Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter (Arcade, 1997)

 

It kinda feels like they were holding out on us with the previous game. This one goes beyond the confines of X-Men and delivers a more stacked roster. I kinda think of it like the X-Men couldn't take on the World Warriors in the previous game, so they brought in other Marvel reinforcements to regain the upper hand here.

This would then prompt the 'Warriors to go and get more forces from the Capcom contingent for the next game to even things out again. They see Marvel's Hulk and raise him...Servbots or some shit! In the meantime, here's the sequel to Marvel Super Heroes. It's the 4th game in the series and it's the sequel to the second, but also the third.

X-Men Vs Street Fighter (Arcade, 1996)

 

The third game in the eight-game (eventually) MVC series, we finally get some company crossover starting now. It's the X-Men battling the World Warriors, though people would have to wait a bit longer to get the rest of Marvel onboard. Dammit, we had Hulk for ONE GAME and they've taken him away again!

The big innovation for this game is that it gives us tag team battles; you control a team of two characters and can switch between them. First player to lose both their characters loses the fight (one round). I really like the tag mechanic in fighting games; it varies things up when you can tag another character in and out.

S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team (NES, 1991)

     

A jetpack-based shoot 'em up with an absolutely terrible name, this one has been on my radar for about 30 years. Seriously though, this has to be the worst-named game in the entire NES library. It's a pretty solid Natsume game, though, and deserves a bit of recognition.

Bad Dudes (NES, 1989)

Caution: Reading about the patriotic super-duo of BAD DUDES may cause spontaneous and uncontrollable arousal in women.

Originally posted in 2013, now it's back

The Art of Mana

This book launched in 2020 for around $40 USD (less on Amazon). Is it worth it? Let's jump into it.

Marvel Super Heroes (Arcade, 1995)

 

The second game in the MVC series steps things up. The first had the X-Men, while this has lots of Marvel characters in general. There's no Capcom yet, that would start with the third one. Of the ones I've played (at press time, half of the eight games in question), this is actually my favorite. More on why that is la...

...the hell is that purple thing?

X-Men: Children of the Atom (Arcade, 1994)

 

Another arcade game from the Marvel Vs Capcom Fighting Collection, this one's a fighter rather than a beat 'em up. I know very little about the X-Men except that they're mutants with super powers who other folks are afraid of, so they were all bound for tough lives until Professor Xavier took them under his wing and gave them purpose. Essentially turning their disabilities into super powers (as being different from everyone else IS a social disability, regardless of the context, and it's been well-documented by now that someone with say autism can potentially excel at life if steered in the right direction and able to find opportunities in the field that interests them... thus, being different can sometimes be turned into an advantage, and thus, the X-Men have a positive message behind them).

Pretty much all the other kids liked X-Men when I was a kid, so I heard about it all the time circa 1994. The advertisements for this game touted that it has five times the megabits of Street Fighter II, for smoother animation, so I've got high expectations. Also Psylocke is really, really hot. Let's go.

The Punisher (Arcade, 1993)

 

Another really good Capcom arcade beat 'em up, this one never got released in the U.S. back in the 90's. Eventually it got added to the Marvel Vs Capcom Fighting Collection as a bonus. It's the only non-fighting game on there. Not sure what to expect with this, but it has two-player co-op so that's what we're running.

This game is so violent, it's basically what my elementary school teachers thought ALL video games were back in 1993.

Magic Sword (Super NES, 1992)

(Originally posted July 2020; reposted to go with the Arcade version I just did)

Magic Sword is an arcade beat-em-up from early 90's Capcom. They went on to make other (better) medieval-themed beat-em-ups like Knights of the Round and King of Dragons, but this one was a good start. I played it in the arcade a couple times as a kid and it was fun, but I didn't get very far. The Super NES port is easier, so we'll see how I do.

The North American box art features a Big American Beefy Boi protecting a hot woman with his big American sword. That demon looks horrendous.

Magic Sword (Arcade, 1990)

 

The predecessor to some of the great Capcom beat 'em ups like King of Dragons. I played the SNES version of this a while back, but here we've got the superior arcade version courtesy of Capcom Arcade Stadium. It's 50 floors of mayhem as you climb the Tower of Babel with an assortment of allies.

Ranking all 80 NES Games I've Finished

Just a list, like the Sega and Game Boy lists I already did. Keeping the entries short and simple for this one.

Highlander 5x14 - Duende

 

It's 7 PM (Hawaii time) on Monday night, you know what that means. Aired February 24th, 1997. This is one I wanted to get to for a while. It's just as much a "labor of love" as Episode 100 was two episodes ago, where you can tell everyone involved put in that extra "this is a special episode" oomph. This one is all about The Dance, something Adrian Paul trained in for real when he studied flamenco. It's pretty clear that this episode was special to him in particular.

I've seen some folks not like this episode and I gotta wonder what they're smoking. Give it another watch and try to appreciate it for what it's doing.

Also, the villain of this episode, Spanish nobleman Otavio Consone, is one of two or three S-Tier fighters that Duncan faces in the entire series. There's Brian Cullen (bogged down by addiction), this guy, and maybe Kronos. I'd probably lean more towards Kronos being in A-Tier (though at the top of it!) with the likes of Kurgan, Grayson, Kalas, Haresh Clay, maybe Xavier. Massive threats, for sure. Consone and Cullen are on another level though, right there with the Macleod boys.

The 1000 Games I've Beaten (#622 - 630)

 

#622 Demon's Souls (Playstation 3) – Spring 2016

After playing the heck out of Bloodborne, Dark Souls II, and Dark Souls in 2015, it was time to backpedal and see where it all began. This predecessor is basically a mood in game form. An overcast, mossy, foggy, rainy mood. The remake of this game is incredible in its own right but I don't think it replaces the original; they're still very different and the original just captures a very unique vibe. Spring 2016 to me means rain storms, FF Tactics, and Demon's Souls.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Part 7 (Finale) - Alsace-Lorraine

 

Cataluna came, she saw.

I'm just glad this thing is mercifully over.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Part 6 - Champagne-Ardenne

 

Joan Jett is the President of France! My God! "Don't Lose Your Head" plays as she stands around.

How weird is it that Ash Ketchum's name was Ash Ketchum, and he grew up to be a Pokémon catcher? It's the most wildly appropriate coincidental name since San Antonio Spurs superstar Tim Duncan. One of my top 3 favorite players ever, along with Magic Johnson and, of course, Michael Jordan. Wonder what all those guys are up to these days. Anyway, time for more (groan) Pokémon.

Highlander 5x13 - The Ransom of Richard Redstone

 

It's 7 PM on Monday night, and you know what that means. Aired February 17th, 1997, this is the weak point of my "best seven-episode run in the series". It's the only one that's a bit of an odd man out, as a comedy episode, and a lot of folks don't like it. Well I do. I like it a lot! It's great to get a Richie-focused episode for a change. It feels like he hasn't had enough episodes since he returned in "End of Innocence" with that rad new sword.

Sekiro Boss Fight Videos

 

Just a boss fight compilation, with liner notes. This might be the finest sword-fighting game I've ever played and it isn't even close, as well as one of the best games I've played. It certainly deserved Game of the Year 2019. Also, spoiler: This clocks in at my 1000th finished game.

Ranking All Six April Fool's Posts

 

I didn't have any new ideas this year, so I'm just going to do a ranking list for the other ones. People love rankings and top lists.

Highlander 5x12 - Revelation 6:8

 

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat upon him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the Earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with the beasts of the Earth.

-The Book of Revelation, Chapter 6, Verse 8

And I heard as if it were the noise of thunder

One of the four beasts saying, "Come and See"

-Johnny Cash, "When The Man Comes Around"

Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Part 5 - Grand Est Strasbourg

 

Cataluna gets PEARL HARBORED by a vicious Beedrill. At least one of these Rogue Mega boss fights is finally using an actual appealing Pokémon.

I'll say it again, the main character's outfit is completely carrying the game. This game is...not great. And it's a shame because they could have really done so much with the France setting and re-creating some of the rain-drenched, mossy locales therein. Instead we got this one town where basically everything looks the same, everywhere you go.