thelatenightsession
May 27
Retro hell freezes over as Atari acquires Intellivision brand
Atari’s newfound purpose in establishing itself as the backbone of classic/retro gaming has taken another interesting step with their announced acquisition of the Intellivision brand, including a substantial number of game properties. The Amico console however will be spun off and remain in the hands of its owners.The full announcement can be found here and Atari are already in full swing with…
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thelatenightsession
Apr 3
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (Review)
Coming off Atari 50 and The Making of Karateka, Digital Eclipse have struck gold in finding a way to presenting not only classic games of the past but also the people behind them in a documentary format. Their latest title, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, is an inspired choice highlighting a developer who has been there right from the very beginning of the video games industry and is still…
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thelatenightsession
Feb 19
Thoughts on The Atari 400 Mini
Back in January Retro Games, creators of TheC64 series of emulation consoles announced an Atari 8bit version that appears inspired in all the right ways and I like what I see so far.As the name suggests, The 400 Mini takes its design cues from the original Atari 400 but the guts of it will be able to play titles from the whole 8bit range including the 5200 console. Choosing the 400 seems like…
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thelatenightsession
Feb 9
Planet of Lana (Review)
Over the years there’s been an incredible number of atmospheric platform games that have a larger focus on the story and how your character navigates through it. Both of PlayDead’s games Limbo and Inside were especially strong examples of this approach and it’s great to see that Planet of Lana from developer Wishfully Studios is carrying on from where those games left off and has delivered a…
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The Making of Karateka (Review)
Over the years a number of people have attempted to provide a history of gaming that goes into detail about games of note and the stories behind them but often they lack the one thing that makes games unique in entertainment – the ability to play them. The team over at Digital Eclipse look like they have found the secret sauce to make this work, and after hitting a home run with the Atari 50…
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thelatenightsession
Dec 31, 2023
2023 in Review
In terms of my output this year, I have to admit it’s been probably my quietest ever. Sometimes work and life get in the way a little too much and while I’m still gaming away it’s not always been as easy to find time to write about it. But a lot has been going on and I do want to share at least some thoughts about the year in general for me.Hi-Fi RUSH – my game of the year!Hi-Fi RUSH –…
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thelatenightsession
Nov 24, 2023
Call of Duty Modern Warfare III (Review)
This year’s iteration of the Call of Duty franchise is probably going to cause a fair amount of controversy, not because of the recent blowback from campaign reviews – I think IGN went a little too far on that – but in that aspects of the value proposition of the package may get called into question. This release has been rumoured to have originally been aimed at being a DLC campaign expansion…
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thelatenightsession
Nov 1, 2023
Starfield (Review)
In what’s really been years since Bethesda Game Studios last new single player RPG (Fallout 4 in 2015) we finally have Starfield arrive, fully waving an Xbox banner in the process. While it is still 100% a Bethesda style game, with its vast open areas and ability to allow players to choose their own path almost from the outset, it feels like it also draws from a number of other sci-fi games in…
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thelatenightsession
Oct 15, 2023
Thoughts on my time at PAX.AU 2023
The last few years I’ve spent a lot of time taking pictures and writing about the experience of each of my days in PAX Australia at occasionally sunny Melbourne which kept me way too busy at the end of each day. This time I needed a break and I’m writing about the experience a week after the event.Thinking back on it there was definitely a lot of positives to come from this year’s event with a…
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thelatenightsession
Sep 12, 2023
Everspace 2 (Review)
Rockfish Games’ Everspace is the kind of game that ages well over time thanks to an impressive art style and rogue-like mechanics that added a significant amount of replay value to it. I would have thought it was the kind of game that didn’t need a sequel however with Everspace 2, the developers have made enough changes to make it an experience that stands apart from its predecessor.The game…
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thelatenightsession
Aug 21, 2023
Asura's Wrath (Review)
Back in 2012 developer CyberConnect2 and Capcom released Asura’s Wrath on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and while I didn’t jump in at the time what stuck with me over the years was the praise given by people to the wild story and so on a recent sale I thought it was finally time to see it for myself. I’m glad that I did too because the game is absolutely bonkers and utterly unique.You take on the…
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thelatenightsession
Jul 30, 2023
Arcade Paradise (Review)
For those of us old enough to remember the 80’s and 90’s Video Arcades were the place to be to check out the latest in video games when the technology was advancing in leaps and bounds. You may have played the home version of your favourite game but it wasn’t a shade on the original version and so you’d join your friends and go to the closest venue packing the latest and greatest. While ticket…
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thelatenightsession
Jul 5, 2023
Post Xbox showcase thoughts
It’s been some time since the Xbox showcase was held and after finally catching up on lost sleep and fighting off an annoying flu I think I should say a few things.First up, the Melbourne Xbox FanFest event was great. Held at Fortress in the CBD, the venue was a perfect location with plenty of room and seating for all. The venue is designed to be a haven for gamers in the city and it really…
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thelatenightsession
Jun 7, 2023
Predictions on the Xbox/Bethesda Showcase 2023
It’s that time of year and while the ghosts of E3 are still haunting June, it isn’t stopping a number of publishers and platform holders from using this time of the year to spruik their latest titles.After Sony’s recent “success” at advertising Xbox games, it’s now time to see if Microsoft and Bethesda can avoid a similar own goal and deliver something that gets fans excited for the future.…
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thelatenightsession
May 28, 2023
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Impressions)
What does a Jedi do when they are on the run from the Empire and finding the odds are constantly against them? This is what Cal Kestis faces in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to developer Respawn’s Jedi: Fallen Order. Set again after Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the game continues the story of Cal after he escapes from the Imperial Inquisitors and Darth Vader.The game…
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thelatenightsession
Apr 26, 2023
Now installing... Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Despite the substantial amount of Star Wars content coming from Disney, the number of PC and console games has been far less prolific with EA only releasing two shooters in the Battlefront series, the flight sim Squadrons and the third person adventure Jedi: Fallen Order.After the success of Jedi: Fallen Order, which I enjoyed on its release back in 2019, it’s great to see developer Respawn has…
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thelatenightsession
Apr 24, 2023
Thoughts on Revive Machines new Atari 800XL
There’s been a lot of positive feedback from fans of Retrogames’ TheC64 and A500 Mini machines which had taken Commodore’s classic computers and brought them to a new generation wanting a taste of nostalgia. Having classic games available in a nostalgic, modern way was a big winner. While Atari fans have been blessed with plenty of peripherals to keep their old machines accessible, there’s not…
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