Review: Rad Rodgers Radical Edition – Fun, Foul-Mouthed And Forgettable
Rad Rodgers is a walking, talking ’90s cliche. A wisecracking kid who clashes with his parents while boasting a love of video games so deep it’s burgeoning on a clinical addiction. He’s perpetually glued to the CRT TV in his room and the blocky grey console (called ‘Dusty’, naturally) sits beneath it. Then, one day, the TV turns into a portal and sucks him inside. It’s the ’90s to a tee, and proud of it.
Rad wakes up in a world spliced together from some of his favourite games, and that old grey console has suddenly turned sentient, spurted a pair of spring-loaded arms and picked up a vocabulary that’s likely to turn the air various shades of blue. Dusty is voiced by none other than Jon St. John (AKA: Duke Nukem) after all, so you know you’re getting a voice born to offend. With a giant gun at his disposal and Dusty strapped to his back ready to whack anything that gets close, Rad sets out to shoot everything that dares to move.
And that is pretty much it. Rad Rodgers Radical Edition – a re-release of a PC title that originally popped up in a much smaller form in 2016 – never really tries to break the mould. It’s a side-scrolling shooter and platformer with the occasional detour into top-down puzzle-solving and Conker’s Bad Fur Day-aping humour. It’s fun for a while, with its schoolyard-level jokes and its simple shooting satisfaction, but it just doesn’t do much to cement itself in your memory once you’ve cleared its 12 levels (up from nine in the original full version).
Side-scrolling platformers and shooters live and die by the strength of their movement mechanics and gunplay, and while Rad Rodgers serves up a decent version of both, neither really leaves much of an impression. Your standard machine gun does the job, with the occasional power-up offering access to explosive shotguns and rapid-fire upgrades, but your movement often feels sluggish and clunky – especially when you’re trying to track flying enemies or shoot foes positioned on higher platforms. Even Dusty’s melee swipes and ground-pound attack come off as a little too slow for a run-and-gun shooter that should be noticeably faster in its pace.
Most of the time you’ll be jumping between platforms and briefly exploring houses to meet NPCs who offer up new weapon upgrades or unlockable skins, but here and there you’ll reach areas where everything has begun to pixelate. Don’t worry, your Switch isn’t having a breakdown; these are portals to short 8-bit-style sections where Dusty will explore a top-down vortex and find platforms that need punching back into the correct resolution. These interludes offer a brief change of pace, but while they fit the meta video game conceit, they’re hardly memorable.
Some levels present a different setup to the norm, such as having to pogo your way around a map, DuckTales-style, or firing a few balls around a Rad Rodgers-themed pinball table. These diversions are easily some of the game’s best moments, but they’re never long enough and would have benefitted from being fleshed out a little more (especially when you realise this is an updated re-release with lots of new content and gameplay tweaks). Still, you can’t knock Slipgate Studios’ love for ’90s video games in all their myriad forms.
As a port, Rad Rodgers on Switch is a mixed bag. On the plus side, you’re getting the full gamut of extra content released on other platforms last year – so that’s three extra levels, new mini-games and extra powers to contend with. The two-player co-op mode works a treat with a split Joy-Con, and the competitive Battle Mode enables you to take on your friends for a little PvP action. The problems tend to circle around performance, with a general fuzziness applied to every asset and character model. There wasn’t slowdown thankfully, so speedrunners shouldn’t be put off by timing runs on Switch.
While the platforming can be a little glitchy at times – with the occasional instance of Dusty failing to grab a ledge when at the correct distance – gameplay has mostly been improved to make running and gunning far smoother than the original World One release on PC. It’s not perfect, nor is it particularly remarkable, but with such an open adoration for video games (despite the dodgy humour) there’s an earnest quality to Rad Rodgers that makes it a fun if forgettable platformer shooter.
Conclusion
Rad Rodgers Radical Edition serves up a hefty slice of side-scrolling shooter action and Metroidvania-esque exploration. While the optimisation for Nintendo Switch has dulled its colourful looks, it’s still an attractive looking little adventure that happily dances between a Pixar-esque art style and some classic 8-bit pixelation. The option to play in a kid-friendly mode does make this a little more palatable for younger players, but any game with Duke Nukem’s involvement is always going to be aimed at the Conker’s Bad Fur Day crowd. Ultimately, it’s a fun but forgettable experience that will appeal to fans of the genre but won’t leave a lasting impression.
Talking Point: Capcom’s Resident Evil Switch Pricing Is Nothing New
While Capcom’s announcement that Switch versions of Resident Evil Zero, 1 and 4 are coming on 21st May should be cause for celebration, the pricing of said games has been the cause of consternation for many fans. North America will get a combined physical version of Zero and Resident Evil, although it seems Resident Evil 4 won’t get a digital release in any territory and us Europeans won’t see any of them on a cartridge.
Prices don’t compare favourably to other platforms, either, where the games have been available for some time. Currently listed for £29.99 each on the eShop in the UK, the triple pack is going for £39.99 on Xbox One and PS4, and cries bemoaning ‘Switch tax’ are doing the rounds once again. This is hardly the first time these games have been exhumed and we doubt it’ll be the last, so where does Capcom get off charging so much?
Well, we’ve discussed the infamous ‘Switch tax’ before, although we’re not sure it really applies in this case. After all, Capcom has form charging top-dollar for everything – digital or otherwise. Regardless of the cost on the countless other platforms it’s available on, is it really a surprise that Capcom is going to charge as much as possible from the outset?
The company’s entrance onto Nintendo’s hybrid platform was a cautious one. It dipped its toe in the water with Ultra Street Fighter II, an HD version of its classic 2D fighter which launched on the console for an eye-watering $40. Fans baulked at paying that for yet another version of Street Fighter II, but it didn’t stop a significant number of them buying the game – it was a ‘smash hit’ according to Capcom itself and prompted the company to jump fully onboard the Switch train.
We’ve seen a variety of releases since, from Mega Man 11 and Mega Man Legacy Collection to the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle, and they’ve all done very well on Switch. While Capcom’s strategy remains puzzling at times (we can’t think of a good reason why Disney Afternoon Collection hasn’t come to Switch yet), Nintendo’s console is turning a tidy profit for the Japanese company.
With the release of Resident Evil 4 – one of the best-rated video games of all time – it’s no wonder Capcom is looking to wring as much cash as possible out of impatient gamers eager to play the game on their favourite portable. It’s business, and like any other, making money is the real game.
We’ve seen Capcom experiment before with pricing on Switch; the cloud-based version of Resident Evil 7 in Japan is a good example. Unlike Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey Cloud Version which launched with a full ¥8,400 price tag (around £60/$75), Capcom tried a different model with their cloud-only offering. Following a 15-minute taster, a ‘play ticket’ – essentially a six-month ‘subscription’ to the game – cost ¥2,000 (around £13/$18).
It’s unclear exactly how this approach fared, but it seemed like a stingy proposition at the time. While Capcom had hinted that success in this area may lead to further streamed games, an answer given during a Q&A with investors last October provides an indication as to its success:
Q. What is your current situation as well as your future outlook on developing for cloud gaming?
A. While we did release a certain title supporting cloud gaming in the first half, this was done primarily for technological research purposes and did not have a significant impact on earnings. Based on the results of this research, we will internally consider further expansion into cloud gaming.
The cloud-based game in question must be Resident Evil 7, and it appears not to have been the money-spinner the company hoped. Of course, the game had expected connectivity issues outside Japan, but even in optimal conditions, it wasn’t perfect.
While it may have been a worthwhile experiment, if Capcom has trouble streaming games in Japan, it’s unlikely to have much success elsewhere and anybody hoping to see Monster Hunter World on Switch in some capacity will likely be disappointed. Monster Hunter World brought the series a global level of success that Capcom must be looking for ways to expand upon, but the message from Switch owners is that it needn’t bother. We can argue about Switch ‘tax’ and greedy businesses until the cows come home, but ultimately 450,000 people bought Ultra Street Fighter II in its first quarter – a game which didn’t enjoy the warmest critical reception – sending the message that they’ll pay the ‘ludicrous’ price of £39.99/$39.99 for the privilege. Seen from that perspective, Capcom probably thinks £30 for Resident Evil 4 is a bargain.
Don’t look at us – we didn’t buy it!
On top of this, the looming economic question block hanging over the UK and EU arguably plays into this topic as well. Europeans have always put up with higher prices in comparison to gamers across the pond and upcoming uncertainty in Britain (we’re not going to even write the irritating portmanteau that’s defining a generation of UK politics) will only make pricing an even more contentious issue in the near future. While the narrative of ‘Switch tax’ is an easy one to subscribe to, Nintendo Life reader James M. points out that, the upcoming Ace Attorney Trilogy has been listed for £30/$30 across all platforms where previous ports Okami HD and Onimusha launched last year for £15.99/$19.99.
That price difference could simply be Capcom being characteristically inconsistent, or it might suggest caution regarding potentially chaotic currency fluctuations in the coming months. The calamitous manner by which the British government is extricating itself from continental Europe isn’t helping any businesses with interests in the UK, and unfortunately, the general public will likely endure rising prices across the board as foreign companies are forced to deflect costs. Selling digital goods may give more control, but they’re subject to exchange rate fluctuations like any other and video game companies will also want to ensure parity between physical goods and digital equivalents as far as possible in order to keep retailers happy. No company will knowingly undercharge for its products, regardless of the financial climate, and the current economic uncertainty only compounds problems (this does not, of course, explain why Capcom is charging $30 for the game in North America).
In many ways, it could be argued that Nintendo gamers have never had it so good. The weekly eShop sales on Switch make it a massive departure from any previous Nintendo home console. No, the discounts don’t compare to the vast savings periodic Steam sales offer, but to see a £20/€20/$20 discount on first-party games without a Player’s Choice line within the first two years of a console’s lifecycle is unheard of on Nintendo platforms.
Must not buy, must not buy, must not buy…
And is £29.99 too much for Resident Evil 4? Only last week we spoke about Link’s Awakening and its supposed $60 price tag; Resident Evil 4 is one of the best games of all time and we’re hungry for it on Switch. We recognise porting it takes much more work than simply clicking the ‘Export .switch’ button, however much practice Capcom has had resurrecting it again and again. The developer must have its RE porting pipeline running efficiently, that’s for sure. We imagine it’s currently working on Resident Evil 2 for Switch – would we be surprised if that were to launch as a $60 game in a year’s time?
Ultimately, Capcom believes gamers will pay £30 to play Resident Evil 4 – and the upcoming Dragon’s Dogma – on Switch, and based on all the available evidence, that’s probably right. Not buying it is the only way to send Capcom a message if prices like that rub you the wrong way. The only form of protest is to vote with your wallet and not buy the game at that price; it’ll surely join those lovely eShop sales soon enough. There’s more than enough to be playing in the meantime, and more than enough ways to play Resident Evil 4, too.
So, what’ll it be, stranger? Do you have the willpower to wait a few months until these games get an inevitable discount? Is Capcom just being greedy? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 03-03-2019, 09:53 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Pokemon Go Adds New Legendary, Dialga, Tomorrow
Palkia may no longer be available in Pokemon Go, but a new Legendary Pokemon is set to take its place soon. Starting March 1, the Pokemon Diamond mascot Dialga will begin appearing in Raid Battles around the world--but as usual, it'll only be around for a limited time.
As with most other Legendaries, to catch Dialga you'll first need to team up with other players at a Gym where a Dialga Raid is taking place and battle the Pokemon. If you manage to defeat Dialga, each player who participated in the Raid will receive a handful of Premier Balls and an opportunity to catch it.
Dialga is the only Steel/Dragon Pokemon in the series, which gives it numerous resistances to other types. Your best bet for battling it is to bring along Fighting and Ground Pokemon such as Machamp, Hariyama, and Groudon. Dialga will only appear in Raid Battles until March 28, giving you until the end of the month to catch one.
In other Pokemon Go news, Niantic recently introduced the Team Medallion to the app's in-game store. This item allows players to change their team allegiance once every 365 days. The developer has also rolled out a new AR photo mode, which is the only way to encounter the elusive Pokemon Smeargle.
Pokemon Go's next Community Day event is scheduled for March 23. This time, the featured Pokemon will be Treecko, one of the three starters from Ruby and Sapphire. Players will also be able to hatch Pokemon Eggs at a quarter of the distance they typically require during the event.
Whether you’re just starting out, looking for something new, or just seeing what’s out there, the Gamasutra Job Board is the place where game developers move ahead in their careers.
Gamasutra’s Job Board is the most diverse, most active, and most established board of its kind in the video game industry, serving companies of all sizes, from indie to triple-A.
New Alpha and Alpha Skip Ahead 1904 build coming today 2/24/19
Starting at 2:00 p.m. PST today, members of the Xbox One Preview Skip Ahead and Preview Alpha Rings will begin receiving the latest 1904 Xbox One system update (19h1_release_xbox_dev_1904.190221-2147). Read on for more about the new features, fixes and known issues in the latest 1904 system update. For the next few releases we will keep Alpha Skip Ahead and Alpha builds in sync to test core functionality.
This build contains the new Storage uninstall feature to please test.
Improved uninstall
When you try to install a new game or app today with a full HDD we send you to your collection to choose what to remove. The new suggested uninstall feature will instead send you to a page that has titles suggested for removal that will free up enough space for your install and to make things even easier it will auto-kickoff the install once the space is freed up!
You can also get to the new drive manager page via Settings > System > Storage (then select the storage device and Uninstall items) to easily manage your existing content and uninstall multiple titles at once.
Fixes:
My Games and Apps
We have resolved a system memory leak that will address the following issues with games and apps:
Apps such as Netflix unable to launch or crashing on launch.
Various games simply fail to launch with a generic error message after playing a 4k title for a period of time.
If playing a 4k title and taking a series of screenshots or game DVR clips you would find the system slow or lock up.
System
We have resolved a system memory leak that will address the following issue on home:
When playing a game and returning to the guide you would see corrupt text or missing graphics on home.
The system clock is now displaying on home for various locales.
Localization fixes.
Known Issues:
Achievements
Achievements list not being displayed while in a game.
Audio
We are aware of issues of No Audio heard from Non-Spatial Audio games when using Dolby Atmos for Home Theater with the LG SJ9 soundbar.
Disney Adventures
We are tracking an issue that this title is crashing on launch.
Game Pass Mobile App
Issue/Impact – After pushing a remote installation of a game from the Game Pass mobile app, customers will not see progress of the installation on in the mobile app and may not receive install notifications. The game will still successfully install if there is sufficient available space on the console.
Affected audience – must be in 1904 preview, must be a GP subscriber, must be using the GP mobile app, must be pushing game installations from the app.
Workarounds – None. A fix is coming in the next version of the mobile app in March. Customers interested in getting early access to the fix can download the Game Pass Beta app.
Messaging
We are tracking that some users are report unable to send/receive messages with latest update.
Profile Color
Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.
System
We are tracking an issue in which the Console locks up when accessing guide after playing a title or app.
Video: Level-5 Shares New Gameplay Footage Of Inazuma Eleven Ares On Switch
Earlier today, Level-5 hosted a livestream to talk about the upcoming Inazuma Eleven Ares. Tucked away amongst all the discussion was around three minutes of new footage.
The footage shows a match taking place between protagonist team, Inakuni Raimon, and a new team going by the name God Bulls. It’s full of all the flamboyant action and special moves you’d expect from the series, with players flying around the air and creating literal tidal waves on the field. Things kick off at the 1:05:45 mark.
The game is still scheduled to arrive sometime in 2019, so hopefully it won’t be too long before you can strap on your boots and take to the field. Remember that an anime series based on the game is also airing this year, perfect for those who need even more Inazuma Eleven action in their lives.
Are you looking forward to getting your hands on this? Tell us below.
Sorry Folks, Mortal Kombat 11’s Online Stress Test Is Skipping Switch
Mortal Kombat 11’s release is getting closer and closer – it’ll be out just next month in North America – and to prepare for its launch, developer NetherRealm Studios is hosting an online stress test. Sadly, it looks like Switch owners will be missing out.
Taking place from 15th – 17th March, the test will allow lucky fans who have registered for a place to jump in for a small taste of the action, helping the development team to fully optimise its online gameplay. The game’s publisher, Warner Bros., has shared an FAQ to provide fans with more info, confirming that the stress test will only be available to players on PlayStation and Xbox, just like the pre-order beta testing.
What platforms will the Online Stress Test be available for?
The Online Stress Test will be available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One and Xbox One X.
The test was already limited to fans in North America only anyway, and only some of those who register are set to be selected so your chances were already pretty slim. If you’re eager to get your hands on the game, it looks like you’ll just have to wait for its full release later down the line.
Are you itching to try the game out for yourself? Do you wish you could join in with the stress test on your Switch? Let us know in the usual place.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 03-03-2019, 09:53 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Narrative Preview – Praxic Order
The more petals Lionel swept into his garbage bag, the more there seemed to be. His back, slightly crooked with age, burned in protest as he continued to stoop and work.
A man in a long coat stood watching him on the opposite side of the long hallway. Lionel figured he’d go away eventually, but the man stayed, idly flipping a green coin.
“Can I help you?” Lionel asked, growing annoyed.
“They make elders do this? Can’t the maintenance frames handle it?”
“Speeds things up. The petals get everywhere from the… whatever the kids call it.”
“Crimson Days.”
“That’s the one.”
“Come on! No one’s too old to celebrate Crimson Days.”
“My wife died the day the Tower fell.”
The man stared at the ceiling. Lionel continued to sweep.
“I got nothing to do today,” the man said. “Let me take care of this for you.”
“No, thanks.”
Lionel dumped another dustpan full of petals into his bag, then turned and walked right into the man’s outstretched hand: palm up, full of glowing, sapphire cubes.
“Lotta Glimmer,” Lionel said, eyeing the money and the man in turn.
“Yours. Let me finish this job for you.”
“You a Guardian?”
“It’s complicated.”
Lionel stared down at the pure material potential sitting in the man’s hand.
“I’ll take your vest and hat, too,” said the man. “Please.”
**
The man took off his coat and put on Lionel’s orange vest. He put on Lionel’s hat and pulled it low, covering his eyes. As he walked, he passed a frame diligently sweeping the connecting antechamber, and paused to point back toward the petal-strewn hallway he’d just come from. “You missed a spot,” he said. The frame stared at him, then at the hallway. It marched towards its new objective.
The man continued his walk.
**
Warlock Aunor Mahal brushed past a maintenance worker in an orange vest emptying a trash can into a large plastic bag. The door to the Consensus closed heavily behind her.
The Vanguard and representatives from various City factions had gathered around a massive table. Cayde’s seat was empty.
“The Drifter poses no immediate threat to the population,” Zavala was saying to the Consensus as Aunor approached. “Therefore, we motion to grant him a more permanent lease—”
“My Order disagrees,” she cut in fiercely.
Zavala turned. With a slight incline of his head, he gestured from her to the rest of the group, “This is Warlock Aunor, representing the Praxic Order.”
“I have paperwork to file, so I’ll make this short,” she said. “If the Vanguard is willing, the Praxic Order would like to excise the Drifter from the City. Immediately. We’ll do it ourselves.”
Zavala turned to look at her. “The Praxic opinion is noted. But the City welcomes all Guardians—“
“He’s no Guardian.”
“The City welcomes all of humanity who are willing to stand in defense of the City.”
“Commander, with due respect, you asked the Order to have a voice in this discussion.” She looked Zavala in the eye, and swept her gaze around the table to address the Consensus and Ikora. “The Praxic Order has existed since the founding of the City to keep artifacts of the Darkness out of Guardian hands. In our opinion, the Drifter represents as great a threat to our people as Ghaul or the Taken King.”
“Go on, girl,” Executor Hideo said, steepling his fingers.
“She is no ‘girl,’” Ikora hissed.
Aunor ignored them both, continuing, “The Drifter has convinced the Guardian population to use the Taken as a weapon. To murder Guardians.”
“There have been no final deaths,” said Zavala.
“That we know of,” Aunor replied. “You’re allowing that man to normalize interaction with the Taken.”
Ikora and Zavala shared a look.
“The past few months, the Praxic Order has seen a historic number of Guardians go rogue.”
“’Rogue,’ ‘rogue,’ what is ‘rogue,’” Arach Jalaal said. “Everyone is a rogue now. It is fashionable to be a rogue.”
“You’ll see it in my report,” Aunor said. “Some have adopted the name ‘Dredgen.’ You want my professional opinion? Ideas are powerful things, and the Drifter has too many. Board that travesty he calls a ship and throw him out an airlock, before the City sees another Dark Age.”
The Vanguard and the Consensus looked at her in silence.
“I have paperwork to file,” she said again, turning around. “You know where my office is.” As she left, she saw that same maintenance worker had fallen asleep in the entrance way, hat over his eyes, leaning against a trash can. She narrowed her eyes.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 03-03-2019, 09:53 AM - Forum: Windows
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Now is the time to make the shift to Microsoft 365
As we shared on January 14, 2019, the end of support for Windows 7 is less than a year away. Many of you are well on your journey to migrate to Window 10 and Office 365, as they provide the most productive, secure, and cost-effective experience for users and IT departments. More than half of commercial devices are on Windows 10, which shows great momentum.
We are here to help you every step of the way. The Modern Desktop Deployment Center provides detailed step-by-step migration guidance. We are seeing 99.9 percent application compatibility with Windows 7, giving you confidence to upgrade or buy new Windows 10 devices. The Desktop App Assure program provides dedicated engineering resources to help you remediate any application compatibility issues you might have.
Security remains our biggest priority, and Windows 10 provides the most secure experience. For those of you who aren’t able to migrate all of your apps and devices to Windows 10 by the January 14, 2020, end of support date and need additional time to make the transition, we’ve got you covered with new options:
As we announced in September 2018, we will provide Extended Security Updates for Windows 7.
Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop (coming soon) will provide a Windows 7 device with free Extended Security Updates through January 2023, giving you more options to support legacy apps as you transition to Windows 10.
As a final resource those of you with legacy Windows 7 devices, Extended Security Updates will be available for purchase starting April 1, 2019. They will be sold on a per-device basis for eligible customers and the price will increase each year.
In addition, Office 365 ProPlus will be supported on devices with active Windows 7 Extended Security Updates through January 2023. This means that customers who purchase the Windows 7 Extended Security Updates will be able to continue to run Office 365 ProPlus.
Please reach out to your partner or Microsoft account team for more details or download our FAQs for additional information. Now is the time to shift to Microsoft 365.
