Good news, everyone! New episodes of [Retrophile TV] are here!

Two new episodes of my ongoing retro-gaming series are here. Today, I take on a first-time, blind playthrough of the futuristic Genesis beat-'em-up Cyborg Justice and a frustrating romp back into my childhood with the obscure action-adventure/platformer Mystery Quest for the NES.

I like what I see! Where can I see more?

You can check out all my videos over at the Retrophile TV YouTube channel. If you really dig the channel, why not subscribe & tell your friends?

Feel free to post any feedback either in the comments here on Dtoid or on the videos themselves on YT. Either way, I'll be sure to read it.

New episodes next week: Shaq Fu (SNES Vs.), Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES Co-Op)

O HAI, Destructoid!

Remember ol' Savant? It's been a long, long time since I've posted anything of worth here on Destructoid, but I feel that this community truly is the perfect place to share my love of 8- & 16-bit gaming. Back in November of 2012, I got the notion to start streaming myself playing some impromptu NES, SNES, Genesis, and TG-16 games while commentating over them. On a whim, I threw together a Twitch.TV channel and called it "RetrophileTV" and began recording some episodes.

Why "Retrophile TV"?

I'm not quite sure, actually. It was honestly the first thing that popped into my head and it just sorta fit. "Retrophile", obviously, means the obsessive, undying love of all things retro. In this case, it pertains to old-school gaming. Kinda self-explanatory, right?

Who are you, and why should I care?

My name's Mike, also known as "Savant" here on Destructoid. I was a former editor who wrote for Dtoid a few years back doing a weekly feature entiteld "Miniboss Monday" that gained a small bit of popularity at the time. I have always been an adamant supporter of old games and pride myself on my vast knowledge of the strange & obscure. So much so, I used to run a daily trivia challenge in the Destructoid site chatroom. 

Also, I'm a pretty damn funny guy at times, and I seriously have some of the worst Charlie Brown luck. Combining those two things results in some hilarious reactions to inconceivable gaming misfortune.

Sounds legit. Where can I watch Retrophile TV?

All episodes of Retrphile TV are viewable on this YouTube Channel. You should definitely subscribe to it. I hear all the cool kids are doing it these days. If you'd like to watch an episode be recorded live, follow RetrophileTV on Twitch.

Can I request a game for a future episode?

Abso-freakin'-lutely! If you've got any requeusts for games you'd like to see featured on future episodes or would like to provide any private feedback, simply send an e-mail to RetrophileTV@gmail.com.

Well, there ya have it. Check out some episodes and let me know what you guys think. If you really dig the channel and want to help a guy out, subscribe & share the channel with your friends, your enemies, and your grandmother. Don't worry, she's a hardcore gamer, too.

It has been a very, very long time since I've last had a chance to write a blog on Destructoid, so I find it only fitting that I reemerge writing about something that I haven't had a chance to play in many years and have recently rediscovered; Diablo II Hardcore.

What is "Hardcore?"

For the uninitiated, Hardcore (HC) is an optional mode of play in which the player's character is given a single life. If you die, your character becomes a ghost. You lose everything and are no longer allowed to use that character. This is also referred to as "permadeath."

So, what makes HC so great in Diablo II?

Diablo II, by itself, is actually a pretty mindless game that you can play fairly care-free. Point, click, kill, loot, repeat. If you should happen to die, you lose half your gold, respawn in town, and can reclaim your corpse. (Experience penalties are incurred in later levels/difficulties, as well.) No big deal, though, right? Just a minor inconvenience.

Hardcore, however, completely changes Diablo II and your mindset when approaching the game. Suddenly, every choice you make on the battlefield has purpose, and every single stat & skill point is placed with careful planning for the future, because, hell, your life depends on it. In Softcore (non-HC), you probably wouldn't think twice about charging balls-first into the face of a Lightning Enchanted unique monster. "GONNA GET 'DAT LOOT!", you say with reckless abandon. In Hardcore, however, a Lightning Enchanted monster will evoke great hesitation, caution, and even a subtle feeling of fear when you realize that this fight could very well kill you, and it's only a single encounter.

Kinda makes you think, doesn't it?



But, I'm too young to die! Hardcore sounds scary!

"Man up, Nancy! It'll put hair on your chest!" Truth be told, Hardcore really isn't for everybody. If you can't get over the fact that you will die at some point, you should probably stick with Softcore. However, if you're feeling a little adventurous, saucy, or kinky and want to take a sip of the Hardcore Kool-Aid™, I can't recommend it enough. Like drinking a perfectly poured pint of Guinness, it's something that everyone should try once.

After playing Hardcore for awhile, you really begin to feel a genuine sense of accomplishment for not getting your ass handed to you (yet) by the endless hordes of Hell and their tomfoolery. Every level up, every boss kill, and every set/unique item found becomes that much more satisfying and addictive.

Why are you playing this, anyway? There's plenty of other great games out right now!

Destructoid community member and Outer Heaven compatriot DrunkPunk and I were discussing how great it would be to get a group of people together to play Diablo II Hardcore as a team. Fast-foward to present day, and we've got close to eight people on board, many of which are virgins to HC. This is also a great way to shake off the rust and kill time until Diablo III's launch (whenever that is.)

Oh, and that reminds me, if you're planning on getting into Hardcore yourself, try to round up a group of trusted friends to play with on a regular basis in private rooms. The public HC community has its fair share of griefing douchebags who just love collecting people's ears. This will also keep you and your friends alive a lot longer, as there is strength in numbers.

Summary. Closing. STFUAJPG.

So, class, what've you learned today? You've learned that Hardcore fundamentally changes Diablo II and that it's challenge can be both soul-crushing and rewarding at the same time. You've also learned that a game that's 10+ years old still has a few tricks up its sleeve and can still kick all kinds of ass.

That said, If you own a copy of Diablo II that's been collecting dust or is buried in the bottom of a box in your closet somewhere, I greatly suggest digging it out, booting it up, and getting some friends together for some fun-filled evenings of Hardcore.

Good luck, have fun, and, most importantly, don't die.

Stay awhile, and listen.

(Photo taken outside The Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA)

I can just imagine the ice Climbers come out the back to bring the stretcher, Dr. Mario is present for on-site care, and the dude from Excitebike is driving.

It's been quite the week. As of late, I have recently spent more time scouring eBay and bidding on things more than I ever thought I would. Within the course of just a few days, I have bought the following (with a bit of patience) dirt cheap;

Dark Cloud (PS2)
Dark Cloud 2 (PS2)
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (PS1)
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (PS1)
Vagrant Story (PS1)
Final Fantasy Anthology (PS1)
Final Fantasy Chronicles (PS1)
Final Fantasy Origins (PS1)

Notice something? Yep, they're all older RPGs. For whatever reason, I'm on such an RPG kick with the old PS1/PS2. All of these games listed above I have found on eBay for a lot less than I ever thought possible. If I would have bought them all retail when they first came out, I'd be paying close to $350+. However, I paid only a third of that price in total.

Now, I'm sure this isn't any new revelation or some well-kept secret of the Innernets, but I will say that my overall shopping experience has been very, very good with eBay. If I were to buy these games used today at a local GameStop or GameCrazy, I'd probably get shafted pretty badly; both on price and condition. All the games I have listed above came complete and in near-mint state.

I think my eBaying is pretty much done with now, as I've much to play. How about the rest of you? What have you bought off of eBay?