Gaming History You Should Know – The Cybiko May 23, 2021
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Welcome back to a new Gaming History You Should Know, where we share some of the biggest independent videos produced about gaming history from across the internet. Now, let me take you back over twenty years. In the late 90s, people like me needed access to the internet while on the go. Unlike how it is today with cellular modem equipped smartphones and tablets, in the late-90s portable internet access was not an easy prospect at that time. If you wanted to surf the web, you needed a Personal Computer. Laptops were an option, but they were more expensive than desktops and had worse performance. High speed networks and WiFi were not options for the vast majority of online users, and people like me were in a bit of a bind.
In this time, companies like Palm and heck even Apple were producing portable computing devices that fit in your pocket and were meant to be used while on the go. They were called the PDA, for Personal Digital Assistant. Unlike smartphones of the day which do not require full computers and can function independently, PDAs were dependent on occasionally being synced with a full PC for processes like application installations and backups.
The PDA, for the most part, were used by busy businessmen who needed to constantly be able to keep track of their schedules, write emails, and check things like their address book. They weren’t really meant for playing games, and because of that most young people were not interested in them. Portable gaming consoles like the Game Boy had been out for years at that point, and were the preferred portable electronic device for most young people.
But what if a company stepped forward and said they had created a PDA that was capable of doing most of the tasks meant for businesspeople, could wirelessly allow for simple text commutation between devices, and could support playing games? A company stepped forward and announced they made one, it was called the Cybiko. I actually had a Cybiko and remembered using it daily for about a year, but nobody else seems to remember it.
Enter YouTube pillar LGR, known for his Lazy Game Reviews of classic PC games and unusual hardware. He took a closer look at the Cybiko and all it’s relevant software of the time. See what he thought about it.
Conversations with Curtis Part 2 May 21, 2021
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We are twenty minutes away from the live premiere of the next chapter of Conversations with Curtis, where the lead actor of the infamous PC horror classic Phantasmagoria 2, interviews people behind the game. Today, he’ll be interviewing the game’s female lead, Monique Parent.
Catch it live and you should be able to post questions, and there’s a good chance they could answer it during the broadcast! If you’d like to watch the feed, you can check it out below!
Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh is out now for the PC.
Hulu’s MODOK Crossing Over With Marvel’s Avengers May 21, 2021
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The big baddie of Marvel’s Avengers, better known as the supervillian M.O.D.O.K., is getting his own animated television show on Hulu starting today. To celebrate, they’re offering exclusive in-game nameplates on Marvel’s Avengers for a limited time! Check it out!
Marvel’s Avengers is out now for PC, Stadia, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Conversations With Curtis Episode 2 Tomorrow! May 20, 2021
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Just a friendly reminder for you Phantasmagoria 2 fans, the second episode of Conversations with Curtis, an online series where the game’s lead actor, Paul Stetler, interviews the people involved with the iconic PC horror game. Tomorrow, the second episode will broadcast live and he is scheduled to interview the game’s female lead, Monique Parent!
Conversations With Curtis Episode 2 broadcasts live tomorrow at 7PM Eastern Time. Subscribe to the YouTube Channel to stay notified on the latest updates.
Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh is out now for PC.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart – Planets and Exploration Video May 20, 2021
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Since it was first revealed, the newest Ratchet and Clank game is the reason to get a PS5. Take a look at the game’s worlds and environments!
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is coming June 11th, 2021 exclusively for the PS5.
Marvel’s Avengers Red Room Takeover Event Begins May 20, 2021
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What better way to celebrate the imminent release of Black Widow in theaters and Disney+ Premiere Access than to see the iconic Red Room take over Marvel’s Avengers?
The Red Room will be here until May 31st!
Marvel’s Avengers is out now for PC, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PS4.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition Unboxing May 19, 2021
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EA has re-released three of the most influential sci-fi video games ever produced in glorious 4K. Now, Mass Effect Legendary Edition includes the first three Mass Effect games and the majority of its DLC. We picked up a copy on the Xbox One and decided to open it up for you guys. What is Maniac’s history with BioWare? Watch and find out.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is out now for PC, Xbox One and PS4. It’s currently supported as enhanced for Xbox Series X/S and PS5.
The Last of Us Part II Now Enhanced for PS5 May 19, 2021
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One of the biggest PS4 exclusives last year was the controversial game The Last of Us Part II. The game has been backwards compatible with the PS5 since the console launched, but now Sony and Naughty Dog have released a free patch for the game to improve its performance when played on the PS5. Take a look!
The new patch has been tested and is promising 60FPS at 4K when played on PS5.
The Last of Us Part II is out now for PS4.
Japan Travel Tips – Real Life Shenmue May 18, 2021
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It’s Tuesday, welcome back to a new Japan Travel Tips! For the past few weeks we’ve gotten into some of the biggest sights in Japan for gamers to see, and today that will continue! This is, after all, a gaming site. Let me take you back to the year 2000.
In 2000, SEGA released one of the most fondly-remembered cult classic games on the Dreamcast, Shenmue. The game was unlike any other release of its time, as while its story was a simple one, it presented the player an environment they could fully explore with a full day and night cycle. Today, that kind of concept is considered common but for its time it was revolutionary.
Most people recognize the original Shenmue as a work of fiction, meant to take place in the mid-1980s. However, few may recognize that while the game’s story is fiction, the game’s environment is not. The first game takes place in a real street in Japan, Dobuita, and recreated as it appeared in the 1980s. It is located in Yokosuka City in Kanagwawa Prefecture. Even in the year 2021 the street still has its earlier charm. It served as a shopping location for American Navy sailors, and claims to be the original source of the famous sukajan jacket. To Shenmue fans, traveling to Dobuita Street is a rite of passage just as fans of the Beatles are drawn to cross the famous Abby Road. Today, we’re going to be taking a closer look at several videos about gamers who took that very rite.
Here’s a great introduction video produced by RadioSEGA!
A plus to making this particular article is that since the release of Shenmue I&II HD, SEGA has produced several english-language documentaries about the area and its inspiration behind the game. Next up, I’m going to highlight an official video SEGA produced around the game of Shenmue 1&2 HD’s release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Hosted by Shenmue superfan Adam Koralik, this video shows the real-world Dobuita Street.
Next up, I want to highlight one of the most sincere videos I’ve ever watched on the internet. The late Roger Swan was a pioneer of YouTube, and as far as I can tell was one of the very first people I could find on the internet who visited Dobuita Street to document it and compare it to the game. Here is his video about his experience visiting in 2010.
Rest In Peace, Mr Swan.
Next, you’ll be happy to know that the street is absolutely beautiful in the winter time. While it may only snow in the game when your Dreamcast clock is set to December 25th, here’s a great video from Phantom River Stone about what it looks like when it snows in the real world.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this nostalgic look into the past, and were excited to see how the real world can inspire games. Next week, we’re going to take a step backwards and expand further on something we touched on a few weeks earlier. When discussing places to stay during our Hotel article, we mentioned the uniquely Japanese Ryokan, or hot springs resort. Next week, we are going to take a MUCH closer look at them!
Shenmue is out now for the Sega Dreamcast. Shenmue I&II HD is out now for PC, Xbox One and PS4.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition 1.02 Patch Released May 17, 2021
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A minor but important patch has been released for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. The new patch, version 1.02 adjusts a fix for an annoying bug on the Xbox Series X/S involving using a wireless headset in the game’s launcher menu.
The following are fixes and improvements we’ve made across all platforms in this update.
General
- Fixed the main issue where the launcher would crash or become unresponsive on Xbox Series X when using a wireless headset
- Known issue: This can still happen if you enable/disable a headset in the launcher. A future fix will resolve this issue.
- Improved iris shaders for better interaction with light and ambient occlusion
- Minor calibrations, fixes, and stability improvements
Mass Effect
- Improved terrain textures
- Fixed an issue where kills for achievements/trophies weren’t tracking correctly
Mass Effect & Mass Effect 2
- Resolved an issue where the character code would sometimes not display in the squad menu
- Improvements to pre-rendered cutscenes to reduce occasional artifacts
Mass Effect 2
- Improved lighting and shadows in some cinematics
- Minor visual, rendering, and VFX improvements on some levels
- Resolved minor text issues with achievements
Mass Effect 3
- Fixed an issue where kills for achievements/trophies weren’t tracking correctly
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is out now for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
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