Archive for the ‘Article’ Category

The All New, Old, but New Again, Atari 2600+

I only have vague memories of the world before Atari. Mostly what I remember is how amazed adults around me were with our new, magical box that turned our television into an interactive gaming experience. For the first time in most people’s lives they were able to control the images on their television. The Atari […]

Tetris and Life

Last week while chatting with friends, the topic of Tetris came up. I suggested they watch Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters, a 2011 documentary about the world’s best Tetris players. Discussion continued and to make a long story short, a bunch of middle-aged men scattered across the country are once again playing Tetris and […]

Mischief Maker’s Top 10 Games of 2020

Mischief Maker’s Top 10 games of the year 2020. 10. Jet Lancer A wildly fast modern arcade game that plays like the souped-up lovechild of Time Pilot and Lunar Lander. With fast WASD and mouseaim controls, fly your superjet with modular weapons through a 30+ mission story campaign. Shoot down hundreds of enemy fighters, boats, […]

The Making of Karateka (Journals 1982-1985) by Jordan Mechner

Reading a non-fiction book and knowing things about the author that haven’t happened yet is an interesting experience. The Making of Karateka is a collection of hand-written journals captured by Jordan Mechner that span from 1982-1985. The first few entries set the scene of Mechner’s life. In the beginning of the journal, Mechner is a […]

Mischief Maker’s Top 10 Quarantine Games List!

Going stir crazy from being stuck inside all the time? Want to eat the lotus of videogames, but want only the finest curated lotus? Here’s 10 excellent games you may not have heard of, in no particular order, to take your minds off Captain Trips: Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark For years I’ve wanted a proper […]

The Caltrops Top 50 games of 2010-2019: #10-1

Welcome! It was a long time going, but these are the ten best games of the decade, as decided by the Caltrops forum. Here are links to the other entries in this web series: Honorable Mentions: Part One Entries #50 – 40 Entries #39 – 30 Entries #29 – 21 Entries #20 – 11 #10 […]

The Caltrops Top 50 Games of 2010-2019: #20-11

We’re counting down the 50 best games of the decade. Previous entries: Honorable Mentions: Part One Entries #50 – 40 Entries #39 – 30 Entries #29 – 21 And now … 20 through 11! #20 – YAKUZA 0 by Sega (2015) Steam Link Worm says, “Yakuza is essentially a game in the spirit of Shenmue […]

The Caltrops Top 50 Games of 2010-2019: #29-21

We’re counting down the 50 greatest games of the decade, 2010-2019. Previous entries: Honorable Mentions: Part One Entries #50 – 40 Entries #39 – 30 Below are #29 through #21. #29 – POKEMON GO by Nintendo, 2016 Available on your phone in the app store. This was a phenomenon. I attribute all the thinking a […]

The Caltrops Top 50 Games of 2010-2019: #39-30

We’re counting down the 50 best games of the decade, as tallied by the readers and posters of the Caltrops forum over the last ten years. Honorable Mentions: Part One Entries #50 – 40 #39 – THAUMISTRY: IN CHARM’S WAY by Bob Bates (2017) Steam Link Bob Bates made two games under the Infocom label […]

The Caltrops Top 50 Games of 2010-2019: #50-40

Welcome to the Caltrops list of the 50 best games of the decade, which was from 2010 to 2019. Here is a link to the previous article, which had some honorable mentions. And if you’d like to discuss the list with people, please do! This is the way to the Caltrops forum. Entries #39-30 Honorable […]