Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64, 1996)

SUPERRRR MARIO 64.

Yoshi's Island (Super NES, 1995)

Nintendo was in an interesting position in 1995. With the Sega Genesis more or less vanquished, Nintendo could have easily phoned things in that year... However, they were faced with new threats in the form of the Sega Saturn and the Sony Playstation. These spiffy new 32-bit systems threatened to make the Super NES look old and outdated. With the N64 a year away, Nintendo had to do something to keep their fans from jumping ship and spending their money on the competition - something plenty of them did regardless. They did their best to stave off the enemy at the gates by continuing their parade of high-quality games throughout 1995, with titles like Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country 2, and this one... the aptly-named Yoshi's Island.

Donkey Kong Country (Super NES, 1994)

And now... Advanced Computer Modeling! Silicon Graphics! Ultra 64! Nintendo Power! The Treehouse! Rare! 32 Megabits! One of the greatest soundtracks in gaming history! Magical times for all! This game was originally supposed to be for the Nintendo Ultra 64 Ultra 64 Nintendo 64, but they managed to transform it into an SNES game for the ages.

Aladdin (Sega Genesis, 1993)

For 1993 I'm reviewing a game that existed on both the Genesis and the SNES. You'd think that this is one of those cases where Sega... does what Ninten-does. However, it was an entirely different game on each system. While the SNES version has Aladdin jumping on the heads of enemies to defeat them ("plzdon'tsue" said Nintendo to parents), the Genesis version has Aladdin slicing foes up with a scimitar. Bad-ass!

Space Megaforce (Super NES, 1992)

As those who have been reading this saga of posts are already aware of, I'm following the progression of space shooters a bit. Not a lot... just as far as the NES, SNES, and N64 go. Here we have what I consider the best space shooter I've ever played: Space Megaforce (or as it is known in Japan, where it was far more popular, Super Aleste). This is a great game that more people need to know exists, so for this one I'll be doing a lot of discussion of the gameplay.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis, 1991)

As a kid, I used to lay awake and think about how Nintendo was "where it's at", while never giving Sega a real chance. Now I'm all grown and I realize that rooting for one side or the other is pointless when they're both good. Competition from Sega, spearheaded by Sonic the Hedgehog, is what pushed Nintendo to bring their absolute best in the mid 90's. Competition from the Sony Playstation pushed Nintendo to finally let go of the cartridge format. Competition from the Playstation 3 and XBox 360 has ensured that Nintendo won't be putting out another non-HD system in the age of HD. Competition from the PS4 and XBox720 will ensure that the Nintendo 7th doesn't have a game lineup consisting primarily of Princess Toadstool hentai RPGs, at least after 2015. Competition is good. With this appreciation in mind, I finally gave Sonic a go.

Golvellius (Master System, 1988)

Behold, a game that no one played. This was Sega's answer to Zelda... but how good was it? My last couple of posts (Gradius and Legend of Zelda) were pretty long-winded about the gameplay. For the next few posts I'm going to be a bit more to-the-point about these games and what I thought of them. There will be jokes. Punch and pie.

The Legend of Zelda (NES, 1987)

The 1987 game is a big one. The genesis of the Zelda series. ...wait, what? The title screen says 1986, you say? I'll explain that in a moment. In any case, this game is the beginning of an era, and captured the imaginations of countless kids. It all started here.

Gradius (NES, 1986)

Gradius is one of the first great shooters of the modern era. In this game, you play as Vic Viper, a space fighter that would go on to get appearances in Zone of the Enders and mentions in the Metal Gear Solid games. Originally, this 1986 post was going to be Adventure Island for the NES. When I was a kid, a friend of mine and I played the first couple of worlds in that game and it was fun. We didn't stay with it too long because we had Marioes and Mega Men to get to. In any case, I was looking forward to revisiting it... but then I discovered firsthand that the game is almost impossible after the first few worlds. Seriously. It's harder than Ninja Gaiden. There is one particular level (7-1, I believe) that is flat-out un-passable due to some truly baffling level design. Given my desire to not have a heart attack, I defaulted to a game I'm more familiar with: Gradius. It won't be the last time a Konami game appears on this list, because Konami is awesome.

Super Mario Bros (NES, 1985)

This is it. In 1985, good games suddenly began to appear. And that's a good thing, because gaming in 1984... well, when Kung-Fu Master is one of the standout games from the year, there's a problem. Luckily for children everywhere, the NES was on its way. And with the NES, Super Mario Bros.

Kung-Fu Master (Arcade, 1984)

Looking for a game to play that was released in 1984, I found that my choices were pretty limited. Originally I was going to go with Paperboy, an arcade game that I enjoyed the one or two times I played it as a kid. Unfortunately, emulating that game is more or less impossible since it had a special handlebar controller. From there it just became a matter of finding something that was playable, both from a technical standpoint and a... playability standpoint. I settled on another arcade game, Kung-Fu Master. This game... isn't good. The NES can't arrive soon enough.

Mario Bros (Arcade, 1983)

For 1983 I'll be looking at a game that has gotten surprisingly little attention over the years. This was the arcade predecessor to Super Mario Bros, and pre-dates the NES system itself by two years. It is a one-screen game that pales in comparison to every other Mario game; I don't even consider it a true part of the Mario series as we know it. That said, it is an important part of video game history. It has seen a few re-releases over the years, most notably as an included mini-game with Super Mario Bros 3. For this post I played the original arcade version.

The Three Decade Project

For the next little while, I'm going to be embarking on a new project. I'll be doing a post for a game for every year that I've been alive, starting with 1983's Mario Bros. While some of these games are chosen for their historical significance (such as Super Mario 64), others are here because I needed an excuse to play them (such as Fable). Read on for the complete list.

Game Review: Metroid Prime Hunters

Nintendo DS, 2006

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo Software Technology

Time to Complete: 7 - 9 hours

I noticed that there was a hole in my Metroid post lineup. I've written about every main-series Metroid game except one, and it's time to do something about that.

Lennus II, Finale - Immortals

Finally, we arrive at the final post in what may be the internet's sole Lennus 2 series. Astute observers may note that this artwork is actually from Lennus 1, aka Paladin's Quest. Unfortunately, the complete lack of Lennus 2 imagery in existence means I need to borrow from the first game. When the tournament master in The Wizard boomed "A GAME YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED BEFORE", he was talking about Super Mario Bros 3... but for 99.99% of SNES RPG fans, he might as well have been talking about this game.

Lennus II, Part 7 - E. Honda's Commie Paradise

In the penultimate installment of Lennus 2, I prepare for the final battles by slathering our heroes in delicious sweat. Just like in real life, this boosts their HP.

The 2012 Year in Review

2012. It saw a ratings record-setting NBA playoffs series between Boston and Miami, a huge Superbowl featuring Boston Vs. New York City, a seemingly-endless presidential election that featured candidates from Boston and Chicago, and a Wrestlemania main event between Boston's own John Cena and Miami's own The Rock.

My town, Boston, lost all of those.

What follows are just my opinions; your mileage may vary. If I haven't seen or played something, it probably won't be mentioned. Exceptions can be made if I have fairly extensive knowledge of a game or movie. Before you lose your mind because the latest Call of Duty wasn't included, I didn't play it and don't know very much about it. With that said, let's go.

Lennus II, Part 6 - Meridian

Previously on Lennus 2... Farus finished collecting the eight seals. Then, he promptly handed them over to the bad guys, and now the crisis is even more dire. Good work, Farus.

Lennus II, Part 5 - Smoky Hellscape

I continue my trek through the game that approximately one hundred people in the U.S. have played through. Next up, Farus and Friends (not to be confused with television muppets Fox and Friends) are back in Andel. And everyone is celebrating!

Gun Nac (NES, 1990)

And now for something completely different. Gun Nac is a classic NES shooter probably most recognizable for having some of the weirdest enemies in the history of the genre. Such internet luminaries as the Happy Video Game Nerd and Motherfucker Mike have sung the praises of this little-known game. What's all the fuss about? I set out to see for myself. Get ready for vicious attack-carrots and all kinds of insanity to ensue OMG THIS GAME IS AWESOME