VIDEOGAMES FEATURE: FRIDAY FLASHBACK

This fortnight Nick concludes his run of Sci-Fi retrospectives with a look at the challenging but ultimately rewarding SNES platformer, Super Empire Strikes Back.

SUPER EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Release Year: 1993

Original Console Release: SNES (later re-released on Nintendo Virtual Console)

Developer: Sculptured Software, LucasArts

By Nick Murray, Videogames Contributor.

A long time ago (1993) in a galaxy not so far away, one of the most controller smashingly infuriating games of all time was released. Super Empire Strikes Back on the Super Nintendo was quite frankly the bane of mine, and many others, childhood. You think you know difficult? Think again - this game's Easy setting makes Dark Souls look like Pokemon Snap. And yet, like a battered housewife, after all the abuse and downright nastiness, we returned to the game and let the whole hellish cycle start again. Why? Because at the end of the day, Super Empire Strikes Back is just a big old Jabba sized barrel of fun. 

VIDEOGAMES FEATURE: FRIDAY FLASHBACK

This fortnight Nick continues his retro Sci-Fi tour by taking a look at PC point-and-click classic, Blade Runner.

BLADE RUNNER

Release Year: 1997

Original Console Release: PC (Microsoft Windows)

Developer: Westwood Studios

By Nick Murray, Videogames Contributor.

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of Blade Runner, arguably one of the greatest and most influential Sci-Fi films of all time. So with that in mind, this fortnight’s Friday Flashback will focus on the cult PC classic of the same name. 

Developed by Westwood Studios in 1997, Blade Runner is a fairly standard point-and-click adventure. Thrust into the role of Ray McCoy, you are charged with hunting down a volatile pack of replicants, using all the puzzle solving prowess you have. Occasional gun fights are thrown into the mix, but the general essence of this game is its adventuring, collecting items and talking to inhabitants to gather clues, very much like the Monkey Island games of old. Fans of the genre will feel right at home here, with puzzles ranging from mildly challenging to head scratchingly frustrating, but the same can be said of most games of this ilk and it’s nice to be reminded of a time when developers weren’t afraid to throw continual mental challenges at a player.  There's really not a great deal different here in terms of core gameplay that makes it stand fundamentally stand out from the crowd when looking at the title in retrospect, with the notable exception of it's fantastic use and application of the source material.