RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.




Posted on Aug 19th 2020 at 12:00:00 PM by (NeoMagicWarrior)
Posted under Pokemon, GBA


Loop around the orbit for Neo's "A Brief Look At" series!

This month, we check out Pokemon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire for the Game Boy Advance!

Check out more of Neo, and the rest of the RFGeneration stream team at http://Tw



Posted on Mar 2nd 2018 at 01:00:00 PM by (Crabmaster2000)
Posted under Mario, Nintendo, Platormer, NES, SNES, N64, GCN, Wii, Wii U, Switch, GB, GBA, DS, 3DS



I've reviewed games casually on and off for the better part of the past 15 years. It's something I enjoy doing and I feel like I've got a relatively decent handle on objectively looking at the whole package of what a particular game consists of. What I don't have a lot of experience doing is comparing a game directly to another game, as I usually just look at what is in front of me and for the most part ignore any past or future releases. Can games even be, or should they even be, directly compared to one another?



Continue reading Comparative Mario



Posted on Apr 10th 2015 at 10:12:43 PM by (MetalFRO)
Posted under Game Boy, Nintendo, GBC, GBA, Tetris, Castlevania


My name is Josh, and I've been playing video games, in some form, since I was 5 years old.  I first experienced the thrill of video games at the ripe young age of 5, at a family get together.  My uncle brought his Atari 2600 console, and between Pac-Man, Combat, Battlezone, and a handful of other titles, I was completely smitten with the idea of controlling some small, multi-pixel object on the screen.  Every time we would get together with family, I hoped one of my uncles would bring their Atari 2600.  Every time I'd visit friends, I would beg them to play video games.  And eventually, I would own my own gaming platform, but more on that later.

After having been exposed to the Atari 2600 through family members, and then computer gaming through another uncle, my parents bought a family computer.  Mostly, my dad wanted to be able to do productivity stuff with it, but as much time as I could spend on it, I did, playing various shareware games and games designed for the system.  And while we were late to the game, owning the IBM PCjr well after its marketability had all but dried up, that little machine gave me countless hours of joy.  I had adventures with King's Quest, played hoops with One on One Basketball, destroyed property as a Paperboy, and spent hours exploring space and discovering new life forms with Starflight.  Until I started buying games that didn't really work on the PCjr, due to the limitations of RAM (and no hard drive), that computer was the perfect outlet for my early gaming curiosity.


Image shamelessly linked from Old Computers.  Our PCjr had multiple "sidecar"
upgrades to boost it from the stock 128KB to a smoking 640KB of RAM!

My parents wouldn't buy me a dedicated games console, in part, because they said I would monopolize the TV.  They were right, I absolutely would have.  I did have a short stint with my uncle's 2600 when he let me borrow it during part of a summer.  Sadly, the somewhat broken joysticks led me to fits of young gamer rage, which prompted my mom to pack it up and send it back to him.  Once again, I was relegated to just my PCjr, and various friends' consoles, to get my gaming fix.  Thankfully, my next door neighbor had a 2600, NES, and even an original Magnavox Odyssey, and was happy to have me come by any time to play games with him.

There was light at the end of the tunnel, however.  Though my parents wouldn't allow me to own a home console, with only 1 TV set in the house, they did say I could buy a Game Boy, provided I bought it with my own money.  I didn't get that much in allowance money, but I dutifully saved my cash, rather than spending it on G.I. Joe figures, and saved up until my 13th birthday, April 1990.  I bought the Game Boy, complete with Tetris cartridge, and my parents bought me Castlevania: The Adventure as my birthday gift.  It was a glorious birthday, potentially one of the best ever.


Image shamelessly linked from Wikipedia.  This game
was an integral part of my early Game Boy experience.
It was an impressive use of the modest Game Boy hardware.

What followed over the next 2 years was pure childhood gaming bliss.  I bought over a dozen classic Game Boy games: Super Mario Land and its sequel, Alleyway, F-1 Race, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Gargoyle's Quest, Final Fantasy Legend, Duck Tales, Dr. Mario, and several others.  I poured a lot of time into my Game Boy, and every time my family went to visit my grandparents or other relatives, I had my trusty Game Boy with me.  When I stayed overnight with friends, we each had our Game Boys with link cables, ready to duke it out in Tetris, Dr. Mario, or whatever other 2-player extravaganza we both had.  I also spent countless hours in my bedroom, fighting and clawing to reach the end of Castlevania and Gargoyle's Quest, and a lot of time perfecting my 4-row technique in Tetris.  It was a magical time.

Sadly, that time came to an end in 1992, when I decided that I absolutely had to have a Sega Genesis.  My parents were buying a new TV, so that opened up the possibility that my younger brother and I could buy their old TV, pool our money together and buy a Genesis, so we could experience the awesome power of the system.  I had already played Last Battle, Golden Axe, and the awe-inspiring Sonic the Hedgehog at a classmate's house, and I knew that was what I wanted.  I still didn't have that much money, however, so I ended up selling my Game Boy and all my games to pay for the Genesis.  I don't regret buying, owning, or playing the Genesis, because it's still one of my favorite systems, and I have a ton of great memories of that.  I just wish, in hindsight, that I hadn't let go of my entire collection of complete-in-box Game Boy titles, especially F-1 Race, because I had the 4-player adapter with it.


Image shamelessly linked from GameTrog.
This Genesis model is the one I sold my
Game Boy to obtain.  I still have the system and
box and still use them today.

Thankfully, I recognized my egregious error 2 years later, and when my best friend from school decided to sell his Game Boy, I bought it from him without a moment's hesitation.  Granted, I didn't get back the boxes and manuals, but I did reacquire some favorites like Tetris, the original Super Mario Land, and Alleyway.  I soon purchased Dr. Mario and Duck Tales again, and was reliving the fun of owning a portable system once again.  I snagged Super Mario Land 2: The Six Golden Coins (still have that complete-in-box!), and loved it, as well as a handful of other games, to eventually get back nearly all the titles I enjoyed just a few short years earlier.  By the time I graduated high school, however, I wasn't gaming much, in part because all my money was going toward dating my girlfriend.

I rediscovered gaming again in 1998 when my wife and I took a trip to another uncle's house for a big family get together weekend, and my younger cousin had his PlayStation there.  We spent the better part of that weekend pouring over Tekken 2, and my wife decided at that point that we needed a PlayStation.  We bought one, got Tekken 2 and Tekken 3, and I also picked up a couple shmups and a copy of Final Fantasy VII.  Once again, I immersed myself in gaming, and though my Game Boy laid largely dormant during that period, I was still cultivating my love for gaming, and the memories of that earlier time were still part of what propelled me to continue to invest in games.  I spent a lot of time with that system, and it's still one of my favorites to this day.


Image shamelessly linked from GameSniped.
This DualShock PlayStation model is what I have, and
still have, complete in box.  I sunk a LOT of hours
into a whole cadre of games on this great system.

In 2000, I got the itch to get back into portable gaming again, so I picked up an Atomic Purple model of the Game Boy Color.  I could go back and play my existing Game Boy library, and then also some new games I picked up, like Bionic Commando Elite Forces, Project S-11, R-Type DX, Frogger, and even the goofy game The Smurfs' Nightmare.  Once again, I immersed myself in portable gaming, taking the unit with me on trips and to various places when I had the chance.  The screen was better, it only used 2 batteries instead of 4, was more truly portable, and I could plug in one of those ingenious "snake light" peripherals to give light to the screen without a giant, bulky attachment.  Suddenly, my original Game Boy library came alive again, some titles with a reasonable amount of color, and on a much improved display.

I missed out on the Game Boy Advance immediately, because I was concentrating on mostly console and PC gaming throughout much of the mid-2000's.  I didn't pick up a GBA until years later, sometime in 2008 or 2009, when I found a GBA SP very reasonably priced at a used game store.  Within a short period of time, once again, I found myself enjoying old Game Boy games, picking up more original Game Boy and Game Boy Color games I hadn't owned before, and also buying new Game Boy Advance games that had come out years before.  The advent of the backlit display was a huge bonus, and the GBA SP is still my handheld of choice for playing any of my Game Boy library.  My portable gaming life is now split between my GBA SP (and library of Game Boy family of games), and my Sony PSP, which my wife bought me for Christmas in 2005.  I occasionally cross over, playing some GB, GBC, or GBA titles on the PSP (via custom firmware and emulation, of course), in part, due to save states, and additional color options, but sometimes strictly out of convenience.


Image shamelessly linked from Wikimedia.
The stunning silver Game Boy Advance is my weapon
of choice when it comes to playing GB games on the go!

So now we come to the genesis (sorry, pun intended) of this project!  There are a number of folks who have endeavored to do full system reviews, which are game-by-game analysis of every title for the respective console(s) they've chosen.  You have Nintendo Legend, and Dylan Cornelius' Questicle project to review every North American NES title, and his subsequent descent into all things Sega with his Sega Does website and podcast.  You also have HuCard Heaven, for TurboGrafx and PC Engine games, and Sega Galactico, aka The Sega Legend, working his way through the Sega Genesis library.  Tom Hall, of the Breaking Bits Podcast, calls himself the N64 Connoisseur, and is attempting to review every North American N64 release. Not every system has a "Legend" working on the game library, but it's becoming more prevalent.  In the Game Boy space, there's GameBoyle, a fantastic YouTube series and Twitter account of a great resource for all things Game Boy.  There's also Game Boy World, a great resource of GB game reviews and information.

So why does the world need a Game Boy Guru?  I'm not sure it does, but as my conversation with Dylan Cornelius went (great dude, go follow him on Twitter right now!), the more people exploring the entire game libraries of each console, the better.  The more people that are uncovering the lesser known titles, milling through the shovelware, and truly highlighting the best games of a platform, the better off the retro gaming community will be.  My opinion may be just one in a sea of opinions, but I want to express it just the same.  This will be an outlet for me, but also a learning experience, since the vast majority of the Game Boy library remains undiscovered by me.  As much as I've enjoyed my Game Boy systems over the years, I'd love to play through a lot of the library.  I've been actively buying Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games when I find them inexpensively, and have built a small, respectable library that will be a great place for me to start.


"It's dangerous to go alone, take one of these!"

I hope to build a near-complete collection of North American Game Boy releases, as well as eventually getting close to that with both the GB Color and GB Advance.  I will cover Japanese and European games if and when I can, based on when I can acquire them.  If the site gets good feedback and people are asking for content faster than I can acquire games, I may look into Patreon or some way folks can help me continue to acquire games for review.  I may also look into a YouTube channel, though my existing channel has been quite neglected of late.  Either way, I want to bring you my thoughts on the Game Boy family of handhelds, and I felt like now was the right time to start doing that.  Game on!



Original version posted on the official Game Boy Guru site:
http://gameboyguru.blogsp...ion-to-game-boy-guru.html



Posted on Mar 19th 2014 at 05:16:04 AM by (tactical_nuke)
Posted under review, metroid, gba



3/19/2014 - Metroid Fusion (GBA, 2002)

Metroid Fusion is awesome. It's a very worthy successor to Super Metroid. Fusion improves upon the previous game's controls, allowing the player to pull off more complicated moves smoothly. Exploring the space station setting's maze-like paths are rewarding and fun.

The art style combines organic and technological sci-fi elements to build upon the Metroid universe. Samus's quick monologues when descending elevators to newly opened sectors give insight into her character and show her determination and will to successfully complete her mission. On top of that, a few familiar beings from games past make an appearance as well.

I'm surprised this game in the series isn't as talked about as Super and Prime. It's a shame that no 2-D Metroid games have come out in over a decade. On a side note, Gameboy Player: Best Nintendo peripheral ever.

Recommendation: Play this game after you play Super Metroid.



Posted on Jun 15th 2011 at 09:39:33 PM by (dsheinem)
Posted under Game Boy Advance, GBA, Launch Games

Welcome to a special co-production of the Transitions Blog and Game Boy Player Land. We teamed up to investigate the launch of the Game Boy Advance, a system which was released ten years ago this week in North America and went on to sell over 80 million units worldwide over the next decade. 


For gamers that can walk into a GameStop in 2011 and still buy GBA carts, it is hard to imagine that there was ever a time when the Game Boy Advance would have seemed like a risky proposition with an uncertain future.  When the system launched in June of 2001 (March in Japan), there were legitimate questions about the viability of 2D handheld gaming in an era that was championing 3D.  To put it in perspective, the GBA launched a year after the release of the PlayStation 2, almost two years after the release of the Dreamcast (which had just been dropped in North America by Sega in January)  and just six months ahead of Nintendo's own GameCube console.  Financially successful 2D games had been all but eradicated by the previous generation of console hardware, and the Game Boy's slumping sales coupled with poor international showings from the Wonderswan and Neo Geo Pocket Color pointed to an uncertain future for handhelds.  So when Nintendo introduced a unit that offered the functionality of a portable Super Nintendo, there was some apprehension in the air. 

So, let's consider what it would have been like to stand inside your local retailer of choice at midnight on June 11, 2001.  What would you see? What would you be thinking? You probably knew to bring two AA batteries with you to start playing, but what might you bring home to play?

Part 1: The Games

At launch, Game Boy Advance games sold for between $29.95 and $39.95 each, and the lineup of seventeen titles in North America was more than what had been seen before for any handheld launch in history.  The titles spanned a wide swath of new and old IPs:


Army Men Advance   As the millennium turned, there was a successful run of games in the Army Men series across several consoles.  So when the GBA launched in 2001, it was perhaps no surprise that the series made an early debut on the handheld.  While the isometric game is lacking in many aesthetic areas such as graphics and sound (especially compared to later games in the same series on the GBA), it stands out in the launch library as the only completely new title that allowed the played to run around and fire a gun (Earthworm Jim was a port).  Players could revisit levels of their choice using a password system, and those who struggled through the more technically impressive later levels were rewarded with a congratulations screen at the end of the game (which, incidentally, could be accessed from the main menu).


Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - There's a good argument to be had that this was probably the most anticipated launch game for the GBA, and by most counts it did not disappoint as it was probably the best reviewed launch title for the system.  As the first 2D Castlevania game since 1997s Symphony of the Night on the PlayStation and Saturn, the game delivers all the Metroidvania action you could crave along with the kind of distinctive artistic style that has marked the best entries in the series.  Though the game was a bit dark (and thus more difficult to see on the launch model GBA compared to later models), it offered a showcase for the abilities of the system, an intriguing story, gameplay with depth, and battery backup!


Chu Chu Rocket - There was something dirty about placing a cartridge bearing the Sega logo into a piece of Nintendo hardware in 2001, but any unease associated with that once-unholy pairing was soon erased by starting up this gem of a game.  Like most puzzle games, ChuChu Rocket is probably most at home on a portable console.  While the GBA version doesn't feature quite the same level of polish as the Dreamcast version (released just a few months before in the US), there are enough added features (such as multiplayer support from one cart and 2500 user-created levels) to more than make up for any loss in visuals or sound.  Given that it was the only true puzzle game at launch (why the GBA didnt launch with a Tetris title still confounds), this was a great release day choice.


Earthworm Jim - If you have played the SNES port of this classic 2D platformer, youve essentially played the GBA version.  Everything about the game (down to the lack of a save feature) is included here, and that's pretty much it.  It is impressive that this was the only SNES game ported directly to the GBA at launch, as it may have been fairly easier for lots of publishers to get started on the system with one of their older classics.  Thats what Shiny did here, and it helps to round out the launch with a little bit of familiarity.


F-Zero: Maximum Velocity - Other than a Mario title, this was the only first party game Nintendo had ready for the GBA launch.  Like Earthworm Jim and Pitfall, F-Zero felt like a 16-bit console port (even though it isn't a straight port) and helped establish the idea of the system as a portable Super Nintendo.  That means that your feelings about this game will closely mirror those of the SNES original, as the control and difficulty closely match that title.  The graphics actually look a bit nicer, though, and having something so fast on a small screen was a bit dizzying at the time. 


Fire Pro Wrestling  This long-running series had already published almost thirty entries in the series before the Game Boy Advance launch, and so its inclusion in the launch library didn't come as a real surprise.  This edition of the game featured many of the things that have made the series great  the ability to create your own wrestlers, a deep roster of available players, a smart grappling engine, and enough production quality to make it seem like a polished release. Since there was no other realistic fighting game at launch for the GBA (Ready 2 Rumble doesn't count) and no sports games aside from racers and Tony Hawk, a wrestling title probably looked alluring to a wide variety of consumers looking to scratch their competitive itch on launch day.


GT Advance -  Gamers in 2001 may have had to do a double take when they threw GT Advance into their GBA.  The combination of mode-7 style graphics and some excellent shading work really make the game pop off the screen.  The pseudo-3D effect is really quite something, and the selection of cars, colors, and other customization options meant that this game was an innovation in handheld racers upon its release.  The password system (instead of a battery save) is a real pain in the ass, though  it would have been nice to just use a battery backup.  Nonetheless, the controls feel very good, the amount of racing that you can do is impressive, and this was one of the few launch titles to feature link play capability.  Give that the only other racing options at the GBA launch were an F-Zero game (futuristic) and Konami Krazy Racers (kart racing), this would have been a strong choice for someone looking for something more realistic.


Iridion 3D -The 16-bit era had been regarded by many as the heyday of the shmup, so you could forgive gamers who picked up Iridion 3D while looking to find a GBA launch title that might deliver on the rich history of SNES games like Axelay or Phalanx.  Unlike the excellent sequel, however, the original Iridion game is a 3D corridor shooter that has more in common with the Genesis' Galaxy Force than it does with any of the great 2D shooters of the late 1980s and early 1990s.  The graphics and sound are certainly passable in that they showed off what the GBA could do, but the core gameplay is quite boring and pretty frustrating.


 Konami Krazy Racers - If you've ever wondered who would win in a race between Goeman and the Octopus from the Parodius games, then Krazy Racers is for you. Although Mario Kart Super Circuit had been announced at launch, Konami beat Nintendo to the punch. This charming little Super Mario Kart clone is actually a blast for fans of the SNES classic kart racer and borrows heavily from it. Everything from terrain to coins and Mode 7 scrolling is present. However Konami enthusiasts will love all the fan-service with appearances from beloved franchise characters, music and even the Twinbee! bells returning as power-ups.


 Namco Museum - No system would be complete without Namco repackaging a handful of ROM's from their pool of classics. This GBA collection is decent but underwhelming, and certainly not a launch game that showed off what the GBA system could do. While gamers could rejoice to have such nice portable renditions of Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position and Dig-Dug, it must have also been disappointing considering the small collection of games offered. The lack of a battery feature to save high scores would just kick retro-enthusiasts while they were down.


 Pinobee: Wings Of Adventure - A prime example that lush, colorful graphics do not make a great game. Pinobee is actually pretty sub-standard platforming fare. The controls are awful and the levels, though gorgeous are extremely boring to actually play through. There's not a whole lot of challenge or even reward to motivate you to play through the game. Though certainly a fine tech-demo, Pinobee perhaps should have not made it to the launch lineup.


 Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure - Based on the SNES game of the same title, this platformer looks nice but really doesn't play all that great. Not only does it commit the cardinal sin of making B the jump button but it also goes overboard with stage design that's all style over substance. Its as if there was so much intention to show off what the GBA was capable of graphically that often the flow of a level is confusing -- you can pass in front of one tree, but another that looks just like it proves to be a roadblock. Ultimately its a frustrating game in a rather long series of letdowns.


 Rayman Advance - Whereas the GBA was touted as a portable SNES pretty much out the gate, Rayman Advance was one the few launch games that argued it could actually be a lot more than that -- in this case a portable PlayStation. This port of Rayman is absolutely gorgeous. More importantly, it plays remarkably well and may have been the best platformer available upon the GBA's launch.


 Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 - For an arcade style boxing game Ready 2 Rumble is surely a bit of a fun. It looks impressive for such an early GBA game using scrolling to give a slight feel of 3D movement in the ring. It also uses some nice voice samples to add a touch of realism to the sprites as well. However the controls are also quite laggy, which can lead to frustrating gameplay as punches are often thrown after a bit of delay which makes strategizing rather hard. Its not quite game-breaking, but its awful close and can often lead to resorting to button-mashing out of frustration.


Super Dodge Ball Advance - This port of the classic Kunio-kun sports title is bittersweet. While it retains the fantastic gameplay of the original -- mixing a bit of brawling in with everyone's favorite Phys. Ed. pastime -- for some reason the developers, Million decided to complete re-design the Kunio-kun appearance of the sprites. Certainly this won't sit well with fans of the long-running series of games, but the upside is that it's still as fun to play today as it was at launch.


 Super Mario Advance - Though its no surprise that a new Nintendo system would launch with a Mario platformer, it is odd that a remake of a rather infamous black sheep would be one of them. Super Mario Advance is just that, a somewhat upgraded version of the NES Super Mario Bros. 2, which adds in the welcome addition of a save feature but also adds in a lot of infuriatingly horrible voice samples as well. If you can get past the voices though (or at least play with the volume turned off) then its still a pretty decent take on the game and features some very bright, colorful sprite work which was especially welcome on the original GBA's overly dark screen. Perhaps Nintendo figured it would use the GBA launch to give players a chance to reevaluate this oft-overlooked sequel.


 Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 - The first Pro Skater game was released on the Game Boy Color, but didn't resemble the console versions at all. Instead it was a horribly stripped down mess that couldn't even redeem itself as a decent Skate Or Die clone. So when Activision rolled out the sequel on the GBA it was amazing to see how well they had captured the PlayStation/Dreamcast versions of the game. Pro Skater is presented in an isometric view that works beautifully on the handhelds small screen. And though obviously there are omissions to the graphical detail and soundtrack, the game really plays excellently. The same game engine would later be used to bring the cult-classic Jet Grind Radio to the GBA as well.

Part 2: The System

The system launched for $99.99 in North America, $10 more than the original Game Boy fetched upon its release in 1989. 

Hardware: The system had some interesting similarities and differences to both the Game Boy/Game Boy Color systems and to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that had launched a decade prior.  The most obvious change was the number of buttons.  The GBA introduced SNES-style shoulder buttons that had not been there on the original line of Game Boys, though Nintendo decided to stick with only two primary buttons on the unit's face (the X and Y buttons wouldn't make their debut on a Nintendo handheld until the DS).  The most damaging similarity to the GB was a screen that lacked any backlighting, meaning that gamers needed to shell out for worm lights and the like for any nighttime gaming plans.  Luckily the system only needed 2 AA batteries to run, and could last for as many as 15 hours under the right conditions.

Furthermore, even though the GBA was actually a 32-bit system, most launch games shared more in common (from a technical standpoint) with Nintendo's 16-bit console.  This was good, as most games looked remarkably improved over even the most technically impressive GBC titles, but also contributed to a misconception about the system that it was only able to do SNES-level graphics, a view that dogged the handheld for its whole life.  To combat this, Nintendo stamped "32-bit" prominently on many of the retail boxes, hoping to convince consumers that they were getting high-end graphics in a handheld for a bargain price.


Wide Compatibility:   One of the major selling points for the system was that it would support all previous Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges.  Furthermore, like the Game Boy before it, the GBA would continue to be a region free console.  These two decisions effectively extended the library of games available for the system into the thousands. The system even offered options for screen stretching and color palette swapping via the use of L&R buttons.  In many ways, it was like the GBA has a built-in Super Game Boy.

Connectivity:  Like the Game Boy series before it, GBA units were able to connect to one another for multiplayer gaming, something that titles like Chu Chu Rocket took advantage of from the get go.  In addition, they launched with the promise of future connectivity with the Nintendo GameCube, something that was instituted very well for several of the games in that system's life. 

Part 3: The Launch

As mentioned above, there was some trepidation in the air over the launch of the GBA. 

Audience:  Much of the press covering the launch emphasized the unit's appeal to children  it was seen by much of the mainstream media as a purchase that parents would be asked to make.  For example, USA Today held a focus group of young kids to review the consoles the week before the system's US launch.  The article emphasized that

Quote
The latest version of the most successful game system ever, the $100 Advance (in stores Monday) wowed our testers, ages 9 to 13 and all Game Boy veterans, with a combination of compelling games and realistic graphics.

The next day The Washington Post explained that
Quote
Parents concerned about what all these games might cost them -- or kids worrying about how to stretch their own allowances -- do get one break with the GBA. Not only can gamers link up to four handhelds with an optional Link Cable, they can also share certain games with friends with only one cartridge on hand.

At a time when console games had clearly broken through to an older audience (after a half decade of struggling to do so), handheld gaming was still largely considered by mainstream media coverage to be toys for kids to play with on car rides in the back seat.  In some ways, over its lifetime the GBA would work to change that perception, but at launch the designation of "toy" was very much a real problem for Nintendo.

Ads: Nintendo ran a series of bizarre ads in 2001 promoting the GBA, some of which can be seen here:





These artistic ads, featuring CGI and high end production, certainly oversold the capabilities of the GBA.  However, they also gave it a certain "cool factor" for older gamers, as these ads weren't aimed at the young children suggested by the press coverage above: they were aimed at older teens and young adults.  The unit itself was only featured briefly in these spots, as was any footage of actual gameplay.  Instead, Nintendo was selling an image of the company and of the handheld that looked to break from its more traditional image and, perhaps, to blend better with the marketing that existed for its console contemporaries.

Availability: Reports in the days after launch suggested that the unit was selling out at many locations, and any fears about its initial success were quickly dashed when the unit passed the one million units sold mark by July of 2001 (by contrast, the 3DS took more than three months to hit that milestone).

We hope you've enjoyed this retrospective on the GBA launch but there's certainly more to be said...Were you there on launch day? What did you pick up and why?  What else do you remember about the system's marketing and sales? Speak up and share your stories in the comments below!




Posted on Apr 24th 2011 at 09:57:47 PM by (lisalover1)
Posted under Gamecube, Nintendo, Simulation, GBA, Multiplayer



[Note: This post was originally written in late November, hence the mentions to Thanksgiving.]

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in America [and a belated Happy Thanksgiving to Canada]! You're probably going to be with family a lot over the holidays, so I'm going to review a classic Gamecube game that you can show everyone. Every now and then, we need a break from all the action that most games give us. We need a break from the high-octane power fantasies that are most prevalent in gaming today, and simply try something more soothing. We just need something to calm our nerves. I heard someone say once [although I don't quite remember who] that Animal Crossing is not just relaxing; it's practically healing, which is why it is good that games like it exist. Animal Crossing fills a much-needed gap in the gaming world, and it is appreciated for that. So, what exactly makes Animal Crossing not just a good game, but a necessary game?

Gameplay

Animal Crossing is a Life Simulator, in the same vein as titles like Harvest Moon or The Sims. You go about the game day-to-day, talking with neighbors, collecting items/furniture, making money, decorating your house, etc. There's always something to do, so you're sure not to get bored for some time. The game was first advertised as "the game that keeps playing, even when you're not", and it really lives up to that idea. Everything in the game happens in real-time, so when the sun rises/sets in real life, it will probably also do so in the game. Certain activities are only available at certain times on certain days, while many very rare events happen randomly, in which case, you just have to keep looking for them every day. Holidays in Animal Crossing generally involve some sort of festival in which every member of the community participates. It's actually quite fun to play on these days; some of the outcomes of festivals may even get you a really rare item. And therein lies the core of the gameplay; item collection. Your ultimate "goal" in Animal Crossing is to pay off your debts, expand your house, and decorate it. There are other goals to accomplish, such as completing every entry in the town museum, but as I said, the main goal is to make your house awesome. There are hundreds of different items and pieces of furniture to collect, and you can make your house look like whatever your imagination and pocketbook will allow. You can even collect miniature NES systems that include certain games, which is a really nice touch. Some items can only be obtained through extensively complicated and difficult means [more than one has you participate in an event on the Animal Crossing website!], but usually these items are really interesting and fun. As with all Life Sim games, Animal Crossing is extremely addictive, meaning you can easily log months of game time in, seeing everything the game has to offer. Also, when you're done in your town, you can visit a friend's town, too. All you need is their memory card, and you can visit, meet your friend's neighbors, check what is available in their shop, etc. These things add infinite replay value to the game [if you could call it replay value; the game never really ends]. Animal Crossing also features a certain level of multiplayer; up to 4 players can live in the same town, so if you'll forgive the horrendously-overused cliche, it really is a game for the whole family. I do wish Nintendo would have incorporated direct online features into the game. The Gamecube needed to prove its worth in this area very badly during its life, and it was never utilized very well. A feature where you could download new holidays, events, items, or neighbors would have been a great feature, and would have given the game even more play time, and always give you something new to do. The sequel, Animal Crossing: Wild World for the DS had online functionality, but only to visit other player's towns in multiplayer. This was still a great idea, but I just wish it, along with the DLC, would have been with the series from the start. It would be the final piece in the puzzle of a truly living, breathing world in your 'Cube.

Gameplay: 9/10



Story

In Animal Crossing, you play as [insert name here], a new citizen in the quiet town of [insert name here]. As you progress though the game, you meet new neighbors, such as [various] or the ever-cheerful [to be determined]. Okay, enough with that joke. As you can see, a lot of the game's story is either nonexistent, random, or player-determined. The only things that remain predetermined are certain NPCs that stay in town regardless of what events happen, like the extortionist asshole shopkeeper, Tom Nook [to whom you must pay back your SUBSTANTIAL house debt], the incredibly lazy museum curator, Blathers, and the absolute bane of my existence, Resetti, an unbelievably long-winded mole that shows up every single time you neglect to save your game, and whose lectures get exponentially longer and more irritating each time you do so. Your normal neighbors are much more manageable, and are actually nice to you. There's really not much else to say about the story in the game; there is none. This doesn't mean that the Life Sim genre is universally devoid of story, though. Certain games in the Harvest Moon series have completely demolished this barrier. Once again, a game like this doesn't need a story, because the gameplay is more than enough. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, aren't I?

Story: 8/10



Sound

I'm going to be honest; I din't like the music in Animal Crossing. It came across as bland, repetitive, and even irritating at times. The sequel's music was actually much better, and conveyed a more soothing, pleasant tone. I don't know what happened with the Gamecube version, though. The whole thing just feels wrong. It feels like Nintendo wanted to create an almost comical effect with the audio, but it really falls flat for such a slow-paced game. The one good thing I will say is that each tune seems to fit the situation well; they are just for the most part not very good songs. There a few nice ones in there, like the rainy day song, which I posted here, but overall, it's just not very good. As I said, the music in Wild World is leaps and bounds better, so don't get too discouraged. Nintendo should have gone back and taken another look on what this series is really about to make good music for it. As it stands, the music is mostly tolerable, but certainly not great.

Audio: 5/10



Graphics

Animal Crossing actually originally debuted on the Nintendo 64 in Japan, where it was called Doubutsu no Mori, translated into Animal Forest. There were several differences between Forest and Crossing, but the core game remained the same. The good news was that Animal Forest was a really great-looking N64 game, which translated into a good-looking Gamecube game. Also, the updated Gamecube version supports 480p, a higher resolution than the N64 version offered. But realism isn't everything. Far from it; the best thing about the game's graphics is its charming art style. Everything in the game is presented in a cartoony fashion, with basic, pastel textures and definite angles, which are all very easy on the eyes. While the game failed in finding suitable audio, it greatly succeeds in a suitable art style. Some of the objects in the game, particularly background objects, are in 2D, which help even more with the game's aesthetic. While the game's graphics won't blow you away, they certainly fit the gameplay like a glove.

Graphics: 7.5/10



Extras/Value

I mentioned before that there are a bunch of neat easter eggs in Animal Crossing, like the collectible NES games, for example. There is a bunch of hidden furniture to collect, which gives you a real sense of accomplishment when you collect a whole set. There is also an island that you can visit off the coast of your town, which can only be accessed on a Game Boy Advance via a Gamecube-to-GBA Link Cable. It's a nice little bonus feature, and there are some special items that can only be obtained on the island, so if you want to get something really rare, you might have to hook up your GBA. There's another function that the GBA has in the game, though. You can use the E-Reader device for the system, and scan cards on it to unlock even more things in the game. While the E-Reader may have been a commercial flop, it is still a cool idea, and demonstrates Nintendo's resourcefulness. There is so much to unlock in this game that I don't think anyone has ever legitimately unlocked everything. Even if it has been done, it might take a couple years of play. You're really going to get your money's worth with Animal Crossing. Speaking of which, the game is currently $10 at Gamestop; not too shabby.

Extras/Value: 9/10





Overall

Animal Crossing is not meant to be a game that is played constantly [although many people do so]; it is meant to be played in short bursts, and is designed around that style. It is a game that you can put countless cumulative hours into, perfecting and completing everything over time. Nintendo really made a good move in localizing this oddball title, because it is really something unique and fun. Of course, it has now become a lucrative series, but it was a bit of a risk back when it was first released. I can now honestly say that this is one of the 'Cube's best time-wasters, and is a joy to play. If you haven't tried Animal Crossing before, you should probably try Wild World first, but the Gamecube version holds up well, too.





Overall: 7.5/10



This is Lisalover1, and I know you cried a little at that last image. Smiley



Posted on Apr 24th 2011 at 05:58:29 PM by (lisalover1)
Posted under Gamecube, Zelda, Nintendo, Action, Review, GBA



It has recently come to my attention that many of you, despite owning a Gamecube or Wii, and being fans of the Zelda series, have still not played The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. If I may ask, what the hell have you been doing with your life?! This discrepancy in the gaming community is shocking, and I will not stand for it. So, let's fix that. I am going to show you today that this is not the black sheep of the main Zelda franchise, and why you need to play this game. Aside from Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker is likely the most controversial title in the series, which is likely the reason people stray away from it. But, I'm not only going to tell you that this is a legitamite title in the series, but how it may be one of it's best.

Gameplay

The Wind Waker plays similarly to its Nintendo 64 predecessors, The Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, which is a very good thing. You can still assign weapons to 3 different controller buttons [X, Z, and Y, in this case], and the controls remain similar, except for a few improvements. There is now a much easier-to-control difference between tiptoeing, walking, and running, because of the Gamecube's more accurate analog stick. There have been some rather nice changes to combat, as well. Link can now perform actions such as parry attacks, which let him dodge an enemy's attack, and strike back. For some enemies, this is a necessary tactic to defeat them, but for the most part, hacking and slashing will do just fine. So, yes, the combat remains mostly unchanged from the standard Zelda formula. But that's not what I want to talk about. The thing that really sets Wind Waker apart from the crowd; sailing. As you probably know, the game allows you to sail around a huge world map to 49 different islands. I always thought that this was the game's strongest point. Zelda games have always tried to give the player a vast world to explore, and this is the epitome of that idea. You could spend hours traversing the Great Sea, searching in every nook and cranny. I spent a good few days just completing the map! While some may find it boring, I think it gives you a real sense of adventure that is uncommon to find in most games. I should probably move on before I start to ramble about this, though. You will find equipment similar to what you have used in previous games, so it should feel familiar. One of the bigger additions to the game is the Wind Waker itself; a baton that you use to control the direction of the wind to sail more effectively, or solve puzzles. The method of doing so is similar to Ocarina of Time, where you must memorize musical patterns, and play them back. Nothing new there, but it is still just as good.

Gameplay: 9.5/10



Story

Little has changed about the central plot of Wind Waker in comparison to the other games in the Legend of Zelda series. You still play as a young, nameless boy [although most people just prefer to call him Link] who wears a green tunic, and must kill the evil Ganondorf/Ganon and save Princess Zelda. Now that that's out of the way, let's look at what is unique to The Wind Waker. Link is a boy living on Outset Island with his sister and grandmother. But one day, a giant bird flies over the island, carrying the captain of a pirate ship. Link goes off to rescue her, which eventually leads to the bird capturing Link's sister. The pirate crew allows Link aboard so he can rescue his sister in the bird's lair. That's about as much as I can say without giving any spoilers, but as you progress, it eventually leads to Link having to save the entire world from Ganon's plans. Standard fare for the series; it's what we have come to expect from a quality Zelda title. It doesn't have the deep, emotional narratives of an RPG, but it is what it is, and it is still a great one.

Story: 8/10



Sound

I'll cut right to the chase; The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker has arguably the best soundtrack of any Zelda game. That's a controversial statement, I know, but I can back it up. Since the Gamecube was Nintendo's first disc-based console, they were free to use that extra space to make disc-quality audio. This makes for a truly sublime soundtrack that captures the moment of every single situation in the game. Sometimes, I just leave the game sit at the title screen so I can hear the main theme! Now, don't get me wrong; there have been some breathtaking soundtracks in the Zelda series, but it is my opinion that The Wind Waker takes the cake. There are just so many songs that give an adventurous, bold, yet fun feeling, which is the embodiment of the Zelda series as a whole. Never have the songs in a Zelda game felt more powerful and suitable. You have to hear it to believe it, and when you do, my arguement will start to make sense. The music in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is on an entirely different level than most games. It's just not something you find everyday, and you appreciate it when you do.

Sound: 10/10



Graphics

One of the most controversial aspects of The Wind Waker was its drastically different art style. The Zelda games on the Nintendo 64 seemed to strive as much as they could for realism, but The Wind Waker adapts a more cartoon-like style. This decision has divided the Zelda fan base since the game's unveiling. I'm here to tell you that the only people who don't like The Wind Waker's graphics are people who haven't played the game. It is obvious that Nintendo put a lot of time and effort into creating some of the most artistically pleasing graphics on the system. The Wind Waker's visuals are clean, well-defined, and polished to no end. The draw distance while sailing is phenomenal; the Great Sea really seems to on forever, and you can see islands from several miles away, not counting what you can see with the telescope. It's incredible to actually be able to see your destination well before you're near it. In this way, the art style was a good decision not just in appearance, but was actually some elegant programming and system resource management. There aren't many complicated textures in many of the graphics, especially in the ocean, so the draw distance and framerate would benefit greatly. Well done, Nintendo. Oh, and the game runs in 480p if you're lucky enough to have a component cable, and it's a fairly big improvement, especially in 2D sections like the menus, where it is a night and day difference. If you got a component cable just for this game, it would already be worth it. So, The Wind Waker's graphics are both an artistic and technical triumph.

Graphics: 10/10



Extras/Value

There are plenty of side quests in The Wind Waker, so you'll always have something to work towards. After completing the game once, you unlock the second playthrough mode, which gives you special bonuses such as Link wearing his pajamas throughout the whole game, letting you use the Color Pictobox [Camera] from the start, and translating all Hylian text into English. There is also a figurine-collecting quest that requires you to obtain photographs of different things in the game to have them made into figurines. In case you were wondering, yes, it is very difficult to collect all of them. Also, there is the Zelda tradition of the item trading game. The Wind Waker is currently being sold for $20 at Gamestop, but it doesn't matter what the price is. Buy it. You will not regret it; I assure you.

Extras: 9/10





Overall

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is one of the definitive titles for the Nintendo Gamecube, and it certainly deserves that accolade. The game is a masterpiece, with polish and craftsmanship apparent in every single one of its aspects. I have completed it three times already, and I loved every minute of it. The game is completely undeserving of all the hate it has received. If you have yet to play The Wind Waker, now is the time. Stop ignoring the game because of its art style, or whatever preconceptions you may have, get yourself down to a game store, buy the game, and play it. It's about time you did.





Overall: 9.5/10

This is Lisalover1, trying to pretend the CD-i Zelda games don't exist.



Posted on Apr 24th 2011 at 05:09:42 PM by (lisalover1)
Posted under Gamecube, Sega, Multiplayer, GBA, Link Cable, Platformer, Review



Sega's history after the Dreamcast is mostly regarded to be a sad one. Many fans felt abandoned by the company, who once was known for making very creative and fresh games that stood out in quality and had a lot of heart. Unfortunately, games such as these rarely sold well, and eventually forced Sega out of the console market altogether. Sega started to produce more cookie-cutter games to appease the masses, and lost a little bit of its soul in the process. But, every once in a while, even today, the company will release a game that has the brilliant and radically different appeal of what they used to be. In a word, it has the Sega spirit. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is one of those games.


Gameplay

The gameplay in Billy Hatcher, at its core, is similar to games like Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, or Jak and Daxter, all of which fall under the sub-genre of 3D platformers nicknamed "Collect-A-Thons", due to the fact that the way to advance in these games is to collect certain trinkets for achieving goals in the game, eventually giving you access to new levels. In Billy Hatcher, you must collect Emblems of Courage in each world to advance. While that is the main premise of the game, the genius comes in how you play the levels. In the game, Billy Hatcher is given a Rooster Suit by the chicken god, which gives him the power... [pause for dramatic effect] of eggs. Throughout the adventure, Billy and his 3 friends can roll around eggs they find in the world, and use them as weapons, or roll over fruit, to make them grow, and eventually hatch them to use whatever item or power-up is inside. For example, hatching one type of egg summons a creature that you can use to attack large groups of enemies. Another egg type gives you a new rooster comb for the rooster suit, which augments an egg's attack power. There are over a hundred different eggs you can hatch, which gives the game a lot of variety.

The game uses the same game engine as in Sonic Adventure 2, and it shows. You are timed in each level, and scored based on your time, the number of eggs hatched, number of enemies defeated, and how many combos you preformed [by taking out multiple enemies in a single attack], and gives you a grade, accordingly. This kind of system creates an "I can do better" mentality that made the Sonic games fun long after you beat them. Each level gives you a new objective, and you must obviously complete that objective as quickly and efficiently as possible. I should mention that if you are the type that likes to speedrun through games, this is a good one to consider. There are plenty of tricks and secrets in each level that you can exploit to finish faster, and are a joy when you find them. The only major flaw I can say about the game is it has an uncooperative camera, which, especially when your egg is at full size, makes it hard to see around your and where you're going. Overall, Billy Hatcher will give you your fix for a good 3D platformer, if that is what you're after.

Gameplay: 7.5/10



Story

Not much to say here, but what do you expect; it's a platformer. Basically, Billy Hatcher is a normal kid who goes to see his friends one day, when they see a wounded chicken, about to be attacked by a crow. Billy saves the chicken, which turns out to be one of the guardians of Morning Land, the game's setting. The chicken god then gives Billy and his friends rooster suits, and gives them the task of saving Morning Land from the Crow Army. Soon after, Billy's friends are kidnapped, and Billy must free them, with one held in each of the first 3 worlds. By freeing his friends, new missions are unlocked in each world, where you play as them instead of Billy. As I said, it isn't much of a story, but a game like this doesn't need a very elaborate plot. It is what it is, and it's good for that purpose.

Story: 7.5/10



Sound

The soundtrack in Billy Hatcher is lighthearted and upbeat; it suits the game very well. It is very reminiscent of the music in games like Yoshi's Island or the Kirby series. It's just good music that makes you feel good. Even in boss fights, the tunes are distinctively juvenile [in a good way, though], with a clearly exaggerated tone that feels comical, yet dangerous, as if it was ripped right out of an old Batman cartoon. It's hard to explain, but you will understand when you hear it. If I had to describe the game's soundtrack in one word, it would be "Catchy". You'll probably find yourself humming the tunes later, and enjoying it. I must also say that the main theme of the game, while somewhat irritating, still got stuck in my head, and is fun to listen to.

The characters in Billy Hatcher have almost no voiced dialogue, with the only exceptions being for a few words and some exclamations. My only problem is that there are actually a bit too few of said sounds and exclamations, leading to some of them being noticeably recycled at points. But, for the most part, the characters open their mouths about as often as Mario, so don't worry about annoying Sonic-esque voices.

Sound: 8.5/10



Graphics

Billy Hatcher is yet another fine-looking Gamecube game, running in 480p progressive scan, and boasting an exceptionally detailed opening FMV. The visuals in the game are colorful and cartoony, with very few sharp edges, making for some very virbant and lively scenery. The character and enemy models are creative and interesting, as are the bosses of each world, which are spectacular to see in motion. The graphics could have been a bit smoother, but that's just me looking for a flaw; there's always room for improvement in any game. While not among the ranks of some of the best graphics on the 'Cube, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg has an endearing art style that Sega has spent years trying to perfect through previous games.

Graphics: 8/10



Extras/Value

There are certainly a lot of neat extras in Billy Hatcher, enough to warrant the purchase alone! The first is the multiplayer battle mode, in which up to 4 players fight in an arena with eggs, in a standard last-man-standing fight. There are actually some pretty clever strategies you can come up with in this mode. For example, there is one egg exclusive to the multiplayer mode that lets you plant a fake egg that explodes when another player touches it. I like to place it in an empty egg nest [where new eggs spawn from in the game], so opponents can't tell the difference between the fake egg and the real egg. You can imagine how funny it is to watch. The multiplayer mode could have used a couple more arenas and features, but as it stands, it is solid, and well worth a play with your friends. It really reminded me of Donkey Kong 64's multiplayer battles, now that I think about it.

Another cool feature of the game is that it utilizes the Gamecube-to-Game Boy Advance link cable. If you had a GBA and link cable, you could upload minigames onto your GBA that stay there as long as you leave your GBA turned on. Some of the minigames are actually really good, in that except for length, they look and feel like actual GBA releases! The NiGHTS game alone is almost makes up for the lack of a real portable NiGHTS game. In fact, they're so good, I feel bad referring to them as minigames. Most of the games are scaled-down versions of classic Sega games, such as NiGHTS into Dreams, Puyo Puyo, Chu Chu Rocket, and even Billy Hatcher itself. Remember what I said about the Sega Spirit? This is what I mean. This is the Sega that we all know and love; the Sega that never forgets who they are, and who will always look after its fans. Unfortunately, it is also the Sega that rarely shows its face. But this is exactly what happens when it does. Once again, I cannot emphasize enough how well-made these minigames are! Actually, if I remember correctly, a while back, some hackers found a way to extract these games from the disc, and make them into actual GBA roms! Now that's saying something. Speaking of classic Sega, you can also hatch hidden Sega characters in certain stages, by getting all the hidden coins on that stage. You can use these characters to help you fight. Some of the characters you can unlock are NiGHTS, Amigo, Rappy [A common enemy in Phantasy Star Online], and of course, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. There are a few more you can find, but I can't remember them right off-hand. Still, it shows that Sega really gave it their all with this game, down to the very last detail.

I would definitely say that Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is worth a purchase. It's currently only $5 at Gamestop, so you can buy it with just spare change. Most gamecube games can be had for very cheap prices right now, so if you're looking to beef up your GC library, you might want to start soon, before Gamestop stops carrying Gamecube games. So, get Billy Hatcher while you can, because you might not have the chance later, for the same price.

Extras/Value: 10/10



Overall

Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is, for all purposes, the kind of game that defines who Sega is, was, and will always truly be. The Sega we normally see is not the real Sega; it is just its new parent company, Sammy. They took over, and things haven't been the same since. But, the real Sega is buried deep beneath that huge mass of shovelware and awful sequels. People are always talking about "the last great Sega game", but I have to disagree. There is no end to Sega, they will always be there, but they won't always be the ones in charge. But, Sega will try their hardest to give us the games that its' fans love, as often as they can. This game, along with a few others, are reminders to always let us know that they care. They really still care.




Overall: 8.5/10[/b]


This is Lisalover1, off to go give my Sega Saturn the playtime it deserves.



Posted on Apr 1st 2011 at 11:58:48 AM by (Zagnorch)
Posted under Super Mario Advance, classic, Mario Kart, Game Boy Advance, GBA, board game

Hey now!

Are you lookin' to satisfy your gaming jones with up to three of your friends, and you possess a flat, stable surface and a decent amount of natural light, but you've no hardware or electricity? Well then, why not whip this out:

a155ef42d4b45ecdf0774ed0a528da76f201526d7183c13e9ba902f334ffe56d4g.jpg

Get ready for hours of incredible fun and improbable excitement with your fellow luddites when you play the Super Mario Advance mini board game! Put out way back when by those charming purveyors of pediatric obesity at Wendy's, this crowd-pleaser harkens back to the good ol' days of gaming that gramps used to incessantly natter on about before mom & dad shipped him off to the retirement villa!

387910d26c391c50d09aee576b1bdf48ee90e8d6796eb375b961f3a3da480d824g.jpg

This bad boy's features include, but aren't limited to:

- Ten different playable Marioverse characters to choose from, from everybody's fave pipe-warping protagonist to the one-game wonder Wart! Okay, so every character has the exact same power level, and possesses the same singular ability: to move up to five spaces per turn. Hey, big whoop, okay? Personally, I like to play as Luigi 'cuz I identify with his inferiority complex, cowardice, and inability to garner any respect from his peers whatsoever. Boy, do I have issues...

- Compact & portable, with only the smallest bit of assembly and setup required!

- No need for bulky GBA units, messy link cables, or cramp-inducing controllers to play!

- The Super Mario Advance mini board game runs on a minimal amount of personal bioelectric energy that's easily replenished with a few swigs of Mountain Dew and a handful of Cheetos!

- Fast-paced game play! Just slightly slower than a couple rounds of WarioWare microgames, the Super Mario Advance mini board game is made to order for all you speed-runners out there!

- Classic-style graphics along with smooth and responsive controls that pay tribute to such legendary titles as Candy Land, Sorry!, and Chutes & Ladders! And by "tribute," I mean "an outright rip-off."

- Replayability! Oh, don't you even get me started on replayability! No, really, I don't wanna talk about it-- it's way too soon after the break-up.


But wait, there's more! Just flip the board over--carefully now, that's it--and you and your geekin' cronies can get into some hot Mario Kart action! (Not that kind of hot action you degenerate!)

4b189ee98a06fff68c043915f855b1b45312ab8fc41e11bf6919299ce1aefaa74g.jpg

It's two!... Two!!... TWO GAMES IN ONE!!!

Or three games in one if you consider this a scaled-down real-world version of Mario Party. And party you will... especially now that you can invite your Amish friends over to throw down! You just might be up 'til ten tonight, you scofflaw, you!

So what are you waiting for?! Grab your very own copy of the Super Mario Advance mini board game today! Or whenever it's being offered on eBay or CraigsList, hopefully complete and in decent condition. Which could be any day now... mmmyep...

- 'Late



Posted on Apr 23rd 2010 at 04:58:28 AM by (noiseredux)
Posted under GBA, Shmups

The recent acquisition of my Hori Fighting Stick has gotten me in a very arcadey kind of mood. I've been going through various genres that I tend to associate with the feel of an arcade stick. That being said, don't be shocked if the Game Boy Player Land blog becomes a bit flooded with these sort of random rundowns of stray games. First up: Shmups.

Now I should note that different people tend to classify genres differently. It tends to be a personal thing. Shmup, or slang for "shoot 'em up" (as anyone who frequents this website is well aware) is described by the all-knowing Wikipedia as a game in which "the player controls a lone character, often a spacecraft  or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks." This is actually exactly how I tend to think of Shmups. Others consider something like Contra to be part of the genre. But in my head -- no spaceship, no Shmup. Contra and the likes are Run-N-Guns, which many consider to be a sub-genre of Shmups, but again -- no spaceship, man. So to me those two genres are millions of miles apart. That's just me.

Also, I think it's important to point out that this is not meant to be any sort of comprehensive list, or Best Of, or anything like that. Ultimately, it just touches upon games that I've actually had experience with.





Gradius Galaxies seems like a good place to start. I mean look, right there in the title... it says Gradius, so it must be good. Right? Well, sadly that's just not the case. Sadly, Galaxies has a lot going for it, but manages to drop the ball. The graphics are certainly top-notch, but the huge downfall is the control. Unfortunately, control is pretty much the most important aspect of whether a Shmup will be playable or not. And Gradius Galaxies is damn-near unplayable as far as I'm concerned. You see, the ship is terribly terribly slow. I mean really slow. I mean if you're at the top of the screen and you hold the down button expect to really wait a while to make it to the bottom of the screen. In a genre that prides itself on pandemonium, this kind of snail's-pace just doesn't cut it. 





Invader seems to be a somewhat overlooked GBA exclusive from 2002. And it's pretty much everything I want out of a Shmup. It's brightly colored with crazy robotic bugs and explosions. It's got lots of power-ups, a fantastic ambient-techno soundtrack and vocoder voices. It's really hard, but not infuriating. This is a game I cannot praise enough. Though it's rare that I see it mentioned when discussing GBA Shmups, ultimately I think it will earn a certain cult-status. In my eyes it's like the Ikaruga of the Game Boy Advance.





Iridion II tends to be the first game anybody ever mentions when discussing Shmups released for the Game Boy Advance. And with good reason. In reality Iridion II -- which is somewhat confusingly the sequel to Iridion 3D -- is a fantastic game. It's got a great control scheme, and stunningly innovative graphics. To be fair, this game and Invader are certainly a tough call as far as which is my favorite GBA Shmup. I've actually never played Iridion 3D but from what I can tell it portrays its ship from an over-the-shoulder perspective like Space Harrier or Star Fox. Though those are two games I love, I generally flock more towards traditional vertical or horizontal shooters.





R-Type III: The Third Lightning is such a frustrating release to me. Take a look at those pictures and you can see that this is a game with gorgeous graphics. They certainly are on par, and maybe surpass the SNES version. However my major plight with this game -- and it's the same problem I had with the previous Game Boy and Game Boy Color R-Type games -- is that the ship is just too big for the screen which results in incredibly difficult maneuvering. Your ship is just so long that it works as a detriment, making even simple movements result in crashing into something. This is a real letdown considering just how great the game looks. I've heard that some fans really love the Game Boy releases, so who know; maybe this game is for you. But I just couldn't get over this flaw in any of the Game Boy entries in the series.

Besides these, there's a supposedly near-perfect port of the SNES classic Phalanx that I would love to track down. Similarly there's the Japan-only release of Darius R which I'd love to get my hands on. But you tell me, what GBA Shmups am I missing out on? And more importantly, which should I avoid?



Posted on Nov 8th 2009 at 09:25:01 PM by (jfe2)
Posted under Astro Boy, Omega Factor, GBA, Gameboy

I took my son to see Astro Boy over the weekend. He's only two, but ever since he saw the commercial for it on TV, "Astro Boy" are the only words that I've heard coming out of his mouth. He loved the movie, and my wife and I actually thought it turned out to be pretty decent. There was enough action to keep the kid happy, and enough humor to keep us amused. I've never watched the Astro Boy anime before, or read the manga, but I have played the Astro Boy: Omega Factor game for the Gameboy Advance. After watching the movie with my family this weekend, it totally gave me the itch to go back and play it again.



Astro Boy was developed by treasure, which right off the bat should tell you its going to be fun. The game is mainly a side-scrolling, platforming, beat-em-up game, with some of the levels wandering off into the horizontal 'shmup category.



In the beat-em-up parts of the game, Astro Boy can punch and kick his way through enemies, as well as having the abilities to shoot a laser from his finger for ranged attacks, and being able to fire a machine gun that pops out of his butt to hit everything on screen. Yes, that's right, he has a machine gun stored in his butt. He IS a robot, so its not as disturbing as it sounds, but still... In the 'shmup parts of the game, Astro flies horizontally across the screen uses his laser finger as his primary attack. It's not the most in depth 'shmup gameplay ever, but it IS enjoyable. These segments keep the gameplay from becoming stale by offering up something different every once in a while.



Yeah, it all sounds a little weird, but it actually fits in with the rest of the bizarre world this game takes places in. Astro Boy takes place in a world full of robots and talking animals, so machine gun butts sort of fit in. Astro Boy is a robot who was created in the image of his creator's dead son, and is treated more as a weapon than a sentient being. During the course of the game you fight terrorists, travel through time, fight aliens, and run the gauntlet against some fellow robo-sapiens. The story is a bit complicated, but I assume fans of the source material would probably love it. I wasn't totally sucked in by the story, but it was entertaining enough to keep me wondering what was going to happen next.

The tone of the game reminds me a lot of Megaman, which is one of my favorite game franchises ever. The side scrolling aspects are similar, and the characters share a lot of similarities, which was one of the things that drew me to the game in the first place.



The graphics are bright and colorful, and the sprites are really fun to look at. Some of the enemies are just giant versions of the smaller guys, and they look a bit blocky, but they don't look horrible, just kind of out of place. The game does also suffer a bit of slowdown when there are tons of enemies on the screen. It is a bit annoying, but isn't necessarily game-breaking. It actually makes the game feel more retro to me, as most of my favorite games from the past also suffered from a little bit of slowdown. Remember Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts for the SNES? That was some hardcore slowdown!

Astro Boy: Omega factor is an enjoyable game, and was a real pleasure to play through again. It gets rather difficult near the end of the game, and presents a solid challenge for anyone who may be looking for an old school style beat-em-up. If you've been looking for something that plays like Mega Man meets Gunstar Heroes... meets a little bit of R-Type, then this game deserves your time.



Posted on Aug 9th 2009 at 02:22:33 AM by (Tondog)
Posted under Store Review, PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PSP, DS, GBA

I recently decided to get GameFly because I found that there were so many new games I wanted to try out, but not necessarily buy them. So far, i've been very impressed by the service. So much so that I thought I'd let you all know about my experiences so far. If you don't know, GameFly is a rental service, much like NetFlix, that allows you to rent games by mail.

First, let's talk about the main part of the service, renting. Their library of games is extensive. They have almost any game you could want for PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, DS, PSP, and GBA. So far it seems like most of the games I've wanted to rent are readily available, with the exception of brand new games, which tend to have Low to Very Low availability. But usually they'll be more available in a week or two once the initial renters have returned their copies.

The process of selected what games you want is fairly simple. You simply search the site for the game you want to rent and add it to your GameQ. Once you have titles in your GameQ, you can rearrange them to tell GameFly which you would like to have top priority. When you return a game, they will pick the next available game out of your GameQ and send it. Pretty simple.

You receive the game disc/cart only in an envelope that opens up into a pre-paid return envelope. Inside the envelope you'll find a protective cardboard sleeve with a paper sleeve inside that contains your game. You can keep any game as long as you want. Once you are done with a game, just put it back in the envelope, drop it in the mail and they'll take care of the rest. Once they receive your game, they'll ship out the next available game on your GameQ

In addition to offering rental services, GameFly also has an extensive library of used games for you to buy at a discounted price. Often times, their used game prices beat out GameStop. For example, I bought Prince of Persia for PS3 from them for only $22, whereas GameStop was charging $27 at the time I bought it. Another example: GameStop wants $55 for Red Faction: Guerilla whereas GameFly only wants $43 for it. Another nice thing about GameFly is that if you rent a game and you end up enjoying it, you can opt to keep the game without having to send it back. Oh, and all you CIB whores out there, don't worry, if you decide to keep the game, they will mail you the case and instructions for free. Since the case and instructions haven't been touched by anyone, they're in perfect condition. Oh yeah, I should also mention that all 6 games I've rented from GameFly so far have been in mint condition with no scratches or fingerprints of any kind.

Their shipping times are pretty good too. I live in Minnesota, and it usually takes three days for me to get a game from them or for them to receive a game I send back. However, sometimes when sending a game back, they will use something called fast return, where they ship your next game as soon as they get tracking confirmation from the post office that you put the game in the mail. I haven't figured out how that works yet, however.

Their plans are pretty well-priced too. $15.95 per month for one game out at a time, $22.95 for two games, $29.95 for three games, and $36.95 for four games.

GameFly offers a program called GameFly Rewards to all of its members at no charge. Every three months you are a member, you will get $5 GameFly Dollars to used in their used game store. Also, if you're a member for six months, you will get 5% all purchases from them, and if you're a member for a year, you'll get 10% off. So the longer you remain a member, the better of a deal you'll get if you buy games from them. Add that on top of the $5 they give you every three months, and the savings start to stack up pretty well.

Click here to give it a shot! They have a free trial, and your first month is discounted if you decide to keep going with them.



Posted on Jun 30th 2007 at 01:49:52 AM by (TraderJake)
Posted under Starmen, Earthbound, Mother 3, Hardcore, Activism, GBA, Modern Gaming, You thought you were devoted


People are passionate over things. Food perhaps, women, we all have some passion or another. Well, the fine folks at the Mother (Earthbound) fan site Starmen.net have a passion for all things related to the series, and who could blame them? Earthbound  is very much one heck of a game, and if you enjoy a combination of a trippy game and amazing RPG then here is a game for you.

So, with the predecessor that was simply amazing, why has Nintendo not released the latest incarnation stateside? Well, I wish I had an answer for you, and to be honest I was greatly saddened when it was not announced that it would be localized. However, the fine folks at Starmen.net have decided to do something about this travesty! Forget online petitions, they are going all out in their Mother 3 localization drive. Not content with the online petition method, they've called for action! Call Nintendo, Mail a Postcard or fan letter -- they want you to act and act now! With a combined effort from the fans, perhaps Nintendo will gain a heart to stop releasing games aimed towards three year olds and release a game that is truly unique.

Help starmen.net out, and perhaps Mother 3 will be llocalized into Earthbound 2. We can only hope that this will happen.
 


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
Blog Navigation
Browse Bloggers | My Blog
We are a community of collectors, gamers and the likes, and some of us enjoy to let the world know what is on our mind. For those members, we have the community blogs, a place where they can publish their thoughts and feelings regarding life, universe, and everything. Some of those members might even choose to write about gaming and collecting! Whatever they write about, you can find it on their blog. You can either see the latest community blog entries in the feed you see to the left, or you can browse for your favorite blog using the menu above. Interested in having your own blog hosted on RF Generation? It's rather simple, first be a registered member, and then click the "My Blog" link that you see in the navigation above. Following those two steps will certainly get you on your way to blogging.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy our entries, rantings, and completely unrelated series of thoughts. We write for you to read, so we certainly hope that you enjoy our material.
Hot Community Entries
Hot RFG Blog Entries
Site content Copyright © rfgeneration.com unless otherwise noted. Oh, and keep it on channel three.