Geek Culture Reviews

Terrible gameplay, poor CGI , and even worse acting, Rebel Assault II has it all… Welcome to episode #5 of Re:Play, a series where I look back at a video game or comic book that I have fond memories of to see if it holds up to my past experiences. So far we’ve dived into Alien Vs. Predator: War, Xenoblade Chrioncles, Star fox, and Rogue Trooper, with each being a mixed bag of nostalgic-filled fun.  This time I’m heading to that galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire . I first experienced Rebel Assault II back in the days of the original PlayStation. My middle brother still lived at home and while he was at work, his PlayStation console and game library was mine to control. While we didn’t actually own Rebel Assault II, my now defunct local video rental store did. Thankfully during one weekend visit the game was in stock and for £1.99 it was mine for two nights! As I raced home on my imitation BMX I couldn’t wait to dive into the world of X-Wings, R...

An arcade for the digital age… As a child of the 1980’s it’s safe to say that I have a soft spot for “retro gaming”. From my misspent childhood diving into my brothers collection of Mega-CD titles, to spending Saturday afternoons under the neon lights of my local arcade, this was MY golden era, and one that brings back a lot of fond memories and nostalgia.  Jumping a few years and I’m now approaching 40, and the games of my childhood have become a thing of the past. For those of us clambering to these fond memories, the retro video game market is a minefield of hard to find games, and scalpers capitalising on our need to relive these gaming masterpieces. While the likes of technology store CeX has somewhat curbed this issue in the UK, the retailer is also seen a one of the markets biggest inflators of driving those prices up. Where the condition of a cartridge, or CD now reigns supreme, the simple premise of a “ good game” has been lost to making a few bucks off of someone’s nostal...

Rob reviews Cyber Citizen Shockman on Nintendo Switch… With modern gaming being more accessible than ever, there’s a growing trend with publishers re-releasing those niche titles that may have never seen a main line release . For argument sake, this past year we’ve seen ININ Games bring Cotton to Western markets, and Square Enix have followed suit with Live A Live.  Now it’s the turn of indie publisher Ratalika Games , and developer Shinyuden to bring us Western gamers another quintessential slice of that niche pie.  Enter, Cyber Citizen Shockman a 2D side scroller that originally made its debut back in 1989. Released primarily in Japan on the PC Engine, Cyber Citizen Shockman  never saw a Western release. While we would see it’s sequel, the original stayed localised to Japanese markets. Now, Ratalika Games and Shinyuden have teamed up to bring the franchise into the 21st century, with all the bells and whistles of a modern video game.  However is this a retro del...

Rob reviews Starblazer #1: The Omega Experiment... Rewind time back to April 1979 and a new comic adorned newsagents shelves. Taking advantage of the science fiction boom, the folks over at DC Thompson decided to publish Starblazer - a 64-page anthology that told a complete story in one single issue.  What then followed was 281 further issues that followed the same simple format up until Starblazer's retirement in 1991. While the Starblazer name has long gone into the sunset, other mini-digests such as Commando and indie comic Sentinel continue to fly the flag for these done-in-one digests.  Sadly I missed out on Starblazer 's original outing as I came along in 1986. However, from reviewing Alan Holloway and Ed Doyle 's work with Sentinel, I discovered Starblazer.  And thanks to the joys of Facebook Marketplace, I've managed to grab a small collection (some even signed!) - and they didn't cost a fortune either! It also has issues from this collection...

Star Fox...or is it Starwing? Star Fox   or Starwing as it's known in the UK was Nintendo's answer to having a 16-bit shooter... in 3D! Utilising a fancy named graphics chip - Super FX - Star Fox was not only the second 3D Nintendo title (the first being  X on the Game Boy) - but also the first to use polygonal graphics. While Star Fox may have been groundbreaking in 1993, does its graphics and gameplay still hold up 29-years later?  Straight from its title scrawl, you know that Star Fox is going to be unique. Set to the beat of an incredible 16-bit ensemble, a trio of starfighters scream across the darkness. No sooner have they made their appearance, they're soon destroyed by a gorgeous array of lasers as an ominous polygonal shape looms into view. It's from this point that you know this currently unknown enemy means business.  While the opening introduction plays homage to that scene in Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope , for Star Fox...