<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></title><description><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link><image><url>http://direct.ecency.com/logo512.png</url><title>RSS Feed</title><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link></image><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:47:55 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="http://direct.ecency.com/created/retro-gaming/rss.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Biggest wastes in my personal gaming history:  TMNT arcade ]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is going to be a time capsule for a lot of you because I would imagine that many of you were not alive or if you were, you would have been very very young. But this is back in the days of when arcades]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/biggest-wastes-in-my-personal-gaming-history-tmnt-arcade</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/biggest-wastes-in-my-personal-gaming-history-tmnt-arcade</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:54:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/hgjbks2vRxvcQFUDnM6Ukw7m2gSYGPsy3LYDPEUScJhfjen9RPzKpiHhDsGkDLMB9mKekAHZ4euRw41W7RG9AspPpJ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Messenger:  A "throwback" game that is a lot of fun... for a while]]></title><description><![CDATA[I am a product of what I consider to be the golden age of gaming when every couple of years the advancement in gaming technology was just blowing us away. I am referring to NES to Genesis to Playstation]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/the-messenger-a-throwback-game-that-is-a-lot-of-fun-for-a-while</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/the-messenger-a-throwback-game-that-is-a-lot-of-fun-for-a-while</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 11:18:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/bqA9tjZHuvznqvMz8cF8i2VNef4wEmEmHqR4Dk1oJTJiHbqckEPvoAmvEfPz8zvCvA1iETFKz7Fim4V9zhckNY4swYWcknxeiCUi2md5iBrk5ft5ZEEF5wkKH32BaGYeNBPKnFu6rRGirqBkkoAw68EPQ3KW457kC9aFtJmT3L8MB7Tas3QdWyuShvp?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[I have to complain a little bit about Octopath Traveler 2 now ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I'm still really enjoying Octopath 2 and am really happy that a friend of mine recommended it to me since I likely wouldn't know it existed otherwise. It is a game that is really easy to get into, there]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/i-have-to-complain-a-little-bit-about-octopath-traveler-2-now</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/i-have-to-complain-a-little-bit-about-octopath-traveler-2-now</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 12 Jan 2026 23:37:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/D5zH9SyxCKdBmsq1eWokj3zQQSSG7ApzSXxQRJqhgPPAzYbe6zZu2EJRxEm8Q6GTgArydVhNwPvQS796TfMKLw3NfMco3ChCPh5fShooGUsKwVzsnf4MLB8aYg1nxmMQSUiDTj?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Octopath Traveler 2:   A great classic RPG that reminds me of simpler times ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I show my age when I commonly complain about modern gaming and how it requires so much precise combinations of buttons, parrying, knowing exactly where to stand and for how long and other such things that]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/octopath-traveler-2-a-great-classic-rpg-that-reminds-me-of-simpler-times</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/octopath-traveler-2-a-great-classic-rpg-that-reminds-me-of-simpler-times</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 10 Jan 2026 05:54:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/7DceLgR4szFwfs98GeKsS1osDE4NFtpgMJyUPWqod5Lv2utDnHWXG8DN9RoVerdYSaXG4A2hHEme4vceKcmre?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Thinking back to the release of the Game Boy (i was there) ]]></title><description><![CDATA[These are some of the fondest video game memories that I have in this old skull of mine because I was there for ALL of the home gaming events in history. From the Pong Machine to the PS5 and a bit of high-end]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/thinking-back-to-the-release-of-the-game-boy-i-was-there</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/thinking-back-to-the-release-of-the-game-boy-i-was-there</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:12:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/NTy4GV6ooFRmaCXZ8UYgPhoud1kjiNX8QokLEZtbBKLuLWQ9yt7K3o4Yf5TKwATNV5perx7dxTd5rgMSRYgxv3dYKM3dMP1gTbu3RZV68cwxaG7nK77QznxofcNzmaPL6nWZYh4j5gqBrr5cME9pabZ7aRqRaqntgFhApXB4?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Trojan:  A really difficult NES game that I have fond memories of]]></title><description><![CDATA[Going back and looking that this ROM the other day and playing it a bit brought back a bunch of memories about the early days of home gaming. This game is one of many that were all very similar. It is]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/trojan-a-really-difficult-nes-game-that-i-have-fond-memories-of</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/trojan-a-really-difficult-nes-game-that-i-have-fond-memories-of</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 22:46:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/NTy4GV6ooFRmaCXZ8UYgPhoud1kjiNX8QokLEZtbBKLuLWQ9yt7K3o4Yf5TKwATNV5perx7166tq1F1bQjwjQGaGzcVRTgeXA3wCrizBbFAhEhHkdoDUiTxLvjt6fjw7nGrpxi1V4ELzHRpbFAUZUnLAPd9MWoAjZjhYxGnJ?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Top games of my childhood:  Ultima III:  Exodus]]></title><description><![CDATA[It took me a while to actually end up remembering the title of this game despite the fact that I had such fond memories of it and that will maybe make sense after I explain this one area of the game that]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/top-games-of-my-childhood-ultima-iii-exodus</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/top-games-of-my-childhood-ultima-iii-exodus</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 31 Aug 2025 04:42:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/NTy4GV6ooFRmaCXZ8UYgPhoud1kjiNX8QokLEZtbBKLuLWQ9yt7K3o4Yf5TKwATNV5perx717ANY45g8sbpeQVa7rhdbRiAzKqiS9ckYjXAMkWPJ7HAAEL6X4kbLm5pRABncy3UKo8i6f6RbapgEuuw6ZaNCnkAQE8ZYbVE6?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[My favorite arcade games:  Cyberball 2072]]></title><description><![CDATA[For a lot of you, arcades might just seem like something that old people like me talk about but there was a time when they were just one of the most awesome places for a gaming fan to visit. Back then]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/my-favorite-arcade-games-cyberball-2072</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/my-favorite-arcade-games-cyberball-2072</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2025 01:38:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PvQ3K8z7ttth8kwGv8utvRvwbhb8XbGbujzePjEQtE1Md9cK797hBs5RZXP7gM4ujRDMHv8145H7YwNSVuiyLZo2bsqZ57qjjvn?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Mario Benchmark]]></title><description><![CDATA[Cross-posted from Substack. Converted to Markdown by ChatGPT 4o; any transcription errors are the AI’s fault. The original Super Mario Bros. may have been a vast leap in game design when it first appeared]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/ai/@nleseul/the-mario-benchmark</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/ai/@nleseul/the-mario-benchmark</guid><category><![CDATA[ai]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[nleseul]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2025 22:07:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/W5LtFUPm6g7293LJ3Vg8LGMxSXJbQHxtovyJAqw2j9RsivpZ42YcyswwfZyKqDoBJx8xn1BRcUbaHztV8eJ6UfqYZuQioEZ5G6xfCbVuSMz457wQ1ngp1fuwCyKstFoGTfMPd1H59yBLsLYXQbMakwDpy2ZNW?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gaming memories:  meeting someone that had a Vectrex ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Do you even know what a Vectrex is? Well, chances are that you don't. It was only around for a little while, didn't sell very well, and fell victim to the videogame crash of 1982 along with everyone else]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/gaming-memories-meeting-someone-that-had-a-vectrex</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/gaming-memories-meeting-someone-that-had-a-vectrex</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 23:53:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/NTy4GV6ooFRmaCXZ8UYgPhoud1kjiNX8QokLEZtbBKLuLWQ9yt7K3o4Yf5TKwATNV5perx71eQSY9BShDUvgfoX47K1QDsMP5n7jAAm6D7mfLG3XQFGdfkH9VnhDxFH2jziJxbhBXtE4zppcdymeqwYkzMPwu6fTgHUGYByg?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[I AM THE GAME GENIE: Annihilating Aerobiz Supersonic (SNES) on 'Supersonic' Difficulty in One Sitting]]></title><description><![CDATA[Gerber Baby and Michael Irons A few years ago a friend of mine mentioned that he had picked up an old Super Nintendo and asked if I wanted to come around and check it out. What he didn't mention is that]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@coderad/i-am-the-game-genie-annihilating-aerobiz-supersonic-snes-on-supersonic-difficulty-in-one-sitting</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@coderad/i-am-the-game-genie-annihilating-aerobiz-supersonic-snes-on-supersonic-difficulty-in-one-sitting</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[coderad]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 04 May 2025 14:47:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/26uUsAjKTsXCDw7zixZR182JbFKvgzJ9YwsFpTVcRaGCmsqhA1unTgpqTzowNMxWrCyguJX2iJrnPSaLyJotrweDmeQRggyFyHjpuqPDhy2E2XJdPu5Lk3vb9Va2TuDArf46JDdUbM8PNkpfTZeLrUh3odjYFGVAK4ZTA6?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Phantasy Star 2.   A wild experience at the time that I will not revisit]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you follow my writups you probably already know that I just recently wrote an article about how remakes are not necessarily a good idea these days. I feel that this is true for almost every game that]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/phantasy-star-2-a-wild-experience-at-the-time-that-i-will-not-revisit</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/phantasy-star-2-a-wild-experience-at-the-time-that-i-will-not-revisit</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 03:46:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/DVAkPJXe6RxZi3mKiXKcDHf69W1vrKfnAMXRwY3rd4oMpGRsdCxVf1GZx7M173YARnuVmi2FaMCiA2?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sometimes, remakes are a bad idea (for me) ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have very fond memories of early RPG games because I was just the right age to be very interested in this sort of thing. As a child, I was playing D&D with friends using dice and pencils - you know]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/sometimes-remakes-are-a-bad-idea-for-me</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/sometimes-remakes-are-a-bad-idea-for-me</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2025 01:41:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/3RTd4iuWD6NUX2uuBNzVqpwSDa6fN4HEVtNd7T75VbTx2JY6V38BxPutPemcehVLjXZNq2xVmNiGE5yEWGutdQdGFBAahsaxTXPKykNLzzqnk36Gx5ECKyx9P5U9HyHCHRQGnnphgU5UfCKeL9mPGDof6FC9rAerfzxd5fYkMQqQaF?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[My favorite played games:  Secret of Mana]]></title><description><![CDATA[The other day someone asked me if I had ever created a top-10 or top-20 games that I personally think are the best ever made. I have never compiled a list like that and even if I did I think that I would]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/my-favorite-played-games-secret-of-mana</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/my-favorite-played-games-secret-of-mana</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 04 Mar 2025 05:27:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/NTy4GV6ooFRmaCXZ8UYgPhoud1kjiNX8QokLEZtbBKLuLWQ9yt7K3o4Yf5TKwATNV5perx71rJwYfwFH98qTUZFRcBDmoc888A9LnyvYmiwKn2uvRcPuVGRtoXSxW3si75wABxQo22NAeU9FU557wkKEFfB1PVMab3tr26hC?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[My personal gaming history:  Playing King's Quest at school]]></title><description><![CDATA[I'm likely a bit older than most of you and while that means that I will likely see a real life "game over" screen before you do, I have also been alive for nearly the entirety of video games']]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/my-personal-gaming-history-playing-kings-quest-at-school</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/my-personal-gaming-history-playing-kings-quest-at-school</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 08 Jan 2025 06:33:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/4bEjbgCbFMvAyBX1GXPtEJMps5a7yQuGZb2cCd4fErmJAWDMHeT5Leiu7F95aFudJqbTjjBKmwNzouc64e2nAqmhV6gJ6SsE21CUa4jj8TLdBxaL6o1WDdEYQxrQ9Y5yVKxYErJmehJeKDTW7SmaNB6o3QyqZXZcbxj9Avn9nMcZth2BJW?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gaming flashback!   Playing Metroid on NES for the first time]]></title><description><![CDATA[When I say "first time" I mean in 1986 when I was in 4th grade. I'm not playing it today for the first time. The 80's were a pretty special time as far as home gaming was concerned. The NES really]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/gaming-flashback-playing-metroid-on-nes-for-the-first-time</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/gaming-flashback-playing-metroid-on-nes-for-the-first-time</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2024 02:18:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/4qEixipsxSf1LSpFutD7v8QP72nVujJNEcqfQGG6WQ9PitpQeNH7ajSVWzY4C9Haf8?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[I was a Genesis guy, not SNES... how about you?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The late 80's and early 90's were a pretty exciting time in gaming. I say this because home consoles were getting a lot better and I think for me this was most evident when Sega started to actually become]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@mujaffa84/i-was-a-genesis-guy-not-snes-how-about-you</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@mujaffa84/i-was-a-genesis-guy-not-snes-how-about-you</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[mujaffa84]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:22:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/B69zEhWZA8UCHxjagwibdXCLMYNxrPY6YRrJip9MJrywZMKPbiB13nz2GC9aK3fVcouC4ddRq6h6tZMrtFBVN8zhA6GrGuuvfo4KHdQa?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Looking back on early Zelda vs now-Zelda]]></title><description><![CDATA[When Zelda first was released on the NES in the mid-80's this was something that nobody in the world had ever seen the likes of before. I think it was quite a gamble on the part of Nintendo back in those]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/looking-back-on-early-zelda-vs-now-zelda</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/looking-back-on-early-zelda-vs-now-zelda</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 23 Nov 2024 04:11:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/qjrE4yyfw5pT5nvNadSb9JTDFpv8gLfvWorEQ8rYKH8V63Uo1S5AfZNqCqg3LLvQqfGbsnrLKL1WNBSyEEUDHLr8TS5iTazBqmi9hrZTy3hG4TYQByH5tu9G?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Link's Awakening  complete:  Here are my overall thoughts]]></title><description><![CDATA[When I first acquired this Nintendo Switch, my game choices were dictated by what my local friend had for me to borrow and when I saw he had multiple Zelda games, I asked him to give me the most simple]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/links-awakening-complete-here-are-my-overall-thoughts</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/links-awakening-complete-here-are-my-overall-thoughts</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 Nov 2024 16:43:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/3HaJVw3AYyXBgjKMvzsJn9wPxsY4Gu1NWwibWeV5ZPZCqtwb2MKyV2cjVeD3vBNv6rhpjE8T9CM3JEewC37pJisNR5c8fUnhkf7MgNi?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Link's Awakening:  Two big tips to avoid frustration]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have really been enjoying this game which is a revisit to a classic game that was originally released exclusively on Game Boy. Honestly, because I never got a Wii and only recently got a Switch there]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/links-awakening-two-big-tips-to-avoid-frustration</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/hive-140217/@whoisjohn/links-awakening-two-big-tips-to-avoid-frustration</guid><category><![CDATA[hive-140217]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[whoisjohn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 31 Oct 2024 17:18:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/ADdPNihJzmPcw2s93xkQA2QNBACVUtnRNbaZmBCV6KGbuJNRRa3cLXoWahYopxMcoeGMwv387hMY7D56EXXv9ovxn?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item></channel></rss>