Every PS1 Game – Fear Effect
Nowadays, the beautiful environments we explore in video games are rendered in real time. But back at the dawn of video gaming, consumer hardware couldn’t render lush 3D graphics at all, let alone in real time. This led to the concept of “pre-rendered” computer graphics, which were rendered on a powerful professional workstation and then compressed to be used as backgrounds, sprites, and FMV’s. Pre-rendered graphics were very common on the Playstation, and many games from Final Fantasy VII to Resident Evil 2 to T.R.A.G. and beyond featured animated backgrounds. But what if every background in every scene was fully animated? That was the basic premise behind the style of Fear Effect.
When it comes to games that still images don’t do justice, Fear Effect is one of the strongest examples: virtually every background is an animated FMV loop. Even though the game came on four CD’s, the FMV’s are still heavily compressed to fit the short ~8 hour total play time. On their own, the low-res backgrounds with strong compression artifacts can look pretty bad, but in motion with the cell-shaded characters, this game has a really cool style.
(more…)Making the Most of a Track Day
As I recently posted, I finally drove Laguna Seca at speed in my own car. With four classes each doing five sessions over the course of a full day, there is a lot of down time at the track. So of course I brought my camera–and monopod this time!–and spent my free time capping snaps.
No sooner had I reversed my car in the paddock than Chris had delivered a jack and tools. Before I had even eaten my morning banana I was pulling everything out of my car and swapping my track wheels and tires.
(more…)Every PS1 Game – Bio Hazard aka Resident Evil
Released in March 1996 in Japan as Bio Hazard (two words), North America got Resident Evil (renamed due to the existence of a now-forgotten game already titled Biohazard) only two weeks later.
And yes, it is “Bio Hazard”; there is a space between the two words on the title screen as well as the packaging for the game, which was changed to the more common “Biohazard” for the sequel.
(more…)Finally! Flat Out Around the Dry Lagoon
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ve been lucky enough to have two “home tracks”. To the north is Sonoma Raceway, and to the south is one of the most famous tracks in the world: Laguna Seca.
Meaning “dry lagoon” in Spanish and lovingly called “Laguna” by fans and locals, possibly its most distinctive characteristic is here: The Corkscrew. Along with Eau Rouge at Spa and the hotel hairpin at Monaco, this is one of the most famous turns in the world.
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Star Road 