2019 was probably the personal best year for gaming that I have had in a very long time. I played nearly all of the NES games for the RFGen NES Challenge for fun (and even finished some), got a new game system (a year earlier than anticipated), and per usual ended up playing a completely different subset of gaming than I anticipated. So, please join me as I take a final look over 2019 as we take our first steps into this year.
Two months ago I smack-talked Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road in the review of SNK 40th Anniversary Collection on Switch. At the least I called it annoying, at the most I called it garbage (in one of my older articles), stating that I would rather eat three year-old hotdogs than play that game again. But something happened after getting SNK for the Switch that had never happened before: I enjoyed myself playing Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road.
It all started more than thirty years ago, back then I would troll the suburbs of Metro D looking for returnable bottles to play arcade games. I've said it many times before, no doubt, but I loved this period of my life, despite the beatdowns I would sometimes have to endure due to my... geeky appearance. One of my most cherished games from this era was Victory Road, a sci-fi flavored sequel to Ikari Warriors. It certainly wasn't at the 7-11 for very long, but regardless I had put this game on a pedestal, from which it refused to budge for thirty-two years. So one day when I happened onto the NES port with the appropriate amount of money in my pocket, the cash couldn't couldn't fly out of my pocket fast enough, and I am pretty sure I set speed records for tearing off plastic and removing the game manual from the box. Wonder I didn't tear it to pieces like an animal. And the results? Not good, though I always felt I tried. The NES port of Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road felt unfinished at the time, and I am afraid that I delegated it to the "Budget Wall" bin along with Hydlide and King's Knight, somewhere deep in my room. In retrospect I probably played more Urban Champion then that game.
Once upon a time, the most desired trait of any home console gamer was accurate arcade ports. In this fashion, one could say that arcades ruled the jungles of electronic video game entertainment. While complete faithfulness to the arcade original was the holy grail, it was certainly not a requirement, though individual interpretation on the quality of the port was certainly in place, especially in the playgrounds and hallways of schools.
For your reading pleasure, this article is setup using three "categories," those being "The Safe One" (which would generally be agreed that the port is superior to the arcade), "The Controversial One" (which many likely wouldn't agree with), and "The Garbage One" (in which the console port is metaphorically a trash fire). Enjoy!
[img width=700 height=543]http://i63.tinypic.com/243kh7a.jpg[/img] One of these things is not like the other...
Once upon a time, the most desired trait of any home console gamer was to play arcade ports. In this fashion, one could say that arcades ruled the jungles of electronic video game entertainment. While complete faithfulness to the arcade original was the holy grail, it was certainly not a requirement, though individual interpretation on the quality of the port was certainly in place, especially in the playgrounds and hallways of schools.
Another episode of But I Like Those Ports! follows, and another three games are presented for your reading pleasure. In a way, these were the most ambiguous of the small list I drew up of possible games, but it was still hard. Out of the games left, I might have one more episode left, but who knows. Perhaps I should start branching out a bit into other territories.
During the last episode, I once again suffered a humiliating defeat at the endcap of my enemy, the Budget Game Wall. You know that thing, right? No? Well, this endcap (who is a complete jerk, mind you) used to sit on the end of the video game isle at my local toy store, displaying the unloved and unlovable from the NES, both old and new, at an attractive $20 price point. But I wasn’t there on that fated day for game shopping, no. My task was much simpler: get a functioning NES controller, one I ideally wouldn't have to share with my siblings. And since I still had another six months (at least) before my SNES came out of layaway, I needed something help me play Final Fantasy and the string of rentals and loans that would follow. But I had no idea how much a controller would cost, having misplaced my most current Toys 'R Us circular, so I brought all $40 of my lawn-mowing money. My mom gave me a knowing look at this act, but said nothing to stop my action. It was fine, though: This was a utility trip, not an excuse to look at games, okay mom?. There was no reason I was going to need all that cash, right?
Once upon a time, the strongest desire of most gamers was to duplicate what they played in the arcade on a home console. In this fashion, one could say that arcades ruled the jungles of electronic video game entertainment. While complete faithfulness to the arcade original was the holy grail, it was certainly not a requirement, though individual interpretation on the quality of the port was certainly debated, especially in the playgrounds and hallways of schools.
Today I submit three more titles for your enjoyment; two I truly love more than the arcade originals, and one that I would rather suffer (another) head injury than play on a home console.
Back in the day, I managed to beat the overwhelming majority of the video games I played, but there were a few titles that remained above my humble gaming skills, so playing for completion was a hopeless effort (like smashing your head against a wall). Blaster Master was one of those games. I loved playing Blaster Master, but the ending always seemed unattainable, like the summit of the infamous K2 mountain in winter. Now, just over twenty-five years later, and I feel ready to climb that mountain again. Being older and generally less skilled at gaming than in my youth, do I have a chance to finally beat this notoriously difficult game?
Every year, at least once or twice, I get what I like to call "Retro Game Depression." Symptoms include irritability (at overly complex controls), sleepiness (falling asleep while pondering beautiful, yet functionally dead vistas), and short attention span (perhaps from open world game burn-out). The treatment is simple; a barrage of games that both tickle my nostalgia as well as my love of retro gaming. Please join me, my friends, as I embark on a Late Summer Retro Gaming Expedition.
[img width=600 height=450]http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/bombatomba77/newy_strider_zpsykljdce7.jpg[/img] Original image from modthesims2.com
Once upon a time, the most desired trait of any home console gamer was to play arcade ports. In this fashion, one could say that arcades ruled the jungles of electronic video game entertainment. While complete faithfulness to the arcade original was the holy grail, it was certainly not a requirement, though individual interpretation on the quality of the port was certainly in place, especially in the playgrounds and hallways of schools.
Once upon a time, I was among those that desired the "perfect" arcade port, having been a child in the jungle of electronic entertainment. Yet, as I grew in years, complete faithfulness to the arcade original was only a concern, then less of a concern, then finally of little to no concern. Don't get me wrong, I still love original arcade games, it just so happens that in my mind, certain games have been usurped by certain console ports, so that when someone says, "Remember how awesome xxxxxx game was back in the day?" and I say, "Yes," my mind isn't even remotely in the vicinity of the arcade original. Curiosity piqued yet?
I will be the first to admit I was a stupid kid. Between 1990-92 I made a series of shameful visits to the Toys R Us "budget wall" section, where NES games could be had for a pittance. Or $20, which I guess wasn't a pittance. Some of you may remember an earlier article where I detailed the psychological damage caused by purchasing and playing Hydlide in 1991. Would you believe that I had been burned before that piece of horror, not only from a game on the same wall, but in the same way, while looking for an inexpensive version of another game. With Hydlide I was trolling for a RPG experience. This time - the first time - I was looking for something with some action and adventure in it (an action/adventure game, if you will). But I guess there is no point in delaying, as you have already read the title of the article as well as seen the picture above. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you a tale of disappointment and discovery; Budget Wall Chronicles - King's Knight.
Following a successful Kickstarter Campaign in 2014, Lizard is the latest NES focused homebrew from developer Brad Smith, who previously released chiptunes cartridges Moon8 and 2A03 Puritans. Lizard forgoes powerups, lives, and timers and instead opts for an open world platforming adventure. It's an adventure four years in the making so let's put on our Lizard suit and take a look.
So I'm an odd ball. So I am usually the last to post on a blog/forum. So I only post about weird games on weird platforms. So I have a strange relationship with commas and parenthesis. So what? Hey, at least you don't have to car pool with me to work, right? So have a heart, eat a blueberry, and don't forget to drop the empties in the box on the way out. I get deposit on those.
