Abandonia TimesGreat news! Abandonia Times has just released their second issue, and it's available now over at The Abandonia Times website. The theme of the issue is "Doom and Horror," and there's a slew of articles on Doom, a history of horror games piece, Noctropolis, and Super Fighter vs. Sango Fighter (heh, remember that one?).

Oh, and also a huge interview with yours truly. :)

There's a lot of meat here, so get over there right now and check it out. From the editor: allow me to boast about the variety of the articles: we have freeware and console reviews, we have history articles, two interviews with two interesting people that marked the gaming industry in their own unique way, and a wide selection of non-DOOM PC game reviews which are at least tangentially related to horror.

This week, Cordes is back with several fascinating insights into the world of adventure games and horror. We talk about the difference between horror films and horror games, storytelling, why adventure games should be sorted by their plot and not as a gameplay genre, and much more. There's quite a bit of meat here for anyone interested in designing an adventure game or wondering how they work. Download the audio here.

It's Armchair Arcade Radio episode three, featuring the talents of Matt Barton, Rob Daviau, Bill & Christina Loguidice, and Chris Kennedy. I *love* this episode! Everything came together so beautifully; anyone who cares about classic games should not only download it, but take pains to preserve it!

Download the episode here (128K format).

Amazing Media's Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster is a fantastic game, and I'm stunned that it hasn't received more attention from serious GAG fans. Tim Curry's performance as the demented Dr. Frankenstein is wonderful, but that's not all this game has to offer. Great atmosphere, story, black humor, and intuitive puzzles--what more could a GAG fan ask for? I give this one two thumbs up--(and who knows whom those thumbs used to belong to?)

Nucleosys' Scratches, developed by Agustin Cordes and published by Got Game, is one of the scariest graphical adventure games I've played to date. However, it's suspense is much more subtle and relies more on extended tension than "boo!" moments (although there are a few). What I'd like to talk about in this review are the techniques the game relies on to generate so much anxiety despite its point-and-click interface: a brilliant story, masterful pacing, incredible ambiance, and uncanny artwork.