Saturday, December 27, 2014

Lufia: The Legend Returns #5 - Blades of Amon

Copley Forest... no relation to Boston's famed Copley Square. I played this game in Boston, coincidentally.

Previously on Lufia III, Rudo tamed some of that strange. Today... he battles Amon.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Game Boy, 1993) (Game Boy Color, 1998)

I just finished Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the first time ever. It wasn't particularly enjoyable, but it had some good moments. Looking back on it now I don't think that it was a very good -Zelda- game, but as far as games in general go it was solid. I'm going on to Skyward Sword next and I really hope it's better.

Playing Twilight Princess made me want to revisit an older game in the series, so I'm digging into my screenshots from Link's Awakening back in the day. Specifically, the DX version for the Game Boy Color, which added a nice color scheme to the game. I'm not sure whether to label this a Game Boy game or a Game Boy Color game, so I labeled it both. This is probably my favorite original Game Boy game of all time, no joke.


Thursday, December 18, 2014

Lufia: The Legend Returns #4 - Sea Legs

Previously on Lufia III, our heroes arrived on a new continent after defeating Gades. Somebody also had sex on a boat. It was really disrespectful to the other passengers.


Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Lufia: The Legend Returns #3 - Monkly Business

I resume the game only to find myself fighting MORE RED SLIMES. I'm like five hours into the game and I still primarily get attacked by the same enemies that hit for 1 damage. What gives?

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Lufia: The Legend Returns #2 - Running Up That Hill

Previously on Lufia III... I got crushed by Gades. After much Hi-Bomb farming, now I go back and try to win. Will I succeed, and will Seena be something resembling tolerable?

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Lufia: The Legend Returns (Game Boy Color, 2001)

Five years after Lufia 2, we finally got the third installment in this series. Originally, this was supposed to be a Playstation 1 game. One can only imagine the possibilities there. It would have likely been much more like the previous games, and perhaps we would have found out what the deal was with Arek. Instead, for various reasons we got a portable Lufia 3 for the Game Boy Color, and... it isn't very good. It certainly isn't at the level of the previous games, though it gets decent enough to be considered passable for a portable RPG.

The system downgrade may have had a negative effect on the design team's inspiration, as the design of this game seems like it was meant for a series gaiden rather than the next numbered installment; the developers even avoided putting a "3" in the official title.

This game takes place a hundred years after Lufia 1, and two hundred years after Lufia 2. Let's get to it.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals Finale - Balder and the Mistletoe

Previously on Lufia II, our heroes killed Gades several times. Unfortunately, he then became more powerful than they can possibly imagine. Also, we learned the truth about Iris: The carpet does not in fact match the drapes.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Friday, November 14, 2014

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Blazing Lazers (Turbografx-16, 1989)

The final game of Shooter Week is a legendary, revered, beloved retro shooter. It's from Hudson Soft rather than Compile, but it sure does have a lot in common with the Aleste series. Mainly Super Aleste, which this game is closer to than any of the other shooters that I've played this week. That's right, I had to go to the Turbografx-16 (a system I've never played anything on before) to find a game that might be on par with my beloved Space Megaforce. I'd still put this game in second-place, but it isn't far off.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Super R-Type (Super NES, 1991)

Time for one of my favorite SNES shooters. The R-Type series, from Irem, was sorta the Ross Perot of the shooter universe circa the 1990s. Not as popular or well-known as Gradius and not as beloved by the hardcore as the vertical Compile games. It spans five games (that I know of...there may be more) and while it's side-scrolling, it has a number of innovations that set it apart from (and even surpass at times) the Gradius games.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Gradius 3 (Super NES, 1991)

One of the Super NES's coolest launch titles, and one of Konami's many fine moments. That said, it's not without problems. Shooter Week rolls on!

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Gradius Galaxies (Game Boy Advance, 2001)

I've come to the conclusion that Konami shooters are the Final Fantasy of shooters, while Compile shooters like Zanac, Gun Nac, and Aleste are the Dragon Quest of shooters.

Time for a portable (and late-era) entry in the Final Fantasy of shooter serieses. Spoiler Alert: There will be shooting.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Grindhouse Double Feature: Nemesis (Game Boy, 1991)

Today I'm looking at another pair of portable games. Nemesis was a Game Boy version of Gradius, not unlike how Operation C is a Game Boy version of Contra. Konami likes to do that.

It isn't a straight port, but rather its own similar-yet-different game. It also got a hard-as-hell sequel in the same year, but only in Japan and Europe.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Grindhouse Double Feature: GG Aleste (Sega Game Gear, 1991 and 1993)

 
It's Day Two of Shooter Week. Time for Compile's next major followup to Zanac. The original Aleste was a Sega Master System game, called Power Strike in the U.S.

It was ported to the MSX, Mega Drive, and Game Gear, and the ports later got a sequel. Out of all of these potential options, I chose to play the Game Gear versions simply because they were the easiest to emulate get ahold of.

These are, of course, the predecessors to Super Aleste, known in the West as the rad Space Megaforce

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Zanac (NES, 1987)

Space shooter week begins with one of the great early shooters from Compile. This game is legendary...and incredibly difficult. Ask your doctor if Zanac is right for you! (Protip: It probably isn't)

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals #5 - Sinistrals of Anarchy

Today on Lufia 2... our heroes climb mountains, as the repetitive litany of tower/cave/tower/cave is broken! Also, we repeatedly beat Idura senseless. The Sinistral MC won't be pleased with their prospect. The Crow Flies Straight!

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals #3 - Powerslam Deluxe

Today on Lufia II: Our heroes acquire a new comrade, go through more caves, and have their first encounter with the bastardly Sinistrals.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals #2 - Yestermorrow

Today on Lufia II, I take a relatively in-depth look at Alunze Kingdom, as our heroes join forces with a fearsome Spooge Elemental to take on a puzzle-filled dungeon. I say in-depth because I'll be covering this game in a more thorough nature than the sum-ups I did of the first game.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (Super NES, 1996)

Time for the Aliens of this series. Lufia II is AWESOME. While the original is a perfectly acceptable RPG, this game still holds up today as being on the top tier of 16-bit RPGs. It came along pretty late in the life of the SNES and as a result it didn't do as well as it should have, but it has a strong cult following nonetheless. This is, of course, the prequel to the original game, so we know how it ends. Still, the journey to get there is a fun one.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Highlander: The Series 2x21 - Counterfeit, Pt 1


Time for part one of season two's not-that-epic finale. Prodigal Son would have been a better finale, but hey. I guess we've gotta resolve this Horton deal one way or another...

Friday, October 3, 2014

Aladdin (Super NES, 1993)

I previously played the Genesis version of this game, and now it's time to check out the very different Super NES version. I hear it features less blood and fatalities.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Lufia and the Fortress of Doom Finale - The Whore of Doom Island

Time for the final installment of Lufia, as I take on Doom Island. Will Jeros have to fight Lufia? Will Aguro and Jerin make a litter of half-elves? Tune in to find out.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Lufia and the Fortress of Doom #5 - Glimpse the World of Tomorrow

After a big lapse in my gameplay, I lost my old save. No need to worry, I've got another save to jump onto now. Picking things up with an alternate save shortly after where I left off. These last two posts should have much higher picture quality due to being newer images, as well.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Lufia and the Fortress of Doom #3 - Awe of She

A festive time is had by all as our heroes step on flowers, meet a mad scientist, and walk through lots and lots of caves.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Lufia and the Fortress of Doom #2 - The Three Towers

"It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy plays as our heroes confront a kid with normal hair color. Today on Lufia: Towers, zombies, and some crazy pot.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Lufia and the Fortress of Doom (Super NES, 1993)

Time for an old Super Nintendo classic. And judging from this title screen, the first openly gay RPG. Cue up Ace of Base and we'll party like it's 1993! Massive spoilers abound, so read at your own risk.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Highlander: The Series 2x19 - Legacy


This episode is really good. Really really good. Outstanding. One of those episodes that I'd recommend to someone who has never watched the show before, to see what the big deal is.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall Finale - Pale Palace

Previously on Daggerfall... I managed to rescue my game and get it working again, then finally finished Dust of Restful Death, Lysandus' Tomb, and associated quests. Now, with the curse on Daggerfall City lifted and the spirits freed from their wandering, it's time to go to Aetherius and revive the ancient super-golem Numidium.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall #5 - Kowloon

It's the long-awaited return of Daggerfall as I finally figure out how to get the damn game to work again so I can finish this. Featuring Medora. She's sexy and she knows it.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Friday, September 5, 2014

Friday, August 29, 2014

Highlander: The Series 2x16 - The Vampire


When I watched Highlander: The Source, I remember thinking that any episode (ANY episode) of the series would have been a better movie. This above-average episode would have been a much better movie. Hell, The Zone would have been a better movie. Slightly.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Super Adventure Island II (Super NES, 1995)

The best of the Adventure Island series, in my humble opinion, is this little-known gem. It's a vast departure from the side-scrolling Mario clones that make up the rest of the series, integrating RPG and adventure game elements. It's sorta like Zelda II: Adventure of Link, but vastly better.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Highlander: The Series 2x15 - Unholy Alliance, Pt II


Xavier is so bad-ass, he gets two episodes in a row! Don't be fooled by his seemingly aristocratic gentlemanlyness. It hides the fact that he's actually a brutal monster.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Saturday, July 26, 2014

WCW/NWO Revenge (Nintendo 64, 1998)

Here's a game that I've never played before. It's critically acclaimed, and... heh, I like how Raven is just kinda hanging out. Goldberg and Hogan are at odds, and Nash is sorta on Hogan's side staring down Goldberg, but then you have Raven just... there. He isn't on either side, he simply Is. And he sees you. Yes, you, the one holding the box. Raven sees.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Metroid: Other M - A Quick Look

Behold the most generic title screen ever! Actually, everything about this game screams "generic".

Played this via Dolphin, and the emulator didn't let me get very far. I decided I'd post what little I got like I did with 50 Cent: Bulletproof and Alien 3, even though a Metroid game deserves better than a half-baked "first five minutes of the game" post. Thing is, this is the worst Metroid game. As a huge Metroid fan who felt super let-down by this game, even the first five minutes give me a massive amount to talk about. Everything I hate about this game shows up in some form in the first five minutes...well, almost.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Wrestling Games

Today I'm going to do something that I haven't done since I took a look at Love Hina games: An ensemble post where I look at a number of different games. Originally it was going to be a post looking at one game in-depth, until I realized I can't actually beat any of these games. Let's have a look.