Top 10 Video Game Series That Have Stood the Test of Time

These are games that came out in either the 8-bit or the 16-bit era and are still going strong in the current generation of video games.

10. Mortal Kombat – This fighting game series is an awesome series. This game series was ground breaking in the fact that is the first game to include blood and be very violent. This game also was the reason the ESRB rating system was created. The system needed to be created and it works great. So may disagree but it does work. This game have come out on almost every system.

9. Donkey Kong – This is the game that got Nintendo’s foot into the door of the gaming market. Donkey Kong is an awesome game it also introduced us to Mario who was known as Jumpman at the time. Donkey Kong has gone on to make many different times of games and they are all good games.

8. Street Fighter – Probably the most popular fighting game series. It all started with Street Fighter in the arcade but the series took off when Street Fighter II was released. Street Fighter II also had many remakes and people would buy the games multiple times. Capcom is still doing this with the Street Fighter series. Street Fighter IV came out and Capcom released Super Street Fighter IV which had a few more characters and some extra modes and not they have Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition with a few other add ons and characters. Lucky for us today we have high speed internet with Xbox Live and PSN so we can download the extra features for a lot less than buying the game. Capcom’s ability to keep releasing the same game with more stuff and keep gamers coming back for more Street Fighter is why this series is on the list.

7. Castlevania – This is another series that is still awesome. The Belmonts may not be as well know outside the gaming world but in the gaming world they are the most famous family of vampire slayers. This series of games has been going strong since the NES. Some games may not been as good as other. The old 3D games weren’t as popular but with the Castlevania games on the handheld system the series stayed alive. Then Lords of Shadow came out and showed us there is such a thing as a good 3D Castlevania game.

6. Pokémon – Pokémon is probably on of the most popular hand held games ever made. It's not just popular with kids is also popular with adults. The theme of the games is "gotta catch em all". That was on of the main goals making it a very addicting game to play. You also had different versions of the games like Red and Blue and each version of them game is pretty much the same but each version had exclusive Pokémon which meant you had to have a friend with a different version of the game to get all the Pokémon. You would have to link up your Game Boy to your friends Game Boy so that you could trade Pokémon or you could battle with your friends. Today with the DS we have Wi-Fi we can get only and find random people to trade with making its easier to trade and with the growing number of Pokémon its nice to have. There are also games on the consoles that allow you to transfer Pokémon to the console games like Pokémon Stadium. The Nintendo 64 had a Transfer Pak which allowed you to transfer your own Pokémon to the game. This is a game where you may not like the TV show or anything else to do with Pokémon, but you seem to really think these games.

5. Kirby – One of the most popular character from Nintendo other then Super Mairo. Kirby games are always awesome the game was designed to be a game for Kids and was meant to be easy. As the series evolved the game stayed somewhat easy but they added some things to make it more fun for hardcore gamers and fans of the series. Kirby is a little blob but he is a very popular blob named after a brand of vacuum cleaners.

4. Mega Man – The Blue Bomber is the most popular Capcom series out there and there are still games being made with 8-bit graphics. Mega Man also known as Rock Man in Japan is such an awesome game series. It has had is fair share of spin off games including Mega Man X which became its own series. I remember spending so much time as a kid playing Mega Man and I still have so much fun playing the games. You know a game has stood the test of time when you can have your graphic enhanced for newer games and then go back to the 8-bit graphics for the latest games in the series and people still want to play the game.

3. Final Fantasy – Final Fantasy was Squaresoft’s (SquareEnix now) final attempt at succeeding in the gaming market. Final Fantasy truly met Final Fantasy because if this game failed Square would have gone under. Final Fantasy is the most popular RPG game series out there now. They have 14 games in the main series (two of them being MMORPGs XI & XIV) along with many spin off series. These series include: Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Legend and a few sequels and prequels to some of the games in the main series. Final Fantasy has evolved over the years but you know when you are playing a Final Fantasy game.

2. Super Mario Bros. – Everyone knows who Super Mario is even if you have never played a video game. Super Mario is an awesome game he was one of the main reason the video game crashed. There have been so many types of Mario games. The most popular is platformers. He has also been in racing games, fighting games, party games, sport games and RPGs. Mario has his experience with all types of games. I don’t know if I've even know someone who doesn’t like to play Super Mario game who is a gamer.

1. The Legend of Zelda – This is a series the truly hasn’t lost any its luster. Every game in this series is awesome and I don’t count the CD-i games because they are not part of the series because they don’t have The Legend of Zelda in their names anywhere. This series is so awesome the time line can be very hard to follow but that really doesn’t matter. The game play is awesome and the stories are usually good also. No matter which game in the series I play it always feels like the Legend of Zelda. Technology gets better but the Legend of Zelda will never change. It was awesome when It came out in 1987 and its still awesome now with Skyward Sword (which I’m getting for Christmas). This is truly the game that has stood the test of time the best.

Honorable Mentioning

Sonic the Hedgehog, Phantasy Star, Dragon Quest, Metal Gear, Madden, Virtua Fighter and Sim City (and its many spin offs).

Want to learn more about the Legend of Zelda time like check out this video by the Angry Video Game Nerd.

To see more of the Angry Video Game Nerd check out Cinemassacre.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Beta Test

 

About two weeks ago I had the privilege to be a beta tester for the new MMORPG from Bioware and Lucas Arts called Star Wars: The Old Republic. I was able to test the game for two days and from what I played this is going to be an awesome game.When you get into the game you are going to get to pick your allegiance. You get a choice between The Galactic Republic and The Sith Empire. I choose The Sith Empire because we all know the Dark Side of the Force is stronger. The Character I chose was the Sith Inquisitor. He is a Force driven Sith and is very good with Force Lightning. He is the equivalent of the Jedi Consular from the Light Side. There are a few races to choose from I choose to be a human and Humans have the ability to rally their allies. There are a couple of other races to choose from but one that stuck out to me was the Sith race. If you choose to have a character that is of the Sith race they have a special ability to Punish their allies for screwing up. I'm pretty sure that race isn't available for the dark side. There are also Non Jedi characters and the one I really would like to try is the Bounty Hunter. Who doesn't want to be a Bounty Hunter with Boba Fett being one of the most popular (if not the most popular) character in all of the Star Wars universe. That enough about the other classes back to the Sith Inquistor. The Inquistor's story start off as you being a slave and you have just been recruited by the Sith. You will be sent on various missions to see if you are worthy of this Sith. I didn't get to far but I played enough of the game to get a feel and know that I will be good. I can probably rival the popularity of World of Warcraft but we can't say for sure just yet. We will know all once the game comes out and has been around for a little while. If you have played WOW (or any MMORPG) you should get the hang of this quick. The game is loads of fun and if you are a Star Wars fan you will probably love this game. You might even like this game even if you aren't a fan of Star Wars. The game is fun and have seems to have a lot to offer from what I was able to see. Now on to the cons of the beta. These cons aren't really aimed at the game they are more aimed at the Beta. When I picked a server to play on I was in the Queue for over 3 hours and there was  a lot of lag. The game probably ran slow because my laptop isn't a high performance gaming laptop, but my Internet connection is fast and I experience lots of lag. This was probably because so many people were on and the servers were full to the top with testers and that will be fixed when the game come out. One day I logged on and could barely move around. Aside from the lag this game was loads of fun to play and will be when its released December 20, 2011.

To learn more about Star Wars: The Old Republic check out their website swtor.com.

Upcoming collaborations with the Video Game View

I recently sat down with Bobby Hash of the Video Game View. We decided that it would be a lot of fun if we did some video posts together. Between the two of us we have over 1000 video games. So we have the material to do plenty of videos. Right now we are in the planing phase of what we would like to do first. We have a few ideas of what games we would like talk about first and we are open to suggestions. If there are a game or games you would like us to talk about please let us know in the comment section below.

Top 11 Horror Video Games

In honor of Halloween I have made my top 11 list of my best horror video games. This is a genre I don’t play as much so if there is a game you love in this genre I apologize. If I haven’t played the game I can’t put it on the list though. So here is my top 11 best horror video games list. Why top 11? Like the Nostalgia Critic I like to go one step beyond.

11. MediEvil – This is a fun unique game. You are Sir Daniel Fortesque back from the dead as a Skeletal Corpses (in other words a Zombie with a fully functional brain and motor skills for the most part). Sir Dan is summoned back from the dead to fight the evil sorcerer Zarok. Sir Dan had slain Zarok during his life among the living so it’s fitting that he emerges again to fight Zarok once again.

10. Ghosts ‘n Goblins & Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts – These games are very hard but they are so much fun. This game isn’t the scariest game but its jam packed with Horror. These are very hard games just like a lot of games were in the 8-bit and 16-bit era.

9. Silent Hill – I’ve only played the first game in the series and it is very scary and very fun. I’ve always wanted to play other games in the series but I never got around to it.

8. Resident Evil 1 & 2 – These games make the list because they reinvented the horror genre. They made the survivor horror video game the way it is today. I remember playing these games with my Sister and Brother-In-Law in a pitch black room with only the TV for light. In short that was scary.

7. Doom – One of the best FPS games that still stacks up to the games of this generation. It was a great horror game you got to fight all types of demons and monsters.

6. Resident Evil Code Veronica – I love this game it may not be part of the main series but it should be. Code Veronica is a great Resident Evil game and it out now for the Xbox 360 so you should get it if you like Resident Evil.

5. Resident Evil 4 – This is the best Resident Evil game made to date it improved on everything in the series.

4. Left 4 Dead 1 & 2 – Best multiplayer survivor horror games. L4D2 adds Melee weapons but there games are pretty much the same just with different missions and characters. This is another game that is scary and with TV series out like The Walking Dead you are going to have nightmares about the Zombie Apocalypse.

3. Plants vs. Zombies – Not a very scary game but so much fun. Zombies want to eat your brains and you must protect your house (and yourself) with plants. This is one of the best Tower Defense game ever.

2. Bioshock 1 & 2 – Bioshock 1 has one the best Single Player campaigns ever this game is very creepy and it has an eerie feeling the whole way through. Bioshock 2 is lots of fun it may not be as good as the first but it deserves to be on this list because it gave us Multiplayer in the Bioshock universe and it was a lot of fun.

1. Castlevania Series – I love these games some are definitely better than other but I love playing all of them I will focus of my favorite in the series Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. This is of my favorite games of all times and it’s a pure masterpiece. You are Alucard the son of Dracula and Alucard (if you didn’t already notice Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards) wants to take his father down and you will fight all types of creatures of the night in these games. Now let go back to where it started for me the Castlevania trilogy for the NES. The Belmont clan has been slaying Dracula for centuries and they have had help from other as well but the Belmonts are the one who are burdened with there just because they are a Belmont. So if you are born into the Belmont clan in any way you are destined to keep evil at bay and destroy Dracula if you must. Since Dracula never dies it will happen. There are many Castlevania games I love them all some more than others but if you only play one game in the series play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Then go and play the rest of the games especially the ones on the NES and SNES.

Honorable Mentioning

Deadrising, Deadrising 2, Diablo, Diablo II, Doom II, Doom 3, Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil 3, Zombies ate my Neighbors,

Many may not consider Diablo a horror game but you do venture into Hell and fight Diablo himself along with Zombies, Demons, and much more.

Happy Halloween!

I have reached the 100 NES game mark!

A few days ago I bought my one hundredth NES game. Before I get started I know this isn’t a very big collection but it is a big deal for me that I have reached 100 NES games. I purchased the game Gun.Smoke from a local store called Across the Board Games (If you live in Mt. Airy, NC or close to it you need to check out this store). Since then I have purchased three more games making my official total of NES game 103. I am proud of my collection but there are still a lot of games I would like to get. Here is a list of my NES games (in alphabetical order):


1. A Boy and His Blob
2. Adventures In The Magic Kingdom
3. Adventures of Dino-Riki
4. After Burner
5. Baseball
6. Batman
7. Battletoads
8. Battletoads & Double Dragon
9. Bible Adventures
10. Bionic Commando
11. Blades of Steel
12. Blaster Master
13. Burgertime
14. Captain Skyhawk
15. Castlevania
16. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
17. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
18. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
19. Clash at Demon Head
20. Contra
21. Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum
22. Defender II
23. Dig Dug II
24. Donkey Kong 3
25. Donkey Kong Classics
26. Double Dragon
27. Double Dragon II: The Revenge
28. Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stone
29. Dr. Mario
30. Dragon Warrior
31. Dragon Warrior II*
32. Dragon Warrior III
33. Ducktales
34. Excitebike
35. Faxanadu
36. Fester's Quest*
37. Final Fantasy
38. Gauntlet
39. Gauntlet II
40. Ghosts 'N Goblins
41. Gun.Smoke
42. Gyromite
43. Hydlide
44. Ice Climber
45. Ice Hockey
46. Ikari Warriors
47. Iron Sword: Wizards & Warriors II
48. Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road
49. Jordan vs Bird: One on One
50. Kid Icirus
51. Kirby's Adventure
52. Legend of Zelda
53. Legendary Wings
54. Little Nemo: The Dream Master
55. Mach Rider
56. Marble Madness
57. Mario Bros.
58. Mega Man
59. Mega Man 2
60. Mega Man 3
61. Mega Man 4
62. Metroid
63. Mickey Mousecapade
64. Micro Machines
65. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
66. NARC
67. Ninja Gaidan
68. Ninja Gaidan II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
69. Operation Wolf
70. Paperboy
71. Phantom Fighter
72. Pro Wrestling
73. Rad Racer
74. Ring King
75. RoadBlasters
76. Section Z
77. Sesame Street 123
78. Skate or Die
79. Smash TV
80. Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular
81. Solar Jetman
82. Spot: The Video Game
83. Spy Hunter
84. Spy vs. Spy
85. Strider
86. Super C
87. Super Mario Bros.
88. Super Mario Bros. 2
89. Super Mario Bros. 3
90. Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt
91. T&C Surf Designs: Wood & Water Rage
92. Tecmo Super Bowl*
93. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
94. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
95. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
96. Track and Field II
97. Trog!
98. Trojan
99. Win, Lose, or Draw
100. Wizards & Warriors
101. Xexyz
102. Yo! Noid
103. Zelda II: The Adventures of Link

I’m a proud of my collection it may not be the biggest collection of NES game, but I feel it’s still impressive to hit triple digits. I keep track of my games with a Excel spreadsheet and its a great thing to do if you are a collector.

*Games purchased after reaching 100 NES games.

My Top 10 Nintendo 64 Games

Here is a list of my top 10 Nintendo 64 games.

10. Mario Party – The name says it all this game it’s a party and its perfect game to play on game nights with friends and family.

9. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask – This game takes place right after the events of Ocarina of Time you have 72 hours to save the world or all will be doomed. This is another awesome Zelda game and it utilized the expansion pak for the N64 (which was required to be able to play the game). It has great graphics and a deep story.

8. Star Fox 64 – If you like the original Star Fox you can’t pass this game up. This game was also the first to have rumble pak support which added a new and different element to home console gaming.

7. Mario Kart 64 – Another great party game for the N64 anyone who is anyone knows what Mario Kart is. This game is probably one of the most competitive games on the N64.

6. Perfect Dark – The 2nd best first person shooter on the N64 this game is so awesome. This game also has great multiplayer. It’s another game that utilized the expansion pak and you couldn’t play the single player campaign if you didn’t have the expansion pak. I heard that you could also take the Game Boy camera and take a picture of your face and transfer your face to a character in multiplayer and have your face in the game using the Game Boy transfer pak. I’m not sure if you can do that because I haven’t been able to try it but if someone can confirm this for me that would be great.

5. GoldenEye 007 – The best first person shooter on the N64 GoldenEye is still played on the N64 and it still holds up to any other FPS that is out there. Some people even say this is still the best FPS ever made. It is another competitive N64 game that is still played at game parties.

4. Mario Tennis – The best tennis game ever made. Whether you are playing single player or with a group of friends this game is an absolute blast.

3. Paper Mario – This is a unique RPG. It has a great story and it’s perfect for someone who doesn’t have much experience with RPGs. Newbies will be able to learn the mechanics of the game very fast. Experience RPG gamers will be able to jump right in and get the mechanics right away. Again this is a unique RPG and it make push the hardcore gamers away but I think they anyone who likes Mario and/or RPGs needs to give this game a chance.

2. Super Mario 64 – The 1st game out of the N64 still can hold up to any other game. It was the 1st Mario game to enter the 3D world. This game is very unique but still had the Super Mario feel to the game.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – One of the best Zelda games ever made game is truly a masterpiece it was the first Zelda game to enter the 3D world. This is on my list of best Zelda games (which is another blog post for the future).


Honorable Mentioning

Super Smash Bros.,Yoshi’s Story, Donkey Kong 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Clayfighter 63 1/3, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and Wave Race 64.

These are the games that I feel are the best on the N64. I love these games and I hope that you do to. I also hope you try out the games if you have never played them before.

Since I haven’t played every single game for the N64 this list is subject to change if I happen to come across a game that is better than the games on the list. It probably won’t change but you never know.

Happy 15th Anniversary Nintendo 64

In 1996 today the Nintendo 64 was released. The Nintendo 64 was the system that came out after the Super Nintendo. The Nintendo 64 was an awesome system. To be honest I didn’t have a Nintendo 64 growing up as a kid I choose to get a PlayStation. I would have liked to have both growing up but I couldn’t afford both the PS1 and the N64 along with all the games I would have wanted to buy. Never the less I had friends who owned the N64 and I was able to play it every time I went to their house. I own a N64 now and I was able to build a Library of games that I played at my friends’ houses. The N64 was Nintendo’s big leap into gaming in 3D environments. It was also the first system to include 4 controller ports making 4-player gaming much easier for gamers because there was no need to buy a multi-tap. So right off the bat the N64 encouraged multi-player gaming with more than just 2 players at a time. One of the launch titles was Super Mario 64 which showed how awesome Mario is in a 3D world. The N64 also introduced rumbling controllers with the Rumble Pak. The Rumble Pak was bundled with another great Nintendo game Star Fox 64 the first game to feature the Rumble Pak. The N64 also brought us some new games like Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark which are still highly competitive first person shooters. The N64 also created some new series that are on newer Nintendo systems which include: Paper Mario, Mario Tennis, Mario Party and probably the most popular series that started on the N64 Super Smash Bros. Other great classic they brought into true 3D world were The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong and Mario Kart 64. Those are just a few of the games there are many more. The N64 was a great system that came with a good amount of bells and whistles. They were the First to have 4 controller ports and the first to have rumbling controllers. They also released an expansion pak which increased the RAM on the N64. This was required for a few games but it enhanced graphics in a good amount of others. The N64 started a lot of great things but what would you expect from Nintendo. The N64 is still an awesome system to have when you are gaming with your friends.

Cult classics of the SNES – The Legend of the Mystical Ninja

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja is an awesome game but it’s not a very well know game in the United States. The reason for that being is that the story was based on Japanese culture and folklore but I won’t be getting into that today. I came across this game when I was at a used game store with my friend Bobby and he saw the game and told me to pick it up. I did just that and I’m very glad he told me to buy the game because it’s a very fun game. The main characters are Kid Ying and Dr. Yang (Goemon and Ebisumaru in Japan). This is a fun action/adventure RPG-like game. You can get weapon upgrade and everything you get hit your weapon is downgraded. This game has a very unique style and is lots of fun to play. The game is also a 2 player game where the 1st player takes control of Kid Ying and the 2nd player takes control of Dr. Yang. If you would like to try out a different game check out The Legend of the Mystical Ninja and you won’t be disappointed. You can get the cartridge of the game for the SNES. If you can get a hold of a cartridge you can download it for the Wii Virtual Console for 800 Wii points ($8). Roo from the Clan of the Gray Wolf did a great review of this game for his show 16-Bit Gems. Check out his review below.




To see more of Roo and The Clan of the Gray Wolf check out the following links:

Blistered Thumbs – Clan of the Gray Wolf
RetrowareTV – 16-Bit Gems
Clan of the Gray Wolf’s YouTube Channel

Gaming and Giving for Good

Dear Friends,

Help me get in the game!

I'm raising money and awareness for my local Children's Miracle Network Hospital.

On Oct. 1, 2011, I will be playing Xbox LIVE games on behalf of sick and injured kids in my community. I hope you'll support me by giving just $5 per hour that I pledge to play.

Your donation is tax-deductible and 100 percent of your gift goes to help kids.

My fellow G3 gamers and I are going to make miracles happen for kids. I can't reach my goal without your support. Any contribution will help, and all donations are tax deductible. Donating online is safe and easy! To make an online donation please click the "Support This Participant" button on this page.
Thank you for your time, support and participation.

Support me by clicking here. I will be playing for Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center

If you would like to take part and raise money for your local Children's Miracle Network Hospital by playing video games on Xbox Live click here.

5 Reasons Why The Super Nintendo Ruled The 16-Bit Era

In my opinion the Super Nintendo ruled the 16-bit era. I’m not saying all other 16-bit systems were bad because I like the other systems. I’m only saying the SNES is the best from that era. So I decided to make a list of the reasons why the SNES ruled the 16-bit era.


1. Easy to Mod Super Nintendo to play Super Famicom Games – I didn’t find this out until about a year ago but they SNES can easily be modded to play SFC games. Even though it wasn’t talked about when the SNES came out it is still something that makes the SNES awesome. Check out a previous post if you would like to mod your SNES to play SFC games. Click here to Read SNES mod blog post.

2. Great Graphics – The SNES had the best graphics in the 16-bit era. Graphics don’t always make a game good but it’s nice to look at good graphics. The SNES processer was one of the best in the era and if you play the same game on multiple systems the SNES version always seemed to run smoother than any other version.

3. Excellent Sound Quality – The SNES had the best sound card. For example play Doom on the Sega 32x and then play Doom on the SNES. The graphics may be better on the 32x version but the sound on the SNES version make the SNES version of Doom superior to the 32x version.

SNES Doom music compared to 32x Doom Music





4. The Super Game Boy – Nintendo was a genius when they made the Super Game Boy. Nintendo is the only company they made an add-on so that you can play your handheld games on your console. When the Super Game Boy came out it was a very big deal because it was the first time you were able to play Game Boy games in color. After the release of the Super Game Boy Nintendo made 2 player games for Game Boy (Example: King of Fighters ’95) where you could play your friends with one game cartridge on the SNES with the Super Game Boy. The first time I saw the commercial for the Super Game Boy my eye got so big and I ran to tell my Dad that’s what I wanted for my birthday I had to have it.


Super Game Boy Commercial






5. Awesome Game Library – This is the reason the SNES was the best games of the era. Here are a few of the games: Super Mario World, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Final Fantasy II & III (Final Fantasy IV & VI Japan), Super Mario RPG, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, Super Castlevania IV, Super Metroid, Secret of Mana, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Mega Man X and Star For. Those are a few of the games that only came out for the SNES. There are so many awesome games and if a game was released for multiple systems as I said before the SNES version was the superior version. Full list of SNES games.

These are a few of the reason the SNES ruled the 16-bit era. The SNES was the perfect system to carry on the great legacy that the NES created. I love the SNES Hail to the King of the SNES.

Game of the Day: Super Mario World

Today’s game of the day is Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Super Mario World is the first game I ever played and owned for the SNES. This is my favorite vintage Super Mario game in the series (not including Super Mario RPG). This was a great sequel to an already awesome game Super Mario Bros. 3. Super Mario World takes place in Dino Land where as usually the Princess has been kidnapped by Bowser. This game had a very familiar game play style with some new power ups like the feather which game Mario the ability to fly, glide and dive bomb enemies. You also had the ability to perform a spin jump at any time giving you the ability to break certain types of blocks. The best addition to the game was the introduction of Yoshi.

I love Yoshi and I’m not sure who doesn’t love Yoshi (If you don’t love Yoshi I’m sorry but something is wrong with you). Yoshi was a green dinosaur that had a very long tongue used to grab and eat enemies. Green Yoshi was the normal Yoshi and there are three other colors of Yoshis in the game. Along with green Yoshi you had red, yellow, and blue Yoshi. The Yoshis have very few differences Green Yoshi as I said was normal if he ate a red koopa troopa he would spit fire. He ate a green koopa troopa he would just spit out the shell. If he ate a yellow koopa troopa he would just spit the shell out also he would be able to stomp the ground and kill enemies under and nearby with a power stomp as long as he had the koopa troopa in his mouth. If he ate a blue koopa troopa he again would just spit the koopa troopa out he would also gain the ability the fly as long as the koopa troopa was in his mouth. The other Yoshis would do the same thing except red Yoshi always spits fire no matter the color of the koopa troopa. Yellow Yoshi always had the ability to do the power stomp as long at a koopa troopa is in his mouth. Blue Yoshi is probably the best Yoshi for the fact that no matter which type of koopa troopa he has in his mouth he can fly. Yoshi is a very big deal in this game but the game has so much more to offer then just yoshi. You can gather point every time you complete a level you can collect anywhere for 0 – 50 points at a time when you complete a level. Once you hit 100 points you get a bonus level where you can get some 1ups. This game is a big game with 8 main bosses. Just like in the SMB3 you will fight all of Bowser’s kids and then you battle Bowser at the end. You also have mini castles called fortresses. You also had ghost houses which have a lot of tricks and secrets within them. There is also an area called the Star Zone and once you complete that you get to go the Special Zone and when you Defeat the Special Zone the game looks very different when you leave the Special Zone. The first time I saw it I didn’t understand what happened I asked a friend and he said that’s just what happens when you complete all the levels in the Special Zone. This game has a ton of content and I still haven’t covered it all. If you haven’t played this game you need to get it and play it. If you have a SNES and you collect game this is a must own for the system. If you don’t own an SNES but you do own a Nintendo Wii you can download it on the Wii virtual console for 800 Nintendo Wii points ($8). So if you have the means to get this game please do because if you don’t you are missing out on loads of fun.

Happy 20th Anniversary Super Nintendo

August 23, 1991 the Super Nintendo was released in the United States. It was the perfect system to continue to the next generation after the Nintendo Entertainment System. I love the Super Nintendo and it is one of my most favorite systems ever made. So the month of September is going to be dedicated to the Super Nintendo. All my posts will be about the Super Nintendo and its games. Let us celebrate the SNES for all its glory and greatness and I hope you enjoy everything I have to say about the SNES this month.

Check out some of our previous Super Nintendo posts:

Game of the Day: Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III US SNES)
Modding your Super Nintendo to play Super Famicom games
Evolution of Video Games Epic Medley Made on Mario Paint Composer
My Top 10 SNES Games/Game Series

Game of the Day: New Super Mario Bros.

Today’s game of the day is New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS. This game is an awesome game it gives you an old school feel with a new school twist. If you love Super Mario Bros. and own a DS you must buy this game. It has awesome game play and if you have any experience with Super Mario Bros. games you will feel very comfortable with the game. They have also added mini games which you can play by yourself or with up to 4 players with a DS and they don’t need to own the game this game supports single game card multiplayer. The mini games are very fun and include a good variety of games. The best feature added to this game is the 2 player battle mode Mario vs. Luigi. This game can get intense and only one person has to have the game for this feature as well. You must collect the set about of stars before your opponent. You get to choose from 5 different levels that are very unique. You can collect random stars and steal your opponent’s starts from them. This feature is so much fun and if you and your friend are competitive you are going to be playing Mario vs. Luigi for a long time. If you haven’t played this game and you on a DS go by it. If you don’t own a DS and like Super Mario Bros. you can get a DS for a very good price now. So check this game out. Check out the video below to see some single player action of New Super Mario Bros.

Single Player

E3 2011 Summary

This E3 was great this year. The Big 3 showed some cool things this year. I’m going to start with the one who stole the show Nintendo: They announced their new system and it’s called the WiiU. Nintendo has never been good at naming their systems but it still looks awesome. The controller has a screen on it so you can watch TV and play games by using the screen on the controller. It also backwards compatible with Wii games but I’m not sure if it will be for the GameCube but I hope it is. I am also very excited about Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The additions to the 3DS look awesome as well. Microsoft’s press conference was ok I am totally pumped for Modern Warfare 3 I love that series. I am also pumped for Gears of War 3. I’m also excited to learn that they are making a Halo: Anniversary Edition with Xbox Live multiplayer. I love the original Halo it is one of my most favorite games and the best Halo games in the series. The biggest surprise was the announcement for a new Halo trilogy starting with Halo 4 and being a fan of the Halo series I am very happy they are making more Halo games. This is a big deal Halo 4 will be the first Halo game without any influence from Bungie. I only can hope the integrity of the series stays intact. Microsoft is also expanded the with the Kinect library. The coolest thing I saw it that you will be able to use the connect along with the controller while playing Mass Effect 3 which is a game I can’t wait to get a hold of. I’m not sure if I will have a Kinect when Mass Effect 3 comes out (I would really like to have a Kinect thought) but I will be getting the game never the less. If I do get a Kinect after I have beaten Mass Effect 3 I will probably go back and play it again because Mass Effect 1 & 2 have such a high replay value I’m pretty sure that Mass Effect 3 will also have a very high replay value. Sony had some good things. I don’t own a PS3 yet so I won’t say too much. Uncharted 3 is coming out and that is one series I would really love to play and I would like to play Infamous as well. It was nice that Sony apologized to all the people who used the Playstation Network about the outage. But the thing I’m really excited about is Sony’s new handheld coming out the Playstation Vita. It looks awesome and it definitely an upgrade to the next generation. I have to say Sony is doing a good job with their handhelds they are the only company that has been able to compete with Nintendo’s handhelds and still be selling their own handhelds. Nintendo at one point owned the handheld market but with the PSP and the PS Vita Nintendo doesn’t own it anymore. Nintendo still has the upper hand and may dominate at times but Sony knows how to make a good handhelds. Again this was a great E3 so many good games are coming out and I can’t wait until I can try them. The only thing I didn’t like was during the Ubisoft press conference there was a guy known as Mr. Caffeine he was so annoying I may skip Ubisoft’s press conference if he returns next year. Other than that it was awesome and I hope to attend E3 in the near future.

E3 2011

It’s that time of the year again it’s time for E3. I will be watching on G4TV (G4TV.com) all the coverage this week. So far I have heard Nintendo will be announcing a new system, Microsoft might be announcing Halo 4, and there will be a more footage from Gears of War 3. I am pumped as usual to see what the future of gaming will hold and I can’t wait. E3 starts today and like I said I will be watching it on G4TV (G4TV.com) because I’m unable to attend E3. To the lucky people who got to go to E3 this year I envy you. One year I will attend E3 that is my goal. I am going to keep you posted on what I see and hear. I hope everyone enjoys E3 this year.

Gears of War 3 Multiplayer Beta Feedback

 

It has been over two weeks since the Gears of War 3 beta ended. I wanted to write a blog earlier but I’ve been kind of busy and I apologize. The beta was awesome and it has pumped me up for Gears of War 3 more than ever. This is the best Gears multiplayer that I have ever played. I love the campaign in Gears of War more than anything but every time a new Gears came out they have made everything in the game better. Epic Games know how to make great games. The beta again was awesome. The modes I played the most were Team Deathmatch and King of the Hill. Team Deathmatch was great and lots of fun. Each team had a set number of lives and once they ran out the team that has remaining lives won the round. Kind of the Hill was lots of fun you had to clam an area of a map or steal an area the opposing team has. I am so ready for Gears of War 3 and it was so much fun to play the beta. Gears of War 3 Comes out this year on September 20 and I’m counting the down the days. To see some of the Check out the video below to see some of the game play from the beta.

Game of the Day: Blur

Today’s game of the day is Blur.

I’m not a big fan of racing games but I really like this racing game. This game is Mario Kart for adults. It has tons cars and weapons to wreck your opponents with. This is a very fun game especially in a group and its gets very competitive. This might not be the best racing game out there but its tons of fun. I’m not a racing game expert or a huge racing game fan but I do like Mario Kart. This reminds me of Mario Kart and I like it. Again I’m not a racing game fan so I don’t play many racing games, but Blur is awesome and I love it. If you like racing games with good racing and Mario Kart style power ups this is a game for you so check it out. This game is available on the Xbox 360, the PS3 and PC. To see more check out the game play video below.

Game of the Day: Knuckles Chaotix

Today’s game of the day is Knuckles Chaotix for the Sega 32x.

This is a very fun game. If you have played any Sonic games you will have no problem with this game. The thing that makes this unique is the fact you always have a partner and they are connected to you by the power rings you both hold. This doesn’t matter too much in one player mode, but in two player mode you must work together if you don’t have teamwork you won’t complete anything in the level together. You start off as Knuckles for the opening stage and you meet Espio the Chameleon and he becomes your first partner. After beating the opening level you can pick from Knuckles the Echidna, Mighty the Armadillo (who previously appeared in the 1993 arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog), Espio the Chameleon, Charmy Bee and Vector the Crocodile. The game also featured two additional partners known as Heavy the Cook and Bomb the Bomb. These character you can get from the claw machine where you get your partner in one player mode (You can use the claw machine in two player mode as well). Heavy and Bomb are pretty much useless. Heavy is a robot that kills everything he runs into and is indestructible. Bomb is quick but all he does is blows up when he gets hit and hurts enemies around the explosion and he can also hurt his friends as well. This is a very fun fast paced game like all the Sonic games. This is one of the better games on the 32x and its pretty rare now a days. When it came out it got mixed reviews you either loved it or hated it. I was part of the group who loved it. If you have a 32x this game is worth picking up. Check out the video below to see some of the game play.

Resources: Knuckles Chaotix Wiki

Nintendo 64 w/ expansion pack 3 controllers for sale on eBay

I have a Nintendo 64 w/ expansion pack 3 controllers & 3 games for sale on eBay.

If you would like to make a bid on the Nintendo 64 click here.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Complete for Intellivision For Sale on eBay

Hey Everyone I wanted to you all know that I am selling a copy of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons for Intellivision on eBay.

If you would like to check it out and/or make a bid click here.

I don't own an Intellvision and would like to give this game a good home to someone who has an Intellivision or who just likes to collect games happy bidding.

Great Finds: Sega 32x and Model 2 Sega Genesis

The other day I was looking through my local Goodwill and I came across something great. I found a Sega 32x with a Model 2 Sega Genesis with all the hook-ups and 2 controllers all for twenty dollars.

 

I have been trying to find for a long time for the right price. The only thing missing were the metal prongs which you don’t need for the 32x to work and the ram was missing but that's easy to find. This was a great deal and a great find. I have found other 32x systems for around that same price without any hook-ups complete 32x systems were being sold for $50 - $60 on average. I feel that is too much for a 32x and I don’t know why it’s hard to find a 32x with hook-ups. I’m just happy I found this 32x because there are a few games that were on the 32x I really enjoyed playing.

This was another great find I had but my hunt for games is never over. Wish me luck as I continue the hunt and I also wish all of you luck in your hunt for games as well.

Game of the Day: Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III US SNES)

Today’s game of the Day is Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III US SNES release). This is one of favorite Final Fantasy games in the series. This game was released as Final Fantasy III in the US on the Super Nintendo and re-released for the PlayStation as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology. Then it was released again on the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy VI advance. The game is the exact same as the version on the SNES. The PlayStation added some nice cinematics. The only difference on Final Fantasy VI Advance is they gave each character a job label. For example Locke is an Adventurer and Sabin is a Monk. The GBA version also has a quick save option which has been added to a lot of RPGs on hand held systems. The version I own in the GBA version. Final Fantasy VI has one of the most unique cast of characters. Each character has his/her own set of special skills. Here are a few examples: Locke can steal, Edgar can use tools and Sabin uses his blitz skills. There is also a character named Shadow who shows up from time to time. You can pay him to fight by your side but he can leave at anytime. You never know how long he will say with you it’s very random. There are also times where your adventure can split off in to different parts. You are also able to pick which part of the story you want to play first. Regardless of your choice of what order you complete the different branches they will always connect at the ends of each branch. This game like most Final Fantasy games has a killer sound track. The boss battle theme is probably one of my most favorite songs in the series. This is an awesome and there are multiple systems so it’s easy to get a hold of. If you’re a fan of Final Fantasy or turn based RPGs and you haven’t played this game you must get this game and play it. You can check out the game play in the video below.

Game Play Video

PlayStation Version Opening Video

FFVI Boss Battle Theme

Relief for Japan

We all know about the earthquake in Japan and the tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean. The Video Game Pad sends its thoughts and prayers out to everyone that has been affected by these events. If you would like to help out you and donate to the Red Cross you can go to their website redcross.org. You can also text "REDCROSS" to 90999 and that will donate $10 to the Red Cross to help with relief for people in the wake of the disaster. Again thoughts and prayers out to everyone that has been affected by these events.

Also check out projectloveforjapan.org and their Facebook Fan Page. They are selling t-shirts for $15 each and 100% of proceeds go to rescue and relief.

If you know of any other organization collection donations for relief for Japan let me know by commenting on this post.

PlayStation Underground

Video game magazines are an awesome thing. They let you know about the past, present and future of video game. In 1997 Sony tried something different and came out with a CD magazine call PlayStation Underground.



The first issue came out exactly 14 years ago today. It was a quarterly CD magazine that was a very great Idea. They also would release PlayStation Underground Jampacks which would give you a taste of what certain issues had to offer. The best part of the Jampacks is they would only cost $4.99. You could get 4 issues for $29.99. The PlayStation Underground was an awesome thing. It had two disks. Disc one would have interviews, codes, downloadable content and much more. Disc two would have game demos and preview videos of games. You could also unlock Easter Eggs if you hit the right button combination. On disc two of Issue 2.4 you could see the music video “Got the Life – by Korn”. In issue 4.1 there was an unlockable video tutorial for Syphon Filter 2. You had to enter a code to unlock the video and to find it out you had to look through the two discs and it would occasionally show you part of the code. When I unlocked it I found a few parts of the code and then I just guessed at the rest and got lucky. PlayStation Underground was a great idea. We had access to tons of codes, demos, videos and DLC before we had internet available on game consoles. The last issue was issue 5.1 and it was released in the 3rd quarter of 2001. The last issue was also the only issue exclusive issue for the PlayStation 2.Sony had an awesome idea realizing a CD magazine. Today we have internet magazines like EGMi (which is an awesome magazine). We can also download demos of games from our consoles. So in a time when we couldn’t do that PlayStation Underground was there.

To learn more about PlayStation Underground and what the issues had to offer click here.

Game(s) of the Day: Pokémon Black & White

Today’s game(s) of the day are Pokémon Black & White. I bought the Black Version but there aren’t too many differences between the two versions. If you have played any of the Pokémon games you know this to be true. Now Pokémon games all pretty much have the same style of game play so the originality is not very high with these versions, but if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. They really did an overhaul for the graphics. The graphics are awesome when you walk into a city it really looks like a city and you will see people walking down the street and everything. They have introduced triple battles in this version I haven’t done one yet, but I’m very excited about this feature. When you play through the game you can only catch the new Pokémon in the Unova region. Once you have beaten the Elite Four and the champion you will get to catch Pokémon from other game as well as the ability to trade Pokémon from previous DS versions of Pokémon games. One really cool thing is the inferred technology they added so that you can battle someone right then and there without got to a link station in Pokémon Center. Pokémon Black & White are awesome games if you are a fan of the series it’s definitely work picking up

Check out this video of a triple battle.

Princess Daisy's Video Game Confession

How much do you know about Princess Daisy? Find out about the real Princess Daisy when she visits the Pixel Palace and confesses to Dominic the bartender. She spills her guts and you need to know about this.




If you can't see the video click here to watch the video.

Click here to see more Video Game Confessions.

The see more of Doug Walker's videos check out That Guy With The Glasses.

Top 11 Best Black Video Game Characters

Check out my revised list.

Black History Month is a time to reflect back on all the great black people who made a different in the world. People like the North Carolina A & T Four, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and many more have made a huge impact on the world today. In Honor of Black History month I have made a top 11 list of the best black video game characters that have made an impact in video games. Why top 11? Like the Nostalgia Critic I like to go one step beyond.

11. Adam/Skate – Streets of Rage Trilogy – These guys are rock. Adam was in the 1st Street of Rage and he gets kidnapped in Streets of Rage 2. That is when his 11 year old brother Skate joins the team to save his brother. Skate is also in Streets of Rage 3 on his roller blades taking out bad guys. These brothers tie for the eleventh spot on our list because they are hardcore fighters.

10. Balrog/Dee Jay– Street Fighter Series: These guys are awesome Balrog is a Boxer who is a tough brute I remember the first time I fought him he tore me up. Dee Jay is a cool Kickboxer from Jamaica. These guys both differ in personality Balrog being a bad guy and a stone wall, and Dee Jay being a cool guy who can fight and loves to have fun. They tie for the tenth spot because they are both great boxer and great characters in the Street Fighter series.

9. Mr. Sandman – The Punch-Out!! Series: This guy has been in every punch out that I can remember he is very notable for having very fast and explosive moves. He is one of the toughest guys to fight in any of the Punch Out games. I remember in Super Punch-Out!! on the SNES after knocking him down twice he jumps up and comes at your with a barrage of attacks and you have split seconds to get in and hit him. If you are not quick to dodge him you will get knocked out even if you haven’t been knocked down once.

8. Mike Tyson – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!: If you have ever reached Iron Mike Tyson in this game you know how bad ass he is. He can knock you down with just two punches and that’s only if you have full health. Tyson is beatable but its takes and lot of trial and error and I have yet to beat him. I will defeat him one day though. He was a great boxer in real life and he is a great boxer in the video game world.

7. Eddy Gordo – Tekken 3 – He is an excellent fighter in Tekken 3. He is a master of the Brazilian fighting style Capoeira. He is also a break dancer which really helps his fighting. He can beat you up while walking on his hands.

6. Michael Jackson – Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker – Michael Jackson wasn’t only a great singer and dancer. He was an awesome Video Game character as well. He could use magic to make his enemies dance and after then dance they would die. He didn’t just defeat his enemies with Magic and Dancing he also was able to transform into Robo-Michael. When He became Robo-Michael he could fly around and shoot laser and missiles and annihilate his enemies. For this reason he claims the number 6 spot on the list.

5. Captain David Anderson – Mass Effect Trilogy – Captain Anderson isn’t a playable character in Mass Effect, but he plays a very important role in the success of Commander Shepard’s Mission. He also help Shepard in his pursuit of becoming a Specter. Captain Anderson is an awesome role model and Mentor to Shepard. Captain Anderson is also voiced by Keith David making him even more awesome because Keith David is awesome too.

4. Barret Wallace – Final Fantasy VII – He has a gun arm do I really need to say anything else? I will say something else thought he is an awesome party member for Cloud and he is very powerful as well. His limit brakes are awesome his level 4 limit brake is called Catastrophe and he pulls hot magma out of the ground into his gun arm and he destroys his enemies with it.

3. Roland the Solder – Borderlands – Roland is a true solder. He can regenerate his ammo and if a team member is low on health he has an ability where he can shoot his teammate and it heals them. He is a natural leader and he is an essential person you want to have on your team.

2. Sergeant Major Avery J. Johnson – The Halo Series – Sergeant Johnson is a take no crap kind of guy. He always has a cigar in his mouth and will fight whatever is in his way. He once hijacked a Scarab and then teamed up with the Arbiter to take out the brute Tartarus. His one liner are awesome as well.

1. Augusts Cole a.k.a. Cole Train - Gears of War Trilogy – Cole is the best character in all of Gears of War. He is there so that you don’t shoot Baird because Baird is a jackass. Cole is by far the best character on this list. The first time you encounter him you know he is a true bad ass. He always has something cool to say and he it freaking awesome. He gets the number one spot because you can’t stop the train baby.

Other Notable Characters: Sergeant Foley – Modern Warfare 2, Zack – Dead or Alive Series, Coach – Left 4 Dead 2, Louis – Left 4 Dead, Romeo – Halo 3: ODST, Shaq – Shaq Fu, Doc Louis – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! & Punch-Out!!, Fortune - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Jacob – Mass Effect 2, Jax – Mortal Kombat Series, Alyx Vance - Half-Life 2

There are so many other characters that haven’t been named and there will continue to be more in the future so you may see a new list next year. We will just have to wait and see.

Final Fantasy VII remake rumors. Is it really coming out?

We have all heard the rumors about a remake of Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII is not only my favorite Final Fantasy game it is my favorite game of all time. I love this game and to see a remake of in my opinion the best video game of all time would be awesome. This game did so much for the series and it was the first Final Fantasy on the Playstation. It also has made a few spin-off games and a great movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. This was the perfect sequel. I’ve been hearing rumors for a long time. I then came across a blog post today saying that a remake of Final Fantasy VII has been confirmed on the PS3 (to check out the blog post click here). The post says the game is expected to come out during the 4th quarter of 2012. That should give me plenty of time to save my money to buy a PS3. That’s right I don’t own a PS3 yet I would like one and if they release a remake of FFVII I will be getting a PS3 just for this game. I really hope the rumors are true and that this remake of FFVII is confirmed. I want a remake of FFVII made and it needs to be done as long as they do take away from the first game. All the game needs is a graphics upgrade the story needs to say the same. I came across a technical demo of a trailer for a remake of FFVII and it shows the intro of FFVII with upgraded graphics I hope you enjoy this video.

I hope this game is going to be remade I am optimistic that it will be but you never know. I’m just going to keep my fingers crossed and I hope all you Final Fantasy VII fans are going to do the same.

My Top 11 Games of 2010

Well 2010 is over and we are in 2011 and it should be another great year in gaming. Here is a top 11 list of games that I thought were the best of 2010 that I played. Why top 11? Like the Nostalgia Critic I like to go one step beyond.

11. Lego Harry Potter Years 1 – 4 - I love the Lego games. I grew up playing with Legos and its great they makes games based on great movies and comic books like Star Wars and Batman. Lego Harry Potter brings you to Hogwarts in the Lego Universe and its tons of fun.

10. Super Street Fighter IV – This game is more than just an expansion of Street Fighter IV. It added more characters and more game modes it’s an awesome game from the Street Fighter series and it keeps its old school feel.

9. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Finally a 3D Castlevania that is very good. This game is awesome and Konami bringing on Hideo Kojima for this game was the best thing they could have done. This game is awesome and it has a very awesome battle system.

8. Bioshock 2 – This is the sequel to one of my favorite FPS games. You take control of the first Big Daddy and you get to dual weld weapons and plasmids. It’s a great sequel to a great game with a great story line. Bioshock 2 keeps the eerie dark atmosphere that made me love the first Bioshock.

7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies – The Dragon Quest series is a solid series and Dragon Quest IX is a perfect addition. Every Dragon Quest game has a similar party/battle system and that’s what keeps people playing these games.

6. Donkey Kong Country Returns – When I heard they were making a new Donkey Kong Country and E3 I was so happy. This game is just like the original games. The multiplayer is the best in this game you can play simultaneously with a 2nd player. This is an awesome addition and if you played the any of the older Donkey Kong Country games you will understand what I mean. me

5. Halo Reach – This is the Halo that was perfect for Bungie to go out with. This game was awesome with a solid single player campaign, but the multiplayer is where this game excels. With more options of game play, better matchmaking, and best of all a beefed up Firefight which is my opinion was the biggest improvement to multiplayer. I’ve been a Halo fan from the beginning and this is an awesome game for the series.

4. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair – This is a great 2D Castlevania and the best part of this game is that it’s multiplayer. This game was designed to be played multiplayer you can play single player, but you should build up a character first before you play single player. You can choose from a great cast of characters which include: Soma Cruz, Alucard, Jonathan Morris, Shanoa, and Charlotte Aulin. You can also download an extra level and extra characters which include: Yoko Belnadas, Julius Belmont, Maria Renard, and Richter Belmont. Some characters may share similarities but there are have their differences. This is a great game for the Castlevania fans

3. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty – When this game finally came out all the Starcraft fans flocked to the store to get this game. It took Blizzard long enough to release it, but if you know Blizzard Entertainment they will not release a game until they believe its fully ready for release. Even after its released they are constantly releasing update patches. This is a perfect sequel to an awesome RTS. If you are a fan of Starcraft you must game this game. If you aren’t a fan of Starcraft or Real Time Strategies you might want to check this out because it’s an RTS anyone can get into. The reason is not only does it have solid multiplayer it has a solid single player campaign and not many RTS games have the best story line for a single player campaign.

2. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn – This is the must own game for the Nintendo DS. This Golden Sun game is the best in the series. They have improved on everything in the game. The first two Golden Sun on the Game Boy Advance in fact Golden Sun is the reason I went out and bought a Game Boy Advance just so I could play Golden Sun. The battle system in Dark Dawn is better because if you played the first two games if everyone targets the same enemy and that enemy is defeated the remaining characters that haven’t attacked will just defend. In Dark Dawn they just switch to the next enemy and attack them. Golden Sun is a solid series you don’t have to play the first two Golden Sun games to get into Dark Dawn. Dark Dawn takes place 30 years after the 2nd game ends. Regardless of if you have played the first two Golden Sun games or not this is still a must own.

1. Mass Effect 2 – This is the best game of 2010 it came out in January 2010 but nothing could top it. This game is a masterpiece. The guys at Bioware really know how to make a game. Mass Effect 2 improves on the first Mass Effect in so many ways. The best part of this game is that you can import your character from Mass Effect and continue the story in Mass Effect 2. This is so great because people remember who you are I remember doing something good for someone and they said in the first Mass Effect they owed me a drink. When I bumped into her again she did just that. The Character development is so great and the great voice acting is awesome especially from Keith David (who is awesome in everything he does) as Captain David Anderson who depending on your choice in Mass Effect will be Councilman Anderson or Admiral Anderson in Mass Effect 2. You don’t have to play the first Mass Effect to enjoy Mass Effect 2, but in my opinion the game is much better if you import a character from Mass Effect 1 into Mass Effect 2.

There were many great games that were made this year. Sadly I was not able to play every game. So there are a few Games I haven’t played from 2010 that I want to play and demos don’t count. Here is a top 5 list of best games of 2010 based on looks and reviews alone.

5. Rock Band 3 – If you played Rock Band 1, 2 or even Lego Rock Band there isn’t too much of a difference between the games except a few upgrades and new playlists. Then Rock Band 3 comes along and added a keyboard and a pro guitar/bass. I really want to try out the keyboard and I’m not too crazy about trying out the pro guitar because it’s just another guitar to buy and I already have 2 guitars. It’s cool they are trying to make the game more realistic so that it feels like a real guitar. They have made a lot of innovations to this series and that’s why I want this game.

4. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX – I love Pac-Man. I have played the original Pac-Man Championship Edition and it was fun but this game looks awesome and it had very good reviews. I can download this game from the Xbox Live Arcade but I’m running out of space on my hard drive I still haven’t upgraded from a 20GB hard drive and once I do I can download this game.

3. Red Dead Redemption – This game have gotten perfect scores across the board. I’m not too big a fan of western games but this game might change my mind. The game looks awesome and what I’ve heard it truly lives up to the hype.

2. Kirby’s Epic Yarn – I love Kirby games. This game looks awesome and seems to be simple fun. The game has gotten decent reviews. I like Kirby games and I really want this game.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops – Some people would say I’m stupid for not getting this game the day it came out but I really couldn’t. I still haven’t played it but I really to play this game. I’m a huge of the Modern Warfare series and I’ve been told that Black Ops stays true to Call of Duty. Black Ops wasn’t made my Infinity Ward but most people don’t seem to care. I really want this game because Modern Warfare 1 & 2 are my favorite FPS games to play online. Once I can I will be getting this game and I hope I can get it very soon.

Well that’s the games of 2010 that made an impression on me. I’m looking forward to see what the games of 2011 will bring to the table. I will also not forget the games that came out in the past years. There are still many games I need to play and I hope to get to play all these games very soon. I hope you all are ready to play some games this year because there are some great games coming out like: Marvel VS Capcom 3, Pokemon Black & White, Mass Effect 3, Hopefully Diablo III, and many more. I hope everyone has a great year of gaming.

Game of the Day: Punch-Out!! 1984 Arcade

Today’s game of the day is Punch-Out!! the arcade version.

This game was released in 1984 and is the first game in the Punch-Out Series. The first game I played in the series was Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! The first time I played the game was December 31, 2010 when I came across the game in the arcade at my local mall. You don’t see many arcades around anymore where you can play a game for 1 quarter. My local mall is small and hardly has anything in it but it has a nice arcade but that’s another blog post. I was so excited to see this game so I played the game. The game play style was different but the strategies for beating characters like Glass Joe or Bald Bull are along the same lines. The controls are a little different but the Punch-Out series has kept the same feel for all its characters throughout the series. This game is awesome and it’s always nice to see where one of your favorite game series started. If you get a chance to play this game do it so you won’t regret it. I took some pictures and a video with my cell phone and I apologize for the low quality for the video and pictures my camera isn’t the best with quality. I hope you enjoy this quick video I shot and the game play video I found on YouTube.

More Pictures



My Video

Punch-Out!! the arcade game by madcupid

Game Play Video