The Upper Memory Block

One more guest show before I'm back in episode 100. This time around my good buddy Troels, the Space Quest Historian is here with a hidden gem, the 1992 Silicon Knights action/strategy game Cyber Empires (or Steel Empire in Europe). Not only does Troels do a great job with the show, he also interviews the game's creator, Denis Dyack! This episode contains an abridged version of the interview, for the whole thing, check out Troels' mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/SpaceQuestHistorian/space-quest-historian-interviews-denis-dyack-silicon-knights-about-steel-empirecyber-empires/ Watch Troels play Cyber Empires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ckYzIeIfTQ&list=PLeuPHRWonRSTUuE_0uFCX6Cdt1AwHMXwc You can also find Troels on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sqhistorian Also check out his awesome YouTube channel over at https://www.youtube.com/spacequesthistorian Next time, for episode 100 I will be back for good with the long awaited Final Unity episode.

Here comes episode 98 where friend of the show Chris "CGOApps" Olson takes the big chair to discuss our inaugural text adventure, A Mind Forever Voyaging by Infocom, released in 1985. Digital Antiquarian: http://maher.filfre.net/if-book/ Get Lamp Documentary: http://getlamp.com AMFV Infocom Cabinet: https://archive.org/details/InfocomCabinetAMindForeverVoyaging Find Chris at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/cgoapps His blog/developer site: http://cgoapps.wordpress.com Next time, we will hit the long awaited show on Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity.

It's Patreon Hangout time once again! This time around, Akago, Brian, Craig, Jim, Ryan, Tomer, Martin and myself got together to chat about game music and sound! We get deep into hardware and play clips form some of our favourite game music. It was a great time and big thanks to the participants and those who watched! Keep an eye out for our upcoming guest shows on I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, A Mind Forever Voyaging and Cyber Empires in addition to my next show on Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity. Lots of great content coming up!

Here comes another guest show! Father Beast has been kind enough to put together an episode on the 1994 Microprose strategy game, Sid Meier's Colonization! Colonization on GOG.com: https://www.gog.com/game/sid_meiers_colonization Colonization on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327400/ Freecol, an open source remake of Colonization: http://www.freecol.org/ Article: "Is Colonization offensive enough?": http://www.playthepast.org/?p=278 Next time, we'll be having our 6th Patreon hangout discussing game music & sound! Also, we have another guest show in the hopper on I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream so if you'd like to drop me comments about that one, we'll get them into the show! Enjoy!

Time for episode 95! Originally we were scheduled to cover A Final Unity, but what with the UMBaby coming, I've been thrown all out of whack so friend of the show Amayirot Akago has graciously stepped in with a guest show! He'll be covering the 1996 adventure, The Neverhood! In true UMB fashion, he hits all the major points and takes us through the very cool world of The Neverhood. For more from Akago, check him out on the Internet! Twitter: https://twitter.com/amayirotakago YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmayirotAkago Postman's Quest: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2073/ Next time, we'll be talking about our favourite music & sound in games on out 6th Patreon Hangout, followed by the long awaited Final Unity podcast. Enjoy!

Time for episode 94 where I cover the 1995 Eclipse Software / Epic Megagames shoot 'em up, Tyrian! First though, I read through some emails I missed out on in the last show discussing Day of the Tentacle. Then we do as we do and dive deep into the various versions and game modes of Tyrian! Links: Steam Regional Prices: http://www.steamregionalprices.com/index.php OpenTyrian: https://bitbucket.org/opentyrian/opentyrian/wiki/Home Remastered Graphics (From Daniel Cook): http://www.lostgarden.com/2007/04/free-game-graphics-tyrian-ships-and.html Get Tyrian FREE on GoG: https://www.gog.com/game/tyrian_2000?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f My Tyrian Research on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doYWd0CWXJE Ending music: "Data Flux" by Magellanic http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02918 Next time, we'll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek with the Spectrum Holobyte adventure Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity.

It's time for episode 93 where I'll be covering a newer game in my Extended Memory format. This time we'll be talking about the newly released version of DOOM. I discuss all the usual UMB stuff but with a more modern twist, then hear from some of you guys! Buy DOOM on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/379720/ DOOM Demo: http://doom.com/en-us/demo Next time we'll be hitting a shoot 'em up, I think our first, Tyrian!

In this super special surprise episode, I get together with my friends Brian and Bianca of the Square Waves FM podcast for an unprecedented, never before done joint episode! Why would we perpetrate such an occurrence you ask? Well, the three if of ventured out to the theatre and saw Warcraft on opening night. At the time, we thought it'd be a great idea to get together and record our thoughts. Brian and Bianca were kind enough to run the board while I was travelling, so I called them from Seattle/Tacoma International airport and we got our thoughts down live to hard drive. I hope you enjoy the show (and please forgive my less then ideal audio from my iPhone headset). Square Waves FM: http://squarefm.demodulated.com/ Square Waves on Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarewavesfm Brian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/demodulated Bianca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/maximum_bird Still forthcoming, yet another "extended memory" podcast discussing the recently released DOOM remake/sequel/whatever it may be.

Welcome to episode 91 wherein I continue my journey through the so-called "Maniac Mansion series" with the sequel, 1993's Day of the Tentacle. A ton of email and voicemail this week makes for an extra long show, thanks to all for their participation! Buy Day of the Tentacle Remastered on GOG: https://www.gog.com/game/day_of_the_tentacle_remastered?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f Buy Day of the Tentacle Remastered on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/388210/ Check out Thimbleweed Park: https://thimbleweedpark.com/ and especially their amazing development blog: https://blog.thimbleweedpark.com/ and their weekly standup meeting podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/thimbleweed-park/id1076754899?mt=2 Next time, we'll be doing an Extended Memory episode on a newer game, the recently released DOOM (2016).

This time around, Brian, Troels, Tomer and I get together to talk about "Diamond in the Rough" games! We discuss a huge number of games that didn't receive the attention they deserved for one reason or another.  Here's an incomplete list of games covered, see how many you've heard of! Rise of the Robots Round 42 Dynablaster Black Dahlia Chronomaster Death Rally Labyrinth of Time Shadowgate Ultrabots Rollcage High Octane Nuclear War Cyber Empires / Steel Empires Castle of Dr. Brain EcoQuest Clandestiny Jetpack Subculture Spiderman & Venom: Separation Anxiety Tron 2.0 and that's not even all of them! Thanks to the guys for participating and remember, if YOU want to join in on these great hangouts, you just need to give to the show at the 5 dollar or higher level over at http://patreon.com/umbcast.

Here's big episode 89 wherein I discuss the primordial Lucasfilm Games adventure game, Maniac Mansion! Play Maniac Mansion in DOTT Remastered: https://www.gog.com/game/day_of_the_tentacle_remastered?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f Play Maniac Mansion on archive.org: https://archive.org/details/msdos_Maniac_Mansion_1987 Maniac Mansion Deluxe (free enhanced fan game): http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/401/ The Expurgation of Maniac Mansion for the Nintendo Entertainment System: http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/maniac.html Next time, we'll have the second part in this series with Day of the Tentacle!

Here is episode 88 wherein I discuss the great Sir-Tech Software turn based tactical strategy series, Jagged Alliance. Read Darius Kazemi's deep dive into Jagged Alliance 2: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00MQHVAOK/ref=pe_386430_189358380_TE_DP Buy Jagged Alliance on GoG: https://www.gog.com/game/jagged_alliance?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f Buy Jagged Alliance 2 on GoG: https://www.gog.com/game/jagged_alliance_2?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f Jagged Alliance on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/search/?snr=1_4_4__12&term=jagged%20alliance Next time, I'll be heading back to the roots of SCUMM with Maniac Mansion!

This time around, we're discussing the 1994 Bullfrog 3D shooter, Magic Carpet. After some emails, we dive into all the regular topics, story, gameplay, tech focus, dev story and your thoughts before I give my verdict on whether or not the game holds up today. Settings for high resolution: http://glenncorpes.blogspot.ca/2011/06/magic-carpet-settings-for-high.html Buy Magic Carpet on GoG: http://www.gog.com/game/magic_carpet?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f Buy Magic Carpet 2 on GoG: http://www.gog.com/game/magic_carpet_2_the_netherworlds?pp=1106a1dda2d680438ecfb0bb70fd479c55a1791f Next time, I'll be covering the 1994 turn based strategy series, Jagged Alliance.

It's episode 86 where I focus on the 1994 Maxis construction management sim, SimTower. As always we read a bunch of emails and dive deep into genre, gameplay, tech focus and dev story before hearing if I think this unique game holds up today. Sadly there's no legal place to buy SimTower aside from finding a used CD. Next time, I'll be touching on the 1994 Bullfrog 3D shooter, Magic Carpet.

Time for our long overdue fourth Patreon hangout! This time, Brian, Tomer, Craig, Martin and Troels chat with me about feelies, manuals, boxes, vibrators from games we loved. Here are a few links that cropped up over the course of the hangout (in no particular order because I don't plan well): Kotaku article about Martin getting his Starfox cart signed by Miyamoto: http://kotaku.com/5730274/marios-creator-doesnt-have-a-super-nintendo The "Rez vibrator" (possibly NSFW): http://www.gamegirladvance.com/2002/10/sex-in-games-rezvibrator.html "Gameplay" by Jim Cuomo: http://www.discogs.com/Jim-Cuomo-Game-Play/release/2675355 Tomer's collection Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomergabel/sets/72157602738138806/with/1774790725/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WcWFIuvWLA Next time, I'll be chatting all about SimTower from Maxis, see you then!