Tag Archives: Classic Video Games

Video Game Appreciation 101: MBA Online Learns You Some Nintendo Facts

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Damned doomsayers and mobile evangelists on industry sites aside, it’s hard to argue against Nintendo’s massive successes in reinvigorating the video games industry on a few key occasions. I’d even go as far to say that EVERY mobile games success wouldn’t even be possible if it weren’t for the company’s proven track record with handheld dominance throughout the late 80’s to today. Granted, the company has made some bone-headed mistakes every so often, but they’ve always recovered and have forged on in terms of innovation and getting their fan base some of the most purely fun game experiences.

With the Wii U shipping out this week along with a healthy lineup of what’s looking like mostly strong titles, that long chart on the left from the eternally smart and busy folks over at MBA Online  (you click it, it gets bigger! Whee!) shows that despite its ups and downs, Nintendo is going to be here for quite some time.

Random Game of the Week: Clock Tower

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Oops – Now with the RIGHT video (heh)…

I haven’t done a horror games article in a while, but it’s probably because of late I’m in the wrong mindset to dip into something that’s going to have me playing halfway under the couch and sleeping with a baseball bat propped against the bed. That said, when I dug up my copy of Clock Tower while looking for another game, something made me pop it in and see if the game still had the power to scare me silly after all these years. It most certainly does, and even though I only sunk about two or so hours in (getting one of the not so good ending in the process), it made me think about how many of the more recent (and so-called) horror games in the genre pale in comparison when it comes to being actually scary…

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Pier Solar Goes Kickstarter Route For HD Remake – Give Them Your Money (Now!)

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Confession: I’ve yet to play Watermelon Team’s incredible Pier Solar and the Great Architects (I’ve been dying to do so, but missed the original and all the assorted reissue versions), but the folks I know who have played it can’t stop singing its praises. I was thinking about finally getting around to snapping up a copy of this unlicensed Sega Genesis /Mega Drive game online, but Watermelon Team has a HD version in the works that’s even more tempting. Can you say Kickstarter project, ladies and gents? Yup, not only are the folks at Watermelon working on an HD version, they’re going to be getting it out on PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox Live Arcade and (Eeeeeee!) Sega Dreamcast (Eeeeeeee!).  Of course, I’m a bit ticked off that PSN, Vita and Wii U versions aren’t in the pipeline (hell, those consoles NEED great indie games like this so the suits can see they’ll sell like hotcakes), but hey – this is certainly a step up to the big time for a game that’s gotten solid reviews and a VERY loyal fan base.

The campaign  has already gotten a nice chunk of pledges and that’s thanks to the game itself plus some fantastic premium versions that are well worth the money. I need to flip a coin and see where it lands so I can choose which version I want, but I may end up with the PC version (boxed, of course). I wish I could afford one of the more pricey home versions, but it is what it is. Anyway, definitely do yourself a big favor and pledge to this project. Hmmm… maybe I’ll sell a kidney and go for that deluxe Dreamcast version, as I haven’t used my DC in a few months and it’s been looking at me funny from the corner of the room… We shall see. That fancy Magical Game Factory is rocking pretty hard these days…

WB Games Brings Midway Arcade Origins To PS3 & 360 (On A DISC!)

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Well, alright! Folks like me who prefer physical product (hey, I hug my games every day!) can now add a really sweet mix of games to our collections without losing much shelf space. WB Games and Backbone Entertainment have released Midway Arcade Origins for the PS3 and Xbox 360 as noted above in the header, on an actual game DISC. Yeah, that’s right. You can boogie on down to your favorite game emporium, whip out that wallet (you know, the one embroidered with BAD MOTHERF*CKER on it), whip out some cash money and tip on out with that new set of oldies in an actual plastic bag. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about!  Anyway, no matter which system you own (er, well, if it’s one of the two mentioned, that is, er hey, WHY isn’t this on the Wii U as a launch title OR on the Vita for the holidays?), get this collection, grab some friends and prepare to get schooled by some really awesome arcade hits, I say!

NEOGEO X Gold Update: Limited Editon Pre-Orders Nab Ninja Master’s For Free

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SNK Playmore’s handheld wonder is getting some nifty pre-order love over at online retailers Amazon and GameStop. Consumers who pre-order the Limited Edition (which comes packed with some nice bonuses that turn the handheld into a home console) will get a FREE game card (the 1996 beat ’em up, NINJA MASTER’S*) with their order when the new portable ships out on December 6, 2012.  As I’ve been saying for months now, for a dedicated console with a fairly large library of classics (more of which will be made available after the system launches), that $199.99 isn’t a lot at all considering you also get 20 free classic NEOGEO titles you can play on the road using the X as a dedicated portable or at home with the dock included in the LE box.

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Stuff that Needs To Be Kickstarted (Part 1)

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Hmm. Sinnce I’m up way too early, I may as well post something now, as I’ll be a bit busy later doing the airport thing. Here’s a random list of games or game projects that NEED to be crowd-funded.  Of course, there are those who want everything for free and can or already have all the games they can play and then some. But for those gamers who aren’t fond of emulation or hell, just want to support a few cool projects, someone has to get on these just from a pure preservation perspective, I say:

Atari Lynx Collection (PC/Mac/Consoles/Handhelds): The Lynx was and is one of the most underrated gaming devices EVER. Despite being more powerful than the hugely popular GameBoy, less popular Game Gear and never as popular as it should have been TurboExpress, there were a number of great games made for the system from arcade ports to original titles worth playing for a few reasons. Granted, something like Gauntlet III would need to be reworked to play in a widescreen format, but then again, it’s perfect for tablets or phones. Slap in Achievements for those who want them and I think this would do well among those who’ve never played or heard of the Lynx previously.

SPACE LORDS (ditto): One game that to date hasn’t been successfully emulated is Atari’s quite spectacular multiplayer space combat arcade game. Yeah, yeah, you’ve never heard of it and it’s never been ported to anything as far as I know since it had its brief run in arcades almost 20 years ago. But it’s exactly the sort of game that once it’s played, will be one you’ll keep going back to just because you’ve had so much fun blasting aliens into space dust (with a little help from your online or offline friends).

I was going to post a bit more, but I’ve a bit of laundry to tackle – back in a bit with a few more ideas (yeah, I’ll try and make a case for a Jaguar collection, although it’s the total longshot of all my bad ideas)…

Max Team’s Monster World RPG: Taking A Sega Classic To The Next Level

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While I do play a LOT of fan-made games paying homage to classics of the 8 and 16-bit eras, Max Team’s Monster World RPG project is one of the better works in progress I’ve seen to date. Initially released as a simple RPG Maker 2003 passion project back in 2005, the game has since been reworked into a much more polished game worthy of being put onto a Sega Genesis cartridge. Even though it’s far from the flashiest game made with the ancient game creation software, the dedication to replicating the specific look of the MW games while turning it into a turn-based RPG with an active time battle system out of the Final Fantasy games is on point and the nostalgic vibe works perfectly. The two hard working guys behind this free RPG, Massimo and Fernando, met up about a year after Massimo completed the first version of the game and needed help in expanding the game further. Continue reading →

Random Game Art (Not Mine): Another World Poster

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OK, I’m stupidly busy playing a bunch of games in my to-do queue (including of of the biggest surprises of the year, VBlank’ Games’ spectacular and hilarious Retro City Rampage for the Vita & PS3, coming soon to more platforms – BUY IT! ) and getting some Holiday Gift Guide products reviewed, but I may as well give you something to look at, so here you go: A lovely piece of art done for the classic PC game Another World (or Out of This World if you live in North America). For some reason, this game popped into my head (probably due to reading p a few too many posts about adventure games making a comeback this year when they never really disappeared in the first place) and I did a quick search to see if there was a site still up for this classic. Turns out there is and if you’re running WIndows XP, you can get a nice demo of that version to try out. It’s one of the all-time great (and hard!) adventure games that still brings back some find memories for me. OK, enough wistful nostalgia – back to the salt mines. Lots of updates to come this weekend!

Retro City Rampage: Buy This Game Or It Will Come To Your House And Beat You…

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Yeah, you know who you are. Laugh at these awesome visuals at your own peril, kids. Listen up: I’m old, so I KNOW exactly what’s going to happen here. Codgers like me will groove on the sprite-heavy, colors a’poppin graphics, tough as nails gameplay and huge open world that means we’ll be hooked in for weeks. Ironic hipster types (bless their bespectacled hearts) who think they’re cooler than they are in real life will remember the indie games they played over the past few years and get the retro vibe full on. Meanwhile, the wee ones under a certain age who think every damn game MUST be a FPS or packing “realistic” 3D graphics that require a PC upgrade every three weeks or new console or whatever will be laughing and pointing like the fools they are until they pick up a controller and get a butt cheek handed back to them by some random digital thug. It’s all about respect, as I keep saying… and Canadian developer Vblank Entertainment is going to learn you whippersnappers a thing or two. 

Your PS3 is starving for this one, and so is your Vita… so yeah, do the right thing and get this game, Before it gets YOU.

Spellshard Would Indeed Have Been An Awesome NES RPG…

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Here’s a neat bonus from the OHRRPGCE game, Spellshard (yup, you should go grab it if you’re a retro RPG fanatic like I am). The guys behind the game even put together a fake color manual PDF that looks as if it was photocopied from an original (very clever) and even has a back cover with a piece of tape covering a small “tear” – that made me smile.

Anyway, I’ve only put about an hour into the game so far, but it’s definitely a nostalgic blast from the past. Granted, most of the games I’ve played using this engine have the same combat systems and menus, but they get the job done in delivering the feeling of camping out on the couch on a rainy weekend immersed in a nicely sized fantasy world.