iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Cranking these out a couple times a week so I can crank out a ton of Castlevania videos next month. 🤣 This one is Marble Madness on the NES! Always an awesome one to fire up and pick-up-and-play. youtu.be/ikM6A6Fe1fU?...

youtu.be

MARBLE MADNES for the NES.. Short and sweet, but always worth revisiting.

YouTube video by G&T After Dark

120

Reposted by Austin Mackert

John Romero @johnromero.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Check out my trip to the Dutch Pinball Museum where I discover a new FPS, possibly the first FPS. dutchpinballmuseum.com

331636452

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Glad you are still working at it. Those early days were truly special though! I still go back and revisit them once every couple years. Internet video in general was so different back then. The heart/soul/passion really shines through in those HVGN videos, even to this day.

000

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The #DOOMII slaughter mapset I've been working on for the better part of the last year is now up. Would really appreciate it if you give it a try and share with others! www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...

doomworld.com

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

It's surprising they took so long to make a follow-up to 11, considering how well it sold. Glad to see some more 2D gameplay in a series like this in general!

Benn Jordan @bennjordan.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Reposted by Austin Mackert

Flock takes their privacy very seriously. But the ethical gray area in surveillance technology works both ways. Under no circumstances should elected officials or public servants enjoy an expectation of privacy when spending tax dollars to attend a surveillance lobbying event.

441725701

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

You mean Elevator Action Returns? 🙃

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Yeah, they can look really awesome when lit up well.

000

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

You are making me want to sink some real time into this one!

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Something like NES Ninja Gaiden meshes the two together pretty well. There's variety and different ways to overcome its challenges, but there are also many parts where if you don't memorize it, you're 100% dead. Something like Shadow of the Beast on the other hand is total memorization.

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Could be underlying health issues. When’s the last time you had blood work done? Too many factors at play. I am dealing with similar right now..

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

That’s really cool. I don’t think these were ever leaked previously? 🤔

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

That boss is total bullshit. Likewise with the final boss. Awesome version of the game otherwise.

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I recall the later parts of Shadow Dancer being pretty brutal!

Just try to get through the first level. There is a strategy, it's doable, but I want to know how many tries it takes. Stage 2 is worth seeing, the 360-degree stuff and mech transformations are pretty sweet. But it's also frustrating.

Red Dog was also many years later, haha. And yeah, I didn't play that much (despite buying it right away), but it always seemed cool.

000

There are nasty things like massive enemy damage output and massively high difficulty, combined with checkpoints being few and far between. The "jank" doesn't ruin it--poor basic design choices do.

Play it. I'd like more peoples' honest opinions on the game. More FX - Dirt Traxx FX isn't bad. Pretty playable. My TL/DR on Vortex is, it's what you get when a studio with technical chops attempts to make a game without Nintendo's design chops. Poor design choices abound, unfortunately. :(

Vortex can be a miserable experience. Which sucks because it's got really cool concepts. It's super frustrating to try to get through. Spend time with it and let me know if you ever figure it out.

100

The framerate kills Stunt Race FX for me. It's so sluggish in the controls department. It's not like Star Fox where despite the low framerate, it still feels quite responsive. Such a shame because there's a ton of charm there and it seems designed decently well enough.

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

GBP seemed to be a decent jump above the original GB when it came to what it was capable of pushing, but the non-backlit screen killed my interest in it until they ported Ghosts 'n Goblins, haha.

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Hi. If you didn't know, I've been making terrible pinball gameplay videos on YouTube for over a decade. If you haven't followed it yet, it would be greatly appreciated if you do. I'm close to monetization over there as well, so if you actually watch a bit, you'll push my channel over the edge.

120

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Anyone that buys carts on eBay, avoid this seller, "collectibleresource". They take your money, refuse a cancellation after and don't ship the product. Their feedback history shows a track record of doing the same.

120

Austin Mackert @amackert.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

LOL, I just came here to see if you saw this port. Question answered, haha.