Twice in one week, Sid Meier’s Pirates! has come up in the Three Ravens Discord channel (Link here. Come join us!) along with Ghosts & Goblins and other old games from the NES era. More often than not, everyone in the channel is talking about tabletop and boardgames, so for me it’s a lot of fun when the discussion switches to video games.
(Just ignore the part about me being the one who brought up Pirates twice, okay? We’ll ignore that part and move on.)
Anyway, the discussion shifted a little from the originals to the remakes of both. I haven’t had a chance to play the Ghosts & Goblins Resurrection remake, but I’ve seen a couple of VTubers play it and they seemed to enjoy it. It’s probably not as good as the original, but it gets decent enough reviews. The insane difficulty of the original appears to be present, at least based on the reviews. Good and bad, I might add! You can tell who grew up playing difficult games and who didn’t.
Sid Meier’s Pirates! from 2004 is a remake I have played, and played, and played. I love it probably as much as the original on the NES. I’ve certainly sunk as many hours into it as I have the original, so that’s got to count for something. There’s nothing quite like cruising the Caribbean with a letter of marque from one of the four nations, hunting down the treasure fleet or hunting down famous pirates or knocking over port towns and gifting them to whichever nation you’re working for as a privateer. If I had the time, I’d be back at it today! But, alas, the day job soon calls.
Another remake I’ve been enjoying quite a bit has been Trials of Mana. My toddler can’t get enough of it. We’ve also started showing her playthroughs of the original for the SNES and she loves it just as much. It’s amazing how much she’s able to keep up with the story and the characters. Once she’s a little older, I’m sure the controller will be in her hands more than mine. I’m looking forward to it!
Speaking of trailers, let’s take a look at a couple of book trailers we’ve got out in the wild! Starting with the book that just released this past Friday:
Battlefield Missouri
A Second Korean War Looms…
A murderous North Korean dictator identifies a weakness in the powerful United States armed forces. For over sixty years this same force protected South Korea from the North’s aggression. If he can exploit this weakness, war will result. If allowed to happen, this war will wreak untold destruction and enslave millions of innocent South Koreans.
North Korea commandos and ISIS terrorists are soon enroute to Middle America. Aided by North Korean cyber warriors, an astounding piece of North Korean technology, and even an American traitor, the commandos and terrorists are soon in place and ready to commit horrendous acts of terrorism and destruction.
One man stands alone against the impending attacks – Colonel Jack Black Eagle, commander of an isolated US Army ammunition depot. When political leaders ignore his warnings and request for help, Jack has no choice but to lead his employees and several reluctant local citizens in a desperate battle against the attackers…
Battlefield Missouri is available on Amazon!
Wavesong: A JTF-13 Legacies Novel
Something hunting…
In the secret world of spies, a Russian has stolen the most advanced torpedo guidance computer ever developed. America’s only hope of recovering the weapon lies in the crew of the USS Sea Devil. But the Sea Devil isn’t the only predator on the hunt.
Something hungry…
In the hidden world where things that go bump in the night exist, Sergeant John Morehouse and his Marines of JTF-13 stand ready to protect the innocent from the beings of the Never-Never. He’ll bet his guns, bullets, and grenades against their fangs, claws, and sorcery in any fight. And his team is always hungry for a fight.
Something ancient …
The worlds of spies, submarines, and sea monsters collide explosively in the North Atlantic where Sergeant Morehouse finds himself and his team caught between Heaven and Hell against something that sings a…
WAVESONG – Available on Amazon!
Coming Soon: More Military Sci-Fi Goodness!
Invincibility lies in the defense, the possibility of victory in the attack. ~Sun Tzu
But war never changes…
Sure, men fight for their beliefs, their country, and their ways of life. And often times the battles are hard fought and devastating. But more often than not, the outcome is decided by who has the better gear.
Really, what good is a grunt if you have a main battle tank at your disposal?
Follow these troopers and their units through skirmishes and tide turning battles as they sacrifice their own Blood, Sweat, and Steel.
With stories by Kevin Ikenberry, J. R. Handley, Liska McCabe, Morgan Chalfant, Casey Moores, J.F. Holmes, William Joseph Roberts, Sergio Palumbo, Rick Partlow, and an opening essay by David Drake. Pre-order today to receive it on December 15th!
