I doubt it, just due to how he doesnt have as recognizable a personality as Duke or Lo Wang or whatever but Id totally be up for it. Lotta space to fill in creatively if they ever rebooted!
Blake Stone was my Doom for years in the Nineties. My 386 couldn't play Doom at a playable speed, so I had to get games like Corridor 7 and Blake Stone. I only started playing Doom in 1996 after getting an used 486 DX2.
I remember playing Aliens of Gold as a kid. My dad had it on 3.5 inch floppy disc lol. He also had Wolfenstein 3D and Doom both on CD ROM. It definitely brings back great memories, growing up playing those games.
Man, I can only imagine. I played Wolfenstein when I was young but didnt get to these till my late 20s. So, so cool to be transported back in time and try to imagine what it was like to see for the first time
Great video! Only had the shareware as a kid, and Doom outclassed it ten to one when it dropped a bit later, as you said. Oh, and that jab at the ’WTF’ by Civvie @09:20 was a nice shout-out. 😃 It, too, is a tongue-in-cheek callback to one of his earlier videos where he went ”WTF is a Blake Stone?” going through Apogee’s history. Also, judging by the latest Patreon early access to the finale of Petty Thief 2, his upcoming videos will finally answer the WTF is a Blake Stone -question. You got here first. Well played, Sir. 😃 Will be great to see Civvie’s take on this one too.
Despite its flaws, I'd say Blake is highly recommended for any retro FPS fan. It captures nicely that early era of the genre, when everything was new and exciting, when everything seemed possible, and when developers weren't afraid to experiment. An era we remember fondly in today's age of corporate gaming...
Adding NPCs and the ability to backtrack (if you just had to, I was never compelled to) is pretty cool too from "these are things games started doing ever since" type of perspective. I'm glad I played them!
That's what happened to me. I was poor, and in 1993 I only had a 386 that could room Doom at single digits FPS (probably 3 or 4). Blake Stone was my JAM (pun intended) for years when I finally got a "much stronger" 486 in 1996.
Played this on my Compaq Presario in 1995 when I found the CD-ROM on clearance at Circuit City! (World’s most ‘90s sentence) Still play it regularly in DOSBox-X. Yes, Doom was better, but this one is somehow still my favorite. ❤
I'm glad you liked this one! I didn't hate it but I distinctly remember going "this is the first one I just wanted to get through." Those 66 levels were nutso long and drawn out. But somehow this turned out to be one of the best performing videos I've had so I can't hate the guy too much. Tbh, I think Stone would benefit a lot from a full face lift, something that pays homage to the originals but gives the series more of its own identity
"Catacomb 3D" is *not* the first; it's engine was taken from "Hovertank 3D". Further back in time, the Atari ST computer hosted a game called "Midi Maze", which evolved into an actual commercial product called "Faceball 2000".
If you're referring to the phrase "first true incarnation of the 90s shooter," my Catacomb 3-D series review explains what I mean by this and acknowledges Hovertank as the engine basis for Wolfenstein and Doom as well as Midi Maze's place in the pantheon, but there tons more foundational games, Midi Maze is kind of a random one to highlight. Hovertank's certainly significant as a stepping stone and certainly was the basis for Catacomb 3-D, as almost all of Carmack's 90s games built somewhat off the last one, but it's slow, lacks wall textures, and doesn't feature the player avatar like Catacomb 3-D first did. Catacomb 3-D can be called the first true incarnation of the what 90s fps renaissance is known for because it was fast-paced, the first to have textured walls, and the first to detail the player avatar in the HUD and on screen, qualities which Doom and Wolfenstein would later ape.
There was one that woke me up and I thought wtf. But your reviews are pretty good, I do remember my dad getting wolfenstein.. no idea why but it was first pc game... Duke nukem 3d, doom 95, ultima underworld.. Kinda crazy to think how one fed of the other to another to what games (first person) are today
Thanks! Yeah, that's been the most fun part of doing these in order is you can see in pseudo real time how these rolled into each other influence wise, what they were competing against in the market at the time (like how Alone in the Dark 2 became all about guns because Wolfenstein had come out the year before and Doom was getting tons of hype).
@@jlo7770 I sure appreciate that. Just got back into golden oldies with Myst. Before I go further into the 90s I'm gonna back up and visit the foundational two survival horror games in Project Firestart and Sweet Home!
@@MidnightMedium nice! I love seeing the progression but those like first 5 years? They set up all gaming.. if you see ultima interviews they were doing impossible things like changing height wolfenstein 3d was all one plane but ultima underworld did it in back and forth. The amount of brain power at that time to do ultima underworld is insane. Especially to do both games in a year/ year and half... uw was huge but uw2 was so much more bigger and... Like we got 20 years later black ops 2 zombies the map was too big to load up so they put fog in... everything they did back then for that specific game was stuff we use today and it doesn't get the credit it deserves
I had no idea about this game. The sci-fi B movie theme is pretty cool. A shame it was still too cumbersome to navigate even with the map. I would have liked that map in Wolf 3D... These old fps games were a bit rat maze simulators too.
I know right! These 90s games ADORED mazes and every one of them was the worst part of the game, whether Spear of Destiny or Realms of the Haunting or what have you
Started playing PS a few days ago. Great childhood memories hehe. Def recommend getting the source update though. Great quality of life changes and updated visual options if you want
Good video! I’m currently playing AOG and while I think the artstyle and shooting are pretty good, the levels get so damn repetitive. Plus I feel the game is way too long, 64 levels is just ridiculous and a lot of the levels feel like filler, especially in the later episodes.
Oh a hundred percent. I think Blake Stones heart is in the right place but the executions really boilerplate and kind of repetitive. One of the few retro games where I found myself "looking at the clock," so to speak
@@MidnightMedium Update: I finished AOG and I’m currently playing PS. AOG wasn’t too bad, but as I said before, it was WAY too long. By the 6th episode, you could really tell the designers were going into filler territory. Still, I thought the ending was neat. As for PS, I think it’s definitely better than AOG, the levels feel more tightly designed and the whole tone is darker (thanks to the music). And having only 20 levels is much better than 60. Kind of a shame that these games are really obscure, a new game in the series would work well with the current “boomer shooter” revival we’ve had in the past few years
@@steviemcdonut agree on all fronts. Aliens of Gold just wouldnt end whereas Planet Strike felt more sure of itself and has a more distinct, spooky vibe. Whats interesting too is that Blake Stones got the potential to go any which way if anyone ever rebooted it because its a little generic
You could use the elevator to plow through levels you had already visited. and better AI than wolf3d. Enemies wandered around the level, alerted by their own forces or pursuing you. incredible.
Yo, did you just clip New Japan Pro Wrestling star EVIL to have his quote there?? Of all the things I expected to see in your videos, this was NOT one of them!! 😀
Is there a way you find all these fps games? I would love to find a list of all the fps ever made, as I could play them either through gog, current consoles, or emulator for obscure console game/dos games. Wikipedia is lacking but its the best list I found. Is there a better one?
A lot of them I was first exposed to by Gmanlives and Ive done copious research on my own so my knowledge is pretty experiential vs me finding the holy grail of fps timelines. But let me whip up all the ones I know off the top of my head tomorrow and Ill dig around for some of the more obscure ones I can throw your way too
Hey I drummed up a big list. It's not entirely exhaustive but it's got a lot of weird ones out there you may not see everywhere. Email me at highfunctioningmedium@gmail.com and I'll shoot the Word doc back if you like. I'm also inquiring with some other folks if there's a maser list they know of too
Sorry, I could not answer as I was working 12 days in a row for reschedule reason. As I was searching my youtube metric shit-ton of notifications, I noticed you answered me, thanks man
In the current world of retro-shooters, I wonder if Blake Stone will ever make a comeback.
I doubt it, just due to how he doesnt have as recognizable a personality as Duke or Lo Wang or whatever but Id totally be up for it. Lotta space to fill in creatively if they ever rebooted!
God I hope so. It was much better than the last 10 call of duty releases
Right. Think the last one I liked was Blops 2
Blake Stone was my Doom for years in the Nineties. My 386 couldn't play Doom at a playable speed, so I had to get games like Corridor 7 and Blake Stone. I only started playing Doom in 1996 after getting an used 486 DX2.
Another commenter had that exact same experience! I love that Blake Stone had real value to people like that to act as a bridge
I remember playing Aliens of Gold as a kid. My dad had it on 3.5 inch floppy disc lol. He also had Wolfenstein 3D and Doom both on CD ROM. It definitely brings back great memories, growing up playing those games.
Man, I can only imagine. I played Wolfenstein when I was young but didnt get to these till my late 20s. So, so cool to be transported back in time and try to imagine what it was like to see for the first time
Great video! Only had the shareware as a kid, and Doom outclassed it ten to one when it dropped a bit later, as you said.
Oh, and that jab at the ’WTF’ by Civvie @09:20 was a nice shout-out. 😃 It, too, is a tongue-in-cheek callback to one of his earlier videos where he went ”WTF is a Blake Stone?” going through Apogee’s history. Also, judging by the latest Patreon early access to the finale of Petty Thief 2, his upcoming videos will finally answer the WTF is a Blake Stone -question.
You got here first. Well played, Sir. 😃 Will be great to see Civvie’s take on this one too.
;) finally someone had fun with that one XD
Nice video. It’s always good to see the more obscure retro FPS games getting covered.
+ sub.
:) thanks very much! I''ll try and get most obscure FPSs their own video soon enough!
Despite its flaws, I'd say Blake is highly recommended for any retro FPS fan. It captures nicely that early era of the genre, when everything was new and exciting, when everything seemed possible, and when developers weren't afraid to experiment. An era we remember fondly in today's age of corporate gaming...
Adding NPCs and the ability to backtrack (if you just had to, I was never compelled to) is pretty cool too from "these are things games started doing ever since" type of perspective. I'm glad I played them!
Blake stone was the best 3d shooter you could play on a 386 because it would not run Doom. I loved it!
:)) thats a cool little detail! Blake getting in where the gettings good!
That's what happened to me. I was poor, and in 1993 I only had a 386 that could room Doom at single digits FPS (probably 3 or 4). Blake Stone was my JAM (pun intended) for years when I finally got a "much stronger" 486 in 1996.
I dunno why I find that heartwarming, like Blake Stone was a friend when no one else would be
How about Wolvenstein 3D?
Played this on my Compaq Presario in 1995 when I found the CD-ROM on clearance at Circuit City! (World’s most ‘90s sentence)
Still play it regularly in DOSBox-X. Yes, Doom was better, but this one is somehow still my favorite. ❤
No shame. Like what you like! I love hearing about your Circuit City. I felt like that place was always going out of business!
I enjoyed Blake Stone very much, but that was years after I played Doom, hehe. I can see why it didn't stand a chance on release. It's a pity.
I'm glad you liked this one! I didn't hate it but I distinctly remember going "this is the first one I just wanted to get through." Those 66 levels were nutso long and drawn out. But somehow this turned out to be one of the best performing videos I've had so I can't hate the guy too much. Tbh, I think Stone would benefit a lot from a full face lift, something that pays homage to the originals but gives the series more of its own identity
"Catacomb 3D" is *not* the first; it's engine was taken from "Hovertank 3D". Further back in time, the Atari ST computer hosted a game called "Midi Maze", which evolved into an actual commercial product called "Faceball 2000".
If you're referring to the phrase "first true incarnation of the 90s shooter," my Catacomb 3-D series review explains what I mean by this and acknowledges Hovertank as the engine basis for Wolfenstein and Doom as well as Midi Maze's place in the pantheon, but there tons more foundational games, Midi Maze is kind of a random one to highlight.
Hovertank's certainly significant as a stepping stone and certainly was the basis for Catacomb 3-D, as almost all of Carmack's 90s games built somewhat off the last one, but it's slow, lacks wall textures, and doesn't feature the player avatar like Catacomb 3-D first did. Catacomb 3-D can be called the first true incarnation of the what 90s fps renaissance is known for because it was fast-paced, the first to have textured walls, and the first to detail the player avatar in the HUD and on screen, qualities which Doom and Wolfenstein would later ape.
Looks pretty cool and very Wolfenstein like. I've never heard of it before so pretty cool to learn about it.
Super obscure. One of the few 90s games i would view as non essential but hey, i like playing everything in my favorite genres
There was one that woke me up and I thought wtf. But your reviews are pretty good, I do remember my dad getting wolfenstein.. no idea why but it was first pc game... Duke nukem 3d, doom 95, ultima underworld..
Kinda crazy to think how one fed of the other to another to what games (first person) are today
Thanks! Yeah, that's been the most fun part of doing these in order is you can see in pseudo real time how these rolled into each other influence wise, what they were competing against in the market at the time (like how Alone in the Dark 2 became all about guns because Wolfenstein had come out the year before and Doom was getting tons of hype).
@@MidnightMedium they're well done and informative. Definitely looking forward to watching more/ the new stuff you come up with
@@jlo7770 I sure appreciate that. Just got back into golden oldies with Myst. Before I go further into the 90s I'm gonna back up and visit the foundational two survival horror games in Project Firestart and Sweet Home!
@@MidnightMedium nice! I love seeing the progression but those like first 5 years? They set up all gaming.. if you see ultima interviews they were doing impossible things like changing height wolfenstein 3d was all one plane but ultima underworld did it in back and forth. The amount of brain power at that time to do ultima underworld is insane. Especially to do both games in a year/ year and half... uw was huge but uw2 was so much more bigger and...
Like we got 20 years later black ops 2 zombies the map was too big to load up so they put fog in... everything they did back then for that specific game was stuff we use today and it doesn't get the credit it deserves
I had no idea about this game. The sci-fi B movie theme is pretty cool. A shame it was still too cumbersome to navigate even with the map. I would have liked that map in Wolf 3D... These old fps games were a bit rat maze simulators too.
I know right! These 90s games ADORED mazes and every one of them was the worst part of the game, whether Spear of Destiny or Realms of the Haunting or what have you
Started playing PS a few days ago. Great childhood memories hehe. Def recommend getting the source update though. Great quality of life changes and updated visual options if you want
Are you talking about the BStone Port? Thats what I used
@@MidnightMedium yessir
I like blake stone and doom tho :D
I like how the alien protector dies and he says his famous last funny words
Alien protector:WHY-BAAAH!!!
LOL XD
Alien protector definitely one of the most interesting enemies. When he resurrected himself, I just about passed out from surprise XD
@@MidnightMedium yeah lol XD
Good video! I’m currently playing AOG and while I think the artstyle and shooting are pretty good, the levels get so damn repetitive. Plus I feel the game is way too long, 64 levels is just ridiculous and a lot of the levels feel like filler, especially in the later episodes.
Oh a hundred percent. I think Blake Stones heart is in the right place but the executions really boilerplate and kind of repetitive. One of the few retro games where I found myself "looking at the clock," so to speak
@@MidnightMedium Update: I finished AOG and I’m currently playing PS.
AOG wasn’t too bad, but as I said before, it was WAY too long. By the 6th episode, you could really tell the designers were going into filler territory. Still, I thought the ending was neat. As for PS, I think it’s definitely better than AOG, the levels feel more tightly designed and the whole tone is darker (thanks to the music). And having only 20 levels is much better than 60. Kind of a shame that these games are really obscure, a new game in the series would work well with the current “boomer shooter” revival we’ve had in the past few years
@@steviemcdonut agree on all fronts. Aliens of Gold just wouldnt end whereas Planet Strike felt more sure of itself and has a more distinct, spooky vibe. Whats interesting too is that Blake Stones got the potential to go any which way if anyone ever rebooted it because its a little generic
You could use the elevator to plow through levels you had already visited. and better AI than wolf3d. Enemies wandered around the level, alerted by their own forces or pursuing you. incredible.
Yeah, i found out you could backtrack later. Why you'd want to i dunno but still cool
health and, ammo or food tokens ^^ @@MidnightMedium
@dtewffg43 the gooodsssss
Yo, did you just clip New Japan Pro Wrestling star EVIL to have his quote there?? Of all the things I expected to see in your videos, this was NOT one of them!! 😀
Hey man, youd be amazed at what you find if you have an idea for how you want something said and then go "RUclips, show me that word or phrase!"
second! O_O It's Magaman_X!
Wassup, dewwd! Thanks for dropping by
Is there a way you find all these fps games? I would love to find a list of all the fps ever made, as I could play them either through gog, current consoles, or emulator for obscure console game/dos games.
Wikipedia is lacking but its the best list I found. Is there a better one?
A lot of them I was first exposed to by Gmanlives and Ive done copious research on my own so my knowledge is pretty experiential vs me finding the holy grail of fps timelines. But let me whip up all the ones I know off the top of my head tomorrow and Ill dig around for some of the more obscure ones I can throw your way too
Hey I drummed up a big list. It's not entirely exhaustive but it's got a lot of weird ones out there you may not see everywhere. Email me at highfunctioningmedium@gmail.com and I'll shoot the Word doc back if you like. I'm also inquiring with some other folks if there's a maser list they know of too
Sorry, I could not answer as I was working 12 days in a row for reschedule reason.
As I was searching my youtube metric shit-ton of notifications, I noticed you answered me, thanks man
@@MidnightMedium imma send you a email. Sorry for the time it took. Was massively occupied with work
@@clapointe151 all good! I got the list ready for ya!
firsttt
I have a huge cookie waiting for you!