R.I.P Ralph Baer 1922 - 2014 - The Father of the Home Gaming Console.

Ralph Baer
March 8, 1922 - December 6, 2014

Ralph Baer the father of the home gaming console passed away December 6, 2014 he was 92. He created the first home gaming console the Magnavox Odyseey. It was ground breaking at the time it was the first time we could play video games at home. Without Ralph Baer and the Magnavox Odyseey there wouldn't be any consoles today. To all the gamers join me in remembering Ralph Baer. With out him there wouldn't be any videos games at home. So remember when you go to play a video game always thank Ralph Baer for his great breakthrough in gaming history. You don't know where you are doing until you know where you have been. Never forget the classics. Thank you Ralph Baer.

Angry Video Game Nerd - Magnavox Odyseey

James Rolfe and Mike Matei play the Magnavox Odyseey

All Good Things Must Come To An End: A Farewell Tribute to Nintendo Power

All good things must come to an end. If you already didn't know Nintendo has discontinued Nintendo Power  print the last issue this month.

This is sad because I grew up reading Nintendo Power along with a lot of other gamers from the 80s. Today we have the Internet and anytime we have and issue with a game we can go online to websites like GameFAQs.com. But before the Internet we had Nintendo Power. If you wanted to beat a hard game like: The Legend of Zelda, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Super Mario Bros. 3 and many more you got Nintendo Power. If you didn't have the Nintendo Power you usually had a friend who had it. If you didn't well you were probably S.O.L. and just had to figure it out on your own and back in the day that was very hard to do. I remember having a special Nintendo Power that was the Super Mario Bros. 3 strategy guide which helped me get so much farther in the game as a kid. I don't have the issue anymore I wish I did (It fell apart and my Mom just threw it away grrr). Nintendo Power was pack with many goodies too like posters. Not everything was perfect about Nintendo Power. There was one thing I didn't like about Nintendo Power they never said anything bad about any game even if it sucked. They would  give a description about a bad game in a very sneaky way and kids like me couldn't read between the lines. I look back now and I see that was a good way to market and sell games. Nintendo Power isn't the only magazine to do that though pretty much any game magazine that it associated with one game hardware company will be bias and not say bad things about that game. That was just a minor gripe Nintendo Power was the thing that got us through had games. We have so many more ways today to get info on games but like it say at one point Nintendo Power was the only way. To get power over the games you had to get the power Nintendo Power. Nintendo Power will always be alive in our hearts and the guides they printed are still going to be used to beat the games that were hard to beat as kids (and still are hard to beat as adults). I had the Power did you?

Here is a video review of Nintendo Power by the Anger Video Game Nerd enjoy!

Happy 40th Anniversary Atari

June 27, 2012 marks Atari's 40th Anniversary. When you think of the first home console the first thing you think of is Atari. It may not have been the first home console but it paved the way for the future. For me the most iconic thing from Atari was the Atari 2600. I remember my mom buying me on with a bunch of game at a thrift store. I don't remember what happened to it because I don't have it now (I do have the Atari Anthology and Activision Anthology on the PS2 so I still have the games). I do remember on of the games I had was pitfall and I loved playing that game I also believe I had Asteroids and I had some other games. Pitfall is still my favorite game for the Atari I love it so much. Atari was an is an awesome company and they still make games and people still loves to play the games and they are all very easy to access now thanks to the internet. Live on Atari.

The Atari Timeline

The Video Game Pad Celeberates Its 2 Year Anniversary

2 years ago today February 23, 2010 the Video Game Pad launched. We were know as the Gaming Pad when we launched and later changing the name to the Video Game Pad. We have grow so much in 2 years as you can see by the chart below.

When we started we were only getting on average a couple hundred pageviews a month. Now as you can see we get a few thousand pageviews a month now and we continue to get more each month. I just want to thank all of you who read this blog if it wasn’t for you the Video Game Pad wouldn’t exist. It is also because of you I want to continue to post great blog entries and I also hope to expand and make some videos. I hope you continue to read as we continue to grow. Thank you all so much for reading my blog.

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.

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

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.

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: 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

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.

Modding your Super Nintendo to play Super Famicom games

Ever wanted to play a Super Famicom game but you didn’t have Super Famicom to play it on. Well there is an easy way to mod your Super Nintendo. First I want to compare an SNES cartridge with an SFC cartridge. In the image below you will see the two cartridges.

You will see the SNES cartridge is wider than the SFC cartridge. Now look at the pin connectors in the picture below.

You see that the pin connectors look the same. You show noticed there is something that sets these apart and it’s the slots on the on the SNES cartridge. If you look at the picture below you will see that the SFC cartridge doesn’t have the slots.

If you try to put the SFC cartridge in the SNES it won’t fit because it doesn't have the slots.

Now it’s time to make the SFC cartridge fit into the SNES. To mod you SNES all need is just needle nose pliers just like the pliers below.

Open the slot of the SNES and you will see two tab. Take a look at the picture below and you will see where they are located.

Take the needle nose pliers and brake off the tabs. They should break right off and you will have two tabs like the ones below.

Your SNES should look like this now.

Now the SFC cartridge will fit in the SNES.

Congratulations you have modded your SNES to play Japanese SFC games. You will only be able to play Japanese games. You will not be able to play European SNES games because its PAL not NTSC. This is easy to do and it doesn’t require you to mess with the circuit board on you SNES.

Great Finds: Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis

The other day I was looking through Goodwill and I came across a Super Nintendo. The SNES came with 1 controller and 2 games in great shape. The games are Zombies ate my Neighbors and Fatal Fury 2.

The SNES didn’t have any hook up but lucky for me I picked up an extra set of SNES av cables for only $1. The SNES with the controller and 2 games only cost me $5 so even though I need an ac adapter everything cost me $6 for the system. Also the system works where I have a SNES I was able to use the hook ups from my 1st SNES and it worked just fine.

A week before finding the SNES I found another Model 1 Sega Genesis. It had the hook ups and the system works but no controllers.

The Genesis only cost $7 so again it was a great deal even without controllers. It’s easy to find controllers and AC adapters without breaking the bank. I have been getting lucky and my local Goodwill store I just hope I my luck continues and I find some more great systems, games and accessories.

Great Finds: Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64

The other day I was looking around at a Goodwill when I came across a box that had a complete Nintendo 64 with 2 controllers. I looked through the box and there was also a complete Model 1 Sega Genesis with 2 controllers in the box also.

I looked to see the if there was a price tag and to my surprise the price was $25 so I picked it up and took it to the cashier and she rang it up. All together everything was $27 with tax. The Genesis also had a game with it Sonic 2. This has probably been one of the best deals I have found in a while and I'm very happy I found 2 working game consoles for a great price.