When I first got my Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Golden Sun was one of my very first GBA games I played on the system. My younger brother told me it was a GBA-exclusive RPG that I would really enjoy. I fired it up, felt like the intro was a little slow, got distracted As is the case with many RPGs—lost steam and didn’t come back to it for years. I returned to Golden Sun a few months ago and, while I’m happy that I saw the game through, the problems that turned me off to it the first time around remained sticking points throughout my 30+ hour playthrough. Golden Sun is a solid RPG but requires patience Because its story ends with an annoying “To Be Continued” that leaves everything to be resolved in the sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age (2002). Golden Sun is a game that feels at home on...
The turtle’s franchise took an enormous turn for the better with TMNT II: The Arcade Game. Don’t get me wrong, the first turtle’s game on the NES was good, but very hard. With the turtle’s in the arcade already, a port to the NES was all this series needed. Turtles II The Arcade Game was the second installment of the tmnt series Which was a side-scrolling beat’em up game. You have a choice to choose to play as any one of the four turtles. As already know, each turtle has their own weapon of choice you can use if you select a particular turtle. Turtle's And Description of Weapon Leonardo – Katana Blades (Dual Welding)Donatello – Bo (Long Wooden Staf)Raphael – Sai (Dual Welding)Michelangelo – Nun chucks (Dual Welding) Turtles II has the option for either a one (1)-player game or a two (2)-player game. The controls of the game are...
The Intro: The Sega Dreamcast considered by many to be one of the most innovative consoles of its genre. It's funny to think that little white box could provide us a splendid home arcade feel. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact, this may have been the first Xbox Console I have; been told by a few customers that Sega and Microsoft were collaborating in a home video game console together. The console had the first online capabilities, with most consoles being sold with a detachable phone-line modem. It's too bad this console did not get the recognition it deserved. It may have been the lack luster titles from the sega cd library or the Sega 32x console, or it's library, which turned gamers away. Not only that, but it's certainly possible gamers got feed up with Sega and their struggles with compatibility amongst their consoles. Seriously, in order to play a 32x...
Minecraft is a testament to the capability of a sandbox environment. If you haven’t heard of Minecraft yet, you might look at the blocky graphics and dismiss it without a thought, but by doing so, you would be ridding yourself of a chance to explore the unimaginable depth that lies buried beneath the surface. Every single thing you can imagine has been built by the Minecraft community Complex castles, underwater cities, ancient Egyptian colonies, recreations of famous film scenes and much, much more. When Minecraft made its way to consoles, it was sadly restricted by the limitations of the hardware on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 Console. But now that it has made the leap to the PS4, Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition is the definitive edition of Minecraft on consoles. The powerful hardware of the PS4 allows players to create and explore boundless worlds. You are no longer limited...
Taking arguably the two biggest NBA stars at the time, and putting them together in a basketball game, only makes sense. You have Larry Bird from the Boston Celtics, whom is the best out-side shooting forward in the game. Then you have Michael Jordan, perhaps the best basketball player during his playing career from the Chicago Bulls. Jordan Vs Bird was released after both players won their respected NBA All-Star events. Michael Jordan just won his first Slam Dunk contests and quite frankly “flew” him self into fame. Then Larry Bird just won his third, and final, three point contest. So What Makes This Classic Title, Jordan Vs Bird so Unique? The Gameplay: It seems fitting to pair two of the NBA’s best in a head-to-head challenge. At the time when this game first came out, it was awesome to be able to dunk like Jordan and Dr. J. Jordan Vs...
Simplicity is a word you have seen thrown around when people write about Final Fantasy IX. They say that it is the game that brings the series “back to the basics,” that it is a celebration of the past. We have to wonder if this game was a success or not, as explained in this Final Fantasy IX Review. These statements aren’t incorrect, but they undermine the quality and charm of the game. Released in 2000, the game is in so many ways a reaction to the two games that came before it, but it bests its two immediate predecessors with a coherency neither of those game achieved. Final Fantasy VII was too busy successfully launching the series into the 3D era to mind that the game veered wildly from serious melodrama to a wacky slapstick section where the main character cross-dresses as a female escort as if that was totally normal,...
The Intro: My fingers are still hurting after playing this little gem last night. This game came out shortly after the Batman Movie released in 1989 with Jack Nicholson as the Joker and Michael Keaton as Batman. This maybe one of the hardest NES games ever made. As a kid, I never could beat Batman there are certain spots in this game where definite nes skill play comes in handy. The object of the game is to make all the way to the bell tower to defeat the joker. You will have to go through grueling level after level, defeating the jokers Henchmen and making jump after jump. The game does follow the plot of the movie somewhat, but not all the levels do. It does seem most of the levels take place in the Axis Chemical Plant. Game Play: This is another side scrolling NES game, where you start at...
If War Thunder was a movie, it would probably have Steven Spielberg behind the camera. There are epic battles, massive explosions, hair-raising combat sequences and the sheer size and scale of the conflicts involving planes and tanks gives it the look and feel of a big budget film. WWII has been a well that game developers have perhaps visited one time too many, but Gaijin Entertainment still manages to draw a lot of good fun from the setting. While the confusingly large number of options and clunky interface can be a little off-putting, the action makes the game worth playing. War Thunder is a freely downloadable game And even though you can speed up your progress slightly by unlocking vehicle and weapon upgrades through in-game purchases, the game doesn’t force these on you. If you are persistent enough, you can unlock all the upgrades naturally over the course of playing the...
Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon has had a fantastic shelf life. The 2004 Game Boy Advance strategy RPG is, in fact, itself a remake of a 1992 Sega Genesis game. That adds new characters, battles, plot, and gameplay revisions, and since 2004, the original has been re-released as part of Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for the PS3 and 360 and as a downloadable title on the Switch, Steam, and iOS. So the game has fans. Getting Lost all over Again, with Shining Force Shining Force was one of the first turn-based tactical RPGs, following the original Fire Emblem (never released outside Japan) by two years, though its developers deny being influenced by Fire Emblem. I came to Shining Force looking for a game similar to the GBA Fire Emblem titles, and though I like the Fire Emblem games a bit more, I didn’t walk away from my first Shining Force play through...
Breath of The Wild is still fresh in gamers’ minds, and for good reason. Nintendo once again managed to revitalize one of their iconic characters and place them into an adventure that’s worthy of the hall of fame. But this isn’t the first time that Nintendo managed to create a unique adventure out of the Legend of Zelda series by transforming the game completely in certain aspects, but still sticking to the heart of what makes Link and his adventures great. Exactly two decades ago, Nintendo managed to do the same with Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. Nearly six years had passed since one of Link’s greatest adventures A Link To The Past – hit shelves. And when The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time finally brought the world of Hyrule into glorious 3D, it was a smashing success. Expectations were high for the follow-up, which was rumored to have a whole new...
I became a Final Fantasy fan in 1997 with Final Fantasy Vii, and have played every (non-MMO) game in the series since. I only just now went back to the game in the series most likely to give Final Fantasy Vii a run for its money as best Final Fantasy ever Final Fantasy VI (originally released in 1994 for the SNES). I was skeptical that an SNES-era game could be as compelling as the technologically and narratively groundbreaking Final Fantasy Vii, but despite a somewhat slow first half. Final Fantasy VI is well worth playing, even 20 + years after its original release. The core of the Final Fantasy RPG experience is definitely here – you assemble a team of adventurers to save the world from an overpowered menace. You visit towns, traverse a world map, meet a guy named Cid (one of the better Cids in the series), get an...
Definitely a goofy game, the gameplay is very similar to that of Bubble Bobble. The overall game isn’t very hard, just long and a little redundant. You have to complete 50 stages in the game, with a boss battle after each 10. The bosses are some crazy looking reptilian type characters. You play as either one or two snowmen, named Tom and Nick. Whom have been transformed into snowmen by the evil king. You can play the game as either 1 player or with 2 players. Snow Brothers is certainly more exciting with a friend, but not many changes if you play by yourself. Each level has a variety of enemies you need to defeat in order to proceed. Each level is a little like a puzzle. You have enemies coming at you from all directions, you’ll have to jump around the maze or puzzle to destroy your enemies. Your character...
The original game was published by square enix for the Super NES with an American Release in 1991 as Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy IV Advance (for the Game Boy Advance). Playing Final Fantasy IV again for the first time in a while, it seems I've forgotten a lot about the story. The world we live in has moved on, and indeed, so has the game, with 3D graphics ports released for the Nintendo DS, mobile translation, and PC platforms (and updated 2D graphics for the PSP). Still, though the old 2D sprite's version shows its age in many ways, it's a game that any old-school Final Fantasy fans of the series or of RPG history should play, and it remains surprisingly fun years after its release. Fans of modern RPG storytelling owe a debt of gratitude to Final Fantasy IV. Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy III had bare-bones stories, the cast...
There are portions of Castlevania that will defeat you. Portions that will make you look back mournfully over your life and the decisions that led you up to this point – your 17th straight death courtesy the Medusa heads. The Intro: You will curse at the heavens, at this wretched castle and all the gothic horror it contains within. But then, just as a true hero tasked with vanquishing the foes of the netherworld would, you will look at the whip in your hand, take a deep breath, and begin again. Castlevania first came out for the NES in 1987. The Famicom version of the game came out a year earlier. Yes, this is a game that is over 3 decades old. Let that sink in for a minute. The GamePlay: You are Simon Belmont, an upstart member of the Belmont clan that has found his way into a quest that will...
Conker is a cute, cuddly squirrel. As such, you would probably expect a game that features said cute squirrel to be a whimsical kid-friendly tale that features all kinds of adorable talking animals and aww-inducing moments. And you would be hilariously wrong. So why is Conker’s Bad Fur Day rated M for Mature? Conker Bad Fur day is anything kid-friendly, and we couldn’t be happier because the game is a rollicking, insane adventure which features our titular squirrel binge-drinking, yelling, cursing, urinating on enemies and fighting foul-mouthed baddies while sometimes having to roll around in poo. Well done, Rare, well done. Rare’s history as a storied game developer is well known, but Conker’s Bad Fur Day is truly one of their shining achievements. Not only is the game crude and over-the-top, but also features remarkable level design, tight controls and graphics and sound which showcase the power of the Nintendo 64's library to...
Double Dragon is one of the first side scrolling beat'em up games, very popular in the arcade platform. Really, this is the first released game in the ever-popular series of double dragon games. The Double Dragon series became very popular on most gaming platforms Especially in Arcades across America, in the 80s and 90s. It seemed every video game console during the time period listed had a version or two of double dragon. So let's pop in double dragon for our Nintendo NES and write a Double Dragon Review. Here is another great review from our friends at vintage is the new old. The story of the game You play as two brothers fighting your way through the black warrior's gang in order to rescue Marian, who you see getting captured in the opening scene of the game. Gameplay: I will first admit, when I put the game into play with...
I’ve certainly realized why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III was voted the best video game of 1992 on the Nintendo NES. This release of the turtles game was similar to Turtles II: The Arcade Game. It featured side-scrolling action. What certainly made this game stand out in the series were additional fighting moves. Each character is equipped with a special move, which they can inflict at any time during game play. The Story: It’s been a long time that I’ve seen the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, but many elements of this game reminded me exactly of that. Most of the characters from the cartoon are included in this game, which is cool and certainly gives character recognition during game play. My understanding of the story is to destroy the foot clan’s presence in New York City. The game starts with the turtles being on a beach in Florida as they...
When the first Tomb Raider game came out, a lot of gamers were of the opinion that the developer's Core Design essentially created a game out of the Indiana Jones movie franchise and put Lara Croft in place of everyone’s favorite whip-cracking adventurer. This game also joins the list of rare Blockbuster Exclusive video games, which we wrote an awesome article about.
When Alien 3 first hit theaters, expectations were high. James Cameron’s Aliens took everyone’s favorite space monster franchise to an entirely new level and created one of the most iconic cinema experiences of all time. These were big shoes to fill, and unfortunately, director David Fincher couldn’t quite deliver. Alien 3 had some good ideas, but was let down by questionable pacing and plot decisions. The companion game, however, doesn’t have these problems and is quite fun. Developers Probe Software first launched Alien 3 for the Commadore 64, Sega Genesis and other consoles and later decided to update the game and make it available on the Super Nintendo. You play as Ripley Who is trapped on a planet which doubles as a maximum-security prison, after your escape plan goes horribly wrong, and you crash-land into the sea. To makes things worse, you’ve now brought the Aliens along for the ride, and...
