Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Astro Blaster

March 1981 - Sega / Gremlin

Key People: Gary Shannon, Barbara Michalec

This fixed shooter came out as the golden age of the genre was getting going. The player controls a spaceship and battles through waves of enemies. While this is the basics for the genre, the game adds monitoring of functions in the ship. You have to make sure the temperature and ship’s lasers don’t overheat. Players also have to make sure the fuel doesn’t run out. The game went on to be in multiple classic game compilations and even made an appearance as an arcade cabinet in the Dreamcast classic Shenmue.

Castle Wolfenstein

September 1981 - Muse Software

Key People: Silas Warner, Dale Gray, George Varndell

You are a prisoner of war during World War II being kept in Castle Wolfenstein. The player breaks out and must navigate through the castle to find Nazi secrets and escape. It uses a top-down perspective and is one of the first games to use stealth mechanics. The rooms in the castle are procedurally generated and the player can loot enemies and open chests. The game was a huge success, becoming one of the top selling games in the early 1980s. It received praise as a technical and graphical showing. Castle Wolfenstein would go on to be the first in a cult favorite franchise that’s still around to this day.

Centipede

August 1981 - Atari

Key People: Dona Bailey, Ed Logg

One of the games associated with the golden age of arcades, Centipede is a fixed shooter that has the player shoot down a segmented titular creature that makes its way down the screen. You also encounter creatures and enemies that drop down as well. Each creature and segment of a centipede gives you specific points to add to your score. It was developed by arcade gaming era icons Ed Logg and Dona Bailey. Dona was one of the first female game developers to make a hit game and Centipede in turn became one of the first games to become hugely popular with female players during a time when gaming focused primarily on male demographics. It is a symbol of the pre-NES era gaming years.

Defender

March 1981 - Taito / Williams Electronics

Key People: Eugene Jarvis, Larry DeMar

Developed by pinball engineer Eugene Jarvis, with Larry DeMar providing help, Defender is a scrolling shooter that was made from the inspiration of the space shooters that had become the most popular genre in the arcades. The game’s audio and graphics were praised and considered as a hardware showcase for arcade gaming. The use of the horizontal aspect for a shoot ‘em up crated a new sub genre for the space shooters. A port for the game was made in 1982 for the Atari VCS and went on to sell over 3 million copies.

Donkey Kong

July 9, 1981 - Nintendo

Key People: Shigeru Miyamoto, Gunpei Yokoi

With Nintendo’s RadarScope proving to be a commercial failure and the company being stuck with unsold arcade cabinets, they looked to the unproven Shigeru Miyamoto to replace the game with a hit. The toy company was struggling to break into the world of video games and they were waiting on that one big hit. Luckily for them, Miyamoto would deliver an all-time classic. You play as Jumpman, who must rescue Pauline from the clutches of the gorilla with the titular name of Donkey Kong. The monkey throws barrels and obstacles as you climb the construction sites to reach your girlfriend and rescue her. Taking a lot of inspiration from the Popeye cartoons, the game became a mega hit that went beyond video games and into mainstream pop culture. It not only catapulted Nintendo as a major name in the video game industry, but began the career of the man many consider the greatest video games developer of all time. Jumpman would also get a new name later down the road and become the face of the entire industry.

Eastern Front (1941)

August 1981 - Atari Program Exchange

Key People: Chris Crawford

Atari had a program called the APX (Atari Program Exchange) which would let smaller and independent developers make games for their 8-bit computers and mail them out to customers. Chris Crawford took advantage of the program to make Eastern Front (1941), a strategy war game that had players control the Germans during their invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. It became such a hit, Atari went ahead and made an official cartridge to sell. The game’s critical response was off the charts, with Computer Gaming World calling it one of the most impressive games they had seen at the time. Interestingly, Chris released the source code of the game in 2013, setting it up for preservation.

Fantasy

October 1981 - SNK / Rock-Ola

Developed and published by SNK, Fantasy is an action game that became notable for its sound design. You play as Tom, who has to rescue his girlfriend Cheri and uses a hot air balloon to travel to various parts in his journey. The game has eight levels, with some chase sequences thrown in. While it’s not an absolute classic of the era, it is a technical and graphical marvel. The game has a good amount of color, variety, and personality. In many ways, it was an early showcase of the soon to come NES-era style of video games.

Frogger

August 1981 - Konami

Key People: Takahide Harima, Takeshi Hara

The simple but addicting game that has you play as a frog who has to cross through obstacles to reach an empty house. It went through a skeptical process during development as many didn’t expect the game to be popular. However, it found an audience with many, including female gamers who weren’t as crazy about the many shoot ‘em ups taking over the industry at the time. Today, Frogger is one of the few games that even non-gamers know, proving many of the detractors in the corporate process wrong.

Galaga

September 1981 - Namco / Midway

Key People: Shigeru Yokoyama

The sequel to Galaxian, Galaga is a continuation of that title as you take down the invading enemies. The player has to watch out from being caught by a tractor beam as well. It also has bosses in the form of “Boss Galaga” which accompanies the wave of enemies in each level. Galaga has gone on to become one of the most famous video games of the 1980s and is synonymous with arcade shoot ‘em ups.

Gorf

February 1981 - Midway, Dave Nutting Associates

Key People: Jamie Fenton

Another game in the popular arcade fixed shooters, Gorf has players go through five varied levels with different approaches, including a Space Invaders inspired one and another inspired by Galaxian. As you play, you can advance your ranks going from Space Cadet to Space Avenger. The sound design for the time is impressive, which the robotic voice of an enemy heckling the player. Interestingly, the game was originally going to be an adaptation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Eventually, it became its own game. The main designer for the game is Jamie Fenton, who is a mainstay in computer technology and worked in some capacity in several early video games. Fenton transitioned from male to female in the late 90s and has been an active member of the community and its causes.

Kaboom!

July 1981 - Activision

Key People: Larry Kaplan

A talented group of designers left Atari and formed Activision to receive better payout and recognition. Kaboom! is one of their first titles and is heavily inspired by 1978’s Avalanche. You have to stop a mad bomber, who is dropping bombs down and you have to catch them with a bucket of water. The game was made by gaming and computer graphics icon Larry Kaplan, with David Crane in charge of the graphics. The game went on to help Activision achieve record profits at the time. It received high praise for its animations and graphics.

Raster Blaster

1981 - BudgeCo

Key People: Bill Budge

A simple game that copies the golden era mechanical pinball cabinets and turns it into a video game. Despite its simplicity, Raster Blaster showed the still fun nature of the classic and much older pinball mechanics for gaming. It was released for the Apple II computers, and eventually made its way to Atari’s 8-bit computer line. Raster Blaster became the best example of a well done pinball video game and has gone on to inspire many future pinball simulated games.

Scramble

March 1981 - Konami / Stern Electronics

This game has players control a futuristic craft that explores and traverses different terrains, dealing with obstacles and enemy tanks. It quickly jumped up in the charts and became one of the most successful games of the early 1980s. For Konami, it was their first mega hit and put the company on the map. Scramble has gone to get multiple re-releases and is seen as a staple of the scrolling shooters of the pre-NES era.

Stargate / Defender II

October 21, 1981 - Williams Electronics / Vid Kidz

Key People: Eugene Davis, Larry Demar

Believe it or not, this is a sequel to a game released in the same year and on this list - Defender. With the success of said game, its sequel began production immediately and was released for the fall season. It’s a scrolling horizontal shooter that plays similar to its predecessor but adds new enemies and weapons for the player to use. In many ways, its Defender perfected. Later on, the game was renamed in some countries to Defender II for legal reasons, and it’s most likely the name you will find it with in many of the classic game compilations and re-releases.

Tempest

October 1981 - Atari

Key People: Dave Theurer

One of the more technical impressive games of the era, Tempest has you play in a 3D surface which is divided into different lanes. You control a blaster that sits on the edge and goes from segment to segment to fire shots at enemies. It started out as yet another inspiration of Space Invaders, but the game’s concept changed as development progressed. The game became known for its impressive graphics, especially its use of three-dimensional space in the 8-bit arcade and computer era.

Ultima

June 1981 - California Pacific / Origin Systems

Key People: Richard Garriott, Kenneth W. Arnold

Created by Richard Garriott and establishing the role-playing series of the same name, Ultima would later be known as Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness. The evil wizard Mondain is using the Gem of Immortality to enslave the world and you must find the gem to be able to defeat him. The Stranger comes from another world to take the wizard down and the player must guide the character through an open world space that includes dungeon crawling. Ultima is considered the first open world adventure computer game and is seen as a the defining game that established many of the norms in the role-playing genre. It has character creation and points you can assign to various stats like charisma and strength. The player also has multiple races to pick from. It’s pretty impressive the range of features and gameplay mechanics the game gives for the time it was released.

There’s no doubt that Ultima is in many ways the start of what we now consider the Western RPG genre. At the time, many considered it to be the greatest video game ever made and it received critical acclaim from early gaming media. It would launch a franchise and inspire many future ones in return.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Adventure

March 1980 - Atari

Key People: Warren Robinett

One of the most important games in gaming history, Adventure has the player control an avatar to bring a chalice to the castle, traversing an open environment filled with monsters. The player could get eaten or stopped by dragons or a bat that can move stolen items. The creator, Warren Robinett, had dealt with issues making the game due to the Atari 2600’s limitations and issues with Atari corporate. Atari was against giving credit to its developers and programmers, so Robinett put what some consider the first video game easter egg - his name. Players could find it in a secret room. This alone made the game’s status legendary and was a major plot point in book and film Ready Player One. The game was an early inspiration for many future fantasy and action adventure games. It went on to be one of Atari’s million plus unit sellers.

Battlezone

November 1980 - Atari / Sega / Taito

Key People: Ed Rotberg, Owen Rubin, Roger Hector

With wire frame vector graphics, drive around a tank using the arcade cabinet’s two joysticks to traverse and take down obstacles. The game was a commercial success and received some awards from early gaming magazines. The 3D first-person vector styled graphics has helped to have some call it one of the first virtual reality games. The tank combat game earned a legacy as one of the premier early titles in the industry, and helped influence many future games.

Crazy Balloon

March 1980 - Taito

The player controls a box, which has a balloon tied around it and swings back and forth as you traverse a spike filled maze. It was another pick and up play score focused title that obviously was built with taking as much quarters from players as it could. The game was one 1980’s successful arcade machines and has been packaged in later arcade compilations. With the industry moving on from these type of games later in the decade, this one came out just in time to take advantage of the popularity of the genre before it waned.

Crazy Climber

October 1980 - Taito, Nichibutsu, Jorudan

Key People: Shigeki Fujiwara

This popular game has you climb up a massive skyscraper as enemies, monsters, and obstacles try to stop you. Why are they trying to stop you? Well, there’s no official story given as to why, but it’s an addicting title that became massively popular. This would also be the first of a new genre that would become known as “climbing games” and influence Donkey Kong. The game became one of the more financially successful arcade titles in 1980. It provided a great gameplay loop with challenge, but fun, and led the way for the new ideas coming into the industry for the the 1980s decade.

Missile Command

June 1980 - Atari

Key People: Dave Theurer, Rich Adam

The player has to defend six cities from destruction as ballistic missiles come down. It’s an easy and basic idea, but one that proved to be addicting and one of the year’s popular titles. It became a hit based on its colorful graphics and challenging gameplay. Later on, the game got many clones and remakes in the future.

Mystery House

May 5, 1980 - On-Line Systems

Key People: Roberta Williams, Ken Williams

Mystery House is one of the first horror games released. It’s not exactly scary, being more of an adventure title. You traverse a mysterious house looking for treasure. Suddenly, dead people begin to appear and you must look for the murderer. The game is played with typing commands rather than moving the player. You’ll uncover secrets as you traverse the room. This is a pretty unique idea for a game at the time and I can see why it became popular. It’s also notable that it was created by Roberta Williams, making it one of the first titles with female involvement in Games of Impact.

Nintendo Game & Watch: Ball

April 28, 1980 - Nintendo

Key People: Gunpei Yokoi

Nintendo launched their Game & Watch handheld systems out to the market in 1980. The systems used similar LCD type technology that calculators used, offering many different games. The first one was called Ball, and introduced the concept, as well as the character Mr. Game and Watch. This simple juggling game became that match that would get the most infamous video game company to go from a toy company to revolutionizing the industry.

Pac-Man

May 22, 1980 - Namco

Key People: Toru Iwatani

The game that became the first massive pop culture phenomenon and began to slowly but surely make video games more mainstream, Pac-Man stormed the market and became one of the most successful games of all time. The concept is simple, avoid ghosts that are chasing you in a maze structure, collecting as many dots as possible and even getting the chance to eat the ghosts back. The character of Pac-Man became the first really popular video game character and led to merchandising, cartoons, and a song.

Rogue

1980 - Epyx, A.I. Desgn

Key People: Michael Toy, Glenn Wichman, Ken Arnold, Jon Lane

Becoming popular with college students at the time, Rogue is a dungeon crawler that has players traverse enemy filled dungeons looking for weapons and treasure. As an adventurer you had to get to the bottom most level of the dungeon to retrieve an amulet. It was played with an overhead view rather than the text-based games most adventure titles of the time used. The game provided a template for the procedural generated concept and established the roguelike genre.

Zork I

1980 - Personal Software, Infocom

Key People: Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Dave Lebling, Bruce Daniels

Zork I is actually more of a remake of a 1977 game that was a beta at the same time. This version was more of the true full release and became pretty popular with a cult following. It’s another text-based adventure game, but which received constant updates and re-releases. The game has the ability to turn into a multiplayer title, making it one of the first massively multiplayer adventure games. There would be more versions and sequels released in the future.

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Halo: Campaign Evolved

Xbox Game Studios, Halo Studios / PC, XBSX, PS5

Played on Xbox Series X

Story & Lore

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a remake of the 2001 mega hit Halo: Combat Evolved, which not only launched a franchise but helped launch Xbox. How fitting is it that for the 25th anniversary, we get a full-blown remake, along with a surprise PS5 port? For gamers who have played it, they know the drill. Members of the UNSC Pillar of Autumn spaceship are forced to evacuate after an attack from their alien enemy, the Covenant, a coalition of religious fanatic aliens. With them is one of the last Spartans, John-117, who awakes to take point and help. They crash land on a mysterious artifact called Halo that acts almost like a planet as well, with its own ecosystem. As they investigate, Master Chief and his AI companion Cortana become involved in a long-running secret that could wipe out the universe.

This story is still timeless, even if it does have some generic parts 25 years later. This remake sticks to the same story but does add a couple of new lines that provide more context, especially since much of the lore started to show up in the sequels. As a huge fan of the franchise, it felt great to play through this journey again.

Characters & Writing

For Halo fans, all your favorites are here. The almost silent badass, Master Chief, the sassy but informative Cortana, the Covenant, Captain Keyes, Sgt. Johnson, and the major threat that’s the real villain of the original trilogy. It’s been a while since my last Halo experience, so seeing Chief in action reminded me how much of a true badass he is. He has a Clint Eastwood 1970s archetype that’s always been super cool. Cortana is still the memorable and lovable AI I remembered from back in the day, which is nice after the polarizing direction they took her after the original trilogy. What surprised me was that Sgt. Johnson came off a little corny to me at times. I think it’s because it’s been 25 years, and a lot of his lines show their age and come off as generic, although I still like the character.

The Covenant are still easy to love as you shoot them up villains of the game. They did add a couple of lines from the sequels, such as calling Chief the Demon and you being told about the Prophets ahead of time, specifically because you meet the Prophet of Harmony in the bonus missions. The big threat of the Flood is introduced here so well that it reminded me of the shock I had when I played the original. It’s a testament to the developers and writing team that they still made that moment feel the way it did.

As I said, most of this is the same as the original game, but with some added lines and cut scenes that add more context to the story. While there will always be nostalgia to play this the original way, I do feel the story is presented here better than the 2001 release did.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Halo made the console FPS famous, but that was back in 2001. Purists will decry the faster pacing and ability to sprint, as well as weapons from future games being available, including the energy sword. For me, I see it as being aware that the game’s age will feel like it’s holding back a lot compared to what you can do in an FPS these days. I liked these changes, and I liked the faster pacing. I didn’t feel it interfered with the game’s original vision in any way. The guns fire and feel good with each shot, and even if you tend to stick to one or two, you’ll want to check how the others handle. The grenades and power-ups are perfect, although power-ups are a little more limited than previous Halo titles. I’m not sure if I missed something, but I didn’t see any healing packs, so I had to be a little more patient when waiting for my health to regenerate.

As for the vehicles, I wasn’t crazy about how they handled. Now granted, they’ve never felt right in any of the series, but I especially felt it when using the warthog, which made the final big moment of the game a little more frustrating than I remembered. That’s not to say they are completely broken; it just takes some time to get a handle on how to pilot and shoot.

The bonus missions in the game are a mini prequel before the events of the campaign. I personally felt they should’ve warned you it’s a little more advanced, as that could confuse newcomers because you’re immediately put in with a bunch of strong weapons and enemies, including the Brutes. I also felt these missions were shockingly generic and sort of got boring, but I did think the final act was the best part, and it was cool to pilot around space.

This isn’t a hard game, although there is a difficulty spike near the end, and if you get annoyed with dying a few times, moving it to easy is a big help. I also thought the levels tended to overstay their welcome and drag in the middle with needless raids, but again, that’s more of a product of its time, which I can forgive, but newcomers may not. Despite this, these are still fun to play, and two levels I LOATHED in the past, The Library and The Maw, were changed up a bit to be more accessible and fun, which is a huge kudos to the team.

World & Level Design

When you do a remake rather than a remaster, the trick is to make it feel the same while trying to add in some new flavor. Campaign Evolved accomplishes this, as the level design is still the same wide open spaces as you fight enemies, but keeps a linear pacing without confusing the player. The attention to detail, especially when it comes to the environments around the Flood, is amazing. There is no getting stuck here, and newcomers won’t be confused about what they have to do or how to traverse.

Audio & Sound Design

The nostalgic sound design, score, and music of Halo are all here. The rifle, pistol, and plasma weapons have their distinct sounds. The Covenant still chat among themselves and thrash talk - or, in some cases, run away. Cortana chimes in at the right time, and the Marines sound like a group in real time. The iconic Halo music is here - of course. The score is faithfully restored, and also, to me, it felt like it had more punch in it. Since it’s been a bit, I forgot how bone-chilling the main Halo theme can get when it kicks in at the right time.

Art Direction & Graphics

The Halo series seems to have struggled finding the right game engine post-Bungie era, and despite their tireless work on the Slipspace engine, Halo Infinite’s development struggled with it. This time around, we have Unreal Engine 5. Now, UE5 has been more polarizing than its previous versions, so I was interested to see how a remake of Halo would look here, and if it would keep the personality of the art direction it had. Well, I’m happy to say that not only does Campaign Evolved keep the art style you expect, but the game is ridiculously gorgeous. It’s crazy how good everything looks, and mind you, I was a defender of how Halo Infinite looked. The environments, character models, vehicles, particle effects, reflections - I mean everything looks incredible. This is not only one of the best looking Halo games ever, but one of the better looking games of the generation. They should’ve gone this direction a long time ago.

Direction & Performances

Even though about 98% of the voice lines are the same, they had new recordings rather than reusing the older ones. I think this makes sense since you have new cinematic cut scenes that the 2001 and Anniversary releases didn’t have. Captain Keyes has a new voice actor, Keith Silverstein, and he tries to replicate the voice of Peter Stacker, but it sounds like a weird knockoff. That’s not a hit against him, just something you notice if you played the original. Steve Downes and Jen Taylor reprise the more important roles of Master Chief and Cortana. Taylor’s tone with Cortana is a little different here; she sounds more assertive at times and more lively and emotional. My thinking is they’re trying to make sure things tie better with the future of the story and how important Cortana becomes.

The game direction is solid considering this was a remake. Directors Max Szalgor and Greg Hermann deserve props for making this feel like Halo: Combat Evolved, but also in some ways being its own game.

User Experience

The accessibility in this remake has been upgraded and made a whole lot better compared to the original game. You can adjust difficulty options to better fit your needs, and there are new features to make the best possible experience for users, including visual and audio adjustments. The menu screen and navigation are easy and mimic the original game, even down to the quick loading screen easter egg, despite the era of SSDs.

One note, however, is that some features, such as going third-person, require finding skulls, a collectible that adds features you can turn on, which have been a staple of the series. I only found one skull, which apparently adds fog; I have been notoriously bad at finding skulls in Halo games. I think it’s kind of stupid to keep a new feature like third-person mode (even though that’s heresy to play like that in here) behind a hard-to-find collectible. Just something to remember if you’re interested in that mode.

Replay Value

Considering I replayed the original 2001 game a bunch when I had my original Xbox, I’m sure this one will get just as much play when I need to just play a quick level someday. While I do think the levels are a bit longer than they should be, they are still very fun to go through, shoot all the enemies, and progress. You can adjust difficulties and add in co-op with a friend, and I can see the high replay value, despite not coming with a multiplayer mode. Sure, some people will play it and then move on, but for big fans you’ll keep coming back every now and then.

Recommendation

I think there are two types of people I would recommend this to. If you have never played Halo, but you’re curious or want to fix a blind spot, you’ll want to start with this one. I’m all for going back and playing either the 2001 original or 2011 remaster, but considering this remake modernizes certain aspects and adds more weapons, I think this is a better way to try out the series. If you’re a big time fan or lapsed Halo fan, come on in because the water is just fine. A lot of current and former fans are going to have nostalgic memories playing this, which in a world in need of escapes is perfect. If you are a big Call of Duty head, unless you’re willing to accept certain drawbacks and that this doesn’t have multiplayer, it becomes a little harder to recommend it.

A - Great

I went back and forth with what grade to give Halo: Campaign Evolved, but I ultimately realized I just had too much fun not to give it an A. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have some aspects that could be done better - vehicle controls, levels can drag a bit, bonus missions are disappointing. However, a lot of these remakes and remasters come down to how nostalgic you are and how much fun you have, so you excuse those aged parts. I didn’t have the nostalgia for Star Fox that others did, but I could see it was a great way to get the franchise rolling again. I can see a newcomer coming away seeing this more as a good game, but not great; but for me, I do have that nostalgia, and I had such fun going back to this adventure and the memories it brought back. I just hope the rumors of more remakes are true and the franchise can finally start to get back some of that mystique it once had. Until then, Master Chief sleeps… until you wake him… when you need him.

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Moss: The Forgotten Relic

Polyarc / PC, PS5, XBSX, NSW, NSW2

Played on Nintendo Switch 2

Story & Lore

The game opens as you, a Reader, find a book and are transported to a fantasy land. You meet and help Quill, a small mouse who gets hold of a glass relic that is sought out by many. Quill finds herself on an epic adventure to save her uncle, who has been kidnapped by Sarffog, a giant snake. Along the way, you’ll learn about the history of the land and meet several side characters, each with their own motivations to help or potentially stop you.

As you go through Book One and Book Two, the story and lore expand, which I love because it adds to that adventure feel that books like The Lord of the Rings have done, where things start simple and then expand more and more. It’s presented in a storybook narrative, and I love how it feels like a storybook tale you would read to a kid at bedtime while still raising the stakes in the plot as you progress. I can feel The Tale of Despereaux’s influence.

Characters & Writing

The writing comes off as a storybook-type narrative, like a big fantasy story for kids. The speaking is done through narration, voiced by Morla Gorrondona, who does a great job making it feel like I’m listening to an audiobook. The marriage of the storybook style, as well as explaining that you, the player, are a reader, a godlike being important to the story, is a mix of interesting plotline, with a breaking the fourth wall tone.

We have our protagonist, Quill, a young mouse who finds herself teaming up with you and growing stronger as she becomes the hero of the story. There’s definitely a hero’s journey arc going on with her. Through the story, you’ll see her grow from timid to more confident and really lead the charge by the final act. The best part is how connected you begin to feel with her, as the player can high-five her after major moments, which I found to be such a cool and heartfelt touch. Quill’s arc may not be as cinematic as Ellie from The Last of Us or Atsu in Ghost of Yotei, but she’s grown to be one of my favorite video game heroines.

The character ensemble is great, starting with Uncle Argus, a former hero who fears Quill getting wrapped up in the larger events of the world, and whose kidnapping is the catalyst for her journey. Aderyn, a starling, who plays a role as an untrustworthy sidekick, actually has a deeper arc than you would think, and I found his arc as sort of both a hero and a villain to be intriguing. Sahima is a side character who comes to help Quill in Book II but is reluctant. There’s a huge toad that’s snarky with you, but you need their help to get stronger. Veda, a forest guardian who doesn’t seem to have a lot of trust in Quill saving the land. Of course, we have the villains.

Moss Book I has a giant snake as the big bad, Sarffog. While mostly a scary monster that we see in the final act, his presence and the tension whenever you see him are felt. The Book II villain is more ingrained in the overarching story - Tylan, a huge owl that has no problem hurting others to get the glass relics. Then we have the true villain in the whole story, who I will keep to myself to prevent spoilers, but it’s an interesting twist that I dug. Overall, while these villains aren’t going to be known for their memorable motivations and lines, they do have presence and feel like genuine threats in the story that you’re happy to take down by the end.

These characters are what make Moss. They are memorable and charming as can be, and they left a lasting impression on me.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Moss: The Forgotten Relic is an interesting case study of a popular VR game, translated for traditional flat screen experiences. The game is a package of two games in the franchise, made for modern traditional consoles after years in the VR space. So, did they nail the transformation, while still keeping it easy to pick up and play for normal controls? Yes… well outside of one thing.

The game has the viewpoint of the Reader, as in you, the player, overlooking a room or area as Quill looks to solve a puzzle to continue, while dodging enemies every now and then. The Reader can also interact, such as controlling enemies and helping grow new paths, to help Quill in her journey. The Reader is controlled mostly by using the right stick, and it sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it does. Somehow, it just works, and it reminds me of how well Nintendo was able to make Skyward Sword’s motion controls transform to normal controls.

The puzzles are usually solved by the mechanics of the Reader, and most of them are pretty much about finding a way to get higher or get to a switch or open a path. In Book II, the mechanics expand, and you learn later to use weapons as the Reader to take down certain enemies and obstacles. As for Quill, you’ll have the ability to fight back against enemies with her sword, or other weapons that are introduced in Book II. Combat with Quill isn’t bad, but it can get tense as you’ll have enemies coming at you, and you can get overwhelmed quickly if you play it too slow. I did feel the waves of enemies always lasted a bit longer than they should have. Also to note, in Book II, switching between weapons isn’t snappy or quick, which doesn’t hurt the game, but isn’t great.

As for boss fights, there aren’t many of them in the game, but they do a good job making them memorable. The final boss of Book II in particular was a really well done final battle. These battles are more than just waving your sword to get damage, as the majority of them have puzzle-like aspects to get your hits in.

The main gripe I had with the game overall, and this is where the translation from VR to flat fell short in my view, was the camera angles. Now, there are times that the camera is just fine, but there are so many areas where the camera became an issue for me to understand what I needed to do. This was especially annoying in chase scenes, including the final scene in Book I, where the weird camera angles kept confusing me when I needed to jump to certain platforms. Again, it’s not all the time, but when it shows up, it did frustrate me. Now, it’s not game-ending or even controlling throwing badly, but it’s something that kept rearing its ugly head every now and then.

World & Level Design

The world of Moss is incredible. The storybook narrative translates well with the environment and architecture you see throughout the game. The levels are essentially areas that act as rooms for you to solve puzzles and fight enemies, and they almost guide you towards what you have to do subtly. I never got stuck or felt like there was bad design in any of the levels. Even if you get lost for whatever reason, it’s easy to find your way back. Again, the only issue was the camera angle, which, a few times, gave me issues knowing where to go, but those times were extremely rare and more of a product of the game originally being made for VR.

Audio & Sound Design

Sound design is solid for this one. The sound effects and animal sounds add to the experience, but the overall soundtrack, while not bad, isn’t very memorable. Don’t get me wrong; this is a good, solid score as you play, but there’s not a lot of variety, and themes are reused for boss fights and battles. Again, definitely not a bad soundtrack, just not memorable enough for me to recall much of it.

Art Direction & Graphics

While this isn’t going to win points for incredible graphics, the art direction and art style fit the story and looks ageless, taking a page from Nintendo‘s art design. The best part is the attention to detail with the characters. Every character has their own unique body language, and Quill’s small motions with her hands and head tell a story in themselves. The art style fits the storybook aesthetic , so they did a great job having all of that tie in together.

Direction & Performances

Not much to write here, as the performance is down to the narration. But, as mentioned before, Morla Gorrondona does a great job sounding like I’m reading a well-done audiobook. The game direction helps navigate players like an invisible hand, and everything you see comes together perfectly without losing its personality. You can feel the love and passion the director had for this one.

User Experience

Considering this game was originally made for VR, it was always going to be tough to make this work on a flat screen, but Polyarc nailed it. Again, a few bad moments with the camera, but outside of that, it felt easy to play in the best way possible. The ability to interact with Quill and give her high-fives did help add some emotion to caring about her, which is a testament to making a connection using technology. I think players are going to come away with more love for her because they make you feel like she’s a friend every time you interact.

Replay Value

Both books are not long games, which, as someone who has issues with how long games have become, I appreciate. There are some collectibles you can pursue, so there is replay value to be had there. I also think that because both books are short, you won’t mind going back and playing one or both every now and then. When you consider that this game is $20, that’s a great deal.

Recommendation

If you are looking for a simple, charming game with a bit of a kick in the story, I think Moss is very easy to recommend. It has that timeless charm that Nintendo tends to master, where age and gameplay preference won’t matter because you get lost in the characters and the world. I would highly recommend this to pretty much anyone looking for a quick single-player story to pass the time or just relax.

A - Great

Moss: The Forgotten Relic is a charming, almost cozy, single-player adventure that leaves an impression. It’s like a childhood fantasy storybook come to life. The interaction with Quill only makes you love her more and connect with her journey. Polyarc deserves all the praise for being able to mostly translate it well to flat screens, considering that was not the original intent. By the end of it, I was left wanting more from this world, Quill, and the side characters introduced throughout the story. I hope this isn’t the end of Quill’s journey because I want more. A wonderfully charming experience.

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From the Archives - Here’s an article I released on October 2025, but a subject that means a lot to me. It’s also relevant in the current discussion around video game ownership and all that. I’m covering for a co-worker and essentially doing two jobs right now, so sitting down and writing is tough to do. However, I expect to come back strong by next week. This article for those who missed it, is about the prospect of lost video games, and why they are going to be a thing similar to lost films. I left this unedited, only changing some formatting.

Lost Media

We have a major problem coming to video games that gamers are ignoring. I’m talking about the inevitable future of lost video games joining the ranks of lost media. To a certain extent, we are already there with some arcade cabinets that have become rare items, sought after by people who are hunting them down. However, most of those games have received re-releases or are part of the numerous arcade classic compilations released over the years. What I’m referring to are games that have been stuck on specific consoles and don’t seem to ever have re-releases planned for modern hardware.

I first started to think about this when I realized how young the video game industry is. In my opinion, it’s the most significant issue facing the industry. Lately, I started watching a lot of YouTube mini documentaries and video essays about lost films. See, when Hollywood began making movies during the Silent Era, preservation was never on people’s minds. There was a fear that this was all a fad, and there was a brief moment when the scandals of the 1920s became so numerous that the movie industry began to face a major image problem due to murders, loose morals among celebrities, and a Mob-like mentality within studios. Eventually, some in the industry began to realize that preservation was a problem for the industry as the first talking films emerged, or “talkies” as they were initially called.

As movies began to incorporate sound and the industry slowly entered its Golden Age period, studios would either record over old film libraries or store them in vast warehouses. The problem with these warehouses, however, is that it got really hot in Los Angeles, and the films were on nitrate reels, which could easily catch fire and degrade. This came to a head when Fox lost almost its entire Silent Film library when its vault of films caught fire in 1937. At the time, executives said it was okay because “only old films were destroyed”. Today, we know the unimaginable amount of history and art that was lost in the fire.

Among those lost in the Fox Vault fire was Cleopatra. Before Elizabeth Taylor’s 1963 over-budget adaptation, we had the 1917 version. William Fox, the founder of Fox Film Corporation, produced this movie. It featured one of the first sex symbols of Hollywood, Theda Bara. Bara was seen as a beautiful young woman (even though she was lying about her age) who rocketed to superstardom after starring in the film A Fool There Was, forming the archetype of a femme fatale. The movie was a success, but has gone on to become one of the “holy grails” of silent movie hunters. There’s about a minute or more left of the film and production stills, but that’s it. On an even sadder note for its lead actress, Bara’s legacy has been lost to time, as almost her entire catalog of work is lost. In fact, Bara had a sad moment while talking to a young actress about playing her in an autobiography before she passed away; she found that her personal storage had degraded so badly that the films were unwatchable. Today, despite being a mega star in her day, Bara’s work has gone forgotten.

The Lost Games

That brings me to the problem of eventually lost video games. We have a lot going on here. First, we have the hardware problem. Due to the “console wars”, we have games that are stuck on old platforms and ecosystems. Luckily, a good number of these have been re-released on modern consoles in some form or fashion. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean we don’t have what I like to refer to as “stuck games”. These are games that are in danger of being lost because they’re tied to a single release on a console that is aging more and more. Examples include Bomberman 64, Star Fox Adventures, The Legend of Zelda BS, Snowboard Kids, Chameleon Twist, Mickey Mania, and Diddy Kong Racing. Could these games get re-releases? Yes. Do I expect some of these to be re-released in the future? Yes. Do I think they will all get re-releases? No.

Some of these games, which are in danger of becoming lost, pain me. The one that stands out is the Bomberman 64 trilogy from the N64. These are games I grew up with and still have memories from. I enjoy listening to the soundtrack, which is underrated. However, Konami does not appear to be interested in releasing this on modern consoles. They did receive Virtual Console releases, but as we know, the Virtual Console is no longer active and doesn’t seem like Nintendo plans to bring it back, given the success of the NSO service. There are also games I’m hoping we’ll get releases for soon, such as Diddy Kong Racing and Star Fox Adventures.

Now, I know you’re pointing out emulators. I have used emulators, and they are a good technology for accessing old games, but let’s be real, these have their own problems, including recent legal action from major companies. I don’t think emulators are easy to explain to some of the more “normie” video game consumers. There are also leaked source codes that help with preventing lost games. While Nintendo has re-released them to death, there was a part of me that was happy to see the source code for Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time leaked. Even though they were acquired in less savory ways, it ensured that two of the most consequential games of all time were even easier to preserve.

Lost and Found

However, I would like to offer hope before I conclude. Lost films are a thing, and unfortunately, there are still “holy grails” for film historians to look for, such as London After Midnight, Cleopatra, Titanic (the first adaptation), Pink Morning Cartoons, and more. That being said, we do have a long stretch of time where previously thought to be lost films have resurfaced. Fritz Lang’s Metropolis had been cut down so much that we felt the original copy had been lost. Then, a significant portion was discovered in Argentina in 2006, marking the closest we’ve come to seeing the original cut again. The ending to Freaks (1932) was found and added for the modern release. Wings, considered the first Academy Award-winning Picture of the Year, was thought to be lost before it was discovered in the Cinematheque Francaise film archive and restored. Video games are going to get lost, but I also think there will be ways they are “found” again.

In the case of games, it’s going to be about code, files, and re-releases since we’re not dealing with film reels. Again, leaked source codes are likely to become increasingly common as the industry matures and we encounter full-blown lost games. There’s also a chance we get surprise releases that delay the danger of a game going lost. For example, I thought Goldeneye 007, the N64 icon, was going to be a lost game for sure outside of emulators. The rights and approval needed for a re-release were too much. However, everyone finally got together and made it happen, and in 2023, we FINALLY got the game’s re-release on Xbox and Nintendo Switch. We saw the same with Super Mario Sunshine, a game stuck on GameCube, although its re-release was part of a controversial limited release. Glover, a childhood favorite, got a port to modern consoles recently! It seems that as my generation gains more influence in studios and boardrooms, the games we grew up with are getting a new chance at life.

As we move forward with new hardware, cultural changes, and industry shifts, we will have lost video games, just as we have lost films. Our goal is to minimize the list as much as possible. I didn’t even get a chance to talk about the 1970s and 1980s computer games, which have a long list of forgotten titles. It is estimated that 75% of the silent film era has been lost. We need to make sure video games don’t reach that number. As I’ve said before, preservation is the number one issue in the industry, and we must find ways to inform companies that we need to preserve our games and prevent the loss of video games. Luckily, we have a few organizations already working to combat this, such as the Video Game History Foundation. Let’s do our best to ensure we don’t lose this history.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Asteroids

November 1979 - Atari

Key People: Lyle Rains, Ed Logg

Developed by Atari icons Lyle Rains and Ed Logg, Asteroids actually brings back the old school days of gaming, taking inspiration from early titles like Spacewar! as you control a spaceship taking down asteroids and flying saucers. The game became a mega hit, following the success of Space Invaders to start a sci-fi boom in the video game space. The Atari VCS console variant sold over three million copies! Today, Asteroids is one of the most copied games and you can find all sorts of versions across multiple platforms.

Galaxian

September 1979 - Namco / Taito

Key People: Kazunori Sawano, Shigeichi Ishimura, Kōichi Tashiro

Tasked with creating an alternative to Space Invaders, Namco tapped Kazunori Sawano to lead a team to make a successful competitor title. Galaxian was born out of that and revolutionized gaming along the way. This was the first full RGB color graphics game, the first game with a tile-based hardware system, and the first game with scrolling effects. You control a ship and shoot at multiple aliens, who can dive down and attack you. The game has become a staple of the golden age of arcades and influenced Nintendo to use hardware sprite rendering to make their games.

Galaxy Wars

1979 - Taito / Universal

Another title made to take advantage of the Space Invaders phenomenon; Galaxy Wars does try to do things a little different. The player guides a missile through obstacles and a fleet of aliens. While a relatively simple, it’s one more game that shows the success and popularity of the “invaders” shooters that started to take over arcades.

Head-On

April 1979 - Sega / Gremlin

Key People: Lane Hauck

This Sega title has players navigate a maze to collect as many dots as possible for points, while avoiding collision with the other player. The game uses a lives system over a timer, something that was starting to become more of the norm in gaming. Head-On was one of the more critically successful games in 1979. The game’s system of dots and lives is very similar to future iconic game Pac-Man, potentially serving as an influence.

Heiankyo Alien (Digger)

November 1979 - University of Tokyo’s Theoretical Science Group / Gremlin

Key People: Itaru Kawakami, Mitsutoshi Tabata

Created at the University of Tokyo’s Theoretical Science Group, Heiankyo Alien would prove to be a popular title for PC players in Japan. It eventually released to the arcades and in North America was released under the name Digger by Sega’s Gremlin. You play as a cop who has to protect a city against an invading army of aliens. The player has to dig a hole to trap the aliens and score points, with a max of nine levels to play. The game influenced maze games and future titles that adopted the “dig” mechanic. It’s a great show of the emerging creativity of Japanese game developers.

Lunar Lander (1979)

REL - Atari

Key People: Wendi Allen, Rich Moore

The Lunar Lander video game is one of the more cloned games ever made. This is the 1979 variant which came from Atari and made the game more popular in the mainstream. It plays similar to the previous version, with a focus to land on the moon’s surface. With the Atari name behind it, this 1979 version helped make this style of game known beyond the original computer players of the early 70s.

Monaco GP

November 1979 - Sega / Gremlin

This racing title would set the standard for the next decade’s racers. It uses an overhead perspective and has the way narrow the more you play, as well as avoiding obstacles such as puddles. It became successful at the Japanese arcades and eventually picked up the same popularity in other countries as it released. It received critical acclaim across early video game magazines and quickly became a must play title for the year and early 80s. Eventually, Sega would bring the game back with newer versions for its consoles.

Sherrif

October 1979 - Nintendo / Exidy / Sega

Key People: Genyo Takeda

Sheriff was created by the Nintendo icon Genyo Takeda, who would become notable for his work on hardware. Sheriff uses the “damsel in distress” idea, which would become a part of early Nintendo games. You play as Mr. Jack, a sheriff who has to save Betty and save the town from bandits. Sheriff was the start of Nintendo becoming interested in the arcade industry, which would slowly but surely lead to their entry into the home console industry. A new employee for the company, Shigeru Miyamoto, drew the art for the game.

Superman

September 1979 - Atari

Key People: John Dunn

One of the first adaptions of a comic book hero to video games, Superman was released in late 1979 and had you play as the iconic hero. Superman must fix a bridge, stop Lex Luthor, and return to the Daily Planet in the best time possible. The game received many awards, including Game of the Year. Superman came out at a perfect time as the Atari VCS console began to become more and more popular with Americans. With the Superman film’s release, the year prior, the game took advantage of the demand the film created to be such a huge hit. Before today’s popular superhero games, Superman set the standard and showed there was room for these icons in gaming.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Football (Atari Football)

October 1978 - Atari

Key People: Steve Bristow, Michael Albaug

While pretty basic when viewed today, Atari Football was a successful game that established the soon to come dominance of football video games in the United States. For the time, the game provided a way to play football by letting you pick formations to execute your play. It even had multiplayer. The game came at a time when the NFL was starting to threaten baseball’s hold on America. It’s essentially Madden before Madden was a thing.

Avalanche

April 1978 - Atari

Key People: Dennis Koble

One of those earlier simple games that actually has impact to the industry long term. In Avalanche, you try to catch falling rocks to get the highest potential score. The game would get a host of copycat clones, and the mechanics are still used to this day in many party games and mini games. Sometimes, even the simplest game can have impact.

Fire Truck (Smokey Joe)

June 1978 - Atari / Namco

Key People: Howard Delman, John Ray

A unique game that encourages you to play with a friend, with each of you controlling the front and/or rear of the truck as you speed across the road and avoid hitting oil slicks, parked cars, and crashing. It also used multi-directional scrolling, one of the first games to do so. Fire Truck was a hit in the arcades thanks to its innovative idea of what today gamers call co-op gameplay. The game also released a version just for single player use called Smokey Joe.

Frogs

October 1978 - Gremlin

Key People: Lane Hauck

At the time of release, Frogs was one of the more beautiful games you could play in the arcades. The game’s background with the lilypads and water popped with color. This was achieve using a mirrored projection that created the illusion the backdrop was part of the game’s core graphics. The concept is to hop around the pads and catch insects to eat for the highest score. Some would argue the game is the first instance of a video game character being able to jump. Like all the successful games of the era, many copycats would come and eventually a more famous frog character and game would surpass it in the memories of gamers, but Frogs deserves credit for pushing graphics and making jumping a core part of many video games.

Gee Bee

October 1978 - Namco / Gremlin

Key People: Toru Iwatani, Shigeichi Ishimura

Created by the legendary and well respect game developer Toru Iwatani, Gee Bee would put Namco on the map and would provide the launching point for Iwatani to develop the future game Pac-Man. The game was a new way to play a Breakout type of title, copying the aspect of hitting a ball to hit certain blocks to get points. However, the game adds a twist of adding pinball type of elements. The game didn’t take off in North America but had a solid revenue in Japan. It put Namco on the map as a premier Japanese game company and the company put their trust on Iwatani, who became known for thinking outside the box when making his games.

Multi-User Dungeon (MUD)

1978 - Essex University

Key People: Richard Bartie, Roy Trubshaw

Text-based adventure games were not done yet in the market. Essex University’s Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle developed Multi-User Dungeon from inspiration they got from Colossal Cave Adventure. The game plays similar but picked up popularity on several college campus on their computer networks. It was constantly iterated on and evolved, hence the shorten MUD title and adding a number after based on the version you were playing. While not as revolutionary as a Colossal Cave Adventure, it was still a solid adventure and fantasy title for the decade.

Space Invaders

July 1978 - Taito / Midway

Key People: Tomohiro Nishikado

After a brief disappearance on the list, the most important and iconic game developer of the 1970s is back in Tomohiro Nishikado. This time he would release his masterpiece. Space Invaders is one of the more fun and relatively addicting games released in the arcade golden age. You must stop waves of alien enemies as they come towards you horizontally and you shoot back at them with your lasers. The game became a sensation and what today would be called a viral hit. It would become one of the most profitable arcade video games of all time and is seen as the starting point for the upcoming era in video games where graphics, ideas, and gameplay would begin to push for more than just simple looking titles. There is probably no game more impactful since Pong.

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Pokemon: LeafGreen Version

Nintendo, The Pokemon Company / GBA, NSW

Played on Nintendo Switch 2

Story & Lore

Pokémon: LeafGreen and its other companion, FireRed, are remakes of the original Pokémon: Fire and Green Version that originally launched the massive franchise. You know the deal - you are tasked, despite being a child (there are a lot of jokes about this I can make), to go on a journey and collect, battle, and document Pokémon in the region of Kanto by a local town scientist, Professor Oak. Oak’s grandson is your rival who focuses on battling almost exclusively and wants to be the greatest Pokémon trainer. You get a choice to pick your first Pokémon between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle - the greatest decision in all of gaming that you will make. From there, you visit the region to take on Gym Leaders, who give you badges to qualify for the Pokémon Indigo League. You may even encounter some legendary Pokemon along the way.

For my part, I chose the girl character (canonically known as Leaf) and named her after my daughter, with the idea that I could share this with her and that she was the one on this journey. While she did lose interest after making the pick of Squirtle (which was the pick I made when I played Blue Version!), I still shared updates with her, which was a cool experience. Even though I had experience playing Pokémon in the past, the last time I played through a whole game was Silver Version, and I had never played these remakes. The overall story and moments were the same, but they added a new endgame and new islands that did make for new experiences. The story format is timeless, even if the setup is simple. I felt a lot of nostalgia while playing it, especially during the major moments.

Characters & Writing

Revisiting this game reminded me how strong the character ensemble is. You have your rival, who’s not a bad kid per se, just overconfident. The Gym leaders do a good job feeling like a big deal, and this time around the Elite Four feel even more epic than the original. There are numerous side characters like Bill, who make a good impression despite small moments. Team Rocket, the villains of the game, are a much stronger villain than I remembered. These guys do some really messed-up stuff, and it shows that the Jesse and James versions, as iconic as they are, dumb down just how evil this group is. It’s not Game of the Year type of writing or character arcs, but they are so memorable, and you understand why they left such an impression for so many kids at the time.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Pokémon is a typical turn-based RPG, as your Pokémon battle other Pokémon to win battles. You’ll face trainers, Team Rocket, wild Pokémon, and Gym Leaders. Each Pokémon has its own moves and special attacks, based on its elemental types. This is where the battles really shine for me, as the power and element types do matter. If you have a fire Pokémon, you’re going to get destroyed by a water Pokémon. There are other effects like poison, paralyze, and sleep. In this remake, they added new effects that weren’t in the original, bringing the battles up to the level of the games released in 2004 in the series. Most of the fights are fair, with the exception of the Elite Four, who, in my opinion, had big power level spikes and had way too many healing items, which came off unfair.

Pokémon get stronger as they earn experience points and evolve into stronger forms. Some Pokémon require special conditions to evolve, such as stones and trading. Quick point - I HATE the trade evolutions; I’ve always felt that was a dumb mechanic decision by the developers. Training your Pokémon is based on battles and encounters with wild Pokémon. You can also have Pokémon learn new moves as they get stronger, and you can use what are called TMs and HMs to give them special moves, which can also be used in some cases to open up new areas and travel the map. While leveling up your Pokemon isn’t too bad, if you want a five to six Pokemon team, it does get tricky to balance focusing on each one to level up, which did catch up with me towards the final hours of the game and did become a bit of a nuisance.

Catching Pokemon requires using the Poke Balls at the right time, and there are a few versions to help you along the way. I do have to complain here, though, that catching the legendary Pokemon was insanely hard. I do not remember it being that hard to get them. It feels like a giant game of luck, and I just think it’s a broken design. I understand these guys are the big ones to get, but I shouldn’t have to rely on good luck and throwing a thousand Ultra Balls to get the job done. I just think that was horribly done.

World & Level Design

Pokémon’s world and how to get around it are easy to understand. It technically opens up as you keep progressing, but it’s sort of hidden well that it’s a linear game for the most part. I did feel like the game’s pacing was slower than I remembered, which got annoying at times, but big props to the quality-of-life upgrade they made by giving you running shoes to walk faster, since it takes a while to get a bicycle. You’ll also have to use your Pokémon to travel to parts of the map using Surf to traverse water, or Cut to open new paths.

The world is special, especially for nostalgic players. In reality, this is a very simple-looking world, but it has a charm of the Game Boy era, with its sprites giving it a personality that stays with you. The towns feel small, and then open up when you reach places like Celadon City and Fuschia City. The cities have a familiar feel, but each still gives off its own lore and look. Each route, town, and cave is ready to be explored, unlocking all the characters and creatures that make your journey memorable. What else can I say? It's Pokémon; it’s a dream world that makes kids into heroes and leaves childhood memories.

Audio & Sound Design

The remake keeps the iconic soundtrack from the original games, but you can tell they took advantage of the better sound the GBA had over the Game Boy. All the classics and memorable tunes are here, and I quickly found my brain bobbing and going along with each one, bringing back my time spending the early 2000s obsessed with Blue Version. The Gym Leaders, battle themes, and especially the Elite Four, have some bangers that are easy to listen to for fun when doing work. The sound designs are limited by the GBA technology, and the beep sound when selecting anything from moves to items can get a little irritating when you hear it enough times, but I understand what system this originally came from. It’s the same nostalgic soundtrack I love, and it was awesome to experience it again.

Art Direction & Graphics

As I mentioned before, the graphics and layout of towns and environments are fairly simple, but the developers put time and thought into making each area still feel unique. The GBA 2D sprite graphics have aged better, and I do think this remake has MUCH better sprites and graphics than the original. Even though it was based on old technology, as someone who only played the original, it was cool to see Kanto with a graphics bump and much more color and detail.

Direction & Performances

Obviously, nothing to talk about in terms of performance, but the overall game direction is spot on. While the pacing is slower than I would like, they do a great job keeping moments to their assigned times, and even areas you can get away with seeing earlier don’t break the game’s story and arc. Pokémon are placed well, and as I said earlier, battles are mostly fair and the calmer moments come at the right time.

User Experience

Pokémon’s menu is based around your backpack. I did find this frustrating at times, specifically the speed. Your town map is confined to it, so I had to constantly pause, go to the bag, and then click the map to see it. You can assign an action like the map or bicycle to the select button, but once I got the bike, I had to do it the slow way to see the map. That also goes for using items and looking at your inventory; it all moves SO SLOW. I know this is more a sign of the time and the technology, but I was taken aback by how slow it all was. It’s probably the one area of the game that hasn't aged well at all. Outside of the pacing, however, it is at least organized nicely, and you won’t get lost looking for specific items.

Replay Value

There’s no doubt this is one of the more replayable games, depending on how much this was a big part of your childhood. There is a lot to do, especially post-game. I was taken aback by how much they added, including a longer path to get Moltres and Mewtwo. While it’s not Pokémon: Gold and Silver long in terms of post-game content, it’s enough. You can keep trying new Pokemon to add to the Hall of Fame, and you can try to complete the Pokedex as well. Nintendo games tend to be some of the easiest games to replay because they have a whimsical charm to them, especially when it's tied to your memories, and the game has it.

Recommendation

Pokémon is so well known that recommending it or not is easy. I will say that if you are a younger person who has never played this but has played the newer games, I do think, for historical reasons and to understand the franchise, this is a must play. It may have a few things that have aged worse over time, such as the pacing, but it’s still a solid time and a memorable Pokémon adventure. If you’re not into Pokémon, I obviously would tell you not to bother, but if you’re looking for a taste of nostalgia or want to try out the story that started it all, it’s a must-play.

B - Good

So this is an interesting grade I’m going to give this one, as I would put a small note to it. If I were reviewing this when it came out, or just for pure nostalgia, it is easily an A. However, I do think there are enough small things that irked me (difficulty spike with the Elite Four, balancing the team’s levels, pacing, and moving through the menu and items is SLOW) that I feel like this game has aged a bit. Now, this is still a good game, and if you’re looking for nostalgia and some good vibes in this crappy news world we are in right now, this is the game to get. Some will love this game more than I did, and maybe some will fall a little harder, but for me, it was a solid experience and a trip down memory lane. It was also a good warm-up since I do plan to get the new Pokémon Winds and Waves next year.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Bazooka

1977 - Taito / Project Support Engineering

Bazooka has you target tanks and enemies with a replica bazooka, making it what we know today as a light-gun game. Players also had to be careful not to hit medical personnel and vehicles. Despite the lack of documents and information, Bazooka was a pretty popular game at the time. It showed the American public was open to exploring militaristic video games as Vietnam drew to a close.

Boot Hill

May 1977 - Taito / Midway

This is the sequel to the 1975 mega hit Gun Fight / Western Gun. It’s essentially the same game with some new additions such as barriers and more on-screen sprites happenings such as wagon passing by. It went on to become one of the highest grossing arcade games of its time. This was the first successful true sequel to a video game, rather than a clone or variation of its predecessor.

Circus

December 1977 - Exidy

Key People: Edward Valeau, Howell Ivy

Circus plays similar to the previous year’s Breakout. The goal is to get your character, a clown, to be able to hit balloons and make them disappear. It build on the success of Breakout and became a hit in the arcades. It also showed that in an industry filled with copycat clones, you could be inspired by a game and put your own spin or new paint on it, without having to shamelessly copy everything.

Combat

September 1977 - Atari

Key People: Ron Milner, Steve Mayner, Joe Decuir, Larry Wagner

This polarizing game had a whopping 27 different ways to play, all based around military vehicles and combat. It was targeted to be a popular game for the recently released Atari VCS console. The problem is most of the “games” included are just slightly different variations of others included in the cartridge. The game initially got mixed and at times negative reception. However, as time as passed by, it’s now seen as an important part of the Atari console and 1970s video games. It also showed that a public beginning to heal from the wounds of Vietnam, were open to military based video games.

Nintendo Color TV Game-6 Console

June 1977 - Nintendo

Key People: Hiroshi Yamauchi

A small Japanese toy and card company created a Pong clone style home console with different variations and a focus on providing color to your gaming experience. That company is now arguably the most well-known video game company in the world - Nintendo. While not nearly as consequential as the NES, the Nintendo TV-Game 6 home console is the very beginning of a legendary icon making its presence known in the industry it would come to revolutionize.

Scratch

1977 - Universal

I’m going to level with you guys, I found practically no information on this game. So why am I including it? Well, it was a mega hit in Japan, where it seems it was only playable. It’s one of the first golf video games and I felt the success of the game and the importance of being another sports video game first, it deserved to get honors. It’s a shame such little information is out regarding it.

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There has been a lot going on at Xbox as we hit the midway point of Asha Sharma’s first year as CEO. Following a campaign of small victories and brand marketing, we are now in what she calls the “Xbox reset”. This is apparently a painful set of choices to right the brand's financial ship, which has recently been revealed to be mostly subsidized by Activision-Blizzard. As the Xbox reset continues and we get more insights into the platform’s challenges, I wanted to look at what we are seeing, my personal reassessment of Phil Spencer’s legacy, as well as my changing view of Game Pass, and yes, there’ll be some history nerd stuff to help explain some of this along the way.

Re-Assessing the Phil Spencer Era

A while ago, I wrote an article comparing Phil Spencer to one of my favorite CEOs in business history, former Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Eisner was the CEO during the Disney Renaissance, which saw the company deliver some of its greatest films, expand its parks, enter the cruise ship market, and transform itself from a small family company into a corporate powerhouse. My belief was, like Eisner's, that Phil was the man who came in during a rough time and saved the company, setting it on course for a strong future. However, I did warn that as great as Eisner was for Disney, his end was not good. The company began to take a financial hit as it had underperforming films, and Eisner would stubbornly cut back plans for more park expansions. Eventually, Walt’s own nephew led a revolt that kicked him out, and hence the start of the Bob Iger era. Like Eisner, Phil’s ending has not been great. However, Eisner is now recognized as one of the most important figures in Disney’s history, and his legacy has grown. Is that what Phil has to look forward to?

Well, now we have more clarity on what the hell was going on in the second half of his tenure, which, in my opinion, is where his legacy starts to take a hit. Sometime in the late 2010s, Phil decided to make Game Pass the brand's main focus. Phil’s focus was on getting as many studios as possible to feed into Game Pass, and he told them not to worry about budgets. This is why they didn’t mind buying arthouse-style thinkers who were going to make more niche games. Phil also pushed for the typical Halo, Gears, and Forza as well. The Bethesda acquisition was a big part of Game Pass's expansion by acquiring franchises like Fallout and Elder Scrolls. Unfortunately, Game Pass wasn’t growing as they wanted, so he threw a Hail Mary and bought Activision Blizzard. Essentially, Phil and Sarah Bond were trying to make Xbox into gaming’s Netflix. Along the way, the studios were left to their own devices, with Phil now reported to have been a little too hands-off. The makers of games like Halo suffered from a lack of focus.

In the end, Phil’s near decade push to create gaming’s Spotify or Netflix failed, and it was time to admit it. This led to Phil’s retirement and Sarah's departure, paving the way for Asha's appointment. Basically, Phil tried to make Netflix, and after constant tries, it was time to admit it wasn’t happening. Now, I have been on record defending Game Pass. However, I did not realize just how tied the service was to Xbox’s future. My defense of the service has always been its accessibility for less affluent gamers, as well as children who can’t get their parents to buy them every major game. I still, to this day, will defend that as pro to Game Pass, and I want the service to continue, even in a lesser form, to help those people. I also still don’t fully buy that Game Pass is the sole reason games fail, especially when plenty of games found success despite being on the service.

However, Game Pass as the main platform was always a dumb idea. That only works in a world where cloud gaming has had its mainstream breakthrough moment (it hasn’t), and where the Xbox console can sell over 100 million units to have a real chance at 100+ million subscribers. You can’t do that with the cloud still so new, and by stopping focus on the hardware that’s going to attract potential users. All in all, the decision to go all in on Game Pass, despite my personal defense and views on it, was a TERRIBLE idea, and I would have told them the same thing if I were in those meetings. Add in the hands-off approach and letting too many studios go over budget and past deadlines, and I can easily say that Phil Spencer’s greatest failure was on the management and planning side.

This is why, as I get a better image of Phil’s era at Xbox, I think a better comparison for him is President and war hero Ulysses S. Grant. Despite Grant’s fame as a war hero during the Civil War, he left office as a deeply unpopular President who had left the country in a deep economic depression and with a scandal-plagued administration, not because of himself, but because of his cabinet, who were constantly found to be enriching themselves. Grant was so unpopular that his Republican party suffered, and its nominee, Rutherford B. Hayes, won the most controversial election in United States history. Forget about 2000 or 1960; the 1876 election is so controversial that some historians are willing to say it may be the only truly stolen election we’ve had. Even so, Hayes lost the popular vote, and the northern progressive Republicans were forced to make a deal with the southern Democrats to kick out troops from the South, starting the era of Jim Crow. Needless to say, the moment historians started ranking Presidents in the 1940s… Grant started at the bottom pile.

However, Grant’s legacy has seen a MASSIVE resurgence, which started around the start of Barack Obama’s term. See, modern historians still criticize Grant’s failures to manage his cabinet and his leaving a rough economy, but they were also more open to his triumphs. He had been the president who began reaching out to normalize relations with Native tribes. He was the president who defended newly freed slaves and posted troops to protect them and fight the newly formed organization, the Ku Klux Klan. Grant had an even hand in foreign policy and prevented a war in Europe. He signed legislation establishing Yellowstone National Park. He was also the man who pushed for the Fourteenth Amendment's acceptance. Today, Grant has moved from the bottom ten to the top twenty and is climbing.

I believe that Phil’s push for Game Pass as the main focus of Xbox and his horrible mismanagement of studios and hands-off approach will continue to age like milk, and that’s going to be part of his legacy no matter what. However, like Grant, I do think over time, as the passions wear down, people will be fairer on some of his positives. Phil may have left Xbox weaker in hardware, but he did leave it pretty powerful in terms of influence and overall financial growth. Phil saved Xbox after the DRM debacle, cultivated a strong bond with the fanbase, pushed for PC gaming, and was a positive face for a generation of gamers in the era of the Bobby Koticks of the world. For me personally, his real contribution to gaming was helping move the dialogue between the console makers beyond the pot-shot taking days of the console wars, as he led the idea of acknowledging gaming as more than just console brands, something Shawn Layden could learn a thing or two from.

I think Phil’s legacy is one of growth and influence, but ending with a refusal to see that his core strategy was failing, and that now rests in the hands of Asha Sharma.

Prediction?… Pain

It’s too early to assess Asha Sharma’s legacy, but I can tell you that the coming year and a half are going to be more painful than happy. We are already seeing some of that with studios being spun off or sold, and thousands of people losing their jobs. Now, I want to make clear that I am not happy or celebrating people losing their jobs, but there’s that business brain that says these moves, as painful as they are, make sense. Phil’s hands-off approach led to studios that didn’t manage their timelines and budget well, and no game showed that more than Perfect Dark. The fact that the game went on for years and years with no credible strategy or plan is atrocious. While I want to save people’s jobs and keep studios open, I do understand that at a certain point you have to make the decision that it’s not working and move on.

It seems Xbox’s strategy, at least short term, is to focus on the big boys - Halo, Gears of War, Fable, Forza Horizon, Call of Duty, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and more. This means we are going to see studios focused on clearer franchises, and I’m guessing tighter deadlines and budgets. This sucks for the creativity of the South of Midnight and Hellblade II days, but those days are gone. No one is more disappointed by that than me, as someone who fell in love with the smaller games they were making, but again, I understand it. I also want to quickly point out, since we are on the topic, that the people saying it’s good to get rid of these studios because they didn’t know how to make money go kick rocks. Video games are, first and foremost, an art form that just happens to require a lot of money to materialize. Belittling and focusing solely on the money aspect is shortsighted and as annoying as some of the movie box office debates I see these days.

In many ways, Asha is currently on a path to doing what Steve Jobs did. When Jobs returned to Apple, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. To save it, he cut costs sharply and canceled almost every product they had. He also had to make peace with rival Bill Gates and Microsoft, and allow Microsoft to buy some shares and provide them with some help. That helped Bill too, because he was trying to get the US government off his back, so he wanted to appear not to be trying to create a monopoly. Go back and look at those days; Apple’s future looked doubtful. Eventually, we all know what happened, and it’s the most powerful tech company today. Now, will this be what happens when Asha is done? I can’t see it yet, but it can be if she has a plan.

One thing I will give Asha is that she clearly has a very specific plan, which seems to be more detailed than Phil's. Phil’s plan was based on the hope that they would make the Netflix of video games, and Asha seems to be playing it safe by focusing on core franchises and attempting to increase return on investment. That doesn’t mean you can’t be mad at her for the layoffs or some of her doublespeak, saying gaming is getting too expensive and then hiking up Xbox prices yet again. Trust me, there have been moments that make me roll my eyes. The problem is that Asha, at times, runs things like a venture capital firm (something I abhor to my core), and that’s worrisome. However, maybe she pulls out of this looking like 1990s Steve Jobs saving Apple. For now, there’s going to be a lot of pain, and a year from now the clouds will either be angrier or the sun will start peeking out; we can only wait.

Lastly, don’t get me wrong - while my business and analytical brain sees why the painful Xbox reset is necessary, it doesn’t change the severe criticism I have. This is Microsoft, one of the richest companies in the world, and one of the reasons for the memory and storage crisis; it’s hard for me to feel sorry when they write letters claiming to be struggling. While gaming consoles do subsidize the platform, I would argue it’s not as aggressive as it was in the past, because the arrow must go up. Maybe you can make a point for Sony, and certainly a games only company like Nintendo, but if anyone can afford to take a hit to sell systems to less affluent customers and save most employees, it's Microsoft.

Better Days Hopefully Ahead

There are still rough waters ahead for Xbox before we get a clear assessment of the brand's future. We still have what, in my 37 years of life, will be the least hyped new generation I’ve ever seen gamers ready for, a potentially expensive as hell new console, and questions about whether it's too little too late to move back to a hardware-focused strategy. As I said, it’s going to be pain for now before we see any relief. My hope is that when Xbox’s 30th anniversary arrives, we look back and say, “Wow! Asha was the best thing to happen to Xbox!” What I do know is that Xbox can’t survive another decade of questions and controversies. At a certain point, it’s just too much damage. Even if Xbox isn’t your bag, you should want a strong Xbox because strong competition is good. You want prices to come down when the AI hikes go away? You need competition that offers price cuts, because Sony isn’t the only name in town when it comes to premium, TV-focused game consoles. Let’s hope the reset leads to a golden age, or at least, a consistently strong Xbox.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Breakout

May 1976 - Atari

Key People: Steve Wozniak, Steve Bristow, Steve Jobs,

One of the most well known games, Breakout, was a hit at the arcades when it came out. The simple game involves tracking a ball that bounces off your paddle to clear a line of blocks. Most notably, it was developed by Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who used the success of the game to help fund Apple’s first product. Today, it is among the most popular games, even among people who don’t play video games but grew up in the arcade era.

Colossal Cave Adventure

1976 - N/A

Key People: William Crowther

A text-based adventure title that heavily inspired many would-be developers, Colossal Cave Adventure was a mega hit among computer enthusiasts in the 1970s. Many new versions of the game were released over the years, as it was seen as one of the first popular and well made interactive adventure games. Players traverse a cave system looking for treasure and gold. The game’s impact was notable enough to earn it induction into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2019.

Death Race

April 1976 - Exidy

Key People: Howell Ivy

Death Race is one of the first “controversial” video games. The game had players hit gremlins, who would then be turned into tombstones. The New York Times and other publications attacked the game because they felt it encouraged violence. Exidy, the publisher, reported increased sales because the game was seen as an “adult game,” making it popular with teenagers. Despite its controversy and initial bad reviews, the game is now known as one of the first more “mature” video games and marked the beginning of a back-and-forth battle with the industry and its critics over violence.

Heavyweight Champ

October 1976 - Sega

An innovative game that used special boxing gloves for two players to simulate punches for the boxer they controlled. An early showcase of sports and multiplayer gaming, the game was a huge success in Japan. Sega would go on to make spiritual successors to it, and a remake would later be used on their Master System console. The game would be an inspiration for future boxing titles, which were perfect for video games in one of boxing’s best eras.

Night Driver

October 1976 - Atari

Key People: Dave Shepperd

With racing titles proving to be among the most popular games in arcades, Atari released Night Driver. Rather than the typical racing to finish, the game was more of a simulator. It used first-person graphics and focused on driving at night and staying in your lane. The arcade cabinet had a wheel to give the player more immersive control. Like most successful games of the time, it was cloned by multiple publishers. It can be argued that the more serious driving simulator genre started with Night Driver, although some would argue the next title on the list was the game Night Driver copied.

Nürburgring 1

Spring 1976 - N/A

Key People: Dr. Reiner Foerst

Before Night Driver was released, Nürburgring 1 was out. The game was developed by Dr. Reiner Foerst and first showcased in Germany. It was made specifically as a driving simulator rather than a video game. Like Night Driver, the game is more about driving at night and staying in your lane, using first-person graphics to do so. Along with Night Driver, the games are considered the first in the simulator racing genre.

Road Race / Fonz

February 1976 - Sega

Sega released Road Race, looking to capitalize on the hot racing video game genre. However, shortly after its release, they rebranded the game to focus on motorbikes and named it after the Fonz, the infamous character from Happy Days. The game used handlebars in the cabinet and feedback technology. The game went on to have many different variants and names. The Fonz variant of the game was the first time a televised character was used in a video game.

Sea Wolf

April 1976 - Midway / Taito

Key People: David Nutting

The most commercially successful game of the year was Sea Wolf. The game has players control a submarine and aim to hit passing ships. Despite its simplicity, it proved a hit and continued to succeed into 1977. It even found a strong audience in Japan. The game was another notch in Midway’s belt and its partner Dave Nutting, the lead developer.

Tornado Baseball

July 1976 - Taito / Midway

Taito’s Tornado Baseball was the biggest game of the year in Japan. It was a hardware pusher that aimed to replicate baseball as realistically as possible. Midway picked up the North American distribution and made some slight changes for the market. The game pushed the envelope in what a sports title could be by allowing two players to compete in a full nine-inning game.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Crash N’ Score (Stock Car)

1975 - Atari

One of the more popular arcade titles of the year, Crash N’ Score is a demolition derby game in which players crash into other cars and flags to score points. While simple, it proved a nice success for Atari and continued to equate the brand with quality and fun. The game was titled Stock Car in Europe.

dnd

1975 - Southern Illinois University

Key People: Gary Whisenhunt, Ray Wood

The game dnd is essentially the first video game based on the popular tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons - licensing fee not charged. Your goal is to obtain the grail and orb, two treasures. You advance through a multi-level dungeon, fight enemies, and get new abilities as you progress. It’s also the first game to have bosses, a major enemy variant that has become commonplace in video games. You also can visit past levels and leave the dungeon, making it one of the first games with a non-linear structure.

Jet Fighter

1975 - Atari

This arcade shooter was another Atari hit. The game uses two joysticks to simulate flight control sticks as you aim to shoot down other planes. Like Crash N’ Score, this one sounds simple today, but it was integral to establishing Atari as a quality and major player in the arcade market then.

Moria

1975

Key People: Kevet Duncombe, Jim Battin

A PLATO system dungeon crawler, which was heavily inspired by dnd. However, in this one, you can have multiple players journey together through the generated dungeons; so, in many ways, this was an early example of today’s MMO RPGs. The game’s name is taken from The Lord of the Rings’ infamous setting but is mostly based on Dungeons and Dragons. Several updates were made to the game over the following decade, including adding color.

Panther

1975 - Northwestern University

Key People: John Edo Haefeli, Nelson Bridwell

Another PLATO system game that showed the future of multiplayer gaming. Panther is a tank simulation game that pits players in team deathmatches. Each player in the team has their own special skills, and they must work together to win. It was a game that was definitely ahead of its time.

pedit5 (The Dungeon)

1975 - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Key People: Rusty Rutherford

The first example of a dungeon-crawling adventure game and of the roguelike genre is Pedit5, also known by some as The Dungeon. The player has to deal with randomly generated encounters with monsters or treasure and decide what to do from there. You can either cast a spell or flee against a monster. The legacy of Pedit5 can’t be understated, as it’s one of the first role-playing games and a great example of moving video games beyond just scoring points.

Shark Jaws

September 1975 - Atari / Horror Games

Shark Jaws was inspired by Sega’s 1972 electromechanical game Killer Shark and the recently released blockbuster hit Jaws. Ironically, Killer Shark was briefly shown in the movie. Originally, the game would be a licensed game of the movie, but Bushnell couldn’t get the rights, so he worked to tie it into the movie without making Universal mad. The marketing and text for the game purposely focused on the word Jaws to make it seem like it was based on the film. Bushnell even published it under a subsidiary of Horror Games, just in case Universal decided to sue him. The game has you play as a fisherman, trying to catch fish while avoiding a shark. It was a big hit and even appeared briefly in another fish horror movie, 1978’s Piranha.

Steeplechase

October 1975 - Atari

Key People: Lyle Rains

Atari’s breakout year continues with Steeplechase, a horse racing title in which up to six players jump obstacles to win the race. Much like Crash N’ Score and Jet Fighter, the game may look basic today, but it was part of establishing Atari as the force in American arcade gaming. It became popular enough to be released in other countries, becoming a hit in Japan.

Western Gun (Gun Fight)

September 1975 - Taito / Midway

Key People: Tomohiro Nishikado

Tomohiro Nishikado is back, adding another gem to his portfolio, Western Gun. It’s a simple game with a simple concept, but revolutionary for the time. You have two cowboys dueling. As a result, this is the first game credited with human-to-human combat. Like TV Basketball, Nishikado pushed for more realism and worked hard to have the graphics show sprites resembling cacti and human characters. The North American version was handled by Midway, who improved the graphics by using a microprocessor for the cabinet, a first in gaming at the time.

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Replaced

Thunderful, Coatsink, Sad Cat Studios / XBSX, PC

Played on Xbox Series X

Story & Lore

The world of Replaced takes place in a dystopian version of 1980s America. You play as R.E.A.C.H, an AI that has accidentally become trapped in the body of Warren, his creator, after an accident. As you explore this world, you learn about corporate corruption, the effects on the citizens of the city that R.E.A.C.H’s company (Phoenix Corporation) has an effect on, and you meet allies of a group fighting back against them. One cool aspect I loved as a history nerd was finding lore that pointed to questions about the fictional program and corporation becoming political issues that even Presidents such as John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon had to tackle.

I personally felt the story wasn’t anything to write home about; it plays like a predictable dystopian plot, but I will say it does have a good message about the human experience.

Characters & Writing

Replaced has a bigger than expected character ensemble, as R.E.A.C.H meets and teams up with a group of outsiders living around a subway station, with some wanting to go further and rebel against the Phoenix Corporation. Tempest is the main one you team up with in several chapters, as he wants to take down the corporation more than anyone, although he does it in a risky way that puts others in jeopardy. There’s also the leaders of the community, who are against attacking the corporation. You’ll get help from a little girl who's obsessed with arcades, Veronica, Tempest’s girlfriend, and Yo-Yo, who helps upgrade your gun and abilities. Villains are spread out, with the closest thing to being a full threat being The Commissioner, and while he’s not a bad character, he’s not winning memorable villain awards. As for R.E.A.C.H, he’s interesting considering he’s more of a thing, since it's an AI and you’re talking to Warren’s body all the time, believing Warren may still be able to feel and see what you’re doing. As you go through, you can see R.E.A.C.H starting to understand the human experience.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Where Replaced shines like a bright star for me was the combat. At first, you think the combat is going to be fairly simple and get bored of it quickly, but I never did. Enemy encounters reminded me of the Arkham games, or some Assassin’s Creed games, in which you deal with a mob and focus on dodging and parrying at the right time. Sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming, but it was never difficult and was always fair. You have a gun that powers up after landing a certain number of strikes, which deals great damage and takes down bigger enemies. You’ll gain heavy attacks to help with armored enemies, and dodging is important with certain encounters too. It all mixes well and is the most fun part of the game. Boss encounters aren’t too bad either, with the classic special moves and pattern recognition, but nothing that’s too hard either. There’s a sequence near the end of the game on top of a train that was just a chef’s kiss for me.

However, there was one other major gameplay mechanic that I grew to hate and get frustrated with - the platforming. Now, I have a theory that the reason this didn’t click for me was the game's art direction. The pixel art style made it hard for me to understand where I was going when doing vertical platforming, and when you fall, the gap to get back into the game is long. Which goes to how SLOW this game can feel. There’s time you’ll have to pick up an object or push a block to set up a path to keep going, and I swear R.E.A.C.H is moving so slow, I can watch the entirety of Roots before he finishes. There’s no run button either, and jumping never feels right.

You have these chase sequences every now and then, and I did not like doing these. They aren’t the most terrible thing I’ve dealt with in a game, but it feels close. The running and jumping always felt off, and it took me multiple attempts. Again, I want to point out that, as someone with vision issues who wears pretty strong prescription glasses, the art style could have been messing with me at times, but it became a problem and started to make the game feel like a chore.

World & Level Design

Replaced’s world is an 80s dystopian alternative America. It shows well, and the developers did a good job of blending a new vision with the aesthetic of that decade. You get a tape recorder called the Wingman, which can scan parts of the world as you progress that reveal more lore, even down to some board games and store items that reminded me a lot of Fallout. The news articles, text font, buildings, lingo, and more look like the 1980s. It has a sort of Blade Runner vibe, just darker and less populated, but it works.

As for level design, I didn’t dislike any of the areas I went through, but again, I had trouble understanding where to go at times, especially during vertical platforming. It’s weird, too, because at times they did use paint to guide you, and then I would get to a darker area and feel like I couldn’t see anything. Outside of that, the subway station I had mixed views on. It was a pretty big area, and I found myself a few times a little lost trying to remember where to go to keep the game going. I did find Chapter 9, which had some interesting ideas for progressing through the city without focusing on combat, to be my favorite designed area and set of mechanics in the game.

Audio & Sound Design

When it comes to music and sound, this is a vibes-based game, which fits the aesthetic and world they want you to be in. The music has a 1980s feel, with a synth sound that’s a big part of that decade. The audio cues and sound effects, from the blast of the guns to hits from strikes, are solid, and they used sound well to immerse you in the world. However, none of the songs are going to be among memorable songs or scores that you’ll probably find in more titles this year, but as I said, the sound effects and vibes are well done.

Art Direction & Graphics

The main selling point for Replaced has always been its unique art direction and look. It uses a pixel art style reminiscent of some artworks you may have found online, and it looks really good. The 1980s retro-futuristic and dystopian look just feels right when applied to this art style. However, as I said, the pixel art style made some parts a little hard to see or understand. These character faces are practically impossible to look at, but that’s sort of the point, as it unapologetically sticks to it. If there’s one area I can argue deserves to be, at least, looked at by awards at the end of the year, it’s the art direction.

Direction & Performances

So, you’re not getting any performance here as the game has no voice lines. The body language we get is good, but you’ll be reading the dialogue. As for the game direction, aside from my complaints about feeling lost at times, I will say Yura Zhdanovich does a good job with the lighting and the placement of camera angles in important areas and scenes. To me, Chapter 9 is the peak of the game's direction, where everything comes together nicely, as if the game finally understood how it should be by then. The final sequence of the chapter is the best in the game, and the game direction is the main reason. I just wish they could make me understand where to go when climbing and jumping better.

User Experience

This is a very easy to understand game. You don’t get a massive menu screen with maps, lore, items, and more; just a tape recorder, and you’ll make your selections from there. It’s cool, too, because you’ll get an animation of your character’s finger scrolling, just like it would in real life. As for difficulty, it's not a hard game; it just got a bit frustrating, as I’ve mentioned multiple times. The combat is completely fair, even when it gets busier, and I think this is an easy game for people to pick up and play.

As for my personal fun factor, I think the game was the most fun for me in certain sections, especially in Chapter 9, but like I also said, I didn’t like how slow the pacing is for character movement, and the chase scenes were not fun at all.

Replay Value

I don’t think this game has the highest replay value. It’s one of those games that once you beat it, I don’t think you'll want to replay it again, especially because of the slower parts. There are optional scans to find, but I came away with zero motivation to find them all or want to replay to find the ones I didn’t. Obviously, maybe someone out there who falls in love with the game may want to replay it again, but for me, and I do believe objectively, I don’t see this as a game people are going to want to replay after going through it.

Recommendation

This is a mixed bag for me to recommend; I think if I know the gamer I’m talking to doesn’t mind slow pacing or feeling a little lost at times, I can say they should definitely check these out. However, if you’re not on board with the slow pacing or the sound of a lot of platforming and just pushing the stick forward to progress, I'd probably tell you it may not be your thing. I will say the combat is very easy to recommend, but the rest of the mechanics make it harder to fall on one ot the other. It’s one of those games that’s more about what you want to play than about me immediately telling you to play it.

C - Okay / Average

Overall, I feel like Replaced is the definition of a mixed bag for me. It has some of the best 2.5D action combat I’ve played recently, memorable boss encounters, and some great moments. I do think it has a message and theme about the human experience over machines. However, I thought its pacing was too slow at times, vertical platforming got frustrating because I didn’t understand where to go next half the time, and the story and characters aren’t bad, but nothing you’re going to remember in the future. The art style is without a doubt its biggest attraction, and they absolutely delivered there. It’s a game I felt like a chore at times, but other times I at least liked it enough.

What frustrates me most is that I loved the combat, but everything else was, at best, serviceable. It’s not a bad game; I just had issues clicking with it and had times when I didn't look forward to a few sections. It was an okay experience, not bad, but okay more than something I was happy to play.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Airfight

1974 - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Key People: Brand Fortner, Kevin Gorey

One of the games created under many education institutions’ PLATO computer systems, Airfight is credited as the first flight simulator. The game went on to have multiple variants, but it most notably inspired the creation of Microsoft Flight Simulator in later years.

Gran Trak 10

May 1974 - Atari, Cyan Engineering / Namco

Key People: Alan Alcorn, Larry Emmons

Gran Trak 10 was an ambitious title for Atari. They created a more complex arcade cabinet with the driving wheel and pedals as part of the control input. Players would race around a track under a timer. The game had many realistic elements, such as brakes that didn’t immediately halt a speeding car, and you could skid and hit the walls. While it received a good reception, the game cost Atari so much money that the company almost closed down before it made some financial adjustments and merged with its subsidiary, Kee Games, to prevent bankruptcy. Despite this, Gran Trak 10 has gone on to be seen as one of the first consequential racing video games.

Spasim

March 1974 - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Key People: Jim Bowery

Spasim was another game created for the PLATO computer and network of systems, developed by Jim Bowery. It was the first massive multiplayer game, supporting up to 32 players. You are grouped into different factions to protect and control a planetary system. Players control a spaceship in a first-person view, making it one of the earliest first-person shooters.

Speed Race

November 1974 - Taito / Midway

Key People: Tomohiro Nishikado

Tomohiro Nishikado continued his dominance over the industry with his next release. Inspired by Gran Trak 10, Nishikado decided to make his own racing game. Like Gran Trak 10, the arcade cabinet had a steering wheel, but the player would drive on a vertical road. The object of the game is to pass as many cars as possible under a 90-second time limit without hitting them. The game would prove to be another success for Taito and Nishikado. An updated version would be released in 1975 called Speed Race DX, and it got the treatment most successful games of the time would get - copycats and clones. With his move away from sports, Speed Race showed that Nishikado could work with any genre he was given.

Tank

November 1974 - Kee Games / Atari

Key People: Steve Bristow, Lyle Rains

The last game from Atari's subsidiary, Kee Games, was Tank. Released under the pressure of Atari’s financial troubles following Gran Trak 10’s weak investment returns. Luckily, the game performed well and was one of the reasons Atari pulled the nose up. The maze game has two players control tanks with the goal of shooting each other, but they have to navigate the maze and obstacles like landmines. The game was so successful it got many clones and copycats. Tank also led to the popularization of dueling-based multiplayer arcade titles.

TV Basketball

April 1974 - Taito / Midway

Key People: Tomohiro Nishikado

After working to make the successful Soccer, Tomohiro Nishikado set his sights on basketball. The game would be the first to feature character sprites and representation of an actual human character. It is similar to the paddle and ball games that filled up the market, but Nishikado added a basket to put the ball in and had the new human character sprites hit it. Despite its simplicity, it's the first true basketball video game if you don’t count the Magnavox Odyssey’s basketball overlay sheet.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

ActRaiser

December 1990 - Enix, Quintet

Key People: Masaya Hashimoto, Tomoyoshi Miyazaki, Yuzo Koshiro

Let’s get the obvious storyline here out of the way that the U.S. version obviously tried to cover up: you pretty much play as God in a quest to take back the world from the Devil. The U.S. version made slight changes to avoid any potential controversy. There are two gameplay modes in here, one where you play a simulation of creating a new civilization and have to help it prosper, and side-scrolling action sequences taking down demons. The game has become a cult classic and is consistently cited as one of the greatest Super Nintendo titles of all time, despite failing to take off as a new series.

Alpha Waves (Continuum)

1990 - Infogrames / Data East

Key People: Christophe de Dinechin, Frederic Mentzen

A unique game which some consider the first 3D platformer. You control a mobile craft while navigating platforming elements, including jumping and avoiding obstacles. There are several game modes, including time challenges, multiplayer, and exploration. The game was a little too ahead of its time and failed to take off or find a way to market it; however, there’s no doubt about its importance to the eventual rise of 3D video games, specifically platformers such as Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie.

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

November 1990 - Sega

Key People: Emiko Yamamoto, Yoshio Yoshida, Stephan L. Butler, Tokuhiko Uwabo, Shigenori Kamiya

Arguably the most famous video game starring Mickey Mouse, Castle of Illusion has the iconic mouse going on an adventure into a mysterious castle to save Minnie Mouse from the witch Mizrabel. The game follows typical 2D platforming elements and gameplay, and is almost as good as a classic Nintendo platformer. The game became a must-buy staple of the early Sega Genesis era and one of the most memorable games of the 16-bit years. It would eventually get a remake for more modern consoles.

Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons

December 1990 - Apogee Software, Ideas from the Deep

Key People: John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall

Billy Blaze, a child genius, builds a spaceship that eventually sends him on a spacefaring adventure against the alien Vorticons. He dons his brother’s football helmet and calls himself Commander Keen. Gameplay is similar to the 2D side-scrolling platformers of the time, with levels that can be skipped and secret levels, similar to Super Mario games. The game is the start of a storied career for gaming giants such as John Romero, John Carmack, and Tom Hall. The game would also launch a franchise with multiple sequels. As for the studio that made the game, Ideas from the Deep, you may better know them today as id Software.

Dr. Mario

July 1990 - Nintendo

Key People: Gunpei Yokoi, Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka

Inspired by Tetris, Dr. Mario is a block-based puzzle title that has Mario playing doctor, removing viruses by stacking pills to match their colors and earn points. You also get to hear one of the more memorable 8-bit era Nintendo soundtracks. While it was released on both the NES and the Game Boy, it was designed with the Game Boy in mind. Easy to pick up and play, and with an amazing theme song, Dr. Mario has become popular enough to have the character appear in many crossovers.

Final Fantasy III

April 1990 - Square

Key People: Hironobu Sakaguchi, Masafumi Miyamoto, Nobuo Uematsu

Four orphans find themselves in an epic adventure to restore light to the world against the mage Xande and the Cloud of Darkness after being deemed the new Warriors of Light. Final Fantasy III is the next installment in the RPG classic series, and it takes everything the first two entries did and does it better. A story filled with more side characters and arcs, this entry begins to set the formula for many of the entries that would follow. The world tries to feel bigger, and Sakaguchi and company try to push the limits of the Famicom/NES. While many of its sequels tend to top the lists of best games in the series, this entry has earned a cult following that keeps its legacy alive.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light

April 1990 - Nintendo, Intelligent Systems

Key People: Keisuke Terasaki, Gunpei Yokoi, Shouzou Kaga, Yuka Tsujiyoko

In the continent of Archanea, Altea’s prince Marth sets out to take back his throne after his kingdom was taken by force by the evil sorcerer Gharnef and the Shadow Dragon Medeus. In his journey, Marth meets with allies from other kingdoms and retrieves the sword Falchion and the titular Fire Emblem shield to complete his goal and take his kingdom back. The game uses tactical, grid-based, turn-based battles, with permadeath. It was unique and became a hit in Japan, though the series would take a long time to come stateside. Despite its worldwide delay, the franchise battled through a tough period to now become one of Nintendo’s most important and consistent franchises today, with new characters and stories.

F-Zero

November 1990 - Nintendo

Key People: Shigeru Miyamoto, Kazunobu Shimizu

This futuristic high speed racer introduced the world to Captain Falcon and a new Nintendo series. It takes advantage of the Super Nintendo’s capabilities to create tight turns and a sense of speed that older hardware couldn’t, using the Mode 7 technology. Its presentation, sound, speed, and graphics earned high praise from critics and established the game as a legend of its era. The series has since become a franchise with multiple sequels, despite longer release windows between releases. It’s also spawned many inspirations and imitators, including games like Wipeout or small sections with similar gameplay in many platformers.

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake

July 1990 - Konami

Key People: Hideo Kojima

Set a few years after its predecessor, Solid Snake must go to Zanzibar Land and rescue a scientist, while dealing with a new, revised Metal Gear. The game uses the same stealth-based systems and combat, but now enemies are smarter and can follow you to new areas, raising the tension. The game evolves Solid Snake’s arc and sets up important events leading up to the future entry Metal Gear Solid. Metal Gear 2 is the start of Kojima really embracing this world and his long term involvment with the franchise.

Pilotwings

December 1990 - Nintendo

Key People: Shigeru Miyamoto, Tadashi Sugiyama

Nintendo released Pilotwings during the Super Nintendo's launch window, as the game serves as a technical hardware showcase for the system. It’s based on flight simulation and has the player complete challenges to earn their license. It has different ways to navigate, including a jet pack and hang gliding. While fairly simple, the game is memorable for many who grew up with it and is a fun way to showcase the Super Nintendo's capabilities.

Raiden

April 1990 - Tecmo, Seibu Kaihatsu

Key People: Hitoshi Hamada, Akira Sato

Vanquish Crystal Defense, an Earth defense duo of pilots, are tasked with saving the Earth in 2090 from an invading alien force. The game is a vertical shooter in which players navigate eight stages to complete their mission. It has fast-paced action, lots of enemies, and shooting, making it a visual feast for players. The game also has some quality-of-life improvements over similar games in the genre, specifically checkpoints that keep the player motivated. Raiden spawned many sequels and inspired many future titles.

Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon

1990 - MicroProse

Key People: Sid Meier, Bruce Shelley, Jeff Briggs

You run a railroad company, and your goal is to make it as powerful as possible. Along the way, not only are you managing networks and railroad tracks, but you're also avoiding stock takeovers and dealing with the competition. The realism and simulation of the business received high praise and led to many awards, including the Computer Game of the Year. This would be one of the first successes in the emerging genre of simulation games and another mark on the impressive resume of Sid Meier.

StarTropics

December 1990 - Nintendo, Locomotive Corporation

Key People: Genyo Takeda

The high school captain of the football team, 15-year-old Mike Jones, finds himself in a crazy adventure after going to see his uncle. On a fictional tropical island, Jones realizes that there’s an alien invasion starting. Armed with a yo-yo, he looks to stop the invasion and find his uncle. This cult classic has a top-down 2D overworld perspective as you explore different areas, solve puzzles, and take on aliens. The original release of the game included a physical letter that the player had to dip in water to read and get a code. While it never took off as a major Nintendo franchise, StarTropics has become a cult classic of its era and features world exploration elements still used in modern games.

Super Mario World

November 1990 - Nintendo

Key People: Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Koji Kondo, Katsuya Eguchi

THE launch game of the Super Nintendo, Super Mario World is the next evolution of the Super Mario Bros. series. Mario sets out to save Princess Peach/Toadstool again, but this time he also allies with the dinosaur Yoshi in Dinosaur Land. You have an overworld map similar to Super Mario Bros. 3, but it’s larger and designed to show the entire land rather than just one section. You have your Mario power-ups, but the addition of riding Yoshi and power-ups like the flying cape add some new ideas. The game can be played straightforward or even unleash a bucket of secret areas and expanded worlds, leaning into the idea that Mario is traversing a world, not just a level. There are also elements involving Bowser and his children that have become formulas and staples of the series since then, such as the Clown Car.

The game’s colorful feast, impressive pixel art, addictive fun, and variety instantly established that Mario wasn’t going anywhere. The game received high praise, awards, and is to many the de facto game of the year. When the greatest video game lists are made, it has joined other Mario entries like Super Mario Bros. 3 in a debate over which of the 2D entries deserves to be among the top 10 greatest games of all time. Its legacy, even as it gets older, doesn’t vanish. For my personal money, this is the greatest 2D Mario game I’ve ever played.

The Secret of Monkey Island

October 1990 - Lucasfilm Games

Key People: Ron Gilbert, Greg Hammond, Tim Schafer, Michael Land

Set in the age of piracy, you play as Guybrush Threepwood, a young man who seeks to become a pirate. He’s told about an expedition to Monkey Island, which sets him off on an adventure for treasure, romance, and frienship. The game’s story has been highly praised for its humor, character arcs, and unique ensemble of quirky characters. Ron Gilbert deliberately made Guybrush practically unstoppable, so the game focuses on solving puzzles and advancing the narrative in a point-and-click adventure. In addition to launching a successful series, The Secret of Monkey Island received such praise that some early game publications even called it the greatest video game of all time. It’s also an early major point for future icon Tim Schafer, whom I personally like to call the Tim Burton of the industry.

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Star Fox

Nintendo, Velan Studios

Nintendo Switch 2

Story & Lore

This is a nearly 1:1 remake of the original Nintendo 64 classic, so if you know the story, nothing’s changed here. Fox and the Star Fox team have been hired to stop Andross, an evil genius gone rogue who seeks to take control of the galaxy. As you explore the galaxy, one side leads to new characters and interactions that are different from your original playthrough. The story is basic, but when you look at the holoviewer, there’s some deep lore to go through that lets you know more about the team and their enemies. It’s simple, but it’s that Nintendo simple story that you accept because of the gameplay and the memorability of characters.

Characters & Writing

The Star Fox crew has the same characters you know and love. Fox is the young, confident new leader, taking over after his father’s disappearance, thought to be dead, from the betrayal of Pigma. Peppy is the longtime veteran and friend of Fox’s father; he’s the smart and reasonable one of the group. Falco is Fox’s rival - cocky and brash, sometimes a bit harsh, but reliable. Slippy is the brains of most of the operations, probably not the best fighter, but comes up with interesting ideas and new vehicles. Star Wolf doesn’t show up much, but they make an impression the two times we find them. Andross is a by-the-books, simple villain, but leave as much of an impression as Bowser or Ganon could when we fight him.

In terms of character arcs, there’s not much here, even as we do see them interact during mission briefings and decisions. I would have liked to see some more tension between Fox and Falco, and maybe some rough moments before the team gets it together for the final battle, but Nintendo and Velan Studios played it safe. That doesn’t make the scenes bad; it’s nice to get more talking between these guys, but it’s nothing that evolves anyone’s arcs or stories beyond what we already know. Again, these characters are memorable because they’re unique, not necessarily their arcs.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Now we get to the meat and potatoes of the game, the actual gameplay and combat. You’ll pilot the Arwing or mission-exclusive vehicles in a third-person railshooter. It’s essentially a shoot ‘ em up in 3D space. You’ll want to avoid obstacles and objects as well. It’s that pick-up-and-play perfection that Nintendo nails and can get anyone to play and have fun. You’ll have abilities and bombs you can acquire to help dispatch enemies and bosses more easily, but it’s not a robust modern system, as this stays true to the 1997 release all the way.

The game requires you to go through multiple times if you want to see everything. At first, this took me aback as someone who never completed the original, but after my second playthrough, it clicked with me. I’m sure the development team saw this as revolutionary at the time, where no single playthrough is the same. It’s very much a classic arcade shooter, where the story takes a back seat to straight-up shoot and dodge mayhem. It comes together during boss fights, as you’ll not just shoot but also avoid obstacles and attacks from them, putting your skills to the test.

The part I was polarized by was the few free-range levels and moments in the game. It took me until the second playthrough to start to understand the best ways to deal with these, but during my first time, I found them a bit annoying, especially as the Star Wolf team during battle loves to just chase you, making it hard to get a good shot on them. This is one of the areas I wish they had broken away from being a faithful remake and made it more modern.

World & Level Design

If you’re going to do a classic arcade-style on-rail shooter, you have to make sure everything clicks and fits as you progress through the level, with the matching sights and sounds of the land/sky you’re in. I can say Velan did a great job ensuring it all lines up. The planets and cityscapes look great and match the action on screen. When enemies and obstacles appear, they make sense and don’t feel like they are there just to add things for the player to shoot and dodge. Yes, it’s a remake that Velan could work with, but they deserve credit for having the level designs match. As for this world, it’s perfect for the Star Fox franchise, and I thought all the planets felt like different areas in this solar system they were dealing with.

Audio & Sound Design

If you are going into this game with memories of Star Fox 64, or even know the music from listening to it in crossovers, get ready for incredible nostalgia. The audio and soundtrack are exactly from the original 64 game, with the added 3D audio Switch 2 can provide. The sound effects don’t get in the way of the communication between Fox and his allies, and the music is pitch-perfect. This is pure Star Fox music perfection, with the typical space shooter audio effects you expect and want from this type of genre.

Art Direction & Graphics

The reveal of the game took many Star Fox fans aback, as Nintendo and Velan went with a direction closer to the original SNES Star Fox release, with realistic-looking talking animals. While I understand why some prefer the more cartoony look, I enjoyed this, and it felt like we were getting the vision that the original game was always trying to convey. The game looks beautiful, and I think this is the first true Switch 2 first-party game in terms of graphics. You still see that Star Fox 64 art style in there regarding several environmental and enemy assets, but there’s also a mix of realism that shows Nintendo is open to it for the first time in several systems.

Direction & Performances

While Star Fox’s voice cast does a good job playing their characters and sounding like them, you’re not getting award-contending performances here. That’s not their fault; it’s just the material they work with, as the scenes we see them in are as simple as you can get. Not a performance that’s going to blow your socks off, but memorable and well done enough for the many new Star Fox players who will make this their first dip into the franchise.

User Experience

This is a fairly simple game to understand, and Nintendo did add some valuable options to make it the best possible experience for players. We have an easy mode for people who have issues with the difficulty, even though it only makes the harder path in the game slightly more bearable. They also have options for aim assist and first-person modes if you prefer. As someone who remembers struggling with the 1997 release, I welcome these, even though I am a better player now.

Replay Value

I was surprised to see how short the main campaign for this game is, but it clicked when I started playing it again. The game is made to be played multiple times, with a focus on different paths, and the addition of objectives and medals that keep you coming back. It’s replayability done right, and despite its short campaign, you’ll come back over and over again, without getting bored, and even get better at playing.

Recommendation

If you are a massive fan of Star Fox 64 and you grew up with it and the N64 system, I cannot emphasize how much I recommend this game. It’s a perfect trip down nostalgia lane in times when we need escapism. If you’re new to the series and need to pick something up for your Switch 2, I think you’ll still have fun, and even though it’s not a huge epic game, you might walk away as a new fan of the franchise. There will be lots of kids who grow up playing this, giving Nintendo a chance to expand the franchise and its fan base.

B - Good

In reality, there are two ways to look at this game. From a pure nostalgic standpoint, this is a trip down memory lane that’s going to make you feel like a kid again and only makes me that much more excited for the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake. The characters, music, sound effects, and gameplay still feel like Star Fox 64, just looking much prettier. However, from a standpoint of today, the decision to make it a 1:1 remake does leave it feeling simple and a product still stuck in the mid to late ‘90s. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, just that it feels more like a nostalgia trip than a modern step up, which for many is exactly what they want, and that’s okay.
I thought Star Fox was a fun game, which I’m sure I’ll replay several more times considering how easy it is to pick up and play through it in just one day. I do wish they had done more than just make it a faithful remake, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do and is a hopeful sign that Fox McCloud and friends are here to stay.

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On June 18, 2026, former President Barack Obama gathered with former Presidents, First Ladies, celebrities, attendees, and other dignitaries to open the newest Presidential library, which focuses on his 8 years and on the community and Chicago. As a sucker for history, I loved watching clips from the opening ceremony and photos of four Presidents standing together. I love that stuff. It was even crazier for me, as these were four men who have dominated American history during my lifetime - Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden. President Trump wasn’t invited due to his rough relationship with his predecessors. As I think about that ceremony and my history nerd brain kicks in, I think about how it relates to my favorite medium in life - video games.

Right now, video games, specifically mainstream console gaming, are in a rough place. As I write this, news has come out that has Microsoft raising the price of Xbox consoles once again. So, social media has become filled with anger, resentment, questions, sadness, and analysis that leans toward doom, that the industry is going to crash or get worse. Now, don’t get me wrong, I did my posts, and I’m not too happy about it, but I decided to lean on what has been one of my personal ideological calling cards for a long time, leaning on hope and a glass half-full perspective. This perspective is helping me get by what is a very rough time in American history, as the country is more divided, economically damaged, and dealing with failed leadership across multiple levels, all as we get set to celebrate the 250th anniversary. I think gaming, in many ways, is in a similar spot to America. However, I think that when you look back at history, you need to know that nothing is permanent and that we will have better days again, even if it feels like that’s never going to happen.

Now, let’s get one thing clear: gaming’s problems don’t amount to a hill of Beans (as Rick would say in Casablanca) compared to the world problems and personal issues people are dealing with. But, since this is a very important medium and industry to people like me, who use it to live, explore, connect, and experience - I figure it’s important to give a pick me up to my fellow gamers, using my history nerd side, potentially making you feel some hope for where things will go beyond just video games.

We’ve Been Here Before

America has had some rough times before. Not sure how many are aware of it, but there’s a political theory that goes something like this: every 70 to 80 years, we repeat everything again. The belief is that a generation grows up struggling, perseveres, passes on what they did wrong as a lesson to their offspring, who usher in a golden era, and then the people who taught us what to do start to die off, leading to new generations that make the same mistakes. This theory essentially goes from a crash to war to teaching to learning to helping make the world a better place, then back to a crash, and so on. I’m not sure how finely tuned the theory is, but America has followed a similar path.

Let’s look at the last hundred years. America was in the middle of the roaring 20s, a decade of decadence, middle-class growth, technological advancements for the time, lots of partying, and a growing wealth disparity. Everyone decided it was a good idea to invest their savings in the stock market, and it all came crashing down when the Great Depression hit. For the next two decades, America found itself slowly getting out of the depression, only to come face-to-face with fascism in Europe. When we prevailed in the war, we found ourselves in a new age as two superpowers battled. We had a golden period in the 1950s with the greatest middle-class boom in recorded world history and the birth of modern America, warts and all. However, as the youth felt they had it all when John F. Kennedy was elected, black Americans began to ask for rights.

The golden period would be shattered as an assassin cut down Camelot’s prince. What followed was two decades of a divided country, the fight for equal rights by black Americans and women, which eventually led to the sunny optimism of 1980s Reagan America. The Soviet Union collapsed, ushering in a new golden age for America in the 1990s, when our biggest problem was the headlines about an unfaithful President. Then, once again, the calm was shattered as two planes hit the World Trade Center towers, and we entered a controversial war and the start of more division. A massive economic crash came, and people lost their homes. Eventually, America elected its first African American President, Barack Obama, whose era was similar to JFK's in its focus on optimism and hope. While there was still some division under Obama, it got much worse since he left office. The Trump-Biden eras will total 12 years of some of the deepest divisions this country has experienced in decades, with controversies that call into question America’s leadership and leave many young people feeling lost.

I say all this to point to the cycle that America, the world’s most influential country, has been through, with a rollercoaster of wins and failures. The video game industry is similar when you really stop and look at it.

The industry’s first major problem came with the 1983 crash, which primarily impacted North America but had ripples throughout the world. For a long time, many declared video games a fad, and the crash proved it. Then came along Nintendo and the 8-bit era, which reinvented how people saw consoles and brought in new customers, leading the boom of the 90s, which saw a new player in Sony and led to video games expanding to the mainstream, no longer seen as a kids’ and nerds’ hobby. However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as the industry had to face questions about violence in games as governments became involved. That was followed by rising development costs, especially as we entered the HD era, which led to studio closures and job losses despite consoles selling well. Then, we had the 2010s, which saw the rise of mobile and mainstream PC gaming, and we saw one of the console pillars begin to struggle - Xbox. The Xbox 360 was able to shake off the red ring of death situation, but lost brand faith thanks to a bad debut for the Xbox One. However, while it didn’t make a comeback as great as PS3, we do forget that Xbox One did come back a little from its brand damage and still sold up to 58 million units, not bad for a console with a horrible output of exclusives.

Let’s take a look at PlayStation’s history, which started with a meteoric rise. The PlayStation seemed unstoppable after the juggernaut that was PlayStation 2. However, overconfidence and greed poisoned the brand, and we got the horrible launch of the PS3. A console that adjusted for inflation was essentially the same price as the disc Xbox Series X is now. Was this the end of PlayStation? Had the era of Xbox begun? Well, Sony slowly but surely began to make moves, even willing to sacrifice money to help the brand come back. By the time the console stopped selling, the PS3 had completed a comeback, slightly outselling the Xbox 360. It followed that up with the PS4, which was a return to form for the brand as they sold over 100 million consoles yet again.

Nintendo is definitely no stranger to both good and bad years. Following the Super Nintendo, they were cocky and confident, launched the N64 without a disc drive, and thought third-party developers would put up with it. Instead, their biggest partners left to make games on PS1, and N64 struggled outside of America, with Sega’s lowly Saturn outselling it in Japan! The GameCube was no better, selling close to 22 million units, and the whispers had begun. Nintendo was too kiddy; it should go third-party. Well, Nintendo answered back with the Wii and DS era, selling a combined 255+ million units of hardware and selling tons of software. It wasn’t to last, however, as the Wii U felt like the potential death knell to Nintendo as a hardware maker. The Switch changed all that, now approaching the PS2's numbers in units sold, and the Switch 2, despite some online gripes, is on its way to success.

There are other problems in the industry overall that aren’t just about the console makers, either. As I mentioned, the government’s involvement scared the industry as they questioned the rise in violent games. The industry had to navigate uncertainty, launching and managing itself amid recessions, financial collapses, war, and a pandemic. The HD era was a boon for Western developers, but it led to a tough time for Japanese developers and smaller studios. That’s all to say, that studio closures, while much more common at the moment, have been around before, even in good times.

Look to the Heroes

One thing that has annoyed me in the current era is the constant posts on social media. You know how it goes, you may have reposted it or said it yourself: “I’m tired of living in unprecedented times”. I got a little secret for you - you are ALWAYS living in unprecedented times. Yes, some times are worse than others, but history is constantly happening, and time waits for no one. I think many people read and know history, but forget that people lived through those times. So remember, while you’re mad at the current policies, and you’re seeing people taken from the streets, or upset with this AI boom, there was someone who lived through World War II, and survived the death camps. It’s not to say you should never feel like things are tough; it’s always okay to have emotions. It’s just that when you take a step back, remember someone else has been there and will be there in the future with similar or even worse circumstances, and when those bad moments are gone, you will embrace and remember the good times that much more.

As Fred Rogers famously said, look to the helpers. During World War II, it was those men that came from farms that came to hit the beaches in Normandy and fought back against facism, it was Martin Luther King and the civil rights moment that had members literally die to get the right to vote, something that frustaringly many young people take for granted or play games with these days, it was the neighbor that saw their neighbor struggling and offered food or a little bit of money to get by, it was the stranger that wanted to make sure they understood someone even if they were different than they were in culture and belifes. The heroes and good times are around us if you know where to look.

So, as we sit here with rising prices and an increasingly expensive hobby, I’m going to be blunt with you: it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The dark clouds and rain have just begun. So during this time, who are the heroes, and how do you get past such a bad moment for a hobby/medium we love? Well, first of all, the demographic I’m most worried about is kids and new gamers. While it’s easy for kids to access games, not everyone is lucky. Despite gaming being much more mainstream, you still have non-gaming parents who won't like these prices and will only push their kids to play games on their iPads rather than consoles. As badly as I want to push back on that, we know financial situations and other factors mean the chances of changing that are low. So, why not look for games on iPads and mobile devices that come close to the console experience? We make fun of forever games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox - but that’s a lifeline right now to many kids. If we can share some of our library, now is the time to become open to it. If you have a niece or nephew who likes a game or system you have, find time to let them play it, even if it's limited; it goes a long way to their long-term gaming journey.

Another help will be video game subscription services. I know, I know, many people roll their eyes regarding Game Pass, but as I’ve said before, that service is a huge lifesaver for many people who don’t have the funds to buy every major game. With the increasing cost, I have no issue with someone using Game Pass or PlayStation Plus, and you know why? - because that’s me! I would not be able to create year-end lists without Game Pass. I understand the debate around the service, but for me personally, it’s currently an important part of my gaming life for financial reasons.

Lastly, with the huge variety of games, viewpoints, and ecosystems, stop pocket-watching and judging others. I have zero interest in the Steam Machine after seeing the price, but I’m not going to yuck someone’s yum because they’re interested in it. I understand that GTA VI isn’t going to be for everyone, but don’t look down on people who are excited about it. This is all not to say you can’t have your opinions, you should, just go about it a little more delicately, as many people are now having to become pickier, and with how f***** up the world has become, we should encourage people to find their peace.

Hope

Now, I don’t want to call anyone out because I have respect for legit gaming journalists out there, but I do notice many of them have a half-empty glass perspective on the future of the industry. Mat Piscatela, whom I again respect, tends to talk obsessively about forever games and gaming becoming more affluent. I get where he and others are coming from, and I do think in the very short term that may indeed happen. However, I think that, like America’s history and the industry's rough moments, there is hope, and we will see a healthy industry again. It’s hard to see, but it’s because we’re focused on just living and surviving it now. We want the data that points to it, but sometimes data won’t show it to you because it’s an invisible thing called hope.

Say whatever you want about Geoff Keighley and his Game Awards, but that show gets massive audiences, and the very fact that it’s still growing is a testament to video games. Many of those kids currently growing up on mobile games, I believe, will eventually want to go a little bigger and get a console or a PC. I do think affordable consoles will be a thing again in the future. Our pessimistic brains want to challenge that because we get into discussions about greed and companies making new prices the norm, but I do believe that demand and other factors will lead to console affordability making a comeback, even if it comes in a new way, similar to cell phones. The rain is out, but that rain can only go for so long before the sun comes out again.

All this is to say that throughout life, national history, and family history, there are really bad moments, and it feels like everything is just going to go wrong. Again, it’s going to get worse before it gets better, but it will get better. We are going to have to become a better community for the next several years and find ways to keep gaming going, but that next golden age of gaming, it’s coming and the first steps to it have just begun.

With America nearing its 250th anniversary, it’s a country with a history of taking two steps forward, then five steps back, and then repeating the cycle. However, it is making progress, and if you ask certain communities, groups, and causes from a hundred years ago and show them today, they’ll see that progress. Video games are a young industry, and it’s going through one of its worst times. But much like I believe America will, it will see a new golden age, and remember when it gets here to enjoy it.

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Games of Impact takes a look at the most important games in the industry’s history, with a max limit of 20 per year.

NOTE - This is a re-release of my Strachey’s List series, just renamed and reformatted. I’ve made small changes to reflect more accurate information.

Astro Race

September 1973 - Taito

Key People: N/A

This is a Space Race copycat from Taito that perfectly shows the strategy competitors used on each other in this first commercial video game market decade. Companies would simply copy any game that was or could be a success. Taito’s Astro Race was just that and benefited by making more money than the original Space Race.

Elepong

July 1973 - Taito

Key People: Tomohiro Nishikado

Tomohiro Nishikado became one of gaming’s first iconic game developers in the 1970s. He would become Taito’s secret weapon at arcade success and setting Japan up to become one of the major players in video games. His first game was Elepong, quite frankly a Pong copycat. However, due to the company and careers it launched, I’m putting it on this list as it began a golden age for Taito and helped launch the Japanese gaming market.

Empire

1973

Key People: John Daleske

While Jim Storer’s Rocket was the first of the many iterations of what we now call Lunar Lander, the second iteration is where the game got a lot of its personality and popularity from. Moonlander changed the game to have actual visual graphics instead of text-based gameplay. The DEC commissioned game would go on to be re-released many times with the new name of Lunar Lander.

Gotcha

October 1973 - Atari

Key People: Allan Alcorn

The first “controversial” video game, Gotcha was a game that saw players trying to catch each other in a maze. The game was simple enough but the marketing and the cabinet’s main control input raised some eyebrows as it seemed it was about catching women, specifically their breasts. Despite this and not the greatest reviews, it still made pretty good money for the arcade market and the maze like structure could be see as an inspiration for future games like Pac-Man.

Hunt the Wumpus

1973 - People’s Computer Company

Key People: Gregory Yob

Inspired heavily by Mugwump, Hunt the Wumpus is considered by some to be the first survival horror game. It plays similar to Mugwump, but has players also avoid large bats and pitfalls as they explore caves to hunt for the Wumpus monster. Since its release, the Wumpus monster has shown up in multiple media and the game is seen as one of the more influential early games in the industry.

Lemonade Stand

1973 - Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium

Key People: Bob Jamison

A text-based business oriented game that is among the first of business simulations. The game takes into account things like weather and how that will affect your customer count. It’s actually gone on to be used in schools and like many pre-modern games, have a bunch of copycats.

Maze War

1973 - NASA / MIT

Key People: Steve Colley, Greg Thompson, Howard Palmer

America’s top institutions began to have computer systems and many of their own employees used them to make games. Maze War is one such game, which became popular in places like the NASA study program and MIT. The game is considered by some to be the first first-person shooter. You would travel around a maze to find the other player to take out. Later on it could be played by on two connected computers, featured level editors, and avatars; many firsts for the industry.

Moonlander (a.k.a - Lunar Lander)

1973 - Digital Equipment Corporation

Key People: Jack Burness

Conquer the galaxy with Empire. The first networked-multiplayer shooter, Empire has players fight it out in space by using keyboard demands. The game featured dogfights and protecting your planets. It was ahead of its time in many ways and was a preview of today’s large scale multiplayer titles. It was mainly played on PLATO Computer systems and went on to have several sequels, each building upon the features and concepts from the original.

Mugwump

April 1973 - People’s Computer Company

Key People: Bob Albrecht

Mugwump had players search for the titular creatures by scanning a 10x10 grid and the game would tell the player how close they were. In some ways, it was a text-based hide and seek game. The game became popular across BASIC computer programmers. It also inspired many early developers and the next game on the list.

Pong-Tron

July 1973 - Sega

Key People: N/A

Another Pong copycat, but this time a different important Japanese company - Sega. Pong-Tron was another success that directly competed against Elepong and was the start of Sega’s arcade brilliance.

Space Race

July 1973 - Atari

Key People: Ted Dabney

Space Race has players race, avoiding obstacles like asteroids, to get from the bottom of the screen to the top, a first in the industry. The game lost Atari money as it wasn’t nearly as successful as Pong and created contractual headaches since Midway argued they should’ve been able to publish and make money from it. Despite this, its a technical groundbreaking game at the time and once again inspired many copycats.

Soccer

November 1973 - Taito

Key People: Tomohiro Nishikado

Sports video games where available plenty in 1973. Most of these were Pong copycats that were marketed under the premise of Tennis. You had some other sports, but it was Taito and Tomohiro Nishikado’s Soccer that really stood out. The game was similar to Pong, but actually added some spice and more challenge. This is in many ways the first true sports video game that gets it right and another notch in Nishikado’s legacy.

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007 First Light

IO Interactive / PC, PS5, XBSX

Played on PlayStation 5

Story & Lore

James Bond is one of the most recognizable names in all of pop culture and entertainment. However, adapting him to the video game market has been a mixed bag. The most famous game to come out of the franchise was the Nintendo 64 classic Goldeneye, which is one of the industry’s most consequential games, despite aging badly due to the technology and controls of the time. Since then, we’ve had adaptations to the Brosman and Craig films, as well as some new concepts. These have been mixed to negative, and none really stood out except if you’re nostalgic from growing up with them. So, I wanted First Light to deliver a great James Bond experience that comes close to the best films in the series. I’m happy to report that First Light not just comes close, but is right up there among the best Bond stories.

In First Light, we are placed in an origin story, establishing this as a new canon based in today’s world. Bond goes down on a military mission and finds himself as the sole survivor, and then gets MI6’s attention by saving hostages instead of saving himself. From here, you’ll enter the reignited 00 program and get through training, as well as find yourself chasing a batch of villains that include the rogue former 009, the pirate king Bawma, and a man who wears an intricate golden mask who's part of a larger conspiracy. As you progress, you don’t have the 00 number just yet, hence the marketing around “earn the number”. I can’t get into it due to spoiler territory, but every major moment in the game adds layers and new questions to the overall story, ending with a bang that perfectly sets up this new Bond universe, with hints of a potentially exciting future.

Characters & Writing

The heart and secret ingredient to First Light is the ensemble of characters, which is shockingly good. What I love about the Daniel Craig Bond films is the expanded focus on characters like M, Q, and other supporting characters who aren’t just props in Bond’s story. In this game, we get the same treatment, as series regulars such as M, Q, and Moneypenny all feel like fleshed-out characters with their own personalities, goals, and even a little bit of character arcs. Bond himself is a great new version of the character, who feels even more modern than Craig, which is not something I expected to say. He’s still a rookie, so you can see there’s still a lot of morality in him, where he’s willing to ignore MI6 to protect the people important to him, and he takes the license to kill seriously. There’s a moment early in the game where he does his first kills, and it reminds me of a great scene in the movie Casino Royale that shows a more human side to the character, even if just for a moment. He also has the one-liners and that charismatic charm that make him fit the old slogan - guys want to be his best friend, and girls want to be with him.

The MVP of the ensemble is Greenway, Bond’s mentor who is pretty hard on him. As the story progresses, Greenway’s arc gets more interesting, and by the end, he’s easily the most important character in the story, the heart of it. We also have Isola Vale, a mysterious spy who Bond has no idea who she works for, but turns out to be a sort of Catwoman figure in the game, which I loved the idea of creating a character like this. She’s the badass Bond girl in the game, while Theresa is the attractive sex idol Bond girl of the story. Q is here, reverting to the older version after his portrayal in the recent films and just as quick with words. Moneypenny and M are here to give Bond his orders, as well as scold him. I liked what we got from them, but I hope that in a potential sequel we see a little more of Moneypenny that goes beyond just being in our ear during missions.

The villains are solid for the most part, especially once it starts to come together what exactly is going on. However, I do think the pirate king Bawma was a bit underwhelming, mostly thanks to a mediocre performance by Lenny Kravitz. The rest of the villains are great, and the reasons behind everything are too realistic in today’s world to ignore.

Gameplay & Mechanics

First Light is interesting in how it plays. One part is mission-based, similar to the Hitman games. Then, we get big action sequences that remind me of Uncharted. Most of the game focuses on the mission structure, with plenty of stealth. This took me aback at first, but I started to vibe with it once I got a hold of the mechanics. Before every mission, you’ll equip your Q-Watch and gadgets that include a poison dart, shockwave camera, hacking, and more. This does a good job giving you that feel of the crazy gadgets the Bond films are known for, including some shout-outs and easter eggs when you visit Q Lab.

The stealth and mission structure is varied, with multiple ways to tackle your goals. If you get caught, the game doesn’t punish you, since you have a bluff feature that has become my favorite tool and has prevented things from getting hairy plenty of times. As someone that’s not super great with stealth games, I appreciated this, and I never felt annoyed or like I was being punished for not being good at stealth.

The gunplay isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t call it out of this world. It plays fine, and the service pistol feels good when you’re on a roll, but switching between weapons and ditching them got a little annoying due to the lack of ammo you get. I also had to tone the difficulty down when I got to these more action-oriented segments because I was having trouble with them. Still, once everything starts to click, you’ll use your pistol, throw it at an enemy when you run out of bullets, and then use your Q-Watch to blow up a pipe next to them. The more fluid you become with all the options, the more badass and Bond-like you’ll start to feel.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t crazy about the cover mechanics, which I thought were just not good. I don’t think they thought through this part of the gameplay, but I had several issues going in and out of cover, and I think they chose a clunky way to do it. It doesn’t feel as seamless as it does in Gears of War, and sometimes it felt like the game didn’t understand I was trying to cover. The car scenes aren’t the best either, as they’re more on-rail than I thought they would be. However, I do give them points for each car section being awesome and having some cool moments.

There are also some small sections in the game that involve making dialogue choices, surviving torture, or trying to sneakily hack into a phone, which I liked as concepts. However, the dialogue choices don’t really matter, and it did have me scratching my head about why they had those to begin with.

Lastly, quick shout out to the training mission which is literal montage in gameplay mode, which is just incredible piece of development. If/when you play it you’ll see what I mean, but it’s one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a game all year.

World & Level Design

The levels you sneak and fight in are designed relatively well. It’s nothing that’s going to win best design of the year, but nothing feels out of place or as if it were added without thought. The car chase scenes, despite being more on-rail than I wanted, still have plenty of sequences that fit well, and the developers did a great job incorporating those moments into the game while still transitioning from set piece to set piece. When you have to climb something or go somewhere, none of it confused me, and that’s the best place to start.

As for the world, it feels like a James Bond world. The MI6 headquarters, the nightclub, Vietnam, the fancy events you crash, all fit the world of Bond perfectly. The Vietnam section, which is mostly a luxury hotel resort, is designed like a real resort destination and, despite opening up a little compared to other levels, doesn’t leave you lost or confused. It’s all put together in a way that tells you these designers love the franchise.

Audio & Sound Design

The score and music for First Light is perfectly Bond, which is what I wanted. The main Bond theme doesn’t get overused, and when it hits, you can feel the adrenaline pump into your heart, each moment feeling the right time to play it. The background score is subtle, fitting the spy aesthetic. The game even pulls off a Bond title song, sung by Lana Del Rey. I am a sucker for Bond opening songs, and this one is a banger, which comes off just as good as the ones you listen to in the film franchise.

The overall sound design also fits the spy aesthetic. The silencer has that satisfying pew sound, and the guns have their own clicks and roar. The punches, grunts, and enemy noise mix together for a good sound during up close combat encounters. The car and engine sounds are like those in a racing simulator. I have to give props to the sound team here; they make it sound like a Bond story, from the guns to the cars to the subtle score in the back.

Art Direction & Graphics

IOI’s Glacier engine shines here. The game has a specific look that marries well into the Bond franchise and world. It’s realistic, but also has an art style that feels unique to the game. The cars look like cars from a spy film, the characters look like spies, and the action scenes fit; it all comes together to look like a Bond film - which, of course, is the point. Graphically, it all looks good. Sure, there’s a weird moment or two with faces depending on the camera, but I think it’s a really good looking game in the art direction it’s going for.

Direction & Performances

The character ensemble is helped by the amazing performances some of these people gave for this game. Everyone does a really good to great job, with the exception of Lenny Kravitz, who just sounded to me like he was phoning it in. Maybe his voice doesn’t fit a villain, and that’s what was throwing me off, but it’s the only performance that took me out of it. Patrick Gibson is a great Bond, capturing the character's charm while also putting a subtle new spin with his more human side and focus on his friends. In fact, if they can’t find a new Bond soon enough, he wouldn’t be a bad one even in the films.

Priyanga Burford plays M perfectly, coming close, though just close, to Judi Dench’s version of the character. Kiera Lester hits it out of the park with Moneypenny, showing a straight-laced employee who starts to see Bond as a friend. Alastair Mackenzie portrays Q closer to the character's older self while retaining the wit from the recent Craig films. Bart Edwards portrays one of the main villains and does a hell of a job, playing a great foil to Gibson’s Bond. Noémie Nakai plays Isola, the Catwoman-type spy in the franchise, and she plays it well, fleshing out the character as mysterious, helpful, and shady.

However, as previously mentioned, the MVP is John Greenway, and a big part of that is Lennie James's performance. Lennie captures the complicated Greenway and knows what to do. You can feel the anger and disappointment, as well as the struggle within him to embrace Bond but to protect himself from getting too close. From the moment he shows up on screen to the last time you see him, you’re invested in him, and even you as the player find yourself hoping to get his approval.

The side characters, even ones that barely have time, are all done pretty well, including Raquel Cipriano’s performance as Bond girl Theresa Lorca, who captures the attractive allure and smarts of the character.

User Experience

This game is not a bad experience. Actually, you can argue it gives you too many hints, but I liked that, considering that the amount of things you can do during the action and stealth sections could feel overwhelming once you have a bunch of gadgets and various ways to tackle the problem. You can also check hints on all the different ways to accomplish a mission. The only part of the experience I wasn’t crazy about, as I mentioned, was the cover mechanics, and I did find the game more difficult than you would think at first in the gunplay sections.

Replay Value

This is a high replay value game. Not only does the variety of ways you can solve a mission give you plenty to replay, but also the game’s length, as it’s not some 60+ hour epic. I finished it in about 15+hours, which is short these days. There’s also plenty of tactical missions you can try, which help you hone your skills and extend gameplay sessions. I plan to replay this one in the next year or two, and try new ways to tackle certain missions.

Recommendation

If you’re a fan of either the Hitman games or Uncharted games, I can’t help but beg you to play this game. If you’re a diehard Bond fan, I can’t help but beg you to play this game. It’s not a game that’s hard to pick up and learn (even if again, you may need to tone down the difficulty in the action segments), and its story is going to keep you hooked. I will say, expect more Hitman than Uncharted, so if that bothers you, you may need to wait to see if you can play it a little first before committing to it.

A - Great

007 First Light feels like the franchise’s Batman Begins, a perfect way to kick off a hopeful video game version of the character and of the franchise, which has a lot of potential. This feels like a spy game, which says much more than previous games in the series. The character ensemble is phenomenal, and by the end the story has you begging to play more. It’s a game that, behind the Bond spy missions and action, has a surprising amount of heart and leaves you caring for Bond and his entourage in a way that not many Bond films are able to do. Without a doubt, the best James Bond video game ever, move over Goldeneye. The number has been earned.

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Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest has historically been an okay show for me, featuring some solid announcements but nothing that truly sticks in your mind. A specific event a couple of years ago was pretty bad, with reports from attendees that Geoff seemed frustrated. Whatever your opinions of Geoff, I’ve always defended him because I believe he truly loves and is passionate about video games. So, entering this year’s event, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away. Well... I was blown away.

How Bout that Start!

The show had an incredible start. Right away, we got Resident Evil: Code Veronica, the Code Veronica remake. It was just an announcement trailer, but it looks like we're getting another Resident Evil remake banger. I’ve never played or seen anyone play Code Veronica, so I’m going into it blind. I did think Geoff starting the show with this showed he had a lot bigger things to show, and was my first sign this was going to be a hell of a show.

Then, we got a pair of Cuphead announcements, which completely took me aback. The semi-pixel style Mighty Cuphead Adventure spinoff has my interest. Even though I never played the original game, I only saw a bunch of Let’s Plays. The sequel is probably going to be a while before we see it. Alien Isolation 2 was shown, and while I’m not the audience for that type of game, I know the original’s huge fans are going to eat this up, and I can’t help but be happy for them.

Gen Atlas is the next game from Fumito Ueda, creator of ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian. Not much to say here except we know the resume; now we wait to see what this game ends up being all about. Stranger Than Heaven got some stage presence , with Snoop Dogg making an appearance, saying Sega is his favorite game. Then, no joke, Tupac was revealed to be in the game. Now, this got a big pop originally, but many are questioning the ethics of adding a man who is no longer with us to a game. The claim is that they got the okay from his estate; however, his estate is not run by his family, and that’s a whole other debate and controversy you can look up. I was getting interested in this one, but the inclusion of Tupac is cringeworthy the more I think about it.

Truly a Game Fest

This was the typical SGF event; it’s about two hours, longer than it should be, but I felt like it was filled with a lot of really good stuff, and I didn’t feel the time like I usually do with Geoff’s shows. There were plenty of announcements, including DLC and expansion, but I’ll talk about some of the games that piqued my interest the most.

I’m not a TMNT guy, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin was announced, as Paramount is set to try to make a dent in the gaming space. I’m not exactly a fan of that company, but hey, every game company has its demons, and we’ll see how serious they are about making this a thing. I loved seeing Ben Starr, even if it was for Fortnite. Crossfire, a game made by devs from Call of Duty and The Last of Us fame, was shown. I want to be interested in this game, but my concern is whether it has forced co-op, like the Josef Fares games. I’m not a player of the series, but Guild Wars 3 took me by surprise considering I feel part two has been out forever. Control Resonant got another look. I’m hyped for this game, but I fear it was placed in such a bad spot, and I’m worried about when exactly I’ll be able to play it.

Other surprises include An Eggstremely Hard Game, which has a vibe that I think I’ll be all about if I do get a chance to play it, and reminded me of Untitled Goose Game a little bit. Swords of Legends looks good, but I am worried that it has the East-inspired action-adventure art direction that is starting to look repetitive. Virtua Fighter Crossroads is a game that looks cooler and cooler every time I see it, but I’m not a fighting game guy, so I think this one is going to be a Let’s Play. Sonic and Godzilla are teaming up in an awesome way in Sonic Racing Crossworlds, which got a huge pop out of me as a Godzilla superfan. We also got 007 First Light’s expansion pass, which focuses on Lenny Kravitz’s Bawma character. Hopefully, he actually feels important or has a good performance; in my opinion, he’s the weakest of the ensemble in the main game. The Dawn of Bloodwalker is getting stuck in my head more. Maybe it’s because I love unexpected original RPG experiences, but I think I’m going to pick this one up.

Other games include Star Wars Galactic Racer, The Wolf Among Us 2, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, and an appearance from Tifa, who is coming to Street Fighter 6, plus so much more. It truly was a giant list of great games and good variety. Also, while it wasn’t in the actual Summer Games Fest show, quick shout-out to Exodus, a game that is forcing itself into my personal top ten most highly anticipated video games. I saw the extended gameplay video they put up, and I am getting major Mass Effect vibes. Keep your eye on this one.

Time to End it Right

We know Geoff had to end it right, and he did with Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the last in the remake trilogy. I think we all knew this was coming, but it was still a great announcement. It seems the game builds on the foundations of Rebirth more than Remake, which was expected. I love these remake games, but I do feel they are better played by fans of the original rather than new fans who have never experienced the story. I have my theories and opinions about how this one is going to wrap up, so it’s time to see if I'm right.

I do hope they finish it in a way that stays true to the original story and that the explanation of all the weird twists and turns is satisfying. It’s going to be crazy to finally get our hands on the final chapter and finish this Final Fantasy VII Remake journey that began with an E3 2015 shocker of a teaser trailer.

A - Great

Overall, this was my favorite of the “big four” shows this week. I can’t believe I’m saying this about a Summer Games Fest, which for me is a B-grade at best and tends to be a C-level event, but I have to admit that Geoff cooked here. It had a healthy variety of announcements, and E3-like reveals from the jump. Say what you will about the man, but when he tries his hardest and shows his real passion for games, Keighley can put on a hell of a show. Congrats, Geoff… you did great here.

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