Micro-Gaming Studio Santa Ragione Creates a Video Era Love Letter with VIDEO HEROES, Virtually Taking You Back to Your Local Mom N Pop Shop!
While wandering through the world weird web today, I came across an exciting addition to the ever-expanding array of video era appreciation incarnations that’ve been cavorting across the analog revival landscape, bolstering the presence of our once un(der)recognized sub-culture. You may recall some VHS love via video games earlier this year with FAR CRY 3: BLOODRAGON, and watch out now ‘cause here it comes again, only this time in a micro-gaming platform set forth by the Italy-based design studio Santa Ragione.
Let us begin with a close-up of one of the shelves. All I gotta say is: ALIEN DEAD Star Classics IN THE HOUSE.
The game is described by the studio as follows:
An explosion of analog excitement... ALL OVER THE FLOOR! The quote from the "Stoner" dude.
So, basically, just as if you were a real video store clerk, you are inundated with a whirlwind of home video requests from an amusing cast of characters with laugh out loud names like “Dude Bro”, “Stoner” and the ever-feared “Sad Lady”! You play POV in front of a rack of VHS tapes, employed to recommend a title that correlates with the customers fancy. Simple, right?! Sure, if you know your flicks, man!
Just look at that selection, man! Wonder what that pink one is HMMMMMM?
As described in a disclaimer that runs before the game, all of the VHS covers were borrowed from the mega-groovy web destination VHS WASTELAND (a totally amazing directory to compliment the equally extensive library of VHSCollector.com), and what amazing titles there are! On the shelf, we have an impressive diversity of flicks ranging from midnight movie classics like EVILSPEAK to obscure video-only gems like CRUSIN’ HIGH to cartoon classics like TMNT. It’s a veritable cornucopia of video vittles, with titles that every tapehead will get a kick out of.
Some Ed Wood, EVIL ED, a mystery Paragon release, TMNT AND DINO-RIDERS?! MMMGIMMEDAT.
Judging from the minute-long preview of game play, VIDEO HEROES looks like an amusing joyride through the winding road of home video ventures just like Mom n’ Pop used to make. Stay tuned to Santa Ragione’s website for updates on when and how the game will be available. VIDEO HEROES is also going to be featured at this year's FANTASTIC FEST at The Alamo Drafthouse via their Fantastic Arcade presentation / play station, so if yer in the Austin, TX area, go ahead and sling some slabs o' analog in the virtual sphere! DIG IT! Josh Schafer