hardcoregaming 101 & Racketboy appreciation thread

[D]

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/index.html
http://www.racketboy.com/
These are great sites with regular updates with new articles. Lots of info to be found here usually about hidden gems and overlooked titles.
I just posted this to celebrate the latest update on hardcore gaming. Wow. So much information, so much to read. Great read. So much work went into this.
Are there other such sites out there?

[Imhotep]

I also appreciatie hg101 very much, I learned a lot from that page.

[Bootaaay]

Both sites proved invaluable when I was compiling my SEGA & shmup collection (and cost me alot of money by introducing me to games I must have, but had never previousley heard of ) - also, the forums over at racketboy are a friendly place and a great source of info for all things retro.

[it290]

Racketboy was a regular on a forum I used to visit frequently years ago (SegaXtreme). His site and writing have certainly come a long way over the years. Cheers racket!

[dcharlie]

yeah, i remember Racketboy from SegaXtreme and , yes, he's got a great and helpful attitude and his site is one of the premium retro sites on the web.

Retro without attitude - love it.

[szycag]

HG101 fucking blows.

[Ganelon]

I'm a big fan of HG101. I've don't think I've been introduced to any new game from the articles there but the details on version differences are invaluable.

[Zeether]

HG101 fucking blows.

This.

Although I like the articles there is some shit they skimp on that pisses me off.

[E. Randy Dupre]

The HG101 forum can occasionally teach you something new - and, more rarely, something worth knowing - but it can also be a bit of a joke. The infighting can destroy threads within the space of a few posts. There's also a slightly higher tendency towards idiocy than elsewhere - there's currently a thread with shitloads of members moaning about region locking on the 360, with the moaners refusing to pay any attention to attempts to explain, in. simple. sentences. what it's all about.

Shame, because the articles are nearly always entertaining.

[Jon]

Much time at work has been lost due to reading HG 101's articles.

[Dragoforce]

HG101 articles are, in most cases absolutly brilliant. A great way to learn about games I would probably never heard of otherwise. Never visited the forum though.

[BrianC]

I'm a bit lukewarm towards the articles myself. Some of them have been good, but in many cases there is often misleading or incorrect information about some games, and handheld versions of games often get the shaft (not in all cases, but certainly in the case of Gradius where a big deal was made about the low GB resolution, and in King of Fighters where it says '95 and '96 play pretty much the same). I liked the Stallone article, but I felt the Ikari Article, while having some good info on Ikari III, was a bit weak (which I mentioned at the http://www.2dgaming.net forums).

I'm not that fond of the forum. Topics often go waaaay off topic or end with silliness, my posts were replied to out of context when the above posts weren't read, there were topics complaining about how newer shmups were too hardcore and should be made more friendly towards casual gamers (and most posts agreed with this. I actually *gasp* agreed with some of recap's posts in the topic, but not his attitude), and it seems that arcade style games are often misunderstood there. I also have the impression that "hardcore" gamers and the shmups forum are often viewed as elitists at HG101.

[Ganelon]

Yeah, the only negative is that surprisingly enough, many forum goers there aren't as hardcore into gaming as you'd expect. Then again, I think this board isn't really as hardcore as it once used to be either (no love of the classics ).

BrianC and anybody else: If you have quibbles with article info, you should mention that in the article discussion board there. Kurt regularly checks it and is really good on updating the articles on a timely basis. I started posting there more primarily to comment on the (then upcoming) Gundam article and got my info inserted without a hitch.

[ZOM]

HG101 is one if my fave sites on the net - very good articles.
Their forum on the other hand... I won't comment on it now.

[evil_ash_xero]

I like both sites a lot
HG101 in particular, I have been to quite a bit. They did go a little long on that Bionic Commando Rearmed write up though. lol

[cj iwakura]

HG101 fucking blows.

This.

Although I like the articles there is some shit they skimp on that pisses me off.

If they're missing something, contribute it. They always encourage outside participation.

[dcharlie]

I actually *gasp* agreed with some of recap's posts in the topic, but not his attitude),

yeah, that's the thing that fundamentally bugs the crap out of me about the retro scene - the attitude that comes with some of the people in the scene.

Recap is , no doubt, a great source of information. However, i've seen him decend into name calling, acts of vitriol and racism if someone dares to debate , correct him on something, or, god forbid, not have the same opinion.

It's a shame - and whilst a lot of retro guys out there have bags to offer interms of info, a lot seem to fall into the trap of crawling way too far up their own arses.

I often wonder what Recap is like in his own native language? I wonder if that knocks some of the edges off him?

[Dale]

HG101 fucking blows.

This.

Although I like the articles there is some shit they skimp on that pisses me off.

Yes.

Their arcade game knowledge can be jokish and ignorant at times especially when it comes to new fighters and shmups.

Edit:And yes their isn't much love found for anything pre-87. The joints mostly Anime and JRPG fan's.

[Dale]

there were topics complaining about how newer shmups were too hardcore and should be made more friendly towards casual gamers (and most posts agreed with this. I actually *gasp* agreed with some of recap's posts in the topic, but not his attitude), and it seems that arcade style games are often misunderstood there. I also have the impression that "hardcore" gamers and the shmups forum are often viewed as elitists at HG101.

That shit is so beyond retarded. Their are so many easy games already...would casual gamers even try them to begin with...I mean that's not even remotely the reason why arcades aren't as popular especially considering that most new successful light gun are pretty hard..why am I even getting into this they're just retarded, just know that.

[Davey]

there were topics complaining about how newer shmups were too hardcore and should be made more friendly towards casual gamers (and most posts agreed with this. I actually *gasp* agreed with some of recap's posts in the topic, but not his attitude), and it seems that arcade style games are often misunderstood there. I also have the impression that "hardcore" gamers and the shmups forum are often viewed as elitists at HG101.

So I'm guessing the emphasis is on the "101" part, not the "Hardcore Gaming" part.

Then again, I think this board isn't really as hardcore as it once used to be either (no love of the classics ).

That's a matter of taste, though, not a matter of hardcoreness. Old shmups aren't more hardcore than modern ones.

[Ganelon]

Of course (in fact, I'd say that getting high scores in newer shooters is a lot more time-consuming), but having an understanding of all shooters is though. I get the impression that many of the new posters haven't even bothered trying many of the classic memorizer shooters. At least I buy and try new shooters, even if I don't feel like dedicating enough time in any of them to learn the intricacies of the scoring systems.

[Davey]

I could be wrong here, but I think a lot of new fans give the classics the old college try. People always bring them up in noob recommendation threads, anyway. But if manics are what attracted you to the genre, I can see not wanting to play memorizers from 20 years ago. Actually, I'm surprised by how many people like both classic and modern shmups. Of course they both revolve around shooting and dodging, but they have a very different feel.

In my case, I understand the historical significance of R-Type and acknowledge that it's very well-made, but I could never get into it. I think a lot of people who got into shmups in the past few years are probably the same way.

[KindGrind]

Both are fun reads, with occasional surprises and discoveries. I think many of us old-timers know and have played lots -most- of the games that are featured in the sites' articles. Still, I often go there to browse and look back on stuff that I played 15-20 years ago and that I should play again today when I have time.

[D]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
it's gone! or maybe just an update....?
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/

[BIL]

I think they're moving servers, away from Gamespy. Something to that effect was discussed recently. I'm sure it'll be back in any case.

[crithit5000]

Just use http://hg101.kontek.net/

[undamned]

So I'm guessing the emphasis is on the "101" part, not the "Hardcore Gaming" part.

Yeah, that's kinda what I get out of reading HG101. I'm sure there are errors and bad opinions, but when I want to know about a particular series of games which I am unfamiliar with, it seems a great source to sort of get me up to speed.
-ud

[Ganelon]

Again, if there are errors, why not go and correct them? Everybody makes mistakes at times and it's great to help improve the HG101 articles since a lot of interested people are reading them (linked on Wiki, very high up in Google results, etc.).

[BrianC]

Again, if there are errors, why not go and correct them? Everybody makes mistakes at times and it's great to help improve the HG101 articles since a lot of interested people are reading them (linked on Wiki, very high up in Google results, etc.).

I have commented on a few on the games. One time it ended with derboo linking a bad cover of the Duck Tales moon theme. What the heck?

Commenting has resulted in a correction a couple times, but the GB resolution and slowness of game play stuff just isn't worth arguing with, especially since it's opinion and not technically wrong.

[Jockel]

I have a problem with people calling themselves hardcore gamers.
I hate elitism in general.
Those who call themselves "hardcore" these days are people who play GTA IV or Gears of War... just lol.
Dunno, look at KET or TGA-RET - THOSE are people i would call hardcore gamers.
Not those who watch hours of boring cutscenes.