by Jennifer Walls | Feb 7, 2015 | Recursions
Trap Dash Most video game arcades in the early 1990’s were absolutely dominated by the smash hit go-kart racing game “Trap Dash.” Developed by Studio Harmony in Japan for high-end home entertainment systems and arcades, Trap Dash was unique from other racing games. Trap Dash featured a cooperative play experience rather than pitting players against each other. One player controlled the A-CART (Artificially Competitive All-terrain Racing Transport), while the other controlled the Trapper. While the A-CART player did his or her best to keep the pair safely on the road and dodge any hazards or threats, the Trapper collected tools and weapons and actively tried to disable other racers. Trap Dash was the top selling racing game all throughout the 16-bit console generation but with the arrival of CD-ROMs, true 3D graphics, and more powerful home entertainment systems, the brand lost its luster. Trap Dash had a somewhat forgettable storyline that featured its main character, and runaway pop-culture icon “Dasher McSpry.” A quick-thinking rabbit-racer, Dasher’s image adorned the sides of each Trap Dash arcade game. Although Trap Dash was released years before Steampunk went mainstream, Dasher had a certain clockwork appeal, complete with an aviator’s cap and goggles, a tool-laden vest and belt, and big magnetic feet. The Ultimate Import Tuners Six months ago John Scirrotto discovered that his favorite game from the 1990’s had become more than child’s play. A Philadelphia native, Scirrotto had three loves: fast import tuners, illegal street racing, and classic arcade games. His suburban Philly garage had dozens of racing games along its walls, and when he paid top...
by Chris | Feb 3, 2015 | Recursions
Shattered Earth is a ruined wasteland caused by war between humans and an alien menace known only as The Swarm. Most survivors of the last war live in Old New York, a landscape of concrete and metal skeletons repurposed and rebuilt for survival. Most of the old buildings are now vertical farms and factories used to support the war effort. Every citizen has a number, rank and job assigned to them when they hit age 16. Most are drafted in to the Republic Armies and sent to the front lines to battle The Swarm. Before the third world war a race of alien beings known only as greys came to earth to give warning and prepare the human race for the coming conflict. The alien Swarm was a product of grey experimentation with human and grey DNA that got out of hand. With their home world overrun their only alternative was to seek refuge on earth. In exchange for alien technology and know-how the greys were given refuge. But even this could not prepare us for the coming tide of war. The swarm consisted of telepathically linked hybrid creatures, this link worked as a sort of hive mind, giving them a limitless potential for psionic power and higher thinking. The first wave of soldiers were humanoids with elongated features like greys. Their defeat caused a ripple of adaptation. Each subsequent attack was launched with a more efficient killing machine as the swarm began to learn our ways and adapt to our technology. In the current year the war has come to a halt unexpectedly. The last swarm...
