Author Topic: RetroActive #9: Geist (Special Edition) (Read 18487 times)

Jonnyboy117 · « **on:** September 14, 2009, 09:46:25 PM »

Although we love having the polls to choose RetroActive games, a special opportunity came up for a game that was recently featured in a "shout out" on the podcast. So, we've decided that the next RetroActive game will be Geist, the spectral shooter/puzzler for GameCube. This game was developed by n-Space and, despite being published by Nintendo with some input from Miyamoto, it was largely overlooked in its day.

What makes this a special edition of RetroActive is that we're going to have a special guest on the show: Jeff Kalles, who was the NOA producer on Geist. (He now works for Penny Arcade, so we'll be asking him about PAX as well.) It will be a very cool opportunity for all of us to pick Jeff's brain and learn more about this unusual game. Of course, we'll be happy to ask Jeff some questions from this forum thread, as well as read some of your comments and observations and get his reactions. Jeff will be on Episode 163, so you have until the afternoon of Thursday, 9/24 to post any questions or comments specifically for him.

We expect that the Geist discussion will continue through Episode 164 as well, and our current plan is to have Mike "StrikerObi" Sklens back to discuss the game, since he is a big fan of Geist from way back. (He also co-founded our little podcast.)

Mike's Geist Review (8.0)
TYP's Geist Interview with Jeff Kalles

Get your own copy of Geist for RetroActive:
Amazon
GameStop
Buy.com

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2009, 10:04:13 PM »

Very cool, I'll have to put my copy in again!

TheYoungerPlumber · « **Reply #2 on:** September 14, 2009, 10:18:23 PM »

Classy.

NWR_DrewMG · « **Reply #3 on:** September 14, 2009, 10:42:44 PM »

Very cool. My copy should be in the mail in a few days.

Mop it up · « **Reply #4 on:** September 15, 2009, 12:52:02 AM »

I got Geist a while back but I never got around to playing it. This might be a good excuse to give it a try.

christhewing · « **Reply #5 on:** September 15, 2009, 03:24:07 PM »

This is one of my favorite GCN games, in the top 20 at least

. I'll have to give it another spin.

Plugabugz · « **Reply #6 on:** September 15, 2009, 03:33:49 PM »

I'm out. This was one of the first games to cause dizzyness that got worse the further i went into the game.

And yet, weirdly, the gameplay wasn't to blame!

Crimm · « **Reply #7 on:** September 16, 2009, 12:16:53 AM »

If yon don't own a copy (I didn't) you can get Geist on Amazon pretty cheap. I ordered my copy yesterday for about six bucks new.

Nick DiMola · « **Reply #8 on:** September 16, 2009, 11:15:34 AM »

I love Geist. Sure it was a little rough around the edges and went through development hell, but it turned out to be a fun and interesting game. I'd love to see the series resurrected on Wii with great controls (one of my gripes with the original). If they were to make a sequel, they'd have a clear concept from the start which should provide for a shorter development time and more polished, tighter results.

Smash_Brother · « **Reply #9 on:** September 16, 2009, 04:46:57 PM »

I LOVED Geist. The gameplay was so creative and awesome...

Any game where you can possess a showerhead in a women's locker room to spook the girl taking a shower is just automatically a 20 out of 10.

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #10 on:** September 16, 2009, 04:53:53 PM »

I seem to recall the game having extremely clunky controls.

Mop it up · « **Reply #11 on:** September 16, 2009, 06:05:15 PM »

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix on September 16, 2009, 04:53:53 PM

I seem to recall the game having extremely clunky controls.

That's what I've heard too.
Is that going to stop you from playing it for this?

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #12 on:** September 16, 2009, 06:12:37 PM »

Quote from: Mop_it_up on September 16, 2009, 06:05:15 PM

Quote from: GoldenPhoenix on September 16, 2009, 04:53:53 PM
I seem to recall the game having extremely clunky controls.
That's what I've heard too.
Is that going to stop you from playing it for this?

Oh I'll deal with it, I want to try the game again! I remember having fun but like usual it got put off to the side.

Cambot · « **Reply #13 on:** September 17, 2009, 12:27:59 AM »

Cool, I found Geist yesterday for $5.00. I'm enjoying it so far, though I'm only up to the part where you possess your first in-mission animals.

NWR_pap64 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 17, 2009, 02:16:04 AM »

Geist is a criminally underrated game. The concept alone was amazing and kept me playing for hours on end. You get such an immense feeling of satisfaction when you figure out what to do and you complete a puzzle or event in a grand manner.

As for the controls note that while the game does have some issues it is playable.

christhewing · « **Reply #15 on:** September 17, 2009, 07:27:52 PM »

The controls never bothered me, maybe I'm remembering through rose colored glasses, but I played it from start to finish and I didn't through the controller across the room once, NOT ONCE!

Perm's Stupid Dupe · « **Reply #16 on:** September 18, 2009, 06:47:34 AM »

when i bought it when it came out i got a crazy deal where it was only $9.00 at toys r us, but I also had to buy two other games at regular price. It ended up being worth about $9.

Plugabugz · « **Reply #17 on:** September 18, 2009, 09:09:16 AM »

*bump*

So nobody can help me then?

Well moist electric screwdriver you! I will go back to Burnout Paradise today, after a long hiatus away from the 3. I'm amazed at how the thing attracts dust even though its plugged out entirely.

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #18 on:** September 18, 2009, 12:37:35 PM »

Quote from: Plugabugz on September 18, 2009, 09:09:16 AM

*bump*

So nobody can help me then?

Well moist electric screwdriver you! I will go back to Burnout Paradise today, after a long hiatus away from the 3. I'm amazed at how the thing attracts dust even though its plugged out entirely.

Change the tea you are drinking, that should help with the dizziness.

Mop it up · « **Reply #19 on:** September 18, 2009, 05:55:25 PM »

Plugabugz, have you tried taking any medicines to combat the dizziness? There is someone I talk to on another forum who gets motion sickness from playing some videogames, mostly first-person shooters. Recently he has started taking medicine called Dramamine which he says has really helped quell the dizziness, though he hasn't yet tried it with all of the games that affect him. I don't know if Dramamine is available where you live but maybe you could find something similar.

Plugabugz · « **Reply #20 on:** September 18, 2009, 06:55:03 PM »

It's only certain games tho. But no to medication. It's not something thats worth bothering the doctor over either. It never happens with any of my PS3 games, but it happened most recently with The Conduit (albeit slightly) and Metroid Prime 3 a little. I never finished Geist and Okami because it just got worse.

Crimm · « **Reply #21 on:** September 18, 2009, 10:07:00 PM »

My copy just arrived.

Fantastic.

Stratos · « **Reply #22 on:** September 19, 2009, 01:17:37 PM »

I'm going to try and snag a used copy at a local store but I'm not sure how much time I'll have to play it. But I always wanted to try this game and the chance to hear comments from one of the devs has me rather excited.

Is this going to count as the GameCube RetroActive system poll or are we going to still have that poll later? What system we we due to have next?

Jonnyboy117 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 21, 2009, 02:21:19 AM »

We'll probably do a GameCube poll at some point, but it may be a while since Geist is already the third GameCube title we've done for RetroActive. The next poll is still going to be for Genesis, so stay tuned on that.

It's been a hectic week, but I finally picked up Geist over the weekend. Now I just have to pop it in and start playing it! Believe me, I'm eager to do so, just have to get some other things out of the way or out of my mind.

gojira · « **Reply #24 on:** September 21, 2009, 12:00:05 PM »

Did a bunch of other people Gamefly Geist as well? It's at the top of my queue, and before I had the chance to send back a game, it went from "available" to "long wait" in the last couple of days. Now I'm not sure if I'll have the chance to play the game any time soon.

News:

Author Topic: RetroActive #9: Geist (Special Edition) (Read 18487 times)