First Quarter 2009 DANCEDANCE DANCEDANCE REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION HEROHERO Peek at our technology in Tech Geeks. Plus ... Go old-school with Retrograde reviews Fourth time’s charming for game sound. Page 2 Gaming Insurrection First Quarter 2009 Welcome to the first quarter of a new year for GI! Contributor Marcus Barnes is featured as we look back at GI’s days of traveling for Dance Dance Revolu- tion. The fourth installment of our video game music fea- ture focuses on musically diverse series Mortal Kombat, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, DDR and Smash Bros. Cry of War In Tech Geeks, we look at tools used to produce Cry of War From the Dungeon Lyndsey M. Mosley GI. Lyndsey M. Mosley James T. L. Mosley You should not have Imagination a must Contents — First Quarter 2009 to sacrifice your life when dealing with for video games gaming haters Columns Features Usual ormally, I discuss how think about what I’ve gained Suspects Cry of War … 2 DDR Hero … 3-7 to improve gaming ad- and sacrificed for the sake of ventures so games are playing video games, and most Retrograde … 11 Video game music… N enjoyable. In this issue, I days it balances out. However, Sage’s Chronicles … 8, 10 however, I am going to take a different there are times when I have to weigh What we’re playing … 2 track. In this issue I want to talk about the good and the bad, and sometimes 9 haters. games don’t get the fair end of the Haters believe that people who play stick. Tech Geeks … 12 RPGs with their imagination are wast- I have always put real life ahead of ing time. They think that gamers don’t my gaming habit. Whether I was at- Save the date … have a social life and will always de- tending grade, middle or high school 13, 14, 15 pend on others to get through everyday or college, video games have run a life. I have realized that a lot of people distant second to receiving a reward- do not play pen-and-paper RPGs sim- ing education. They have been a drive ply because of how they think others in my life, a reason to pursue journal- will perceive them. They are afraid that ism as a career or to interact with oth- society will make fun of them and la- ers my own age. What I have tried to bel them “geeks” or “nerds.” Who ca- do is avoid making games the most res? Best Buy has employees called important thing in my life. Sometimes, “Geek Squad.” I don’t hear anyone it’s a losing battle. saying anything negative about them. Now that I’m married, and married Sure, they get paid to work there but to a fellow gamer, I have a partner what do you think “geeks” talk about who can relate to my desire to play all day? That’s right. Geeks talk about when the mood strikes. However, that things that most people do not under- was not always so. I dated guys who stand. You will never understand were not supportive of my habit, and Page 3 Page 10 unless you have tried to play a RPG at consequently, I am not with them. I least once. could not be married to someone who I have played in many different ad- didn’t take games seriously. On the ventures and many different types of other hand, I couldn’t be married to RPGs. Most of the adventures have someone who didn’t view them solely taken place during the weekend. These as a hobby. Life is important, a lot are weekends during which my friends more important than games. Who are we? and I have abandoned the outside When I was younger, there was world just to take up lives given to our nothing better to do than rent games Lyndsey Mosley, an avid pen-and-paper characters. Lives that from Blockbuster or Pic-A-Flick (yes, video gamer and journalist, is we created with pencils, papers, dice I’m showing my age here) on a Friday editor of Gaming Insurrection. and at least a two-hour discussion with night and grab the latest issue of Elec- To make everything possible for your closest ally. Six bags of potato tronic Gaming Monthly and some Chi- the little newsletter that could, chips later, my character was born at nese. Now, I am more apt to coming Mosley wears quite a few hats in age 20, depending on the RPG that I home from work, catching up on the the process: Copy editor, writer, was playing. latest sports scores and getting in the designer, web designer and pho- I have seen people go to a local pub bed. I save the game playing for the tographer. In her spare time, she and drink themselves silly. I have weekends or my days off when I can be found blogging and tink- watched them sleep off their hangover, would have a lot of time to devote to ering with software on her lap- eat and then repeat everything all playing through titles that I’ve been top. Mosley, a copy editor by weekend. Yes! Going into a bar, mak- putting off to the side. It’s just a way trade, resides in Columbia with ing yourself look stupid by showing of time catching up with me, and me family. tasteless behavior because you have maturing into an adult. had too much to drink is OK, but if I can’t say that I have ever been ad- Who is Jamie Mosley? For some, he is an you spend all weekend creating charac- dicted to game. While I might play a all-knowing encyclopedia of ’80s hit cartoon ters and playing out an adventure, it is lot of one series (“Mortal Kombat II” “Transformers;” to others he is husband. For considered weird. I have watched tail- comes to mind easily), I can’t say that GI, J. Mo. - as he prefers to be called - is a gating parties take place on Thursday I have ever put my life on hold for a contributor of a quarterly Dungeons and Drag- game or games. I can’t see myself ons-based column. Though he is a newcomer night and the game isn’t until Sun- doing that, and I would hope that my to the world of journalism, Mosley is no day night. Yet, a group of friends can’t children would never do it, either. I stranger to video games: He can trace his roots sit down and discuss how to save the back to the NES-era “Metroid.” Let's put it plan to still be playing when my chil- princess from the dragon. this way: If you can remember beating dren come along, and I plan to pass I have yet to come across any studies Metroid and various passwords for it, you are along the idea that while games are that show that you will henceforth be one old dude. J. Mo. resides with his wife hobbies, they aren’t the end all-be all. labeled weird because you use your in Columbia, S.C. I guess what it comes down to is that imagination. I say use your imagina- you shouldn’t let games take over your tion. If you want to spend time creating life. Yes, they are important and eve- life, go for it! Let the dice be your ryone needs a hobby. But folks do GAMING INSURRECTION STAFF guide. Let the haters do what they do need a life as well, and you shouldn’t best: Hate! You are using your intelli- have to give up other things in your Editor Columnists Copy editors gence and let me stress: Using intelli- life for games. Lyndsey M. Mosley Lyndsey M. Mosley Lyndsey M. Mosley gence is good. Using intelligence and James T. L. Mosley GNH imagination is better. Don’t let an addiction ruin what life you do have. Blog: http://nesgrrl81.livejournal.com Jamie Mosley is a quarterly con- Lyndsey Mosley is editor tributor to Gaming Insurrection. He of Gaming Insurrection. She can be reached by e-mail at can be reached by e-mail at WEB SITE: www.gaminginsurrection.com fromthedungeon@ [email protected] E-MAIL: [email protected] gaminginsurrection.com First Quarter 2009 Gaming Insurrection Page 3 Dance Dance Revolution Hero a day with a DDR master BY LYNDSEY M. MOSLEY GAMING INSURRECTION t’s a cold blustery day in October and I’m sitting in my kitchen waiting for Marcus Barnes to arrive. Marcus is no stranger to this kitchen; he’s sat in it easily a million times in the 13 years that we’ve known each other. And what I’m waiting to talk to him about is nothing I new, either. DDR is a subject that we easily can talk about for hours on end and today is no different. Marcus finally arrives from work and we get down to business. This is Marcus’ element, a natural thought process for someone who can AA songs in sleep. This is … Dance Dance Revolution for a master and my magnum opus on the venerable dancing game. arcus and I have Where we discovered we defi- known each other nitely had a kinship was importing since we were in the games. At the time that he and I M ninth grade at Rich- found DDR, we were dating stead- land Northeast High School in our ily and my boyfriend’s hobby be- lovely hometown of Columbia, S.C.