Lately I've been wondering how good/helpful the current layout of the masterpost is. To me, it feels like how I styled the thing is clumsy and tedious to scroll through. Is it? How easily are you guys able to find what you're looking for? Let me know over in my guestbook, please.

Everyone and their grandma on Neocities and Hacker Network's got a blog like this somewhere on their website, but I wanted to have my OWN special boy RSS blog on my OWN special boy website.

That out of the way, I'll keep this short because otherwise I'll be reinventing the wheel.

Recently (as in, like, two weeks before writing this post) I finally got around to looking into this RSS feed thing I keep seeing all over the place. It's old as dirt, I knew that already, but what was it really. Why were geeks and nerds the web over always programming RSS feeds and how was it any different from a newsletter?

It turns out it's more like an opt-in — as opposed to opt-out — type of newsletter slash social media. I regret taking this long to look into it because it's awesome. It's so awesome I've gone and coded an entire new section of my website these past few days just so I can hype up RSS feeds.

So, what is it exactly?

"RSS" stands for "Really Simple Syndication" (usually) and, in short, as its name implies, it's a really simple way to receive updates from your favorite websites, blogs, and podcasts all in one place. You slap a URL into your reader software of choice and whenever the webmaster of the site updates the feed's .XML file, you get a new post in your reader.

The best part about all this is that there are NO ADS, no spam, no trackers, no algorithm, and no way for assholes to guilt you into staying subscribed if you wanna bail. That's the opt-in part. You choose when to subscribe and it's your choice if and when you leave. Isn't that crazy? Tech like that still kickin' around in 2025?! I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the next great thing about it is that it's non-proprietary and simple as hell. It's not an Adobe or Apple product where it's all special file formats locked behind some bullshit subscription service and DRM. The code itself is almost like HTML's cousin; if you know anything about HTML and glance at it, it just makes sense. It's so beautiful.

Now for the pile of links I've been saving up for this.

History of RSS & Usage Guides

Wikipedia RSS Article

More about the history and technical details of RSS as a whole.

"RSS Is Cool" blog by Irisnet

I recommend flipping through this if you're interested in the technical side of RSS but not all the fluff. A lot of what's mentioned here (like the RSS feed readers) I'll be re-sharing below, though.

Starikov's RSS Field Guide

This might be a little bit of information overload for anyone only casually curious about RSS, but it's how I first got into it seriously.

RSS Readers

Feeder

Android only (Google Play Store & .APK download). Really simple/straight-forward RSS reader and the one I use. No AI bullshit, has a tagging system for ordering feeds, nothing crazy. I like it. If you're on Android I recommend this one.

Fluent Reader

Windows, Mac, Linux; Android app. Free and open source desktop reader with a "lite" version for Android

.Mozilla Thunderbird

Windows, Mac, Linux, Android. This is actually an email manager that you can set up to work with RSS. It's mentioned in a few RSS guides/threads but I couldn't be bothered getting it to work when there were easier programs out there. Mozillaheads might be more inclined, though.

Inoreader

iPhone. I don't know anything about this app other than that its name pops up a lot, I just felt bad not having at least one reader on here for people trapped on iPhones. Sorry.

Finding Feeds

Feedly

A searchable index for website RSS feeds. There's some cool stuff on here. I think Feedly itself is also an RSS reader but you have to make an account to use it and that kind of defeats the purpose.

Starikov's RSS Starter Set

A bunch of different feeds organized by topic curated by Starikov. Most of my readers probably won't enjoy a majority of the feeds listed here, but there's some cool stuff in there.

Neocities' RSS Tag

A lot of people on here have their own RSS feeds. Hop around some sites in the tag and you'll probably find something cool. That's how I found Irisnet's blog.

WordPress websites

Any website running on WordPress has an RSS feed. You can find it by putting /feed at the end of the URL.

Tumblr blogs

I don't know why anyone would do this to themselves, but you can follow any Tumblr blog via RSS too by going to the non-mobile version of a blog (USERNAME.tumblr.com) and putting /rss after the url. Here's mine, for example: solradguy.tumblr.com/rss

This post made more sense when I originally posted it but god help me if it makes sense to anyone now. You could get this lovingly delivered directly into your eyeballs daily.

SRG Recommended Feeds

Here are some feeds I'm currently tracking that I think people that enjoy my posts or Neocities might like too.

General Interest

Internet Archive Blog — RSS

The official blog for the Internet Archive. They talk about cool archivism stuff on here and things like the technology they use to do it.

Official Guilty Gear Website (English) — RSS

This site runs on WordPress so they've got a secret built-in RSS feed. Get updates on Guilty Gear patch notes and Developer Backyard blog posts. There are feeds in Japanese and Korean too.

GUNFIRE GUILLOTINE II — RSS

Feed for my Neocities' blog. My feed is new so there aren't many posts, but I'm hoping to write more about Guilty Gear things, art, and translation stuff in the future.

Japanese

Maggie Sensei — RSS

Japanese learning.

How To Japanese — RSS

A little more advanced than Maggie-sensei, but updates less often. Also has a podcast.

Neocities Blogs

Eve Greenwood's Blog — RSS

Language learning and conlangs, and some other stuff.

localghost's Blog — RSS

Tech and web stuff.

Fiction

Beneath Ceaseless Skies — RSS

High quality speculative shortform fiction magazine.

Clarkesworld Magazine — RSS

Another quality shortform science fiction/fantasy magazine.

Articles

Longreads — RSS

Articles and blog posts on the longer side. Their curation is incredible, I generally enjoy reading whatever article catches my eye.

The MIT Press Reader — RSS

Excerpts, interviews, and essays from the official MIT Press website. A broad range of topics, though always backed by science and research.

Damn Interesting — RSS (main) - RSS (curated)

Articles on unusual topics from a broad range of things. Optional feed for their curated links of articles from other sites.

Atlas Obscura — RSS

Articles on interesting places or things. This site reminds me a lot of the brief "weird" things articles Cracked used to post back around 2009, in a good way.

Science

XKCD — RSS

Science/tech (usually) webcomic. You know XKCD.

NASA — RSS

It's NASA. Spaceships, black holes, stars, technology.

Quanta Magazine — RSS

Science magazine that covers a little bit of every field from computer science to biology to math and physics.

Text is mostly the same as the original Substack newsletter, but some light edits and additional transcriptions of text in images have been added.

If you follow me on Tumblr or Twitter then you probably saw me talking about United States-based gaming magazine Game Informer shutting down after 33 years. GameStop, who owns GI magazine, has been shitting the bed for a while now, so this didn’t surprise me a whole lot. The closure itself was painfully sudden though, with many staff working on GI posting on Twitter about how shocked they were when they all suddenly got laid off. My heart goes out to them, truly. IGN wrote an article about the closure that you can read here: ign.com/articles/game-informer-to-shut-down-after-33-years

That said, I have a ton of Game Informer issues laying around, ranging from my oldest issue, issue 150 (October 2005), to 298 (February 2018).

This isn’t all of them.

Physical magazines are appealing to me; it’s nice reading something that’s not on a screen, and GI’s reviews always felt relatively fair. They always had other interesting articles around the reviews for stuff I’d’ve never gone out of my way to learn about otherwise, like interviews with talent from the gaming industry, the history of certain consoles, or concept sketches for mainboards.

Hearing about the closure of Game Informer got me thinking it’d be interesting hauling these things out and sifting through them for Guilty Gear reviews. Retromags actually dropped me a line over on Twitter letting me know about their Game Informer scans archive that went up not long after GI announced its closure. Big thank you to them and bogusfrank over on the Retromags website for saving me the effort of having to scan my own issues. Any scans in this newsletter will be from their archive. Be sure to give them thanks either over on Twitter or on the Retromags website itself, if you have an account. They do good work.

This newsletter is a little different from the Guilty Gear community roundup lists I usually do, but I’ve been taking a bit of a break from GG lately and don’t know when my next roundup list will be. It seemed like a fun idea to write an actual newsletter article for once.

Guilty Gear: The Missing Link (1998) //

The first Guilty Gear… This game’s development was rocky and led to it getting delayed several times.(Dengeki PlayStation F2, April Special Issue, Vol. 19 ( April 10, 1996), pg.11, lists the release as a tentative “Autumn schedule”. Missing Link ended up not releasing in Japan until May 14, 1998—two years later.) The official North American release was October 31, 1998, but it didn’t show up in Game Informer until December ‘98 issue, 68. I couldn’t find anything about its NA release being delayed. It’s not unlikely it was though.

December 1998, issue 68.

If you thought 2D fighters were through, or couldn't be done well on the PlayStation, think again. We don't know how, but Guilty Gear boasts some serious character animation. They look nearly as good as a Capcom Saturn fighter with a cart upgrade. The game itself is rooted in the 4-button style of Samurai Shodown, but with many new concepts. The biggest one is the instant-kill move. Using a universal move, players can kill their opponents with one movement. However, the other player can always counter, unless dizzy. This game is for old-school 2D-loving combo junkies. If you have ever played and loved the Neo Geo fighters, then you must buy this game. You'll thank us.

• Size: 1 CD-ROM
• Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting
• Special Features: 13 Characters (10, Plus 3 Hidden): 2D Fighting; Lots of Animation; Instant Kills; Combo Mania
• Replay Value: High
• Created by: Arc System/Team Neo Blood for Atlus
• Available: Now for PlayStation
Bottom Line: 8.25

“Replay Value: High,” 8.25 rating. Not bad! The compliment on the graphics makes me wonder if Team Neo Blood (later, Team Red) ever looked back and was glad they switched to 2D hand drawn sprites from the 3D computer-generated ones they had in the April ‘96 and October ‘95 issues of Dengeki PlayStation magazine.

What could have been. From the Oct. ‘95 Dengeki PS issue.

Guilty Gear X (2001) //

Another one reviewed a few months after release (September 30, 2001 - October 2001).

December 2001, issue 104.

Not only does Guilty Gear X not push the 2D fighter envelope, it doesn't even give it the slightest nudge. Hell, it doesn't even throw the envelope a nasty glare. It's okay due to its reliance on proven genre standards, but there are many better prospects in the PlayStation 2 field. Since it's especially weak in the singles game, consider purchasing Guilty Gear X only if you and a friend want to go at it. -Jay

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting
■ Publisher: Sammy
■ Release: October 9
■ Rating: 6

6 out of 10. Ouch!

Guilty Gear X Advance Edition (2002) //

They did a “second opinion” for this one, which was unexpected. This was the GGX “port” for the Gameboy Advance that might as well have been an entirely different game.

August 2002, issue 112.

The first review:

After only fifteen minutes, I finished Guilty Gear X without losing. Now, I know my fighting game skills are beyond most gamers’ (just ask my official punching bag, Justin), but I had no idea they reached such a dominating level! In all seriousness though, Guilty Gear X presents absolutely no challenge, even on the hardest difficulty setting. Players unfamiliar with the series can easily pick up Advance Edition, mash buttons, and win without any problems. The new modes such as Tag Match and 3-on-3 add variety, but still cannot compensate for this fundamental problem. Despite the serious setback, however, Sammy reproduced Guilty Gear X’s gameplay on GBA almost perfectly. Every move is simple to perform, and all of those high-hitting combos are a cinch to execute. Plus, since Sammy originally designed Guilty Gear X as a four-button game, it’s probably the most playable portable fighter around. Overall, Guilty Gear X offers the deepest combat system among the competition, making it the best fighting game on GBA for two players. But, due to the shoddy AI, it’s only a mediocre single player experience. Also, if you overvalue superficialities, you might not like the way Guilty Gear X looks or sounds. -Chet

■ Concept: A fighting game that resembles Capcom's Versus titles, but for GBA!
■ Graphics: The game looks okay at best. Although it doesn't bother me, the graphics aren't very impressive
■ Sound: This element is weak too; the quality isn't up to par, and the sound effects are sparse
■ Playability: Moves are easy to execute, and the four-button interface works flawlessly
■ Entertainment: GGX is a blast to play, but way too easy. Definitely snag a copy if you have someone to play against
■ Replay Value: Moderately High

8 out of 10 is a lot higher than I was expecting for a handheld port of a game they previously gave a stank rating for. On to the second opinion.

Image captions, clockwise from left: "Just check out some of these goofy looking moves," "Faust is one of the stranger characters," "The graphics are bland but thats a cool character effect," "The cutscenes look good and offer a variety of dialogue"

Guilty Gear X is the proverbial mixed bag. It has a mess of complex mechanics to master. The characters are some of the most original, clever ones I've seen -– ranging from a cutesy female pirate that has a dolphin deliver her anchor weapon, to a morphing, crazy doctor with a bag over his head. Tag modes rock, the backgrounds are beautiful, and I always welcome a color edit – albeit for deviant desires. Strangely, one of the few things missing is AI, which kind of makes the depth of gameplay moot. I was undefeated in Arcade, Survival, and Tag modes, even on the hardest difficulty level. Also, the character sprites are tiny, especially when compared to GBA's Street Fighter II. The sound effects and music would have even been lame back in the NES days. I dug GGX, despite the lack of difficulty (especially with link play), but it still hampers the overall package. -Justin

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting
■ Publisher: Sammy
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: June 25

7.5/10.

Guilty Gear X2 (2003) //

This was Guilty Gear XX in Japan.

March 2003, issue 119.

Change within this genre comes in minute doses, as if a weaning process is a necessary precursor to innovation. For this reason, the enhancements made to GG X2 will only be appreciated by those who are hardcore enough to know what Guilty Gear is in the first place. For you fans, buy it for the new characters and modes - the Mission mode being reason enough to warrant a purchase. If you're unfamiliar with the series, you'll want GG X2 because it reigns as the best 2D fighter outside of the Capcom universe. -Chet

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting
■ Publisher: Sammy
■ Release: February 4

Nice n cool 8.75/10.

Guilty Gear X2 ♯Reload (2004) //

This is the only one of the XX updates GI reviewed. North America only got ♯Reload on the Xbox until the PC port in 2014 while Europe also got the PlayStation 2 port in 2004.

What do you mean this was only us$20 back on release?! September 2004, issue 137.

Quirky doesn't even begin to describe this game. Maybe if you add "deeply disturbing" and "inexplicably compelling" then you'd have a start With a roster of startling characters that would make Vincent Price whimper like a kitten, Guilty Gear distinguishes itself with humor, relentless difficulty, and a combat system that is hard to pick up and even harder to master. Though this title is not for casual 2D fighter enthusiasts (or people who like their like their games to have a solid "American" feel), hardcore fighter fans will love everything Guilty Gear has to offer: multiple modes of play, progressive scan, online matches via Xbox Live, and a $20 price point that will make you want to punch the store clerk in the face with joy. -Joe

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting (2-Player Xbox Live)
■ Publisher: Majesco
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: September 7
■ ESRB: T

8.25/10.

Guilty Gear Isuka (2004) //

December 2004, issue 140.

With its unconventional characters and quirky brand of action, playing Guilty Gear has always been similar to Alice stumbling through Wonderland — the more strange things you uncover, the more engrossed you become. Unfortunately, this magic is lost in the series' latest iteration, Guilty Gear Isuka. Even with the indusion of four-player fights, a side-scroll- ing brawler mode, and Robo Ky II (a new character with a customizable moveset), the omission of the "auto-face" feature leaves you stuggling just to look your opponent in the eyes. Add to that the lack of a traditional arcade mode, and this title simply has no legs to stand on. Instead of a fantastical jaunt down a rabbit hole, Isuka is more similar to being unceremoniously stuffed into a dingy crawl space. -Joe

■ Style: 1 or 4-Player Fighting
■ Publisher: Sammy Studios
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: November 9
■ ESRB: T

6.75/10. That’s about how I feel towards Isuka too, to be honest.

Guilty Gear Dust Strikers (2006) //

I don’t know why or how, but this game actually released in North America before it released in Japan. April 25, 2006 vs October 5, 2006.

May 2006, issue 157.

Dust Strikers is what you get when you take an existing franchise and suck everything that makes it cool out of it in the process of trying to copy a different successful franchise. Inserting Guilty Gear characters into an uninspired knockoff of Super Smash Bros. gameplay has predictable results. Single-player is boring as is usual for fighting games, but beating up on your friends through the wireless multi-player is entertaining for at least a little while. Of course, there are a number of much better multiplayer titles on the DS, but it's something. -Adam

■ Style: 1-Player Fighting (Up To 4-Player via Wireless
■ Publisher: Majesco
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: April 3
■ ESRB: T

6/10. I haven’t played Dust Strikers, but everyone on the wiki reacts with great sympathy whenever one of us has to dig into it for something.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture (2008) //

October 2008, issue 186.

After a brief glance at Overture you might mistake it for a Dynasty Warriors clone. You'd be wrong to do so. While Overture is largely a hack and slasher that sends you speeding across large battlefields and slicing through enemies by the dozens, the game also adds RTS elements. While this strategy twist could have made the title shine, it's marred by too many problems. When your units cluster together it is difficult to select specific units. Your troops also don't respond quickly enough, but that doesn't matter since they don't listen to your orders half the time anyway. With crawling load times and a story that reeks of awkward Japanese translation, a glance should be all you give this game. -Ben

■ Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting (Up To 4-Player Online
■ Publisher: Aksys
■ Developer: Arc System Works
■ Release: September 30
■ ESRB: T

6.25/10. Overture is deeply flawed for sure, but I still think the good parts of it outweigh the bad. That said, I’ve only played the Steam port and not the original 360 version. Maybe it was a lot worse back then…

Guilty Gear Xrd Rev2 (2017) //

This review is online-only and too long to include in this newsletter. Game Informer did give it an 8/10 though, which is pretty good. You can read their review over in a Wayback Machine archive [HERE].

Game Informer didn’t do reviews for any of the XX updates past Reload, Xrd Sign, Xrd Rev, Strive, Judgment, or Pro Jumper. Genuinely surprised by the lack of a review for Strive. ASW really hyped up the release for that one.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. Shoutout again to Retromags and bogusfrank for the scans.