Brian Riggsbee
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Credits for The Legend of Argus: The Complete History of Rygar

5/14/2021

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So many people contributed to this book. Here's a full list of credits.

Words and Layout:

Brian Riggsbee

Editor:
Justin Severson | justinseverson.com

Cover Art:
Matt Waggle | artstation.com/mattwaggle

Artists:
  • Tony Di Masi | instagram.com/mrtonychops
  • Kari Lyn | etsy.com/shop/LikeLikes
  • Ed Dansart | instagram.com/edbot5000
  • Vic Rossi | figurerealm.com/customfigure?action=creator&id=12759
  • Chris Motito | exhuman777.wixsite.com/figmentsgallery
  • Atelier Naoki | twitter.com/atelier_naoki
  • slugboi | glensullivan.design
  • Brian Riggsbee | BrianRiggsbee.com
  • Kiyukou | kiyukou.com
  • bimshwel | bimshwel.com
  • Snow | pixiv.net/en/users/3288542
  • s_sennin | pixiv.net/en/users/228603
  • Superancient Deepsea Spirytus | pixiv.net/en/users/8653721
  • kirai_s | twitter.com/kirai_s
  • Jesper Nordström | instagram.com/jespern87
  • Eric Crowley | instagram.com/ecrowleyartncard
  • Keegan Williams | kwill-art.com
  • Denis Kenneally | instagram.com/chunk337
  • Luis Karnov | deviantart.com/luiskarnov
  • Guilherme C | instagram.com/_guilhermec
  • STITCH-BIT by Bryan | stitch-bit.com
  • pixelflag | twitter.com/pixelflag
  • Joel Heires | joelheires.com
  • Arne Niklas Jansson | androidarts.com
  • R-Legend | deviantart.com/r-legend
  • Ali.k (C.o.S) | deviantart.com/cos-childofsin
  • Andy Rodriguez | instagram.com/andyisdrawing
  • Jorge Vildoza | instagram.com/jorge_vildoza_invisible
  • NB40 | instagram.com/enbee4tay
  • Richard Jule | instagram.com/theheeldj6040
  • Sakurajosui Nami | pixiv.net/en/users/11334253
  • Takeshi Numata | numatatakeshi.wordpress.com
  • Shiko | pixiv.net/en/users/335497
  • CritRocket | twitter.com/CritRocket​

Developers:
  • David Clark | God of War mod | pacnsacdave.weebly.com
  • Graeme (mcgeezer) Cowie | Rygar Amiga | youtube.com/user/Mcgeezer1000
  • Kevin Beers | gamejolt.com/@beersypro
  • Ed Findlay | edretrogamer3.wixsite.com/mysite

Photographers & Additional Images:
  • Tony Aksnes | Amiga | blog.amigaguru.com
  • Anna Lee | Minibosses | annaleemedia.com
  • Rick N. Bruns | nesmaps.com | shop.nesmaps.com
  • Mr. Do & Darren Wall | Bezel and marquee restoration | mrdo.mameworld.info
  • Ron Lyons | Rigar arcade | youtube.com/user/LyonsArcade
  • Ken Scott | Rygar arcade | flickr.com/people/10707024@N04
  • Brian Riggsbee | Box art and screenshots | BrianRiggsbee.com
  • Igor Kromin, founder of Atari Gamer | Lynx Japan scan | atarigamer.com

Musicians:
  • Aaron Burke of Minibosses | minibosses.com
  • Elliot Sax, John Baxter, DeJuan Gailes, Eric Krouse, & Bao Vuong of Eight Bit Disaster | eightbitdisaster.com
  • Jon Malmin | tabs.ultimate-guitar.com
  • auriplane | gametabs.net/user/2953

Speedrunner:
  • WhiteHat94 | twitch.tv/whitehat94

Fonts
  • Patrick Lauke | fontstruct.com/fontstructions/show/807821
  • Cody Boisclair | fontspace.com/press-start-2p-font-f11591
  • Seto Nozomi | archive.org/details/jackeyfont

...and a poem by:
@Word_Corn | twitter.com/Word_Corn

Special thanks to Philip Summers, John Murray, Adam Shapiro, George Verongos, Persephonie Cole-Swicegood, Carson Haines, Kurt Kalata, Kristina Cutura, Paul Davies, and my co-workers in #retrogames.
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The Dead Outnumber the Living: Choose Your Own Adventure

3/30/2021

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The Dead Outnumber the Living is a web based, free to play, choose your own adventure that I created about 5 years ago with the Twine tool. This zombie apocalypse experience contains over a thousand passages, with pathways splitting and converging at points, items you can collect and combine, dynamic ambient content, and even some light puzzles to solve.
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The game is a mix between a “choose your own adventure” book and a classic text based video game, going beyond the typical choose your own adventure theme by providing a vast amount of pathways, dynamic content, story clues, and a few puzzles to solve.
  • 1105 passages
  • 2113 links
  • 114 ways to die
  • ​12 ways to win
Download the Game
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2D Art

3/30/2021

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I'm cleaning up my website and simplifying it. Since I'm getting rid of my 2D art page I've decided to paste that content here, so it can still be discovered.
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Mega Rygar

1/29/2021

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I noticed that the warrior of Argos (AKA #rygar) was missing from all of those #Megaman character sheets. Well, I decided to make one. Here he is. #アルゴスの戦士 #warriorofargus #warriorofargos #rygar #8bit #diskarmor #RetroGaming #nes pic.twitter.com/hLjORvE9XE

— Brian Riggsbee (@brianriggsbee) January 29, 2021
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Super Mario 3D All-Stars and the Shining Star that is Super Mario Galaxy

10/3/2020

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Before I get into Super Mario Galaxy, first a word about Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. It’s worth mentioning that I played, and thoroughly enjoyed, SM64 as a kid and did not cross paths with the other two until the Switch release. So even though revisiting SM64 made me fully aware of how bad the camera was and how difficult it was to control ninja Mario, I still enjoyed the second play through and finished it. It’s easier to visit old games that don’t age well if you are already connected to them.
Super Mario 64
Check out my write up on SM64 where I revisit the classic 24 years later. 
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Super Mario Sunshine
As for Super Mario Sunshine, I’ll keep this short, as I didn’t have much patience for this game. Sunshine feels like the improved SM64 in that controlling Mario is easier and more predictable, it looks better, the camera is greatly improved, and there's an added twist with the water canon. Here’s where it lost me: 
  1. Firing the water cannon isn’t fun. It’s like playing that water blasting carnival game over and over again. And like water, it lacks flavor.
  2. The novelty of the water-jet-pack wore off quickly. It’s just a different style of long jump, yet more tedious. Nothing special here.
  3. The only thing less fun than aiming a water cannon at a blob of mud is slowly swimming across large bodies of water.
  4. What’s the point of having such limited lives? All you are doing is making me retrace my steps through a near empty town back to the start of the level I died on. Why punish me like this? Isn’t starting at the beginning of the level again punishment enough?
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Super Mario Galaxy
Moving on to Super Mario Galaxy, my first reaction to this game was that it holds up extremely well both in terms of visuals and controls. My second reaction was that I was feeling quite sick to my stomach and I would make for an awful astronaut. Thankfully I was able to quickly adapt to the twisting, turning worlds and became rather comfortable walking upside-down.

Controls
SMG is extremely intuitive. It all just clicks. Mechanics, power-ups, and three-dimensional challenges slowly unfold to allow you to ease into the complexities of this game. Subtle aim-assist and movement assisting keeps the focus on fun over frustration. 

There’s a harmony between pressing buttons and swiping the screens. It should be chaos yet it works with ease. 

The spin move is artfully implemented. It’s a multifaceted tool that acts as an attack, an interaction maneuver (e.g. screws), a propulsion boost in water, and an extra oomph after jumping. That final usage, spinning in air after jumping, is actually quite genius as it’s what allows the player to safely navigate to landing pads as it softens the jump while also lifting.

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Design
There is so much rich, brilliant, innovative level design and use of three-dimensional space throughout the galaxy. The boss battles, of which there are plenty, are fairly simple yet always fun. And there’s a clever mixture of activities, spaces, puzzles, and upgrades, making it so that no level is like any other.

Tilt mechanic based levels such as surfing and golf don’t overstay their welcome. I would easily be frustrated by these types of levels if I was asked to collect 3-7 stars while tilting my way through bumpy waves or riding a ball on a precarious, narrow field. Instead the designers set up these levels to be one-and-done, a wise move on their part.

Much like SM64, and much unlike SMS, Galaxy is gracious with the 1-ups, and even strategically placed them in areas that are most dangerous. The creators recognize that punishing the players with limited lives is not fitting in this series.

Tutorials are cleverly camouflaged and well-integrated. For example, when first moving on ice a cute penguin challenges you to catch him. This allows you to get your feet wet (pun intended) before tackling the level. You never feel like you are being told what to do, and because the controls are so intuitive and finely tuned, picking up a new mechanic comes with ease.

Camera
The camera, which you would expect to be the biggest challenge in developing such a topsy-turvy 3D experience, works beautifully. It locks and adjusts to predetermined angles for most of the levels while allowing for freedom to manually rotate only in those areas where appropriate. It always feels right, focusing your attention on the path ahead with just the right amount of edge space to plan ahead. ​
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Visuals
SMG is a visual spectacle. It’s simply dazzling. I found myself frequently hitting the screenshot button on my Switch as Mario soared through the starry fields that were painted vividly with swaths of purple and blue tones.

There's also a ton of attention to detail and polish that went in to enhancing the visual experience. For example, if you spin near friendly characters they will gyrate in excitement. 


Story
There’s just enough story elements running throughout the adventure to keep it anchored in the narrative without interfering with the fun. And familiar staples to the Mario universe are sprinkled throughout the game who drop hints and add charming dialogue. 
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Closing Thoughts
The deeper you get the richer the experience becomes. Levels become more complex, more characters appear, different star types are located, planets can be revisited with new challenges, the story unfolds, and more and more Mario power-ups are discovered. This is a game that only gets richer and more flavorful the more you play.

​My only hope, now, is that Super Mario Galaxy 2 is quickly brought to the Switch.

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Revisiting Super Mario 64 After 24 Years

9/23/2020

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In the Summer of 1996 I was 15 years old. One afternoon I wandered into the local Blockbuster (RIP) to browse the used video games they had for sale. That's where I first crossed paths with Super Mario 64 (and the Nintendo 64 for that matter), which was prominently displayed on the large demo machine near the entrance. At this point I had already developed a bias against 3D video games, not because of some perceived, inherent inferiority to two dimensions, but because in their pioneering state they were so aesthetically unappealing. I saw them as a new phase in gaming that simply wasn't ready for consumption. So when I approached the demo and lifted the Nintendo 64 controller I did so somewhat begrudgingly. It took about 5 minutes before I was hooked. Once it arrived at my home I devoted a weekend to acquiring all 120 stars, my eyeballs glued to the screen.

24 years later I revisited SM64 on the Nintendo Switch. Quite quickly the mechanics and acrobatic maneuvers came back to me. And while the blurry textures and blocky world looked even blurrier and blockier than memory, the dated piece that made me cringe and grumble the most was the camera. Back when 3D games started, solving for the camera was always a hot topic, and was so for years. In so many of these early 3D games the camera would collide with walls, zoom in and out unexpectedly, and unhinge left and right as the player traversed through the world. It was a time when providing two camera styles plus the ability to zoom in and out was considered groundbreaking. It made me wonder: If it wasn't for my nostalgic ties to SM64 would I have tossed this relic aside?

While the camera is clearly the worst aspect of SM64, it's the combination of the camera and the looseness of Mario's movements that cause the most pain. This is a platformer, albeit a more open world version of one, and with platforms comes pits. What this translates to is countless perilous moments where I am on the brink of reaching my goal just to end up slipping off a narrow, jagged polygon. I suspect I died just as much 24 years ago as I did with this recent play-through, but the difference is that way back then I interpreted these moments solely as challenging, whereas today I see them as both challenging and frustrating.

Camera and slippery Mario aside, this game is still extremely playable. It's such a delight to control the ninja flipping Mario and to collect stars within the expertly crafted levels. The designers smartly placed a variety of challenges in each course, and while they hint to what star to search for next, they left it up to the player to discover them in the order that they please. And each environment has its own special flare and theme, so moving between courses always feels fresh.  

Next up I have Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy. I'm told that the former has similarly frustrating camera and control problems, and since I have never played either of these games this will be an interesting test to see if I have the patience to play SMS all the way through. Here we go.

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Metroid: Rogue Dawn

9/22/2020

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Metroid: Rogue Dawn is the unofficial, fan-produced prequel to the original Metroid. Unlike most ROM hacks (ugh, there's so many bad Castlevania ones...) this is a high quality experience that takes the foundation it is built upon and expands on it greatly.

Before I get into the details that make this such an excellent game and expansion on the Metroid world, first let’s look at the physical release that I opted for. Purchased from RetroGamesRemastered, an operation that produces physical releases of ROM-hacks and retro gaming rarities, the Metroid: Rogue Dawn print has everything you need to feel like you are back in the 1980s opening a fresh, crisp Nintendo game. Here’s what’s included:
  • Box
  • Manual
  • Map
  • Game
  • Dust cover
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It’s even shrink wrapped so you can feel like it just came off the shelf at your local Toys"R"Us (RIP). The map provides you with the opportunity to take notes for places to revisit, or if you are like me and can’t stomach the thought of defiling the glossy fold out, it’s something you can scan and print copies of before you scribble on to your heart’s desire. The manual is short and sweet, with details on the story, items, and some helpful tips.

As for the game, the attention to details shines:
  • Aran’s helmet comes on and off depending on the environment she is in. Such a simple act of having two looks for Aran does more than add some eye candy. It deepens the sense that you are exploring dangerous, unknown spaces, and all areas are not created equally.
  • Unlike the original, you always start with 99 health (in the original it was only 30). Plus, there are health and ammo refill stations. Having to start each life by farming for health was always a stand out negative in the original Metroid.
  • The twists and turns of the craggy caverns creates a claustrophobic feeling and sense of despair. It truly feels like an alien world.
  • The NES classic, as with many NES games, has some limitations, flaws, and minor bugs that continue to exist in Rogue Dawn and only add to the charm of the experience. For example, there’s noticeable slow down when too many moving objects are on screen, exploding enemies wrap on the edges of the screen, crawling foes will get suck spinning in place if you open a door as they climb over it, and Aran “skates” like Gumby when you turbo fire while running.
  • The story is expanded by text displayed on the backgrounds of some screens, usually representing the speech of a static character on the screen. It’s a simple and cheap solution to add lore and deepen the narrative.
  • The inclusion of a radar and map is a much needed feature for such a maze like world
  • It parallels the original in terms of overall framework, without ever feeling too similar. In other words, you must seek out item upgrades and two remote bosses before proceeding to a final metroid dense area. Even the bosses have similar patterns since much was leveraged here. Yet never does it feel like a copy in any way. It just feels familiar.
  • There's a second quest!

Sadly, the days of Nintendo Power are behind us, where we would seek out hints and tips for NES games. Sure, there's this thing called the internet now, but for a niche ROM-hack like this I didn't see a ton of helpful information published out there. So, without spoiling anything, here are some strategies I found to be quite useful:
  • Instead of exiting an area by backtracking, simply save and then resume. This will place you at the starting position of your current area, and you’ll still retain your health and missiles.
  • Take notes on a printed or hand drawn map. Even with the in-game radar you’ll find yourself getting lost in the intricate labyrinths. And since this is a metriodvania you’ll thank yourself for noting spots to revisit.
  • Recharge stations are plentiful so take advantage of those missiles and use them on the enemies with high hit-points
  • The game becomes much easier when you acquire the Varia Suit as it greatly reduces damage taken. I won’t spoil where it is. Seek it out as early as possible.
  • Bomb everything and look for small spaces to roll through. There are a ton of secret areas not depicted on the radar.

This is a must play for any NES fan. For those that grew up with the NES it will instantly transport you back to your childhood, regardless of if you have a physical copy or not. Next on my list is Another Metroid 2 Remake.
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The Eerie Similarities Between Darkwood and Shelter-In-Place

9/15/2020

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Darkwood is a top-down perspective, horror video game where the protagonist is stuck in a creepy forest of which there is seemingly no way out. He must explore and scavenge for goods while battling horrific creatures. Shelters provide some protection from the demons of the night, and mysterious characters offer clues to his escape.

Whereas shelter-in-place is something we are all too familiar with in this COVID world we are forced to exist in.

I found some striking similarities between this game and our current landscape:
  1. If I venture too far from my shelter I start to feel uneasy
  2. When I come across a stranger I approach with extreme caution
  3. I’m becoming better at crafting random things than I ever anticipated
  4. I spend far too much time sorting my inventory and tossing out junk items
  5. Danger lurks outside and is constantly trying to kill me
  6. A shiny stone in the road is probably the most interesting thing I’ll see today
  7. I fatigue easily
  8. Everyone just seems sad
  9. The air is toxic and there aren’t enough masks to go around
  10. Just when you think you are almost out of the woods you realize you are still lost

I’m only on chapter 2 so I suspect more parallels will unveil themselves later. Stay safe out there everyone.
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Moon: Remix RPG Adventure

9/6/2020

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This is Moon:

Delightfully weird
Occasionally confusing
Surprisingly rewarding
Frequently soothing
Annoyingly cryptic
Pleasantly distracting
Satisfyingly nostalgic
Periodically tedious
Auditorily stimulating
Refreshingly funny
Unusually unfair
Importantly innovative
Endlessly mysterious
Utterly heartwarming

7/10
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27 Game Boy Haikus

8/28/2020

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Recently I picked up a handful of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, as I was in need of games I could quickly pick up and put down while juggling a newborn. While I had an original Game Boy as a child I had only a couple of games, making this unexplored territory for me. After playing each I commemorated my experience with a haiku. Some snarky, some celebratory, and others simply about the mood and impression the game imprinted on me.
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Tetris
Gravity fulfilled
Ephemeral compartments
Raining infinite


Centipede
Swirling insects bend
Rainbow mushrooms blooming bright
Illuminations


Metal Gear Solid
Cinematic charm
Infiltrate the base with stealth
My rank: terrible


The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
Duality blend
Masterful dungeon design
Ultimate puzzle


The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Flowers blooming bright
Heat brings vines to fallen leaves
Frozen lakes shimmer


​Mario Golf
Crisp fairway stretches
Soothing peace of open space
Pierce the air soaring


Jurassic Park
Welcome to the park
Where dinosaurs drop ammo
Clever bazooka 


Star Wars
Float high in the air
Jawas explode by your hand
Han is not with you


Resident Evil: Gaiden
Horror repeating 
This series is boat obsessed
Save file lost at sea


Resident Evil
Boldly ambitious 
Dining without a table
Failed experiment 


Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
Old names and faces
Takes me back to a fond time
Skateboards roll through dreams


Donkey Kong 
How does it translate?
Broken copy of this game
Never to be played


Wizards & Warriors X: Fortress of Fear
The warrior returns
The cruelty of bad music
​And no continues


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan
All turtles the same
Zero unique qualities
Pizza lacking taste
Castlevania: The Adventure
Trudging through the mud
Impossible pitfall shame
Hunter is hunted


Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge 
Reborn in sequel
Demo wholly rectified
Revenge is attained 


Castlevania Legends
Respawns irritate
Ariel motion unnerves
Charmed by Alucard


Mickey’s Ultimate Challenge
String of baby games
Not what I was expecting
That’s on me I guess


Pac-Man
Reminds of pizza days
Binoculars isolate
A limited view


Bionic Commando: Elite Forces
A journey ends short
Item select glitch blocks path
Am I missing much?


Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
Rub against the walls
Far from Resident Evil
Limitations felt


The Final Fantasy Legend
Built on sand and mud
Blind we walk through the dense fog
Forget this square world 


Final Fantasy Legend II
Better than before
Overwhelmed by endless rules
Our destiny lost


Final Fantasy Legend III
Flood of evil spreads
Future warriors embark
Rebuild history


Super Battletanks
Desert empty field
Nothingness meets fake 3D
Spinning endlessly

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Milan’s Secret Castle
Like the N-E-S
Plus lag and a smaller screen
Never liked this one


Yoshi’s Cookie 
Sweet, sweet alignment
A factory of friendship 
Baking harmony​
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    Author

    Brian Riggsbee lives in San Francisco CA. He enjoys gaming, writing, creating art, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, chasing adorable dogs, and spending time with his wife and boy.

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