[RVGFANATIC] Now celebrating a dozen years! 12 year retrospective + random updates

[Steven]

Steve, have you ever considered publishing an RSS feed of your new articles? I went to add you last week to my reader and couldn't find one for your site.

My site unfortunately doesn't have that capability. Sorry for being ghetto, lol. So people just have do the old school check in thing. On average, I update about once a month. But, speaking of which, I've managed to pump out another review and it's for a game I've wanted to talk about for some time now.

Question: What do you get when you cross Earthbound's zany sense of humor/contemporary setting with Final Fantasy V's job class system?

http://www.rvgfanatic.com/media/DIR_2578843/c3758ac9c68ff10cffff8048a00140f.gifhttp://www.rvgfanatic.com/media/DIR_2578843/c3758ac9c68ff10cffff807da00140f.gif

Answer: The Adventures of Hourai High!

http://www.rvgfanatic.com/mediac/400_0/media/DIR_2578843/5ba187e6c68fec92ffff810da00140f.JPGhttp://www.rvgfanatic.com/mediac/400_0/media/DIR_2578843/5ba187e6c68fec92ffff810fa00140f.JPG

One of the DAMNDEST role playing games you'll ever encounter. Words can't describe how kooky and charming it is. But you know I'll attempt to, anyhow, as well as reminisce a bit about my own high school days along the way. Summer is waning as back to school rush begins to kick in, and though it is flawed, Hourai High is definitely worth a visit if you love RPGs/Earthbound.

Adventures of Hourai High (http://www.rvgfanatic.com/7401/2055165.html)

[FieryReign]

Cool site, definitely reminds me of an old school mag like Diehard Gamefan. I like how you put little editor's notes in there to give that extra touch.

[Steven]

Cool site, definitely reminds me of an old school mag like Diehard Gamefan. I like how you put little editor's notes in there to give that extra touch.

Thanks! I love doing those silly [ -Ed.] quips, heh.

---

Hey guys,
I have a big update regarding the status of RVGFanatic. But first I wanna thank everyone who has visited my site over the years. It's crazy that RVG is about to turn 9, especially in a day and age where gaming fansites tend to have a short shelf life. It’s nice to know there are people who read and enjoy my ramblings. I'm constantly amazed at how my gaming stories and memories have resonated with others around the world. Growing up in the 16 bit era marked a magical time in our lives, and our shared collective childhood memories are firm proof of that.

So it is with a heavy heart that I announce RVGFanatic, until further notice, is on an indefinite hiatus. The company I work with took down their website builder that I've been using since 2007. I found out last month when attempting to publish my annual Halloween piece. They're currently working on a new model. So I won't be able to publish any new updates until they fix this.

I hope the next time I post in this thread that it shall come with good news.

Cheers,
Steve

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/SFCGamer/CoinBlock_zpsfjljikln.jpg

[Steven]

I'm finally back!

The new URL is http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/

Expect more consistent updates than the old site (which thankfully remains viewable). I'm looking forward to hopefully updating as frequently as once a week (definitely at least once every 2 weeks). Feel free to leave a comment either in the WordPress or here!

Cheers.

[Steven]

Prehistorik Man (http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/?p=36) and I have a bit of history together. Hey, give me points for not doing a (pre)history pun there. Would that be a pun? Would it even make sense? Ah hell, I can't think right now. ME CLUB BAD GUY! ME EAT FOOD! *grumbles*

Blackthorne (http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/?p=163) is one of my unsung favorites when it comes to games outside of the Triple A heavy hitters on the SNES. Quite a fun title that I feel still to this day it gets somewhat overlooked. I certainly don't see it enough in various recommendation lists over the years, and that's a shame as I feel it has more than enough merit to warrant being included.

On a side note, for the first time in like 8 years, I've written new SNES reviews in back to back weeks. It feels good! I'm going to try and update more frequently on my new Wordpress. Looking to publish new content on at least a biweekly basis. Of course though, we'll see if real life agrees with my publishing schedule! But so far, so good. Stay tuned!

[StealthLurker]

Nice to see you still active Steve or getting back into the swing! :)



Prehistorik Man (http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/?p=36) and I have a bit of history together. Hey, give me points for not doing a (pre)history pun there. Would that be a pun? Would it even make sense? Ah hell, I can't think right now. ME CLUB BAD GUY! ME EAT FOOD! *grumbles*

Blackthorne (http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/?p=163) is one of my unsung favorites when it comes to games outside of the Triple A heavy hitters on the SNES. Quite a fun title that I feel still to this day it gets somewhat overlooked. I certainly don't see it enough in various recommendation lists over the years, and that's a shame as I feel it has more than enough merit to warrant being included.

On a side note, for the first time in like 8 years, I've written new SNES reviews in back to back weeks. It feels good! I'm going to try and update more frequently on my new Wordpress. Looking to publish new content on at least a biweekly basis. Of course though, we'll see if real life agrees with my publishing schedule! But so far, so good. Stay tuned!

[Steven]

Nice to see you still active Steve or getting back into the swing! :)

Thanks bro, I appreciate it. You know, it's funny, I've been working on RVGFanatic for close to 9 years pretty much straight through. Then unforeseen circumstances forced me into a five month break from writing. I've stayed plenty busy in real life, from dating (some crazy date stories let me tell ya lol) to beating RPGs like the 7th Saga to you know, doing that whole work thing to pay off those gimmicks that come in the mail they call bills (TM Stone Cold Steve Austin). After getting back into writing SNES reviews again late last month (Prehistorik Man), and then again just yesterday (Blackthorne), I realize how much I miss it, and how much I love it. I've been asked how I've avoided burnout all these years when you see so many webmasters leave the game in a year or two, many times less. I don't know, it's just in my blood. I love putting my thoughts down on a game and knowing it becomes an "archive" from that point on. To me there's something really cool and invaluable about that. From time to time I still revisit my old site to scan through old reviews and articles. This may sound corny but I remember fondly and vividly where I was when I read any given piece. Like the Ultraman review for instance, that was the summer (2008) where I had my wisdom teeth extracted. I remember bleeding on my gauze as I was writing the review, lol. Yup, rather than rest, the first thing I did coming home from the dentist was finishing up the review. How appropriate as that game is pretty darn painful ;)

I have plenty of old material to transfer over (slowly but surely I will) as well as new material to cover. Here's to another decade :)

[StealthLurker]

It's so hard to believe it's been that long already Steve, feels like it's only been a few years. That break was probably essential to helping to keep the fire going long term, plus hey gotta have a balanced life right? ;) Speaking of writing, any projects in the background in terms of books? Really enjoyed your short story in Rob's Caveman gamer book. Floating around now is talk of a new book "Little Gamers." Even Martin Alessi (of EGM fame) is going to contribute to it (got him as a friend on Facebook). I think these books that reflect on the past are definitely up your alley.


Thanks bro, I appreciate it. You know, it's funny, I've been working on RVGFanatic for close to 9 years pretty much straight through. Then unforeseen circumstances forced me into a five month break from writing. I've stayed plenty busy in real life, from dating (some crazy date stories let me tell ya lol) to beating RPGs like the 7th Saga to you know, doing that whole work thing to pay off those gimmicks that come in the mail they call bills (TM Stone Cold Steve Austin). After getting back into writing SNES reviews again late last month (Prehistorik Man), and then again just yesterday (Blackthorne), I realize how much I miss it, and how much I love it. I've been asked how I've avoided burnout all these years when you see so many webmasters leave the game in a year or two, many times less. I don't know, it's just in my blood. I love putting my thoughts down on a game and knowing it becomes an "archive" from that point on. To me there's something really cool and invaluable about that. From time to time I still revisit my old site to scan through old reviews and articles. This may sound corny but I remember fondly and vividly where I was when I read any given piece. Like the Ultraman review for instance, that was the summer (2008) where I had my wisdom teeth extracted. I remember bleeding on my gauze as I was writing the review, lol. Yup, rather than rest, the first thing I did coming home from the dentist was finishing up the review. How appropriate as that game is pretty darn painful ;)

I have plenty of old material to transfer over (slowly but surely I will) as well as new material to cover. Here's to another decade :)

[Gentlegamer]

I hope your site isn't too well known, Steve... I've alluded to a SNES hidden gem here and there (without naming it) that apparently collectards don't know about yet: Prehistorik Man. I'd hate for the secret to get out in the current environment. 8-)

[Steven]

I hope your site isn't too well known, Steve... I've alluded to a SNES hidden gem here and there (without naming it) that apparently collectards don't know about yet: Prehistorik Man. I'd hate for the secret to get out in the current environment. 8-)

Heh, yeah I'm surprised Prehistorik Man is still only $20 ish after all these years. Wouldn't shock me if it hits 40-50 in the next year. Don't worry, my little mom and pop shop doesn't move the market's needle like Cinemassacre or one of those other famous YouTube gaming channels :P


It's so hard to believe it's been that long already Steve, feels like it's only been a few years. That break was probably essential to helping to keep the fire going long term, plus hey gotta have a balanced life right? ;) Speaking of writing, any projects in the background in terms of books? Really enjoyed your short story in Rob's Caveman gamer book. Floating around now is talk of a new book "Little Gamers." Even Martin Alessi (of EGM fame) is going to contribute to it (got him as a friend on Facebook). I think these books that reflect on the past are definitely up your alley.

Thanks bro. You said it. The forced mini sabbatical and site change did me more good than harm. Wordpress is a lot easier and more efficient than the old website builder model I was using, which was growing more and more obsolete. Balance is key as you said.

I had a blast contributing to Memoirs! Rob Strangman was an early infuence on me with his OPCFG fansite in the late '90s. Was honored when he asked me to contribute. I haven't heard of Little Gamers but I will check it out. As for book projects, I am open to contributing if approached and if I feel like I want my work attached, but I'm fairly content publishing free content on my Wordpress. Already converted over one of my obscure SFC reviews and looking to add more tomorrow plus all new reviews this weekend and next week.

Thanks again for the love, SL. Always good hearing from ya!

[Steven]

As I write this it's January 7, 2017. RVGFanatic.com (the original site) launched on January 7, 2007 (two days before Steve Jobs announced the first ever iPhone). Yup, that means my little fansite is now 10 years old! Collectively speaking, I mean. In late 2015 the original site went down (it's still accessible as of this writing) due to the website builder model going obsolete. That's when I launched the Wordpress rendition in January 2016. But overall, I still consider this 10 consecutive years and I'm very proud of that! Not many gaming fansites last a couple years, let alone 10.

http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/SteveSNESCol.jpg

So to honor the occasion, I've written an extensive article highlighting not only my North American SNES collection, but it's really an excuse to do a massive commentary of my thoughts and feelings on the overall Super Nintendo catalog. There are over 200 pictures and I talk about well over 100 SNES games. But not just the best ones. I also talk about which ones I feel are unsung heroes, which ones I hated, which ones I found enjoyable in the guilty pleasure sense, and much more.

In fact, this is how I broke down each of my 12 SNES shelves:

Best Game — What I consider to be the best game on that shelf.
Worst Game — What I consider as the worst game on that shelf.
Guilty Pleasures — Games that I enjoy but aren’t necessarily good.
Unsung Heroes — Overlooked games that I find to be high quality.
Most Disappointing — Games I thought I would like a lot, but don’t.
Most Surprising — Games I didn’t expect much from but delivered.
Most Wanted — Games I’ve still yet to play but most excited to play.
Miscellaneous — Random notes on other games not yet highlighted.

I thought that would be a fun system and give my article some structure and direction, other than random comments. Although, there's still plenty of that, too!

It's been a great 10 years. It's kind of crazy to look back on the early pages of this thread. I thank everyone who has ever been a fan or supporter of me and my one man site RVGFanatic.
I look forward to what 2017 has in store. Is it crazy to say here's to 10 more? God willing, here's to 10 freaking more. Maybe by the 20 year anniversary I will have finally played every last SNES game I own :p

MY SUPER NINTENDO COLLECTION (http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/index.php/my-snes-collection/)

[Dire 51]

Steve, if I may quote something you wrote back when I announced the OPCFG's 10th anniversary on April 15, 2008...


Many gaming sites come and go. Only the very best stand the test of time. OPCFG has. Congrats Rob, it's a hell of an accomplishment. I can only hope I'll still be around in 2017 to celebrate my very own 10 year anniversary. That's an eternity away!
Congratulations - you made it! And I'm glad we're both still here to celebrate this milestone. Cheers!

[Koa Zo]

Congratulations - you made it! And I'm glad we're both still here to celebrate this milestone. Cheers!

Cheers guys! I've enjoyed and appreciated both your sites.
Thanks for capturing some (or a lot!) of the era!

[celerystalker]

Yes, congrats and phenomenal work! Some of the very best folks on the internet.

[Emperor Megas]

Godspeed, man. Damn fine work, and much appreciated.

[Steven]

Wow, my apologies to those who replied to my previous post way back in January of 2017 (nearly two years ago) -- I realized I never responded! It's been nearly two years since I bumped this topic so I thought now would be a good time for a little update regarding RVGFanatic. But first, responding to those who responded to my previous post.



Steve, if I may quote something you wrote back when I announced the OPCFG's 10th anniversary on April 15, 2008...

Congratulations - you made it! And I'm glad we're both still here to celebrate this milestone. Cheers!

Hey Rob! Yeah man, crazy, we both made it to 10 year anniversaries with our fansites. RVGFanatic turns 12 (in total) January 2019... that blows my mind.



Cheers guys! I've enjoyed and appreciated both your sites.
Thanks for capturing some (or a lot!) of the era!

Thanks man! Glad my ramblings over the years have managed to capture some of the magic from that era :p



Yes, congrats and phenomenal work! Some of the very best folks on the internet.

Thanks Celery! You've always had the kindest things to say. I appreciate your support.



Godspeed, man. Damn fine work, and much appreciated.

Gracias, bro.

[Dire 51]

Hey Rob! Yeah man, crazy, we both made it to 10 year anniversaries with our fansites. RVGFanatic turns 12 (in total) January 2019... that blows my mind.
I know the feeling. The OPCFG turned 20 this year. I haven't updated the site in ages, but it's still technically open, so...

[Steven]

Last month (January 17 to be precise), RVGFanatic turned 12 years old. Dang. Feels like yesterday I was just celebrating 10 years. I launched an article that highlights some site history, my top 35 favorite reviews and articles I've written over the past 12 years and other random remembrances. It's been a blast and here's to 12 more years.

RVGFanatic Retrospective (http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/index.php/rvgfanatic-retrospective/)

I appreciate all the positive feedback and support throughout the years.

http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/RVGFEx10-e1547972521222.png

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What else have I been up to? I published a two part special earlier this month entitled

Fast Times At Bayside High (http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/index.php/fast-times-at-bayside-high/)

and

Fast Times At Bayside High: The Reunion (http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/index.php/fast-times-at-bayside-high-the-reunion/)

These articles aren't gaming related but if you're in the mood to read some cool stories, it might scratch your itch.

The Reunion piece features an interview I conducted with actor CYLK COZART as he reflected on his Saved By The Bell cameo, growing up in the '60s, White Men Can't Jump and more.

http://rvgfanatic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SBTBZW74.jpg

In other news, I'm very excited for March. I'll be launching a Super Nintendo review in March that features an exclusive in-depth interview with the game's programmer. It may not be the system's most popular game, but the Q&A is some good stuff.

Until next time, take care :)