COLUMN: 'Parallax Memories' – Questions
['Parallax Memories' is a (not-so) regular column by Matthew Williamson, profiling classic '16-bit' games from the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and other seminal '90s systems. This week's column asks where you want the column to go?]
What excuse can I make up for the tardiness of this column? I really can't think of too good of one, so I'll just pretend like I've been busy. To add insult to injury, if you're one of those three people who've been looking forward to the column's return, well, this isn't even a proper column!
Honestly, I'm looking for some help and perspective from the readership here. Great sites are built on their community, and this one is no different.
Since my last column something huge has happen: the Wii came out. Now the Virtual Console has shifted the way I was going to look at this column. Since Nintendo now feeds its users new 16 bit (and other) era games I'm not sure if I should continue to look at the games of the early nineties in a general perspective, or focus in on what has recently appeared on the Virtual Console.
Now, there's no way I could buy everything that comes out (nor would I want to), and I wouldn't be doing any kind of standard review on them. I would just continue the column as it's been going but just limit the content to recent or overall virtual console releases with the occasional distraction.
So if you have any input on what direction you would like to this column go, let me know in the comment field.
[Matthew Williamson is the creator of The Gamer’s Quarter, an independent videogame magazine focusing on first person writing. His work has been featured on MTV.com, 1up.com, Chatterbox Radio, and the Fatpixels Radio Podcast.]
Comments
I feel cheated. I want my money back.
Posted by: Alice | April 9, 2007 8:58 PM
I think a bit of both - if something you consider significant comes out on the VC, do that. Otherwise, keep doing what you've been doing. Cover whatever takes your fancy - if it is on/ties in with the VC, so be it, but I don't think that should shape what you write about. It's nice to read about stuff that isn't there, might never be there, or should be there too.
Posted by: Tetsuo | April 9, 2007 9:59 PM
i want a review of bravoman.
Posted by: dessgeega | April 10, 2007 3:38 AM
What I enjoy the most about your column is the fact that you review a game or a genre that is not usually reviewed in other medias. For instance, I would be surprised if the VC would launch "Cho Aniki" or "Snatcher". Therefore, I very much doubt that a Nintendo related magazine would write an article on these games. I really like to read stuff about games that I may never heard of or that are not currently being played or reviewed by dozens of game sites and magazines.
I say just like Tetsuo: you keep doing what you do normally and if something good comes out on the VC, you talk about it or simply point out that you can find it on the VC. This way you can find inspiration from the VC without loosing the "integrity" that you have right now.
Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Guert | April 10, 2007 4:57 AM
I think you should focus on great games from the 90s that are not available for the VC and continue to highlight ones that are gems that got overlooked.
Posted by: Andy Coish | April 10, 2007 7:00 AM
I'm with the others. Plenty of people are covering VC games. Even myself, from time to time, over on Curmudgeon Gamer. Your column is about overlooked games, and there are certainly more than enough of those out there.
If one of those games happens to be on Virtual Console, now, this doesn't mean you have to avoid it. I think a nice feature could be done on Dragon's Curse for example, which I've been rather enjoying.
Posted by: John H. | April 10, 2007 11:16 AM
Yeah, what other people have said... you have the Retro Roundup at 1up, vc-reviews.com and plenty of other outlets covering VC releases. It'd be cool if you did articles related to certain recent VC releases, but I'd be personally much more interested in seeing articles on obscure import/domestic games, such as FireStriker for SNES (hint hint) :)
Posted by: Luke D. | April 11, 2007 4:52 PM