Past Lives (and Future Plans) at Retro Games Plus, Lawndale, CA

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A few months ago, I stepped into Retro Games Plus in Lawndale, CA for the first time. Originally there to ask about putting up a flyer for Draakula (my debut 8-bit album: more details here!), I was struck by two things. First, an unexpected wave of 90’s and 2000’s nostalgia. Second, after the starry, shimmering sheen of memory had faded: an urge to get planning. Let me explain.

If you talk to me long enough (admittedly, not that long), I will open up my “wild ambitious goals” folder, and inside is, in either my future house or office, the plan to make a “90’s room.” More specifically, a room where everything inside it had to be released between January 1, 1990-December 31, 1999. If I am allowed to continue, you’ll discover one themed room is not enough, and I need a one covering the years of 2000-2004 as well. Please note, these are not meant to be museums. Rather, they are places to hang and chill, and are mere “snapshots” of rooms at those times.

In a trice, I realized Retro Games Plus would be an excellent resource for stocking these as-of-yet unrealized rooms. So join me in this briefing, as I boomerang between memories of yore and blueprints of tomorrow!

VHS TAPES

These racks are more or less the first things you see when entering the store, and here was nostalgia’s first genuine right hook. The memory of when I last saw this many VHS tapes in one spot is long gone (20 years ago? 25 years ago?). For my 90’s room, VHS tapes are absolutely essential, as these things were absolutely everywhere. Seeing so many multi-colored spines like this reminds me the bygone visits to my aunt and uncle’s house, where VHS tapes took up an entire wall. Enough space even to house a collection of what seemed like a hundred Shirley Temple clamshells. I’m not a fan of clamshells (or musicals, mind you), so those can be left out! These VHS tapes here, with the standard box, are glorious.

Fantastic.

THIS NBA JAM MACHINE

Look at how 90’s this thing is! Honestly, I wouldn’t catch up with NBA Jam until many years later, after college, when I would play with my frequent creative creative collaborator Ralph Blanchard. For the most part, our games ended in the utmost frustration, with Ralph (loudly) accusing the game of cheating. Turns out he was right, as an Ars Technica mini-documentary on YouTube would later confirm (the game is programmed to help out the opposing team if you’re winning). Even if this machine was not made in the 90’s, you still have the 90’s players and team logos, which is a plus.

JURASSIC PARK FIGURES

Jurassic Park, the Greatest Film of All Time, will always be welcome in the 90’s (or any) room! I actually owned the tanned-clothed figure when I was a youngin, so he’d be fun to reclaim and have sitting on the coffee table. Whether this man is intended to be Alan Grant, I am still not sure. By 90’s action-figure-facial-sculpting technology, it could pass as Sam Neill, but then again, is this supposed to be Alan in the employ of Jurassic Park? Who is this man?

WILLIAM T. RIKER ACTION FIGURE

I would hate Star Trek until my late twenties, and am still surprised that I am now a big giant nerd for it. “Why isn’t it action-packed like Star Wars? Why is there never any fighting? All they do is talk!” said my stupid younger self. Well, I have since seen the four lights and would gleefully welcome Trek, either TNG, DS9, or Voyager, into the 90’s room. I should get this particular figure not only because I love Riker, but this disguise is in the episode that also stars Bebe Newirth. For those sadly unitiated, she was Lilith on the 90’s sitcom classic Frasier. Being a follower of, and commenter on, multiple Frasier social media accounts, this is something I need!

THIS SNES CARTRDIGE FROM SAFEWAY

Look at this glorious relic. I absolutely adore authentic rental copies. (I still have an Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me VHS with my hometown video store’s stickers on it!)

I do not recall my childhood Safeway having a video rental department, but a few other grocery stores did. My friend and I rented Star Wars: Rouge Squadron for N64 from Albertson’s (if that sentence doesn’t date me, I don’t know what will). Since NCAA Final Four Basketball came out in 1995, this scrawled “1987” must refer to either the Safeway Store number or the SKU for this item at that rental department (I imagine customers were trying to return cartridges to any and all Safeways). Absolutely outstanding. Real rental copies like this would lend authenticity to the 90’s room, and must be acquired with all haste!

THE 2000’S ROOM

Moving onto my second themed hang-out room. Originally, I had planned to “time-stamp” the 2000’s room at December 2003, right before the theatrical premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Nerd hype was off the charts in this moment, not to mention that I, as an aspiring filmmaker, was still high off The Pirates of the Caribbean, Underworld, and the two Matrix films that had come earlier that year. It was a great time (I’m surprised I did not explode!) But to cap the room at December 2003 would be to miss out on one gaming goliath of the early 2000’s, Halo 2.

HALO 2

Take a look at this!

If The Lord of the Rings was something I filled my solitary time with (re-watching the films, reading the books and lore, creating games, writing fanfic), then Halo 2 might have been of equal significance, just in the social realm. The campaign was fine, but the overwhelming majority of Halo 2 was played with friends. And not just playing with some friends some times. I mean to say that Halo 2 was being played at nearly every single social gathering from release to my graduation two years later. Didn’t matter whose house it was or what dungeon-like bedroom we were in, Halo 2 was there. Friends hauled their giant CRT’s across town and plugged their AV cables into fickle televisions. Sometimes we had up to 12 people playing at once!

My budding-filmmaker prowess allowed me to record and sync both the video and audio from these playing sessions. Upon re-watch for this article, they are exactly what you’d expect: Varying skill-levels of trash talk, with a heavy dose of “dude!”, and the standard serving of Northern Californian “hella” (note: a lot of “hella”). I’ve said it before, but truly, what a time!

I have not gamed seriously by any means for nearly 20 years, and am therefore confused (and saddened) to hear that split-screen multiplayer is no more. Is this really true? As I said, nearly every single social gathering was accompanied by Halo 2. Halo and Halo 2‘s massive influence will have to loom large in the 2000’s room.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS ACTION FIGURES

I was and still am obsessed with The Lord of the Rings. I did not have any of these action figures, but my friend Michael did. He had the entire Fellowship! (He also had a For Your Consideration VHS of The Two Towers for all of 2003, which he NEVER let any of us borrow or watch and I still do not forgive him for that!) These figures would be, to borrow a line from Aragorn, “most welcome.” I must state, however, that I would open them up and have them posed around the room. The packaging is a little bulky for my taste, and don’t you remember, Éowyn hates cages.

EARLY 2000’S STAR WARS GAMES

When I wasn’t blasting my friends with sticky grenades, I was most likely playing against bots in Star Wars: Jedi Outcast. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic might take the cake for the best story in a Star Wars game, but Jedi Outcast is right up there, and it might have also been the first game to actually make you feel like a Jedi. A Kyle Katarn stan ever since I can remember, this game is true tentpole of Casey Poma gaming history. It’s a game I still play today and a game I will borrow heavily from if I were to make my dream game (more on that in a future article!)

The Albertson’s-rented copy of Rogue Squadron impressed my friends and I enough that we were soon dutifully playing the Gamecube sequel, Rouge Squadron II: Rogue Leader. I was let down by the game’s narrative being a retread of the original trilogy (again), but the graphics were a great improvement. I would never play Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, but I do remember the excitement around the idea of a game having both flying levels and run-around-on-foot levels. At the time, Star Wars games were flying only or run-around only, so it was a brand new day when you were able to do both (even if it turned out to not be so good)!

I MUST LEAVE YOU KNOW, BUT . . .

. . .there are a very many things I did not mention: a wall full of PS2 games. Glass cases of figures and rarities. A basket overloaded with loose game manuals. How fun! If you want to see more, you’ll have to go there yourself and check it out (or maybe I’ll write another article about my next trip!). For California, they have a location in Lawndale, as well as Huntington Beach. In Connecticut, you can find them in these 3 cities: Norwalk, Newington, and Orange.

Visit the stores, go to their website, and check out their entertaining and informative YouTube channel!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: 10 Years Later

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Ten and a half years ago, the second teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens played at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California. Screened in the exhibition hall, somewhere on a massive screen, I did not see it from our exhibition booth. I could scarce hear it, too, the speakers, facing away from us and at great distance besides, might as well have been broadcasting a warbling alien from Jabba’s Palace. What did traverse the giant space were the cheers and screams. The biggest cry of all came at the end. Later, I would learn Han Solo and Chewie’s first on-screen reveal caused this jubilance. “Chewie, we’re home.”

The Force Awakens premiered that December, and I absolutely adored it. So invested in its storyline was I, in fact, that I took the day off work to watch it’s follow-up, The Last Jedi, immediately upon release (some of this was also a fear that some random person would blurt out what happens in the movie!). But yes, I enjoyed The Force Awakens so much, I lost a whole day of wages to make sure its continuation was not spoiled. Sadly, further enjoyment was not meant to be, as I would come to hate truly hate The Last Jedi and 2019’s conclusion. But Disney’s mismanagement of the sequel trilogy can be, to borrow a line from Maz Kanada, “a tale for another time.”

As December 2025, and the prime window to write this article, approached, I found myself beset with hesitance to revisit that initial Force-awakening. What was the point if I hated (like, really hated) the two that came after? Would not watching the beginning of the trilogy just remind me of how terribly things ended? Could I not spend my time doing something, anything, else?

Eventually, I gave The Force Awakens a spin and was surprised by how much I still enjoyed it. In fact, I really enjoyed it! Despite everything that was to follow, it still worked on me in all the ways a good movie should.

First and foremost, and people seem to have a hard time understanding this, it feels like a Star Wars movie. I really cannot stress this enough. The tone is pitch-perfect with the films of the Original Trilogy. No doubt hiring Lawrence Kasdan (co-writer on The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi), a genius move by producer Kathleen Kennedy and Disney, helped with this! Lucas’s prequel films (which I also very much hate) have Jedi, lightsabers, spaceships, and aliens, yes, but they don’t feel like a classic Star Wars movie. They’re boring. And full of boring scenes. Star Wars movies aren’t supposed to be boring. They’re supposed to be exciting and fun! The Force Awakens is not boring. Would you believe it, it’s very exciting and fun!

The film is full of the OG trilogy ingredients: the rousing music after an especially heroic moment. The down-on-their-luck, likeable characters barely getting out of scrapes. The hapless baddies rigidly pacing about their bridges when our heroes elude them (again and again!). Puppets and other costumed aliens of all shapes and sizes. Heroes who ultimately want to do good, and risk their lives to do so. And don’t forget, seemingly magical talismans that auger a grand destiny and vast potential ahead. Brilliant! Just like Han said, “Chewie, we’re home.” Get it?!

The Kasdan-esque dialogue is a real treat here, especially when performed by our talented newcomers and accompanied by John Williams’s score. There are a scant number of things I love more than quippy lines during a white-knuckle action scene. Rey and Finn’s Jakku escape is a great example of this. If you need a refresher on all the fun, watch the scene below:

We’re treated to more of this when Han Solo makes his entrance into the story. Sometime later in the film, when on the run his very dangerous (and very on-the-loose) contraband, he says to himself:  “This is not how I thought today was going to go!” Classic! Add in some cute moments with BB-8 (the lighter thumbs-up, when he frightfully scurries away from the angry Chewbacca, etc.), and you’ve got a movie full of great humor and character moments.

Indeed, I was having such a great time with the film, I was (even knowing where the story would end up) asking myself these questions: Why was Luke on that planet? What did his anguished expression mean? What would Rey uncover on that island with Luke, and how would he be brought back into the fray? Why did Ben Solo turn on Luke’s students?  What would the reunion between Finn and Rey be like? Would sparks fly?! Why did Maz have Luke’s lightsaber? Just who or what is Snoke? Is Snoke actually really tiny, like Yoda? Who left Rey on Jakku, and why?

Did Luke himself leave Rey on Jakku because she was a mega-Force-user and a danger even to herself, and when she finds him on the island planet, he knows it’s time she’s ready to train, and this is why he’s like “oh, shiiii…” at the end? (This was my theory. Oh well).

The bubbling up of such questions really shows just what a good set-up The Force Awakens is.

It’s not a 100% love fest from me, however, and even though I buy the vast majority of what is happening here, some elements of the film don’t make a ton of sense. Is it lazy that there was basically an Empire 2.0 in place, and enough in place that there was a small Resistance to go against them? Would not the Republic have a big army by now, and wouldn’t the First Order be resisting them? Also, when the Republic is destroyed, it’s just some random planets? Who are those people? I wouldn’t have minded a 90-second scene where Leia (or anyone) explains what has happened in the galaxy since the Ewoks played helmet-drums.

Furthermore, I am confounded by BB-8’s missing piece of the map, and why we need R2-D2’s map to “complete it”. If BB-8’s section of the galactic map has Luke’s final location, could you not cross-reference the planets on the map piece itself, and find Luke? Luke’s whereabouts are on this map! R2’s map adds nothing to BB-8’s, so. . .I don’t get it.

Lastly, the supporting cast from the older films seemed to have little to do. Chewbacca seems a little too in-the-background for my taste, considering how involved he was in the original films. C-3PO, too, has no special treatment except to walk around and make random comments (unlike some, I am not a 3PO hater!). I’ll give R2-D2 doing nothing a pass, since he was in “low-power” mode (or whatever). Getting to our main heroes, do I lament that we did not get to see the Big Three on-screen together again? Yes, absolutely. This would seem like a complete no-brainer for any screenwriter reviving one of the most popular epics of our time. It was probably around 45% of the reason we all got tickets to see it in the first place. But what can ya do?

The popular complaints with The Force Awakens, namely: 1) The Force Awakens is “just Episode IV”, and 2) “Rey is a Mary Sue!”, will not be mentioned here, as I have never been in agreement with these criticisms. If you’re looking for them here, then you’ll get nothing but disappointment, and will have to slash up your computer console up, Ren style. (I might cover my own opinions on these criticisms in later blog articles. I’ll link them here when I do!)

Still, though, my gripes are rather minor, few and far between, and I can hand-wave away most of them. To me, the fun and interesting (and intriguing) aspects of the film far outweigh any of its faults. Also, the music is just so good. Come on, the music!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: still great and fun all these years later. I don’t plan on ever returning to the later sequels (instead perhaps to write something like this), but rest assured, I’ll be flipping this on again every now and then. Sorry Finn, we’ll be going back to Jakku!

My all-new 8-bit album, DRAAKULA, is out now!

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Behold, an album of all-new 8-bit music! An original soundtrack to a game that was lost to time! An epic tale of a heroine versus the ultimate evil, Draakula!

Verily, dear friends, yours truly has composed an album of 8-bit music for a “lost” horror-adventure game (in reality, it never existed) entitled Draakula. Who is Draakula, you ask? He is, of course, the villain of the piece, a Dutch count who lusts for blood and transforms not into a bat, but a dragon! (“Draak” is the Dutch word for “dragon”). Against him is a red-armored, purple-haired warrior, navigating the dangerous caves and cliffs of a mountain range littered with ghouls, goblins, and all things fearsome. Will she defeat the evil creatures, or be a victim of the dark, hollow caves?

The album includes a theme track (that would be played on the PRESS START screen), a boss battle theme, and six tracks between, one for each “level” of the game. The levels exist only in the mind, but I’m sure you can imagine what kind of subterranean tumult “Spooky Ghoul Chaos” would accompany. Or perhaps you could imagine the the open-air, high-up, snowy world of “Frigid Ridges”. And who couldn’t set their imagination alight with the creepy notes of “Caves of Spectral Luminance”?

For the music nerds out there, I composed this music using the strict compositional limitations of the Nintendo Entertainment System. All tracks are made with 3 instrument tracks only and a percussion track. And no chords here, either. Single notes, only! (I look forward to geeking out about this in a later, in-depth article about the creative process).

The album artwork was done by the brilliant Pixel artist Slynyrd! I just love it. Visit his website here, and see a time-lapse video of the artwork being created here!

Do yourself a favor (if you’re brave enough!) and head on over to the Bandcamp page. It is currently available in full, for streaming or purchase!

The Brat Snack (short film)

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Directed by Casey Poma and Ralph Blanchard
Written by Casey Poma and Ralph Blanchard
Runtime: 33 minutes
Starring: Lyssa Samuel, Trevor Marcotte, Casey Poma, Ralph Blanchard, Scott Waldvogel
Release Date: August 20, 2022

The Brat Snack is a 2022 short film written, produced, and directed by myself and Ralph Blanchard. It is the ninth film under the Cat cat Productions banner, the fifth title with a food pun, and the third to be a direct spoof of a director’s work or genre. It stars Lyssa Samuel, Trevor Marcotte, and Scott Waldvogel in supporting roles. It is a spoof and love letter of John Hughes’s 80’s teen movies. The plot revolves around four students who attend the Sausage Arts Academy and have one last chance to graduate after a SAT test.

Development began shortly after the release of Yeehawbanero.

The film premiered on YouTube on August 23, 2022 with a live premiere and simultaneous live-stream.

Explore Futher

►Watch The Brat Snack on YouTube
►The Brat Snack page on the Cat cat Productions website

My Unnamed Witch-themed Folk Metal Music Project

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A concept image for the vibe of the band and its music. Image taken from internet. Artist unknown.

My Witch-themed Folk Metal Music Project is another folk metal project, in addition to Waldkrach, and my fourth music project overall. Unlike Waldkrach’s music, which has heavier riffs and slower tempos, this project is centered around metal songs of a fast-tempo and frantic nature, and when not fast, then slow and atmospheric. Also unlike Waldkrach’s piano-laden songs, this project aims to have less of that and instead feature a multitude of flutes, strings, brass, and accordions. The main sonic inspiration for this project are the first two albums of Finntroll, Midnattens Widunder and Jaktens Tid.

Visual attributes of this project will be centered around fantasy depictions of witches and dark forests (see image).

My main objective for this project is to produce a 30-minute album. From there, I will see where it goes. So far, one song has composed to completion, and many more are in various stages of composition.

Due to an immanent lack of funds, this project might have to be fully recorded in a homemade style, like Fadenfreude’s Musen, although I am seeking options on how make my home recording sound better.