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June 13th, 2018 
Carl Williams 
Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge fan of retro gaming. I grew up with most of what are considered “classics” today. I lived the moments that many gamers refer to as “defining moments” in gaming history. I was there, reading each month the latest on the Nintendo versus Camerica/Galoob/Tengen whomever it was they were suing/being sued by that month. Anyhow, here are some retro gaming fun that is on sale at GoG.com right now in their “SummerGaming Sale”. Grab these while you can before the deals disappear.
First up we are going to cover the 3D platformers. Any retro gamer that lived through the period will clearly remember Nintendo throwing down the gauntlet in this genre with Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64. For the most part, these games have only gotten better looking as technology has improved. Take Yooka-Laylee for instance. This is a beautiful 3D platforming title and it is resting at about 70% off.
Maybe you are more of a hack and slash fan. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the graphically impressive Rogue-like titles available on GoG.com in their SummerGaming Sale. Titan Quest is one that I wanted to play badly back in the day. Sadly, my computer at the time was way too underpowered to let me enjoy the adventure. No worries now as Titan Quest Anniversary Edition is available at an 80% discount. For just a bit more than the Burger King “King’s Meal Deal” you can take on both Titan Quest and Titan Quest Immortal Throne. At least these games will last longer than the indigestion you would get from the food.
Role-playing games are a special genre for retro gamers. From Dragon Warrior/Quest to Final Fantasy and Phantasy Star, we have been adventuring for decades. From planets in the future to mythological pasts, retro gamers have done it all. Evoland I and Evoland II attempt to let RPG fans relive the glory days one highlight after another. These games are awesome nostalgia trips.
Star Wars fans are hardcore and rightfully so. They have an immense backstory of content to be fans of that spans generations. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords takes the action of the first KOtR and just pushes everything up another notch. Grab it now and you can save 60% over the normal price.
Another RPG series that is worthy of discussion is the Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition. Another game to look at is Icewind Dale, or maybe Planescape: Torment, or the Y’s games (Chronicles is basically an enhanced version of the Turbo Grafx-16 CD-ROM version). These are all enhanced versions of the classics that we played years ago. All these titles are great role-playing games and they are all on discount right now on GoG.com just waiting for you to buy them.
Fans of the sci-fi persuasion will want to grab Fallout and Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics (available on sale as a set). This is an impressive set of dystopia future RPG fun. I remember losing many an hour to Tactics and loving every minute of it.
Some of us just prefer a good old-fashioned adventure. That is where Pirates! Gold Plus comes in. Who didn’t want to be a pirate when they were younger? Most of us reading this probably were too late for the “cops and robbers” craze during childhood – no, our imaginary goals grew in complexity and adventure. Pirates! Gold Plus brings updated graphics to the classic game (though there is yet another enhanced edition that goes even farther available). The classics never get old, especially at 75% off.
While we are on a pirate kick, who has not enjoyed a Monkey Island game? If you like snarky comebacks and funny situations then you need to check this franchise out. Check out Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition, Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: Lechuck’s Revenge, Curse of Monkey Island and while you are in the adventuring mood, grab Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis – it is a more serious take on the point and click genre but just as fun.
Back to the Star Wars gang with the next entry here. X-Wing vs TIE Fighter is just one of many Star Wars games on sale right now. Here though, you could dog fight in single player or multiplayer as either the Rebellion or as the Empire.
Speaking of space adventures, if you ever wanted to run an entire galactic empire then you need to check out Master of Orion 1 + 2. Just be warned, you will probably lose a few weeks to either of these games. You have been warned. I just saw that they have Master of Orion 3 also on sale for an unbelievable price. Life might just come to a standstill here.
Since we are in space and working with strategy games I figure it would be the right time to point out Homeworld Remastered Collection. Before this game launched, strategy games (both turn based and real time) were 2D overhead affairs. Homeworld brought the genre into the 3rd dimension and did it masterfully.
Fans of First Person Shooters (FPS) like Doom or Quake will be quite happy with the selection in GoG.com’s SummerGaming Sale. First, we have Killing Time which I thought was awesome on the 3DO console (and made my Top 10 3DO exclusives you need to play list). The two versions are different, at least in the beginning. In the 3DO version you start out in a maze shooting ducks while the PC version doesn’t feature this level for some reason. The PC version starts you out on a boat or something.
If you prefer tons of pieces of the enemy onscreen then check out Blood: One Unit Whole Blood or Blood 2: The Blood Group. Maybe you are a little southern and like to poke fun at yourself, or those of us from the south. In that case, you need to grab Redneck Rampage Collection which comes with the original game, Redneck Rampage Rides Again: Arkansas (this explains a lot) and Redneck Rampage: Suckin’ Grits on Route 66.
Now let’s discuss a few retro inspired newer titles. First, Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back is a continuation of a game franchise I could not stand back in the day. I just could not get into Bubsy’s 2D adventures and his one outing on the PlayStation console in 3D was just too horrendous to bother with. The thing is, I love 2.5D games and well, that is the style that Woolies Strike Back uses. It looks beautiful and I may just have to give in and at least try this one.
Cuphead is another 2D side scrolling action game that feels retro. I reviewed it already. If you are a fan of run and gun games like Contra or Midnight Resistance, then you will want to give Cuphead a try. Just be forewarned, we are talking tough as nails being the Very Easy setting here.
While I suck at them, I love scrolling shooters. From Thunder Force III to Earth Defense Force (E.D.F.) on Super Nintendo, I love them. I get my butt handed to me in most of them, especially the 194x series by Capcom but I still drop quarters into them when I find them in the wild. That brings me to Sine Mora, a title I have played a lot on Android on the go. This is a 3D game set in the 2D style which is awesome in how it is implemented here.
A dirty gaming pleasure of mine, and I am sure of many people reading this, is the Carmageddon series. I am going to have to grab Carmageddon Max Damage and give this one a run. If you are of a certain political persuasion you can exercise it in the game which is just funny to me. Definitely high on my to buy list. Many of the other entries are on sale as well (available via links on the side of the GoG.com page).
My friend Nick Abrams reviewed this next game on the Nintendo Switch recently. The Mummy Demastered is a 2D side scrolling action game that happens to be based on the recent movie starring Tom Cruise (it is supposed to be an entry in yet another cinematic universe). The game features sprawling levels, tons of enemies and many challenges. I just wish Wayforward would port this to Android so I could play on my GPD XD handheld.
Know of a great retro title that I missed and want to tell the world? Speak up in the comments.
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