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31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 12 Whispering Willows on the PS4 (2015) An atmospheric game in which you play a young girl searching for her father who has the ability to project her astral form to reach areas her physical body cant. The game looks fabulous, but it’s a bit slow.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 11 Splatterhouse 2 on the Megadrive (1992) The original Splatterhouse was released in the arcade in 1988, And it would seem that the intervening four years hasn’t led to any innovation, as the sequel is pretty much exactly the same game.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 10 Midnight Mutants on the Atari 7800 (1990) A nice arcade adventure which has your exploring quite a large area searching for clues and weapons to discover the location of your abducted grandfather. Has nothing to do with The Musters, despite the cover.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 9 Chiller on the ZX Spectrum (1984) A rather poorly coded platform game, with indecipherable graphics and gameplay that’s too hard to avoid you seeing its lack of depth. Five screens of action was stingy, even for 1984. Cover artwork is nice though.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 8 Luigi’s Mansion on the GameCube (2001) This spin off from the main Mario series is a cracking game in its own right as Luigi has to clear out ghosts from a spooky mansion using a vacuum. Dripping with Scooby Doo style spookiness its a hoot to play.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 7 Wolfman on the C64 (1988) The last in the Rod Pike series of horror themed text adventures sees you playing a man cursed to become a werewolf. Now you must avoid killing your fiancée, whilst being hunted by villagers and finding a cure.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 6 Haunting Starring Polterguy on the Megadrive (1993) An original and fun little game as you play the ghost of a teenager that has to possess household objects to scare a family out of their house. It gets a bit repetitive, but until then it’s great fun.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 5 Ghost Manor on PC Engine (1992) A frustrating horror themed platform game in which you play a lad looking to defeat an evil overlord with an undead army. Could’ve been fun, but laborious elements that are often repeatable suck the fun from it.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 4 Nightshade on the ZX Spectrum (1985) An update to the Knight Lore game engine Filmation, Filmation II allowed a scrolling isometric gameplay. Search a haunted village for the correct items to destroy four demons. Possibly the last great Ultimate game.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 3 Alan Wake on the XBox 360 (2010) An excellent survival horror title, despite the creators insistence it was a psychological thriller, as you play Alan Wake search for clues about his wife’s disappearance. The episodic nature paces the game perfectly.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 2 Crypt Killer in the Arcade (1995) An utterly forgettable horror themed light gun shooter that was largely ignored in the arcade and the Saturn and PlayStation ports derided. House of the Dead showed the world how to do this genre, Crypt Killer doesn’t.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

October means spooky games, so this month it’s.. 31 Days of Scares - Video Game Edition Day 01 Resident Evil: Code Veronica on the PS2 (2001) Using old style gameplay with a 3D realtime environment, Code Veronica is the forgotten game in the Resi series, but is perhaps the best of the old style.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 30 Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013) The best game in the Assassin’s Creed series is a superbly crafted open world adventure set in the Golden Age of Piracy, with the usual game mechanics, a cracking story and some spectacular ship to ship battles.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 29 Treasure Island on the C64 (1984) Another game based on the famous 1883 novel which is a flick screen arcade adventure as you guide hero Jim Hawkins through various stages. These games were ten a penny in 1984, and this one doesn’t really stand out.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 28 Captain Silver in the Arcade (1987) A side scrolling hack and slash game, that’s tenuously inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. A decent game, it’s not quite as good as similar titles from the era, but fun nonetheless.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 27 Traps ‘n’ Treasures on the Amiga (1993) A nice little pirate themed platform game as you play pirate captain Jeremy Flynn on a quest to rescue his crew and treasure from the pirate Redbeard. As much puzzle solving as action present a nice challenge.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 26 Swashbuckler on the Apple II (1981) An early sword fighting game as you work your way up from the lower decks of a pirate ship, to the main deck, defeating pirates as you go. Surprisingly complex and varied for such an early game, there’s fun here.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 25 Captain MaCaw on PC (2019) Captain MaCaw is a nostalgic love letter to the Dizzy series of games on modern platforms. Help the stranded Captain explore a desert island to help him escape. This is a modern Spectrum game on PC, done wonderfully well.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 24 Seas of Blood on the ZX Spectrum (1985) A loose adaptation of the 16th Fighting Fantasy game book is a text adventure with ship to ship combat mechanics. Taking the role of a pirate captain, you must lead your ship and crew on an adventure for gold.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 22 Roland Ahoy on the Amstrad CPC (1984) A cheap looking platform game, that’s part of the Roland series of games on the Amstrad, and was one of the few Roland games that was original. It shows, as there’s little to see after the first few plays.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 21 Cutthroats on the PC (1992) This real time strategy sees you taking on the role of a pirate captain as you lead your crew, and eventually your fleet, on attacks against ships and settlements. Historical accuracy is good, but micromanaging spoils it.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 20 Pirate Pete in the Arcade (1982) Pirate Pete is a version of Jungle Hunt that was rebranded by Taito not long after Jungle Hunt came out. It’s exactly the same game, with the same gameplay, only given a pirate theme.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 19 Shantae and the Pirates Curse on the Nintendo 3DS (2014) The third in the Shantae series of platform games retains the charming sprite work and tight gameplay, but is more of a Metroidvania play than previous games. A joy to play.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 18 Rogue Galaxy on the PS2 (2005) A space pirate fairing action JRPG, that sees your character joining a space pirate crew and hoping between planets on an adventure. The game has a decent plot and a generous number of side quests to take part in.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 17 Pirates of Dark Water on the Megadrive (1994) Two games were released based on this 1991 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series. One on the SNES and one on the Megadrive. The Megadrive’s action platform is the better with some nice graphical touches to enjoy.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 16 Overboard on the PS1 (1997) A fun little strategy / puzzle game as you control a pirate ship through various levels of puzzles whilst fighting enemy pirates. Fun in single player, the game comes alive in multiplayer as a lovely little party game.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 15 Crimson Skies on the PC (2000) Taking the role as the leader of an air pirate gang in an alternate history 1930s, this barnstorming arcade flight game emphasises dogfighting and aerial trickery as you hunt for treasure whilst fighting rival gangs.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 14 Black Beard on the ZX Spectrum (1988) A nice little Gauntlet clone that sees you, as Black Beard, searching your rival, Red Beard’s ship for a treasure map he has stolen from you. A simple and limited game, but fun enough for a while.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 13 Havoc on the Megadrive (1994) From one blatant rip-off to another, and this time on the same console no less. Havoc is an out and out Sonic clone, albeit with a pirate theme and starring an anthropomorphic seal. It’s nice enough, but Sonic is better

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 12 Pirates in the Arcade (1994) This might look familiar to arcade game fans, as pirates is essentially a complete rip off of 1988s Cabal, albeit with a pirate theme. Same gameplay, same controls, same game. If you liked Cabal, you’ll like this.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 11 Sea of Thieves on the XBox One (2018) Sea of Thieves is an online first person adventure game where you play a pirate in an open world adventure game. The game looks nice, and fun can be had, but the quests vary little and things get dull quickly.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 10 Cutthroat Island on the SNES (1995) A terrible movie begets a terrible game. A side scrolling sword fighting game that has little difference between the levels, shoddy controls and graphics three years out of date. Don’t waste your time.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 9 Skies of Arcadia on the Dreamcast (2000) A 3D JRPG with a pirate theme, but one that involves flying, rather than sailing ships, as you and your crew fight against an evil empire, is a nice change from the normal fantasy setting, with a great story

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 8 Pirate Adventure on the TRS-80 (1979) An early text adventure game on an early home computer is the second of Scott Adams’s adventure games, this one inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, as you search for long lost pirate treasure.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 7 Lego Pirates of the Caribbean on the PS3 (2011) The familiar Lego gameplay, wrapped around the first four films of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise doesn’t provide anything new, but is joyful, entertaining and a whole lot of fun.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 6 Skull & Crossbones in the Arcade (1987) A nice enough pirate themed beat em up, that made a bit of a change from the street gang theme that was rampant in the genre, but it doesn’t do anything greatly different to make it stand out.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 5 Galleon on the XBox (2004) A game inspired by Tomb Raider and created by the co-creator of Tomb Raider Toby Gard. The game is a little more cartoony though, both in visuals and gameplay, and whilst it’s not as good as its inspiration, it’s still good.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 4 Pirates of the Barbary Coast on the C64 (1986) A reasonable strategy and trading game that sees you having to raise gold to pay the ransom on your kidnapped daughter. Tries to do on sea what Elite did in space, but suffers from lack of depth.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 3 Corsarios on the Amstrad CPC (1989) A game developed and released only in Spain, so might be pretty unknown to most gamers. A pirate themed beat em up, that plays well, but is a touch repetitive. Two distinct levels need to be played through.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 2 Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge on PC (1991) More than just a worthy sequel to the original game, Monkey Island 2 surpassed its predecessor in all departments and remains one of the greatest point and click adventure games of all time.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

With 19 September being Talk Like Pirate Day, this month is… 30 Days of Pirates - Video Game Edition Day 1 Booty on the ZX Spectrum (1984) Playing Jim the Cabin Boy who wants to take the pirates plunder, you need to make you way through each level opening numbered doors with the correct keys.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

31 Days of Literature - Video Game Edition Day 31 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on PC (1984…ish) A classic novel, written by Douglas Adams in 1979, based on the 1978 radio sitcom, is a text adventure that follows most of the plot of the first book. Best played on the BBC website.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

31 Days of Literature - Video Game Edition Day 30 The Fourth Protocol on the C64 (1985) Based on Fredrick Forsyth’s 1984 Cold War thriller, this game is an icon driven adventure as you read reports, order wiretaps and interrogations to stop a coup in the Soviet Union.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

31 Days of Literature - Video Game Edition Day 29 Tai-Pan on the ZX Spectrum (1987) An odd license, being based on a 1966 James Clavell novel about Hong Kong traders in 1842, and whilst the game was rated highly, no-one remembers it. A game that promises much, but delivers little.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

31 Days of Literature - Video Game Edition Day 28 The Hunt for Red October on the Amiga (1990) A rather lacklustre Ocean inspired collection of mini games that are based on the 1990 movie, rather than Tom Clancy’s 1984 debut novel. All the games play decent enough, but are disjointed.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

31 Days of Literature - Video Game Edition Day 27 Lego The Lord of the Rings on the PS3 (2012) The classic Lego gameplay meets Tolkien’s Middle Earth in this game based on the film series, rather than the 1954 book. Tolkien fans, fans of the film series and Lego fans will enjoy it.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

31 Days of Literature - Video Game Edition Day 26 The Mist on the Apple II (1985) A laboured, frustrating and poorly written text adventure based on Stephen King’s 1980 novel. The game follows the same plot, but sparse location descriptions and unforgiving instant deaths frustrate.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

31 Days of Literature - Video Game Edition Day 25 Tarzan on the C64 (1986) Created by Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1914, Tarzan first appeared in novel form but has appeared in countless different mediums, including this uninspired jungle arcade adventure that quickly becomes dull and uninspiring.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I did not know that. I’ll see if I can track that podcast down. Cheers.

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Mike Hodder @mikehod.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

31 Days of Literature - Video Game Edition Day 24 The Colour of Magic on the ZX Spectrum (1986) The one Discworld game that is based directly on one of Terry Pratchett’s books, The Colour of Magic is a text adventure retelling of the book, as you play Rincewind the Wizzard in his first adventure.

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