Waltorious Writes About Games – Game-related ramblings.

Scratching That Itch: The Away Team

On November 14, 2026

This is the two hundred forty-seventh entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. This particular entry is also part of the Keeping Score series about games and their soundtracks. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our two hundred forty-seventh random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has emerged from a light jump, searching for a new home. It’s The Away Team, by Underflow Studios, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

In this interactive sci-fi adventure novel, you are the AI pilot of Earth’s last in…

I’m always down for an interactive sci-fi adventure!

Console History: Dr. Chaos

By Waltorious

On November 5, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is Console History, a special sub-series of my more general History Lessons series, covering console role-playing games, action role-playing games, Metroidvanias, and action-adventure games in nominally chronological order starting in the late 1980s. The chronology is garbled in the beginning as the scope of the series expanded, but it gets more organized later on. As always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

The Great Console History Reorganization continues, as I go back and fill in games I missed in my original haphazard timeline. Last time, I covered Yuushi no Monshou: Deep Dungeon, the second game in the Deep Dungeon series by HummingBirdSoft. If I’d had my timeline in order from the start, next would have been Glory of Heracles: The Labors of the Divine Hero, and now Dr. Chaos, released by Marionette for the Famicom Disk System on June 19, 1987, and later localized for the US market (on the NES) in November 1988 (this is the version I played). It’s an example of early Metroidvania (or perhaps we should all start saying Search Action?) design that I originally skipped because it’s highly derivative of The Goonies II, which I’ve already covered. But, upon reading more about Dr. Chaos, I decided it’s interesting enough to get its own post.

Console History: Yuushi No Monshou: Deep Dungeon (The Hero’s Crest: Deep Dungeon)

By Waltorious

On September 30, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is Console History, a special sub-series of my more general History Lessons series, covering console role-playing games, action role-playing games, Metroidvanias, and action-adventure games in nominally chronological order starting in the late 1980s. The chronology is garbled in the beginning as the scope of the series expanded, but it gets more organized later on. As always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

This marks the sixth post since I started The Great Console History Reorganization, and we’ve already reached a sequel. The third post in the reorganization was about Deep Dungeon: Madou Senki, a Japan-only first-person grid-based dungeon crawler for the Famicom Disk System, released by HummingBirdSoft in December 1986. We’ve now reached May 30, 1987 — a mere five months later — when HummingBirdSoft released the second Deep Dungeon game, Yuushi no Monshou: Deep Dungeon, also for the Famicom Disk System. But that doesn’t mean there are only two games in my timeline that released in between; since the Reorganization is all about filling in games I missed the first time around, I’ve actually covered ten games that released in that interval. The ninth of those was our last Reorganization entry, Ai Senshi Nicol. After that would have been Zillion, if I’d had my timeline in order from the beginning. Yuushi no Monshou: Deep Dungeon released a week later.

Scratching That Itch: Moon Child & Sun Knight

By Waltorious

On September 27, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is the two hundred forty-sixth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our two hundred forty-sixth random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is about to meet some dragons. It’s Moon Child & Sun Knight, by sakevisual (AKA Ayu Sakata), and its tagline in the bundle reads:

A novel about dragons, magic, and finding yourself.

Man… dragons…

Scratching That Itch: Gumgem

By Waltorious

On September 7, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is the two hundred forty-fifth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our two hundred forty-fifth random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has air-dashed into view. It’s Gumgem, by DAZEL, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Rescue the prince in a procedurally generated castle!

That’s right, this time it’s a prince who needs rescuing.

Scratching That Itch: Falling Is Not The Same Thing As Dying

By Waltorious

On August 28, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is the two hundred forty-fourth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our two hundred forty-fourth random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality wants to talk about tennis. It’s falling is not the same thing as dying, by Sisi, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

cute high school game about jv girls tennis

Having played it, I’m not so sure about the “cute” part.

Scratching That Itch: Sidewords

By Waltorious

On August 25, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is the two hundred forty-third entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our two hundred forty-third random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is asking us to make words. It’s Sidewords, by Milkbag Games, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Grab a cup of coffee and relax with a good puzzle

I don’t drink coffee, but fortunately it’s not required to enjoy these puzzles.

Console History: Ai Senshi Nicol (Love Warrior Nicol)

By Waltorious

On August 11, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is Console History, a special sub-series of my more general History Lessons series, covering console role-playing games, action role-playing games, Metroidvanias, and action-adventure games in nominally chronological order starting in the late 1980s. The chronology is garbled in the beginning as the scope of the series expanded, but it gets more organized later on. As always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

The Great Console History Reorganization continues! Last time, I added Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll to the ranks of games I’ve already covered. If I’d had my timeline in order, next would have been Esper Dream, then The Goonies II, Golvellius: Valley of Doom, and Rygar. Since I’ve already written about those, we move now to Ai Senshi Nicol, a sci-fi action-adventure game released by Konami on April 24, 1987 for the Famicom Disk System. Ai Senshi Nicol was only released in Japan, but all of the in-game text is in English, so I was able to play it without needing to track down a fan translation.

Scratching That Itch: Underhero

By Waltorious

On July 30, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is the two hundred forty-second entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our two hundred forty-second random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has accidentally killed the hero. It’s Underhero, by Paper Castle (AKA Paper Castle Games), and its tagline in the bundle reads:

One in a minion

No, not those minions.

Console History: Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll (Hiryou No Ken: Ougi No Sho)

By Waltorious

On July 19, 2026

In Uncategorized

This is Console History, a special sub-series of my more general History Lessons series, covering console role-playing games, action role-playing games, Metroidvanias, and action-adventure games in nominally chronological order starting in the late 1980s. The chronology is garbled in the beginning as the scope of the series expanded, but it gets more organized later on. As always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

The Great Console History Reorganization marches ever onwards. Our last post covered Deep Dungeon: Madou Senki, a dungeon crawler from HummingBirdSoft that released in December 1986 for the Famicom Disk System in Japan only. If I’d had my timeline in order, the next post would have been about Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead, followed by Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Dragon Quest II. But I’ve already written about those! So now, we move on Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll by Culture Brain, who would go on to release The Magic of Scheherezade in September 1987. But Flying Dragon: The Secret scroll was originally released as Hiryou no Ken: Ougi no Sho in Japan on February 14, 1987 for the Famicom, before being localized for US release on the rebranded NES in August 1989 (this is the version I played). It’s actually the second game in the Hiryou no Ken series, coming after Hokuha Syourin Hiryou no Ken (AKA Shanghai Kid) in arcades in 1985.

Flying Dragon is a fighting game, which should put it out of scope for this series. But I decided to include it for two reasons. First, it incorporates some action-adventure/role-playing elements which brings it closer to the remit of this series, and second, I’m completely unfamiliar with the fighting game genre before the smash success of Street Fighter II brought it into the mainstream in 1991. What were fighting games like before Street Fighter II created a new standard? I decided to find out.