGWmI

I mess around with the Carmageddon sound folder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8854VJCZ5nE

Buy Carmageddon on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/carmageddon_max_pack?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

or Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/282010/

Buy Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now! on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/carmageddon_2_carpocalypse_now?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

or Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/282030/

Buy Carmageddon TDR 2000 on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/331650/

Buy Carmageddon Reincarnation on Steam Early Access:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/249380/

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, we'll cover the news, after that we'll hit the 1996 Activision FMV adventure, Spycraft.

Enjoy!

Here's big episode 89 wherein I discuss the primordial Lucasfilm Games adventure game, Maniac Mansion!

Play Maniac Mansion in DOTT Remastered:
https://www.gog.com/game/day_of_the_tentacle_remastered?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Play Maniac Mansion on archive.org:
https://archive.org/details/msdos_Maniac_Mansion_1987

Maniac Mansion Deluxe (free enhanced fan game):
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/401/

The Expurgation of Maniac Mansion for the Nintendo Entertainment System:
http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/maniac.html

Next time, we'll have the second part in this series with Day of the Tentacle!

Here is episode 58, where I'll be covering the 1986 Binary Systems space exploration game, Starflight.

But first, some news:

Blizzard added assets from Warcraft 3 to the Blizzard Launcher.

Gabriel Knight 20th Anniversary Edition is out and ready for purchase!

Check out indie game The Fall

Then, we get to the Starflight series. We discuss the two games in the usual manner.

YouTube playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2whCuUnKwYDRTF6Na5JfImdAC7KtZB3E

Buy Starflight 1 & 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/starflight_1_2?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Support the show via Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, we'll be discussing some Sierra adventures with the Laura Bow series.

Enjoy!

Welcome to episode 91 wherein I continue my journey through the so-called "Maniac Mansion series" with the sequel, 1993's Day of the Tentacle.

A ton of email and voicemail this week makes for an extra long show, thanks to all for their participation!

Buy Day of the Tentacle Remastered on GOG:
https://www.gog.com/game/day_of_the_tentacle_remastered?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Day of the Tentacle Remastered on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/388210/

Check out Thimbleweed Park:
https://thimbleweedpark.com/

and especially their amazing development blog:
https://blog.thimbleweedpark.com/

and their weekly standup meeting podcast:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thimbleweed-park/id1076754899?mt=2

Next time, we'll be doing an Extended Memory episode on a newer game, the recently released DOOM (2016).

Welcome to episode 57, where I'll be discussing the 1997 Bullfrog business simulation, Theme Hospital.

Firstly, I make a small correction regarding some facts in the last show about Indianapolis 500: The Simulation.

But first, a bit of news:

Frontpage Sports Football is coming back!

Commander Keen has been open sourced!

Elite: Dangerous Beta 2 is releasing this month!

Blizzard has cancelled their long-running project Titan.

This Monkey Island Lego set needs your votes!

We then discuss the main topic, Theme Hospital. Gameplay, dev story, tech focus, etc.

Buy Theme Hospital on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/theme_hospital?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Next time, we'll be discussing the 1986 sci-fi adventure/RPG, Starflight.

In our first official episode we cover the 1993 LucasArts adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road. First off, I introduce myself for those that didn't get a chance to listen to episode 0. Then we talk a bit about the adventure game genre in general. We get into a fun in-depth discussion about the game itself, including some clips, a review of the plot, fun facts and stories from its development and much more.

In our tech focus segment, we discuss the SCUMM game engine that was used to build Sam & Max Hit the Road and other LucasArts adventure games.

This time around, we're talking about Dynamix's 1992 puzzle game, The Incredible Machine.

This week in the news:

Death Inc Kickstarter

Mage's Initiaition Kickstarter

Back in February, the Guys from Andromeda podcast interviewed Jim Walls, creator of Police Quest and he announced his intention to kickstart a new Police Quest style game.

Finally, Lord British has something to say at http://www.lordbritishpresents.com/

A few links from listener emails:

BJ Used to read this interesting eductionial software magazine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_Kidsoft

King's Quest fan remakes from Father Beast:
1, 2 and 3 from AGD Interactive:
http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/games.html
Episode based remake:
http://www.tsl-game.com/episodes.php
IA King's Quest 3 remake:
http://www.infamous-adventures.com/kq3/

Finally, on the The Incredible Machine. We discuss all the usual suspects and cover the whole series of games.

Buy The Incredible Machine on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/the_incredible_machine_mega_pack

Next time we're going to cover the awesome LucasArts space sim: X-Wing. I'm super excited for this one!

Enjoy!

He we are with episode 82 wherein I dive deep into the 1999 Relic space RTS series, Homeworld.

As always, we run through some emails, then dive deep into genre, story, gameplay, tech focus and development before I hear from you and then render my verdict as to whether or not the game holds up.

Buy Homeworld Remastered Collection on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/244160/

Watch some of my Homeworld research on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI5KzhTfrHA&index=1&list=PL2whCuUnKwYC9_oq6i-H-5TO2O34gYMN4

Next time we'll be talking Indiana Jones with Fate of Atlantis and more!

Time for our long overdue fourth Patreon hangout! This time, Brian, Tomer, Craig, Martin and Troels chat with me about feelies, manuals, boxes, vibrators from games we loved.

Here are a few links that cropped up over the course of the hangout (in no particular order because I don't plan well):

Kotaku article about Martin getting his Starfox cart signed by Miyamoto:
http://kotaku.com/5730274/marios-creator-doesnt-have-a-super-nintendo

The "Rez vibrator" (possibly NSFW):
http://www.gamegirladvance.com/2002/10/sex-in-games-rezvibrator.html

"Gameplay" by Jim Cuomo:
http://www.discogs.com/Jim-Cuomo-Game-Play/release/2675355

Tomer's collection Flickr album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomergabel/sets/72157602738138806/with/1774790725/


YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WcWFIuvWLA

Next time, I'll be chatting all about SimTower from Maxis, see you then!

It's time for episode 42, all about Sierra's 1987 adventure series, Police Quest.

As always, though, some news:

Wasteland 2 is available for purchase via Steam Early Access.

The gog.com winter sale is ending and the Steam winter sale will soon begin.

A new trailer has released for the new Tex Murphy game, Tesla Effect.

A new Star Wars game, Attack Squadron has been teased. We don't have a ton of info, but we do have a trailer.

We then get on to the main topic, Police Quest. We discuss the first four games of the series.

Buy Police Quest 1-4 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/police_quest_1_2_3_4?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

YouTube playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2whCuUnKwYDHG4T5Yn6AdAunPkM6q9-P

Next time, we'll be covering the series of LucasArts WWII flight sims, Battlehawks 1942, Their Finest Hour and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe. I'm excited to get back into some combat flight sims.

For episode 50, I cover the hugely popular 1994 RTS (and eventually MMO and TCG) series, Warcraft.

In the news:

Carmack is being sued by id.

The launch trailer for Wolfenstein: The New Order is out and the game releases next week.

A kickstarter for The Way, a game in the spirit of Another World and Flashback can use your support!

We then get on to Warcraft. I get into a big focus on lore, gameplay and development story.

Sadly, there's nowhere to buy the games digitally!

Next time, I'll be discussing the newly released Tex Murphy kickstarter game, Tesla Effect.

In this super special surprise episode, I get together with my friends Brian and Bianca of the Square Waves FM podcast for an unprecedented, never before done joint episode!
Why would we perpetrate such an occurrence you ask? Well, the three if of ventured out to the theatre and saw Warcraft on opening night. At the time, we thought it'd be a great idea to get together and record our thoughts. Brian and Bianca were kind enough to run the board while I was travelling, so I called them from Seattle/Tacoma International airport and we got our thoughts down live to hard drive.

I hope you enjoy the show (and please forgive my less then ideal audio from my iPhone headset).

Square Waves FM: http://squarefm.demodulated.com/
Square Waves on Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarewavesfm

Brian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/demodulated
Bianca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/maximum_bird

Still forthcoming, yet another "extended memory" podcast discussing the recently released DOOM remake/sequel/whatever it may be.

Time for episode 21! This time around, I'm covering the great 1995 Lucasarts adventure game, Full Throttle.

But first, a bit of news:

It's the new year which means it's time for CES. I talk a little bit about some things announced there and my hopes for the upcoming Steam Box.

A kickstarter campaign who's aim is to remake the original space trading game, Elite successfully funded. Check it out!

Finally, it seems the remake of Leisure Suit Larry is on schedule for a Q1 2013 release.

A quick voicemail from Rick Moyer all about the creation of the show's intro song.

Then on to the main topic, Full Throttle. I cover all the usual topics and play a lot of clips from the game.

Next time, I'll be talking about the 1999 business sim, Rollercoaster Tycoon.

Hi Blockers!

Welcome to episode 15! This week we talk about Bullfrog's 1993 game, Syndicate.

Before we get to that though, lots of news this week:

Pledge Quest, the fan game supporting the Two Guys SpaceVenture released a second part. Give it a look!

X-Com: Enemy Unknown has released to great reviews!

In SimCity 5 News, it appears the game will not allow you to restore or delete your cities.

Wing Commander's Chris Roberts launched a crowdfunding campaign to create an ambitious new space sim called Star Citizen / Squadron 42.

Finally, Mechwarrior Online is going to open beta, giving everyone a chance to give the game a try.

After all this news and an email, we get to the main topic of the show, 1993's Syndicate. Lots of great info here.

Get Syndicate on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/syndicate/?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Get Syndicate 2012 on Origin:
http://store.origin.com/store/ea/en_US/pd/productID.108004900

Next week, we take a look at another game from 1993, Star Control. Hope to see you then!

Time for episode 13! This week we delve into the world of Mechwarrior and Battletech.

Since I'm such a big fan of this series, I've got too much to say, so I forego the news except for one small item: Over the weekend I guest hosted Treks in Sci Fi episode 401. There I talk about two 90s Star Trek adventure games by Interplay. Check it out if you'd like!

Then we quickly get into things. I talk about both Mechwarrior and Mechwarrior 2. I cover quite a bit of Battletech backstory, how the games differ, gameplay, tech focus on each and a great development story.

In current Mechwarrior news, I discuss the upcoming game, Mechwarrior Online.

I discuss how to get these games running using the community-made source port, MechVM.

Finally, we listen to a great voicemail, I give my verdict as to whether or not Mechwarrior holds up today and close out the show.

Next week: The really cool Sierra adventure game series, Gabriel Knight.

Enjoy episode 13!

Welcome to episode 23. This time around we're talking about the huge Sierra adventure series that started back in 1984, King's Quest.

Before we get into this huge topic, we have a few small items of news to cover:

Ken Allen put out a very interesting podcast where he discusses how he came up with the music for Space Quest 4. Also, it turns out that he will be able to rearrange his own creations despite the fact the rights are owned by Activision through mechanical licensing.

Secondly, big news on the GoG.com front. System Shock 2 is now available for purchase for 9.99 USD. I definitely need to give this one a whirl since I didn't get a chance to play it when it originally came out.

So that's that for the news, now we get on to our main topic, Roberta Williams' King's Quest series. I talk about the history of the series and cover some interesting points of each of the eight games in the series.

Buy King's Quest 1, 2 and 3 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/kings_quest_1_2_3

Buy King's Quest 4, 5 and 6 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/kings_quest_4_5_6

Buy King's Quest 7 and 8 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/kings_quest_7_8

Next time around, I'll be covering my first puzzle type game, Dynamix's The Incredible Machine.

Enjoy the show!

Welcome to episode 44 where we're talking about the 1992 Virgin Interactive series, Dune. In this first part we'll discuss the first game by Cryo Interactive.

First though, the news:

It appears a remake of the 1989 open-world RPG, Midwinter is in the works.

SimCity is getting an online mode, despite assurances it wasn't possible.

Some changes to the design to the Steam controller are coming.

Next, some email links:

Sierra Gamers: www.sierragamers.com
SierraHelp: www.sierrahelp.com
Quest Studios: www.queststudios.com
Sierra Music Central: www.sierramusiccentral.com

Game Center CX: http://www.sa-gccx.com

We then get to the main event, Dune by Cryo Interactive.

Next time, we'll be discussing Dune II and its descendants.

Enjoy!

Welcome to episode 47 where we discuss the 1994 Revolution Studios adventure, Beneath A Steel Sky.

First though, the news:

Thief 4 has released to mixed reviews.

Jane Jensen's Moebius: Empire Rising now has a release date and it's soon!

The BBC has released a free remake of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy text adventure in celebration of its 30th anniversary. Play it for free online!

Peter Molyneux and 22 Cans have released a big update to Godus in light of some negative feedback.

We then get on to the main event, Beneath a Steel Sky. We talk about all the usual suspects and a few listener emails.

Get Beneath a Steel Sky for FREE on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/beneath_a_steel_sky

Get Beneath a Steel Sky from SCUMMVM:
http://scummvm.org/games/#sky

Beneath a Steel Sky Enhanced Soundtrack Project:
http://www.jameswoodcock.co.uk/2011/11/21/my-beneath-a-steel-sky-enhanced-soundtrack-version-1-0-released-for-scummvm/

Next time, I'll be talking about the 1991 platformer, Another World.

This week we travel back to World War I with the great 1990 Dyanmix/Sierra combat flight sim, Red Baron.

Before we get to that, it's news time:

GameTrailers.com is reporting that the original Wasteland will be included with the upcoming Wasteland 2. Pre-orders are available from the developer's site.

The Steam Summer Sale is on! Lots of great deals to be had here including quite a few games I've covered on the podcast. It runs until July 22nd so check it out while it lasts.

Finally on to the main topic, Red Baron. As usual, I talk genre, story, gameplay, tech specs and a bit of development story. I also inadvertently provide a lesson on the basic mechanics of flight!

Download Red Baron for free from Wings of Honour.

Buy the Red Baron Pack on GoG.com.

Next week, by popular demand, we return to 1995 to talk about the Descent series by Parallax Software. Hope to see you then!

One more guest show before I'm back in episode 100. This time around my good buddy Troels, the Space Quest Historian is here with a hidden gem, the 1992 Silicon Knights action/strategy game Cyber Empires (or Steel Empire in Europe).

Not only does Troels do a great job with the show, he also interviews the game's creator, Denis Dyack! This episode contains an abridged version of the interview, for the whole thing, check out Troels' mixcloud:

https://www.mixcloud.com/SpaceQuestHistorian/space-quest-historian-interviews-denis-dyack-silicon-knights-about-steel-empirecyber-empires/

Watch Troels play Cyber Empires:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ckYzIeIfTQ&list=PLeuPHRWonRSTUuE_0uFCX6Cdt1AwHMXwc

You can also find Troels on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sqhistorian

Also check out his awesome YouTube channel over at https://www.youtube.com/spacequesthistorian

Next time, for episode 100 I will be back for good with the long awaited Final Unity episode.

It' time for episode 78! We're not talking about a specific game this time around. As I've done in the past, I got together with some of my Patrons and had a really fun chat about "Experiences that shaped you".

We chat about our experiences relating to either computing or gaming that affected us for the rest of our lives. We get silly, we get serious, we get deep and we talk about Sound Blasters.

As always, these Hangouts are not swear-free, so if you're offended by bad language, you may want to wait for next week when I cover the new King's Quest that came out a short time ago.

Enjoy!

Howdy Blockers!

Welcome to episode 22 where we talk about the 1999 Microprose game, Rollercoaster Tycoon.

Before that though, there's quite a bit of news this week:

Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded's Greenlight campaign was a success. It was approved along with other games in the fourth round of Greenlight inductees.

In addition, Leisure Suit Larry's Greatest Hits and Misses is now available on GoG. This compilation includes Larry 1 - 6 and is a mere 10 dollars.

Back to Greenlight, a cool game called Pinball Arcade is trying to get approved. Looks like a very cool reproduction of some classic pinball tables. Check it out!

In SpaceVenture news, former Sierra star composer Ken Allen is now confirmed to be on board to do the music for the game. This is awesome news.

n addition, Ken Allen himself has launched a Kickstarter. Under the Half Dome will be a modernized compilation of some of Ken's best game music work.

Finally, in beta news:

The Elder Scrolls online beta signup is open.

SimCity 5 closed beta has begun.

After all that news, we get into our main topic, Microprose's 1999 game, Rollercoaster Tycoon. We talk about the game, dev story, listen to a voicemail and all the rest!

Buy Rollercoaster Tycoon on GOG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/rollercoaster_tycoon_deluxe

Buy Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/rollercoaster_tycoon_2

Buy Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/rollercoaster_tycoon_3

Next time, I'll be covering a big series, Sierra's King's Quest adventures. This series is a cornerstone of gaming history. I'm looking forward to covering it!

It's episode 37 where we're talking the 1998 Looking Glass Studios stealth action game, Thief.

Before that though, the news:

Steam Family Sharing has been announced!

Hardware: Shipbreakers, a game in the spirit of Homeworld, has acquired the Homeworld IP from Gearbox Software.

Lemmings Touch has been announced on the Vita.

The Duke Nukem lawsuit between 3D Realms and Gearbox has been dropped.

Peter Molyneux's Godus is now available on Steam.

Sci-fi author Timothy Zhan has launched a kickstarter for a 4X strategy game called Parallax, based on his writing.

We then go through some listener emails and then get to the main topic, Thief.

Buy the Thief Collection on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/14734/

Buy Thief on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/thief_gold

Buy Thief 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/thief_2_the_metal_age

Buy Thief: Deadly Shadows on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/thief_3

Thief series enhancement resources:
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2715838

Next time, I'll be covering the Access Software Adventure series, Tex Murphy.

Time for episode 29 of the podcast where we're discussing the 1993 Cyan adventure/puzzle game, Myst.

As usual though, the news:

Disney and EA have entered an exclusive multi-year deal to develop a series of new Star Wars games.

Maxis has announced The Sims 4 and opened up registration for a mailing list.

Bethesda has announced a new Wolfenstein game taking place in an alternate version of the 60's where the Nazis won the war.

We then get to the main topic, Myst. Gameplay, story and get a little deeper with tech focus and dev story.

Buy Myst on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/myst_masterpiece_edition

Buy Myst on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/63660/

Next time, I'll be revisiting Peter Molyneux with 1997's Dungeon Keeper.

Here comes another guest show! Father Beast has been kind enough to put together an episode on the 1994 Microprose strategy game, Sid Meier's Colonization!

Colonization on GOG.com:
https://www.gog.com/game/sid_meiers_colonization

Colonization on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/327400/

Freecol, an open source remake of Colonization:
http://www.freecol.org/

Article: "Is Colonization offensive enough?":
http://www.playthepast.org/?p=278

Next time, we'll be having our 6th Patreon hangout discussing game music & sound! Also, we have another guest show in the hopper on I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream so if you'd like to drop me comments about that one, we'll get them into the show!

Enjoy!

For episode 27, we talk about the 1993 Origin Systems flight sim, Strike Commander.

Before that though, the news:

In light of the closure of LucasArts, Raven software has released the source code for their two great Star Wars games, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy.

The Two Guys SpaceVenture released a short alpha preview video.

I sat in on an episode of the Elder Geek Game Club where we talked about the indie adventure game, Primordia.

We then chat about Strike Commander. Genre, story, gameplay, tech focus, dev story, all the usual stuff.

Buy Strike Commander on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/strike_commander

Next week, a bit of a different show, I'll be talking about the new 2013 release of SimCity By Maxis/EA.

Welcome to episode 61 where I'll be discussing the 1985 Microprose sub simulator, Silent Service.

As with last time, news is no longer covered on the main shows, you can check episode 60 for the latest retro PC gaming news as of last week. New news show coming in December!

In the main portion of the show we discuss all the ins and outs of Sid Meier's great sub sims, Silent Service 1 and 2.

The original game was inspired by the novel "Clear the Bridge" by Richard O'Kane:
http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Bridge-Patrols-U-S-S-Tang/dp/0891415734/

YouTube play session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Siv6faJ77Q

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be looking at the Broken Sword series from Revolution Software.

Enjoy!

It's Patreon Hangout time once again! This time around, Akago, Brian, Craig, Jim, Ryan, Tomer, Martin and myself got together to chat about game music and sound!

We get deep into hardware and play clips form some of our favourite game music. It was a great time and big thanks to the participants and those who watched!

Keep an eye out for our upcoming guest shows on I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, A Mind Forever Voyaging and Cyber Empires in addition to my next show on Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity. Lots of great content coming up!

Welcome to 2013 and episode 20 of the show where I discuss the 1997 Particle Systems/Infogrames space sim, Independence War.

Not much in the way of news over the holidays aside from Steam and GoG both having their holiday sales. Check them out if they are still on!

Then we read some emails including a fun one from Martin where he tells us about an attempt to release Wing Commander 2 on the SNES.

Then on to Independence War, I cover all the usual suspects and give my verdict on the series!

Buy Independence War on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/independence_war_deluxe

Buy Independence War 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/independence_war_2

Next time, we're going to discuss the great 1995 LucasArts adventure, Full Throttle.

Enjoy!

In episode 113, we take on the massively popular and genre-defining Unreal series.

Links:

My video research sessions:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2whCuUnKwYB-UhgbN7wL9lc8JerihSV4

X-Wing Soundtrack (redone):
https://soundcloud.com/laserschwert/sets/x-wing

TIE Fighter Soundtrack (redone):
https://soundcloud.com/laserschwert/sets/tie

Buy Unreal Gold
GoG: https://www.gog.com/game/unreal_gold?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/13250/Unreal_Gold/

Buy Unreal 2: The Awakening
GoG: https://www.gog.com/game/unreal_2_the_awakening_se?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/13200/Unreal_2_The_Awakening/

Buy Unreal Tournament
GoG: https://www.gog.com/game/unreal_tournament_goty?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/13240/Unreal_Tournament_Game_of_the_Year_Edition/

Buy Unreal Tournament 2004
GoG: https://www.gog.com/game/unreal_tournament_2004_ece?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/13230/Unreal_Tournament_2004_Editors_Choice_Edition/

Next Episode:

Next time, get into our first sports game with the Links series from Access Software.

It's episode 30! This time around we're talking about the unique 1997 Bullfrog franchise, Dungeon Keeper.

As usual though, news first:

The creators of The Incredible Machine are coming out with a new game called Contraption Maker.

A movie project called Video Games: The Movie attempts to communicate the love of video games from the people that made them.

A unique adventure game project called Armikrog has some cool looking graphics and an interesting voice cast.

Finally, the new Leisure Suit Larry has been delayed by a month due to bug fixes.

Finally, we get on to the main event: Dungeon Keeper. We cover all the bases of this fun and unique game series.

Buy Dungeon Keeper on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/dungeon_keeper

Buy Dungeon Keeper 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/dungeon_keeper_2

War for the Overworld on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/230190/

Next time, I'll be covering the infamous Duke Nukem series.

It's time for episode 49 where I'll be discussing the 1994 Adeline Software action-adventure, Little Big Adventure.

News:

I've been playing the crap out of Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls lately.

At PAX East, Star Citizen held an event where they previewed their new dogfighting module.

Abandoned E.T. cartridges found in New Mexico landfill!

In Star Wars news: Disney has announced what they will be doing with the Star Wars EU.

We then get to the main event, Little Big Adventure. Genre, story, gameplay, tech and dev story are all discussed as usual.

Buy Little Big Adventure on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/little_big_adventure?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Little Big Adventure 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/little_big_adventure_2?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Next time, I'll be covering a big one, the quintessential Blizzard Entertainment series, Warcraft.

Thanks and enjoy!

It's the first news-only episode thanks to your incredible generosity on Patreon!



News discussed in this episode:

3D Realms bundle released:
http://www.pcgamer.com/3d-realms-returns-with-32-game-anthology-bundle/

Lucasarts games now available on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/news/new_publisher_disney_interactivelucasfilm

Star Citizen FPS module revealed:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-03-star-citizen-first-person-shooter-gameplay-unveiled

Ken & Roberta Williams get a sneak peak of the new King's Quest:
http://blog.theoddgentlemen.com/post/101694832159/meeting-roberta-and-ken-williams

Tim Schafer discusses an open-world Grim Fandango sequel:
http://kotaku.com/tim-schafer-dreams-of-an-open-world-grim-fandango-seque-1654750107

Thimbleweed Park, a retro adventure from the creators of Maniac Mansion:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thimbleweedpark/thimbleweed-park-a-new-classic-point-and-click-adv

Elite: Dangerous drops offline single player gameplay:
http://www.pcgamer.com/elite-dangerous-boss-says-online-only-is-the-right-decision/

Hero U has a revised release date of October 15, 2015:
http://www.hero-u.net/hero_u_about.html


Music:

'In Ten Years' by H.P. Mendoza: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/everything-is-pop/id922961764

'Pirate Shout' by audio fidelity, Derek Meler, Eric Griffin, Marcus Affeldt: http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02179


Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be covering the 1985 Micoprose sub simulation, Silent Service.

Time for episode 70 and the news for March and April 2015!

Here's the rundown:

Homeworld Remastered puts you in command of the most stunning space battles ever:
http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/24/8098381/homeworld-remastered-collection-gearbox-interview

Underworld Ascendant Kickstarter reaches its goal:
http://www.pcgamer.com/underworld-ascendant-kickstarter-reaches-its-goal/

Electronic Arts closes SimCity studio Maxis Emeryville:
http://www.pcgamer.com/electronic-arts-closes-simcity-studio-maxis-emeryville/

Passing The Hat: An In-Depth Look At The New King's Quest:
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/03/06/passing-the-hat-an-in-depth-look-at-the-new-kings-quest.aspx

King's Quest: How Sierra plans to reboot a three decade old classic:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-17-kings-quest-how-sierra-plans-to-reboot-a-three-decade-old-classic

Kickstarter: Descent: Underground
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/descendentstudios/descent-underground

Broken Age Act 2 release date announced:
http://www.pcgamer.com/broken-age-act-2-release-date/

Kickstarter: "Order of the Thorne" & "Roehm To Ruin" by Infamous Quests:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1992695780/order-of-the-thorne-and-roehm-to-ruin-by-infamous

Stardock Star Control FAQ:
http://www.littletinyfrogs.com/article/463278/Star_Control_FAQ

Lucasarts' Afterlife on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/afterlife?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Videogame Publishers: No Preserving Abandoned Games, Even for Museums and Archives, Because All "Hacking" is Illegal:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/04/videogame-publishers-no-preserving-abandoned-games-even-museums-and-archives

Outtro music: “The Enlightened Alaskan” by MazeDude:
http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01690

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be looking at the 1996 Activision FMV adventure, Spycraft: The Great Game.

Welcome to episode 66 where I'll be discussing the 1993 Origin Systems space trading game, Wing Commander: Privateer.

After some listener emails, we discuss all the usual suspects regarding the two games in the Privateer series.

Watch me play Privateer on YouTube: http://youtu.be/A6hWqvoP12s

Buy Privateer on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/wing_commander_privateer?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Privateer on Origin:
https://www.origin.com/en-ca/store/buy/wing-commander-privateer/pc-download/base-game/standard-edition

Buy Privateer 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/privateer_2_the_darkening?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be looking at the 1998 Lucasarts adventure, Grim Fandango.

Enjoy!

This time around, Brian, Troels, Tomer and I get together to talk about "Diamond in the Rough" games! We discuss a huge number of games that didn't receive the attention they deserved for one reason or another.

Here's an incomplete list of games covered, see how many you've heard of!

Rise of the Robots
Round 42
Dynablaster
Black Dahlia
Chronomaster
Death Rally
Labyrinth of Time
Shadowgate
Ultrabots
Rollcage
High Octane
Nuclear War
Cyber Empires / Steel Empires
Castle of Dr. Brain
EcoQuest
Clandestiny
Jetpack
Subculture
Spiderman & Venom: Separation Anxiety
Tron 2.0

and that's not even all of them! Thanks to the guys for participating and remember, if YOU want to join in on these great hangouts, you just need to give to the show at the 5 dollar or higher level over at http://patreon.com/umbcast.

Here is episode 88 wherein I discuss the great Sir-Tech Software turn based tactical strategy series, Jagged Alliance.

Read Darius Kazemi's deep dive into Jagged Alliance 2:
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00MQHVAOK/ref=pe_386430_189358380_TE_DP

Buy Jagged Alliance on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/game/jagged_alliance?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Jagged Alliance 2 on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/game/jagged_alliance_2?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Jagged Alliance on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/search/?snr=1_4_4__12&term=jagged%20alliance

Next time, I'll be heading back to the roots of SCUMM with Maniac Mansion!

So I guess we should begin at the beginning. This is my first stab at talking live to hard drive. I cover a bit about what I intend to do with the show and talk a little about myself. I hope this gives you all a taste of what’s to come!

Here comes episode 98 where friend of the show Chris "CGOApps" Olson takes the big chair to discuss our inaugural text adventure, A Mind Forever Voyaging by Infocom, released in 1985.

Digital Antiquarian:
http://maher.filfre.net/if-book/

Get Lamp Documentary:
http://getlamp.com

AMFV Infocom Cabinet:
https://archive.org/details/InfocomCabinetAMindForeverVoyaging

Find Chris at:

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/cgoapps

His blog/developer site:
http://cgoapps.wordpress.com

Next time, we will hit the long awaited show on Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity.

Here's episode 73, where I discuss the 1995 Origin Systems action series, Crusader.
As always, I go into the genre, story and gameplay. We also delve into the game's tech specs and engine before talking a bit about the history and definition of tracker music.

After some great listener emails and voicemails, I give my thoughts about whether or not the game holds up.

Ending music: "The Traveler" Main Theme Remix by Andrew Sega:
http://www.echosector.com/music/

Crusader: No Remorse intro cinematic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvAt3hDcNT4

Buy Crusader: No Remorse on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/crusader_no_remorse?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Crusader: No Regret on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/crusader_no_regret?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Crusader: No Remorse on Origin:
https://www.origin.com/en-ca/store/buy/crusader-no-remorse/pc-download/base-game/standard-edition

Buy Crusader: No Regret on Origin:
https://www.origin.com/en-ca/store/buy/crusader-no-regret/pc-download/base-game/standard-edition

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, we'll be doing the news. After that, we'll cover the 1998 Lucasarts 4X game, Star Wars: Rebellion.

Enjoy!

Time for episode 45, the second part of our Dune coverage!

A bit of news:

A runthrough of the Steam game streaming beta.

The new mobile version of Dungeon Keeper is somewhat disappointing.

Then we get to the second half of our Dune coverage, covering the Westwood group of Dune games, starting with Dune 2.

Enjoy!

Play Dune 2 free online at: http://play-dune.com/

Play Dune 2000 and more with OpenRA: http://openra.res0l.net/

Hey there blockers! It's yet again time for another show!

This week, something a little bit different. Instead of covering a specific game, we're gonna get techie and discuss some ways to play all these great old games I've been covering on our modern, ultra-fast, multi-core gaming rigs.

But first, some news. I follow up once again on both the Tex Murphy and SpaceVenture kickstarters. Check em out and give your support if you think they're worthwhile! Also, the E3 show has been going on this week where trailers were released for the next SimCity and the new X-COM: Enemy Unknown game in development.

I wanted to let everyone know about The Blackwell Bundle, a cool adventure series done in the style of classic VGA adventure games that I've been playing since the last show. Check it out!

The main topic for the week is how to get old games running well on modern systems. We cover some background, what difficulties we encounter trying to get this all running. Then I start the discussion of emulation, define what it is and where it's used. I then get into details of two different applications that are used to run DOS games in emulation, DOSBox and ScummVM.

Finally we listen to an audio comment from Dan where he talks about his experience with retro gaming and DOS emulation on iOS.

That's that! Enjoy the show and see you all next time when we talk about Wolfenstein 3D!

It is time for yet another Patreon Hangout! This time around, Brian, Craig, Tomer, Troels and myself get together to discuss "feats of strength" in DOS and Pre-Windows XP gaming.

What does this mean?

Have you ever gone to extraordinary measures to get a game running?
Done anything nuts with hardware?
Done anything crazy in a game that resulted in either an epic win or a crushing defeat?

We talk about those things, largest executable program size, programming while under rocket attack and more!

Next time, we'll be covering the 1986 Cinemaware game, Defender of the Crown.

Time for a quick news show to kick off the year, here are some of the topics I cover:

Christmas Day Steam outage:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/3y7maa/something_is_really_wrong_with_steam_be_careful/

Day of the Tentacle Remastered:
http://www.polygon.com/2015/10/23/9605322/day-of-the-tentacle-remastered-screenshots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kgj_rPON80

Wolfenstein 3D re-recording by Rich Douglas:
http://richdouglas.wix.com/wolfenstein

Night Dive Studios FastCompany article:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3053050/app-economy/how-one-company-is-bringing-old-video-games-back-from-the-dead

Boxes, feelies, and the good old days of PC gaming:
http://www.pcgamer.com//boxes-feelies-and-the-good-old-days-of-pc-gaming/

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak pre-order:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/281610?beta=0

Total Annihilation on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/298030/
http://www.pcgamer.com/total-annihilation-invades-steam-at-last/

Outtro: Wing Theme Surf ReMixed by Team Fat
http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01296

Next time, I'll be covering the 1994 Maxis construction sim, SimTower.

Enjoy!

Hail Blockers!

This week we time travel to the present day and cover EA's newly released SimCity 5.

In the news:

Jane Jensen's new game, Moebius, will be out by the end of 2013.

Chris Roberts' Cloud Imperium Games opens a new office in Santa Monica, CA.

The X-COM FPS has undergone some changes and is now being developed as a realtime tactical shooter called The Bureau.

We then get into the review of the new SimCity 5 (or SimCity 2013 or whatever you'd like to call it). I talk quite a bit about gameplay and how the guts of he game work. I also discuss some of the continuing issues with the game and finally give you my verdict on whether it's worth buying or not.

Buy SimCity 5 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Arts-41018ted-Edition2-SimCity/dp/B007VTVRFA/

Buy SimCity 5 on Origin: http://store.origin.com/store/ea/html/pbPage.SimcityNA

Stream the show live:
[audio src="http://umbcast.com/podcast/028-UMBCast-SimCity-5.mp3"]

Direct download:
http://umbcast.com/podcast/028-UMBCast-SimCity-5.mp3

In episode 56, we discuss the 1989 Papyrus Design Group racing sim, Indianapolis 500: The Simulation.

First though, we go through quite a few emails covering your thoughts on the "Sierra Revival" that I talked about on the last episode, including a link to Brano's blog post where he goes into more detail on his thoughts.

We then get into the main topic, Indianapolis 500: The Simulation. We discuss all the usual suspects including gameplay, dev story and tech focus.

Sadly, there's nowhere to legally get the game in digital form, but if you're interested in the most current racing game from the developer, check out http://www.iracing.com/.

Next time, I'll be heading back to Bullfrog land with another simulation, Theme Hospital.

Wow! After an unplanned seven month hiatus I'm back!

Before jumping right back into the schedule, I decided to jump in with a little show updating everyone about the state of the show, why I went away for seven months and to get through a bit of an email backlog that has built up while I was off being distracted with my dumb life.

Next time, we'll be covering the 1986 Cinemaware game, Defender of the Crown.

In episode 53 we discuss the 1991 Dynamix adventure game, The Adventures of Willy Beamish.

Not much in the news this week.

It appears Star Citizen's pre-alpha multiplayer functionality has just gone live.

Also, both the Steam and GoG.com summer sales have ended. I hope everyone had a good haul.

We then get into the main topic, Willy Beamish where we discuss the story, unique gameplay, technology and development.

Watch me play at: http://youtu.be/urfBHlGbyQo

Also, don't forget about the Telltale Sam & Max giveaway! Email me with the subject line "Sam & Max Giveaway" for a chance to win!

Next time I'll be covering my second Sid Meier game, Sid Meier's Pirates!

See you then!

It's time for episode 62 where I'll be discussing the 1996 Revolution Software adventure series, Broken Sword.

Before we get to the main topic, we got two emails.

First, a great list of other retro-oriented podcasts:

• 
  
• Watch Out for Fireballs
• 
  
• Retro Gaming Roundup
• 
  
• You Don't know Flack
• 
  
• Retrobits
• 
  
• W1S1: World One Stage One
• 
  
• No Quarter
• 
  
• IGN RetroCity
• 
  
• DOS Nostalgia Podcast
• 
  
• Three Moves Ahead
• 
  
• TADPOG: Tyler and Dave Play Old Games
• 
  
• Wired's Gamelife
• 
  
• The Same Coin
• 
  

Second, a recommendation for a fun SimCity style game called Constructor

We then get into all 5 games in the Broken Sword series in the usual way.

Also, we're doing a Broken Sword giveaway! If you want a copy of the first game, send an email to podcast@umbcast.com with the subject line "Broken Sword Giveaway".

Buy Broken Sword on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/games##search=broken%20sword&sort=bestselling&page=1&pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Broken Sword 1, 2 and 3 on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/6447/

Buy Broken Sword 4 on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/316160/

Buy Broken Sword 5 on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/262940/

YouTube play session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5U1P2HpW2Q

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be looking at the 1996 RPG/FPS game, Strife from Rogue Entertainment.

Enjoy!

It's time for episode 93 where I'll be covering a newer game in my Extended Memory format. This time we'll be talking about the newly released version of DOOM.

I discuss all the usual UMB stuff but with a more modern twist, then hear from some of you guys!

Buy DOOM on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/379720/

DOOM Demo:
http://doom.com/en-us/demo

Next time we'll be hitting a shoot 'em up, I think our first, Tyrian!

Yes, it's the one year anniversary show where we are talking the great 1997 Interplay game series, Fallout.

First though, lots of news this week.

A cool film kickstarter focusing on the history of the UK gaming scene.

Tim Schafer's Double Fine Adventure has an actual name, meet Broken Age.

Retronauts is trying to reboot themselves outside of 1up.com.

Larry reloaded is scheduled to release in May!

Telltale Games is no longer working on their previously announced King's Quest game.

In business news, Disney shuts down Lucasarts.

Father Beast points out some fun Star Wars based arcade games found at http://www.bruneras.com/

Finally, we get to our main topic, the Fallout series. I get deep into the gameplay, dev story and all the rest.

Buy Fallout on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/fallout

Buy Fallout 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/fallout_2

Buy Fallout 3 on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/22370/

Buy Fallout New Vegas on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/2028016/

Next time, I'll be covering the 1993 Origin game, Strike Commander.

Time for episode 67 and the news!

Here's a rundown of the stories discussed:

King’s Quest And Sierra: An Interview With Ken Williams:
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/01/02/ken-williams-interview-kings-quest-sierra-game-informer.aspx

New Baldur's Gate game in the works using its original engine:
http://www.polygon.com/2015/1/8/7518145/new-baldurs-gate-game-infinity-engine

Kickstarter: Shadowrun: Hong Kong by Harebrained Schemes LLC:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/webeharebrained/shadowrun-hong-kong

X-Wing sequels head up GOG's latest batch of Star Wars classics:
http://www.pcgamer.com/x-wing-sequels-head-up-new-batch-of-star-wars-classics-on-gog/

Rogue Squadron 3D and Rebellion added to GOG's Star Wars catalogue:
http://www.pcgamer.com/rogue-squadron-3d-and-rebellion-added-to-gogs-star-wars-catalogue/

Tex Murphy eBooks:
http://www.aaronconners.net/

Double Fine Has The LucasArts Singapore DOTT Assets:
http://mixnmojo.com/news/Double-Fine-Has-The-LucasArts-Singapore-DOTT-Assets

Kickstarter: Underworld Ascendant by OtherSide Entertainment:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/othersidegames/underworld-ascendant

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Now On GOG.COM:
http://www.gog.com/news/warner_bros_interactive_entertainment_on_gogcom

Gary Owens, Announcer of ‘Laugh-In’ Fame, Dies at 80:
http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/gary-owens-announcer-of-laugh-in-fame-dies-at-80-1201433731/

ASCII Sector: Text-based Privateer remake:
http://www.asciisector.net/

Outtro music: “My Loved ones are Gone” by Psycho Crusher:
http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02508

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be looking at the 1998 Lucasarts adventure, Grim Fandango.

Time for episode 105 where I dive into the 1992 Silicon and Synapse puzzle platformer, The Lost Vikings.

Links:

Get The Lost Vikings direct from Blizzard, for free! http://eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/games/legacy/

Lost Vikings in Heroes of the Storm: https://us.battle.net/heroes/en/heroes/the-lost-vikings/

Next Episode:

Next time, we'll be hearing a guest show from Father Beast about the 1994 MicroProse business sim, Transport Tycoon.

In episode 79, I'm covering a modern take on an old classic. This time around we'll focus on the newly-released first episode of King's Quest, developed by the Odd Gentlemen and published by the revived Sierra.

Before we get to it, we go through a few emails and voicemails.

Then, the main event where we give this new take on the series the full UMB treatment, genre, story, gameplay, tech foucs, dev story and even more emails along with some clips and music.

Buy King's Quest (2015) on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/345390/

Enjoy!

In a very special UMBCast, for the second time ever I have a live guest! I dragged my friend and fellow podcaster Brian "Space Game Junkie" Rubin to sit with me and talk Wing Commander.

Specifically, in light of my recent complete playthrough of Wing Commander 2 on the YouTube channel, I wanted to sit down with someone to discuss that game in particular. Of course, we couldn't just limit ourselves to JUST WC2 so of course we discuss the entire series with a bit more of a focus on the second game then on the others. We also get into a discussion about successors to Wing Commander, what made it special compared to other famous space combat sims and of course, we couldn't avoid talking a bit about Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous.

Links:

Find Brian and all his content at https://www.spacegamejunkie.com/

My YouTube "UMB Plays" of Wing Commander 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-AMpSWJpYY&list=PL2whCuUnKwYC8rXzdIQT2rU4RkysbF3Nm

Digital Antiquarian article on Wing Commander II:
https://www.filfre.net/2018/03/wing-commander-ii/

Buy Wing Commander 1 and 2 on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/game/wing_commander_1_2?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Wing Commander CCG:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3842/wing-commander

Next Episode:

Next time, we'll be covering the 1994 Diversions Entertainment fighting game, One Must Fall: 2097.

Greetings Blockers!

Welcome to episode 5! This week I've got a big topic to cover, the Space Quest series by Sierra Online!

Since we have six games to cover in a single show, the news is quick this time: Firstly, Jane Jensen's kickstarter funded, exceeding their 300,000 dollar goal. Secondly, I came across news of a Tex Murphy kickstarter. Tex Murphy isn't a game series I played, but go check out their project page if you're interested!

We then get into the main topic, the Space Quest series. I cover how Sierra's adventure game paradigm differs from the LucasArts one we already covered and then I get into Space Quest's development story. The bulk of the show is going through each of the six games talking about plot, technology and some fun facts and features of each.

I play a great audio comment from Rick Moyer where he interviews a friend that he used to play Space Quest with. Thanks Rick!

With regard to the future of the Space Quest series I talk about the new SQ2 remake and remind everyone about the Two Guys kickstarter.

To close out the show, I came across a really great cover medley of Space Quest 4 music by Brandon Blume, you can go grab it and see his other work at his site, http://brandonblume.com/ and his YouTube channel.

Next week: A bit of a different show, I won't be covering a game. I'm going to talk about ways to get old games working on modern systems. General talk about virtualization, DOSBox, ScummVM, etc. Should be interesting! Hope to see you!

Buy Space Quest on GOG or Steam.

Hey Blockers!

Time for episode 8, where I talk all about the long-lived Command and Conquer series. But, first things first, a bit of news:

GoG.com has begun selling Telltale games titles. Telltale has done some great work in continuing on some great older adventure franchises like Monkey Island and Sam & Max.

Also, I was able to get my new Roland MT-32 and give you my thoughts on it thus far.

Then on to the main topic, Westwood Studios' 1995 game: Command and Conquer. I run down the usual suspects (genre, gameplay, plot, dev story) and also talk about a few followup games in the series.

Download the Command and Conquer for free (legally, I promise!)

Buy Command and Conquer: The First Decade on EA Origin or Amazon.

Stay tuned for the next show where we travel back to World War I in Red Baron.

Hey there Blockers!

Welcome to episode 4. This time we're looking at our first turn-based strategy game series, X-Com.

To start, the news: Two Kickstarter projects that have come out since the last show. The first one belongs to Jane Jensen, of Gabriel Knight fame. The second is huge news for me as it's being put on by the creators of Space Quest! Check it out, it's looking pretty cool. I update everyone on the DOS gaming box project and finally we listen to a voicemail about last show's topic, SimCity.

Then, the main topic: 1994's X-Com: UFO Defense (a.k.a. UFO: Enemy Unknown). We cover all the usual suspects for this unique game, story, gameplay, graphics/sound, development story and some opinions about the first game and the series in general.

Hope you all enjoy!

Next week, a much-demanded topic: Space Quest!

Hey Blockers!

Welcome to episode 2, where our main topic is Origin Systems' 1990 hit game, Wing Commander. We start off the show with a few news items. I discuss the Leisure Suit Larry Kickstarter project that I previously blogged about. I also found out that Firaxis Games is developing a new X-Com game in the turn-based strategy spirit of the original game.

We then get to our main topic, the original Wing Commander. I go over the very groundbreaking gameplay, technical items like graphics, sound and other details of the game itself. We then talk a little about the development story and close out the show. Hope you all enjoy it and meet me here again in two weeks when we talk about the great Maxis game, SimCity 2000.

On episode 72, we get down and dirty with the CIA in the 1996 Activision FMV adventure game Spycraft: The Great Game.

We get into all the nitty gritty details on the game like we always do an read through a listener email.

Watch me play Spycraft on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzYIjPQxxCQ&list=PL2whCuUnKwYA_gKF_kKFEsF6OOLBnvVJT

Buy Spycraft on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/spycraft_the_great_game?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, we'll cover the 1995 Origin action game, Crusader: No Remorse.

Enjoy!

For episode 41, we're talking about the 1993 Trilobyte interactive movie game, The 7th Guest.

In the news:

John Carmack officially leaves Id Software.

thesurvivor2299.com launches, may be a Fallout 4 teaser site. We'll know soon enough!

Steam is introducing user reviews.

Steam's Autumn (or Spring, depending where you live) sale is on!

Star Citizen has hit 33 million in funding and unlocked more stretch goals.

We then get into the 7th Guest and the 11th Hour. We get into all the usual topics.

Buy the 7th Guest on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/the_7th_guest?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy the 11th Hour on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/the_11th_hour?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy the 7th Guest and the 11th Hour on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/32847/

Next time, we're covering the Sierra procedural adventure series, Police Quest.

Time for episode 18. This time around, we're talking about the grandaddy of 3D survival horror games, 1992's Alone in the Dark.

But first, there's lots of news this week!

Hero-U, the new game from Quest for Glory's Lori and Corey Cole has successfully funded! They just made it to their 400,000 dollar goal. Congrats!

I wasn't quite correct last show when I said Chris Roberts' Star Citizen had funded. It had a day or so left and instead of raising 5 million dollars, they raised 6.5 million! Incredible.

A new remake of 1998's Baldur's Gate is already out and ready for purchase.

Peter Molyneux has launched a kickstarter to bankroll a new god game in the vein of Populous. I'll be keeping an eye on this one.

I also found a new site where you can play an online version of Dune 2. This is a really great port to the web.

Finally, if anyone is interested in health, fitness and nutrition, check out this cool new podcast, Fit for Radio! It's awesome.

Whew! After all that news, we get to the meat of the show, Infogrames' 1992 game, Alone in the Dark. We take a look at all the usual suspects here and cover a lot of cool info.

Buy Alone in the Dark 1, 2 and 3 on Steam:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/alone_in_the_dark

Next time I'm doing something a little different. I'll be doing an in-depth review of the new game X-COM: Enemy Unknown. Kind of a look at an old series in a new incarnation.

Enjoy!

Stream the show live:
[audio src="http://umbcast.com/podcast/018-UMBCast-Alone-in-the-Dark.mp3"]

Direct download:
http://umbcast.com/podcast/018-UMBCast-Alone-in-the-Dark.mp3

It's episode 52 where I discuss the 1993 Lucasarts rail shooter, Rebel Assault.

Only a bit of news this week:

Star Citizen's Arena Commander has launched for backers!

Sony, Lucasarts and DoubleFine are working on a remastering of Grim Fandango for PS4 and Vita.

Listener Carlos sent a link to his 8-bit album, Mount Analog: http://carlocarosi.bandcamp.com/

We then discuss Rebel Assault. Genre, story, gameplay, tech focus, dev story, emails and the rest!

Next time, I'll be covering the 1991 Dynamix adventure game, the Adventures of Willy Beamish.

It's episode 32 we're talking the groovy 1997 Activision game, Interstate 76.

Before that though, we've got some news:

DoubleFine Productions has announced two new game projects backed by IndieFund.

Fans of Total Annihilation should check out Planetary Annihilation, now in early access alpha on Steam.

Some more news about Jane Jensen's Mobeius project has come to light.

The last Larry backer up went out stating the game will be shipping very shortly, on schedule for their revised date at the end of the month.

Finally, the Retro Game Music Bundle contest is ongoing. Just drop an email to podcast@umbcast.com with the subject "game music bundle". I'll randomly pick an entry on the next show.

Now on to the main topic of the show, the vehicular combat sim, Interstate 76. We talk all about this under appreciated game.

Buy Interstate 76 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/interstate76

Buy Interstate 82 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/interstate_82

Next time, we'll be talking pirates with Monkey Island.

This time around, we're heading back to the adventure genre with a great LucasArts game from 1990, Loom.

First though, some news:

Shortly after the last show, strange rumours started popping up about a new Rise of the Triad game by Apogee software. Turns out they are true!

Some more info about the new X-COM: Enemy Unknown game has come out. We're talking competitive multiplayer and a release date! You can also pre-order at their site.

Finally, some sad news: 3D modelling pioneer Paul Steed, who worked on games like Strike Commander and Quake, passed away suddenly this week.

After the news we read a few listener emails covering a few topics.

Business aside, I then start to delve into the fantastic and wonderful world of Loom. As usual we cover all the aspects of story, gameplay, development and more relating to this truly unique adventure game from Lucasfilm Games.

If you want to give Loom a go, it can be purchased on Steam.

Next week, we put on our conductor's hat when we look at yet another game from 1990, Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon.

Time for episode 101 in which we discuss the 1988 Microprose flight sim, F-19 Stealth Fighter and its sequel/remake, F-117A Stealth Fighter 2.0!

First though, I read some email that leads us to two cool links:

Troels and I playing A Final Unity:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeuPHRWonRSTOs9KHN_aPgbinDMJfQP9J

Ben Chandler's PC Gamer article about adventure game backgrounds:
http://www.pcgamer.com/ten-of-the-best-classic-adventure-game-scenes/

We then get into the usual topics around these unique Microprose flight sims.

Buy F-19 Steakth Fighter on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/347250/F19_Stealth_Fighter/

Buy F-117A Stealth Fighter 2.0 on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/game/f117a_nighthawk_stealth_fighter_20?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

My F-19 YouTube Research session:
https://youtu.be/J-F6WsoNxcA

Next time we'll be covering the iconic 1986 Cinemaware strategy game, Defender of the Crown.

Enjoy!

Time for episode 94 where I cover the 1995 Eclipse Software / Epic Megagames shoot 'em up, Tyrian!

First though, I read through some emails I missed out on in the last show discussing Day of the Tentacle.

Then we do as we do and dive deep into the various versions and game modes of Tyrian!

Links:

Steam Regional Prices:
http://www.steamregionalprices.com/index.php

OpenTyrian:
https://bitbucket.org/opentyrian/opentyrian/wiki/Home

Remastered Graphics (From Daniel Cook):
http://www.lostgarden.com/2007/04/free-game-graphics-tyrian-ships-and.html

Get Tyrian FREE on GoG:
https://www.gog.com/game/tyrian_2000?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

My Tyrian Research on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doYWd0CWXJE

Ending music:
"Data Flux" by Magellanic
http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02918

Next time, we'll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek with the Spectrum Holobyte adventure Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity.

It's time for episode 48 where I'll be discussing The 1991 Delphine Software cinematic adventure, Another World.

News:

We've just found out Dave Cummins, writer of Beneath a Steel Sky, passed away in 2008.

GoG.com will be releasing more games with Linux support.

Julian Gollop of X-COM fame has launched a kickstarter called Chaos Reborn.

Microsoft has released the source code for MS DOS 1.1 and Word for Windows.

It's the 25th anniversary of Space Quest 3!

We then get into the meat of the show, Another World. Story, gameplay, dev story and LOTS of emails!

Buy Another World on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/game/another_world_20th_anniversary_edition?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f

Buy Another World on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/233550/

YouTube play session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ekfc0Pz6YA

Next time, I'll be covering the 1994 adventure game, Little Big Adventure.

Enjoy!

Hail blockers!

It's time for episode 7! This time around we're talking Wolfenstein 3D.

But first we talk some news: Both the SpaceVenture and Tex Murphy Kickstarters have funded, but they are both trying to make their stretch goals. Check them out if you haven't already.

I played through the Space Quest 2 remake from Infamous Adventures. The creators of this remake have a kickstarter named Quest for Infamy, who's goal is to create a new game in the spirit of the Quest for Glory series.

Then we get to Wolfenstien 3D. As usual, we talk about the genre, story (such as it is), gameplay and the development story. I then read a listener e-mail and I decide if the game holds up today.

Next week, get ready for some RTS action with Command and Conquer!

Listen and enjoy!

This time around, we're hitting our first edutainment title with the Dr. Brain series from Sierra. Big shout out this month goes to Father Beast for catching some research I missed!

Links:

My video research sessions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzndtmyZZEE&list=PL2whCuUnKwYCc2Eh38uGBgpuAxhi43fEI

CBC's The Artists Ep8 - LucasArts (Canada Only):
https://watch.cbc.ca/media/the-artists/season-1/episode-8/38e815a-00e5822082e

Next Episode:

Next time, we'll be covering the 1994 Diversions Entertainment fighting game, One Must Fall: 2097.

It's episode 34 where we're talking about the great 1998 Volition space sim, Freespace.

First though, the news:

A new game from the developer of Syndicate had been kickstarted. Satellite Reign promises to be a spiritual successor to Syndicate. Check it out!

The Duke Nukem Platformer pack has been released on Steam. This contains the first two Duke Nukem side scrollers plus the newer Manhattan Project game.

A kickstarter movie project about the history of Sierra On-Line needs our help!

A trailer for the new Tex Murphy game, the Tesla Effect has released. It gives you a good idea of the look of the game.

Finally, the creative director for the new SimCity has left EA to form his own company. He also took two other senior people along with him.

We then read a quick email from Andreas where he talks about a cool blog about a foreigner living in Japan.

We then get to the main event, Freespace. We talk about the game in depth as we always do.

Buy Freespace on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/freespace_expansion

Buy Freespace 2 on GoG:
http://www.gog.com/gamecard/freespace_2

Next time, we'll be covering the 1993 4X strategy title, Master of Orion.

Stream the show live:
[audio src="http://umbcast.com/podcast/034-UMBCast-Freespace.mp3"]

Direct download:
http://umbcast.com/podcast/034-UMBCast-Freespace.mp3

Hello everyone, time for a long overdue news episode. In n effort to further play around with the format of the news shows, I'm joined by my buddy and fellow retro game enthusiast Brian Demodulated (https://twitter.com/demodulated). He is the host of the ever-amazing Square Waves FM podcast (http://squarefm.demodulated.com/) and I thought it'd be fun to get some of his thoughts on recent happenings in the world of retro-ish game news.

Here's the rundown of stories we cover:

Star Citizen:
http://www.pcgamer.com/chris-roberts-star-citizen-will-speak-for-itself/

New Wacky Wheels:
http://wackywheelsracing.com/

How GOG.com Save And Restore Classic Videogames:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/16/how-gog-com-save-and-restore-classic-videogames/

13 years after release, Age of Mythology gets a new expansion:
http://www.vg247.com/2015/09/21/13-years-after-release-age-of-mythology-gets-a-new-expansion/

The Red Baron prepares to fly again:
http://www.polygon.com/2015/9/22/9354153/the-red-baron-is-ready-to-fly-again

BATTLETECH by Harebrained Schemes
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/webeharebrained/battletech

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (AGI) - Adventure remake is in the works!
http://www.indieretronews.com/2015/09/leisure-suit-larry-in-land-of-lounge.html

Armikrog:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/334120/

Recent SpaceVenture update:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spaceventure/two-guys-spaceventure-by-the-creators-of-space-que/posts/1367531

Video Game Story Bundle 7:
http://storybundle.com/games

Next time, we'll be covering the Looking Glass/Origin combat RPG series, System Shock.

Enjoy!

This week we did something very special. I got together with some of my Patrons and we had an incredibly fun discussion (and quite a few drinks) all about our gaming firsts. Early gaming memories, first CD ROM games, first gaming machines, music, sound cards, pirating and much, much more.



Thanks very much to all the patrons for making this discussion possible and thanks especially to Brian, Troels, Tomer and AmayriotAkago for taking two hours out of their Saturdays to participate.


Note: This is a bunch of us hanging around and drinking, so suffice it to say we swear a bit. Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be looking at the 1993 space sim/trading game, Wing Commander: Privateer.

Enjoy!

It's time for episode 40, where I am covering the 1995 LucasArts FPS series, Dark Forces/Jedi Knight.

Before that though, the news:

Damon Slye has launched and retracted a Red Baron Kickstarter.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun has done an interesting compare/contrast review of Dungeon Keeper vs. War for the Overworld.

Trilobyte Games has launched a kickstarter to develop the third game in the 7th Guest series.

From Blizcon 2013, Blizzard has a team working on bringing the original two Warcraft RTS games to modern PCs.

We then discuss the four games in Dark Forces / Jedi Knight series. All the usual suspects and a ton of your emails!

Buy the Jedi Knight collection on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/sub/2103/?snr=1_7_15__13

Next time, we'll be covering the 1993 horror adventure, the 7th Guest.

Welcome to episode 10! This time around we go deep into the mines with Parallax Software's amazing 1995 FPS, Descent.

As usual, before we get into that, a bit of news:

First of all, I joined the GoG.com affiliate program. So, if you were planning to pick up any of the games I talk about on the show, I'd really appreciate it if you went to GoG via the show site as it gives me a small kickback that I can use to cover some of the show's expenses. You can get there by clicking the GoG banners in the right hand column!

Aside from that, last week's Red Baron show led me to check out some current games in the flight sim genre and I came across Microsoft Flight. It's free to play so I'll definitely be giving it a whirl in the near future.

Finally, I blogged about a really cool article earlier in the week. In it, one of the original developers of Warcraft: Orcs vs. Humans talks about the very beginnings of that seminal game. It's a great read!

I read an email from BJ, where he provides a bit of additional info on emulation, which I talked about back in episode 6.

Then, on to the main topic, 1995's Descent. I cover the usual suspects and talk about some cool and different ways to play it today ending off with some listener voicemails.

Buy Descent from GoG.com

Descent source port downloads: DXX-Rebirth and D2X-XL.

Next time, I'll be talking about the unique LucasArts adventure game from 1990, Loom. Hope to see you then!

It's high time for another Patreon hangout. This time, Brian, Martin, Akago, Tomer, Troels and I got together to chat about remakes, remasters, spritual successors, reissues, sequels and even more all relating to our favourite DOS and pre-Windows XP games.

As with last time, it was a blast and I have to thank the participants both for their support and their participation.

Support the show on Patreon:
http://www.patreon.com/umbcast

Next time, I'll be looking at the 1996 Activision FMV adventure, Spycraft: The Great Game.