doodnat

Shenmue started life on the Sega Saturn, moved to Dreamcast and took years to make. My new documentary looks at the complete history of the first game, from its early development through to its release in 1999, and what came after. youtu.be/sMHqhRZxc64 #Shenmue #SEGA #Dreamcast

Atari's 1984 MindLink promised hands-free games controlled by thought. It detected electrical activity in forehead muscles and sent it by infrared to the console. Its Breakout demo moved the paddle as you tensed your forehead and wriggled your eyebrows. Atari showed it at CES, then cancelled it.

Takara's 2002 Bowlingual claimed to translate dog barks. A collar microphone sent each bark to a handheld unit, which classified it as one of six emotional states and displayed a matching phrase. Its inventors won an Ig Nobel Peace Prize for “promoting peace and harmony between the species”.

Bandai's 1988 Terebikko turned children's VHS cartoons into quiz games using a toy telephone. Characters rang the handset and asked questions. Tones carried by the tape identified the right answer, so the phone could judge which of four coloured buttons you pressed. Interactive TV by telephone.

In 1978, in an attempt to incorporate the next winning gimmick into their calculators, Casio added fire. The QL-10 “Calculighter” combined a calculator, clock, alarm, timer, calendar, and cigarette lighter. Kinda makes sense when considering what's normally in one's pocket... But an iPhone lighter?

The Arcade Machine With a Horse is out now. A short documentary about Final Furlong, Namco’s 1997 horse-racing arcade game with a horse-shaped controller that players had to ride. Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vga... #RetroGaming #ArcadeGames #Namco

Did blowing on game cartridges actually make them work, or were we all performing the same strange gaming ritual? The dirt, faulty NES connectors, horrid human breath and “superstitious” pigeons behind it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW39... #RetroGaming #NES #GamingHistory

How did Dune II, Warhammer, and a tiny Californian developer lead to Warcraft? My new doc. explores the history of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, from Patrick Wyatt’s early prototype and Blizzard’s origins to multiplayer, Azeroth, and the 2024 remaster. youtu.be/zfOlfteQm70 #Warcraft #RetroGaming

Grand Theft Auto began as a cops-and-robbers game called Race'n'Chase. My new documentary explores the complete history of the original GTA, from its development at DMA Design to its release, controversy and GTA: London. Watch: youtu.be/vz0-eXq2tV0 #GTA #GrandTheftAuto #GamingHistory

Grand Theft Auto is coming this Sunday! The next video goes back to DMA Design and the development of GTA 1 / Race’n’Chase. No Wednesday release this week. Full update: www.patreon.com/doodnat/post... #GTA #RetroGaming

The fourth Monkey Island game took Guybrush into full 3D, threw away the mouse, and became only the second and final game built on LucasArts’ GrimE engine. The Complete History of Escape from Monkey Island is out now! 🏴‍☠️ youtu.be/42ERyfSztHU #MonkeyIsland #LucasArts #RetroGaming #GamingHistory

I'm putting the finishing touches on my Escape from Monkey Island documentary, coming this Sunday. One rabbit hole I went down was about Herman Toothrot... I've written a bit more about the research over on Patreon. www.patreon.com/doodnat/post...

The Curse of Monkey was the last Monkey Island game to use SCUMM, the adventure engine LucasArts had been building and refining since Maniac Mansion in 1987. Here's the complete history: youtu.be/5zA8gGpSqEc #MonkeyIsland #LucasArts #RetroGaming #GameHistory #VideoGameHistory

Secret of Mana was originally being built for the cancelled SNES CD-ROM before one of gaming's biggest hardware partnerships collapsed. This is the complete history of one of the greatest action RPGs. youtu.be/X6s_gjan1c8 #SecretOfMana #SNES #JRPG #RetroGaming #GamingHistory

The Amiga version of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge shipped on a staggering 11 floppy disks. The complete history is here, from its ambitious development to its unforgettable ending and lasting legacy. youtu.be/a0Tlkjki9_I #MonkeyIsland #LucasArts #RetroGaming #GamingHistory #PointAndClick

The game that launched one of gaming's greatest adventure series. The Complete History of The Secret of Monkey Island is now live on YouTube. youtu.be/abojWnd1QD8 #MonkeyIsland #LucasArts #AdventureGames #RetroGaming #GamingHistory