Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (Playstation 5, 2022)

 

I've never covered the original Final Fantasy on here, yet here I am covering its remake. That IS what this is, right? I don't know! Let's find out.

The Game Boy Player's Guide (Plus NP Review #24)

Today I'm looking at a true blast from the past.

Super Mario Bros. 3, Part II

 

Today on SMB3: How many worlds can I get through?

Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1990)

I remember when I was a kid, and had only played Super Mario Bros a few times. I thought that game was the coolest thing ever. At some point shortly after this sequel came out, I was at someone's house and they had -all three- of the Mario games. I would have given up a year's salary as a second-grader (all $50 of it) to have one of them. Of course, I wanted to play Super Mario Bros since I was obsessed with it, and my friend was like "No, you've gotta see Super Mario Bros 3, it's even better." This, of course, was hard to believe. Better than the first one? So we fired it up, and it was.

Super Mario Land 2 (Game Boy, 1992)

It's March 10, you know what that means. It's MARIO DAY. Time to look at the Game Boy's second and last mainline Mario game. How much can graphics improve in two years?

I hear Mario carries both a red and blue bandana in his pockets, because he has earned respect from both coasts.

Nintendo Power Review #23 - Mario Paint Issue

 

Why does Mario look so guilty in this shot? Regardless, video and notes within.

Super Mario Land (Game Boy, 1989)

 

It's March 4th, you know what that means. Time to march forth with Impromptu Mario Week! What awaits in this impromptu week of Mario? Tune in to find out. First up, the Game Boy classic that punched well above its weight. This is something I wanted to play as a kid, but didn't get around to it until I was an adult. Actually played the second one way before I played this one. While the second is objectively a much better game, I kind of preferred this one for its elegant simplicity and lack of gimmicks. Not being tired of the Mario format yet is probably a large factor in this.

That box art is tremendous, too. So colorful and action-packed. If I'd seen this in a store as a kid, I no doubt would have begged my way into getting it. Instead, Kirby's Dream Land was the lucky winner of the first game choice...mainly because Caldor didn't have this game. Let's get to it.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, Part 5 - Childish Bambina

 

Rodrigo decides for his daughter that Gazpacho is worthy. Worthy? Maybe Nera isn't worthy of ME!

And has anyone asked her opinion on anything?

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, Part 4 - Images of Sorrow, Pictures of Delight

 

Today on Dragon Quest V: Our hero goes on a quest for rings so that he can get married. But to who?

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, Part 3 - The Gulag Archipelago

 

Today on DQV: The Gulag. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn would be horrified.

Highlander 4x03 - The Innocent

 

This episode deals with something no other episodes dare touch on: What would happen if an immortal were special needs? An episode that probably wouldn't be made today, it's kind of sad and unhappy but I'll make the most of it. Let's goooo.

Vanquish (PS3, 2010)

 

Fantastic Sega game here that really came out of nowhere. It's like Gears of War except fast-paced, and it's a blast. Surprised this never got any kind of a sequel, or even that much notoriety for that matter.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, Part 2 - Faerie Queen

 

Today on Dragon Quest V: A super-eventful part of a super-eventful game. Check out this world map. Looks a bit like DQIV's, with a large inner sea. Pretty sure this game's world is bigger though.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (PS3, 2010)

 

Another PS3 game that later got a PS4 re-release. This one is especially welcome because the first release of the game disappeared off the face of the Earth about seven years ago. Not sure why, but for a long time it just wasn't available anymore. In 2021 it finally saw the light of day again and this time I seized the opportunity.

Nintendo Power Reviews - Episodes 20, 21, and 22 With Notes

 

Get the power! Nintendo Power! The review series has returned with new Youtube episodes.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (iOS/Android, 2015)

 

Jumping over the Super Famicom release (for the moment). This is the first U.S. release of Dragon Quest V, one of the finest 16-bit RPGs to never get an official port over. Originally this came out on the Nintendo DS in 2009 and I wasn't able to get into it. Got maybe a half hour into the game. Now I'm playing the HD phone version from 2015. With new, crisp graphics, will I get further than a half hour this time?

Highlander 4x02 - Brothers in Arms

 

Season 4 does the same thing Season 3 does and has a really relevant second episode. Either of these could have been the season premiere. While 3-02 deals with Duncan's Native American time period, this one deals with Joe Dawson's history.

Code Vein Boss Fights

 

This is a great game. It's basically Souls with less polish, much worse world and level design, and way more attractive characters. The sum total of all of that is that it's a blast. One thing's for sure, ally characters being able to revive you (on a 30 second or so cooldown) really saved me in this game. Recorded all the boss fights, here they are.

Spider-Man and Venom: Separation Anxiety (Super NES, 1995)

 

Here's a game that NOBODY knew existed, it seemed like, back in 1995. That's right, Maximum Carnage actually has a sequel. As popular as that game was, this one is not fondly remembered...or remembered at all. It's nearly impossible to even find information about it online outside of a meager amount of coverage at GameFAQs. So I don't know what I'm getting into here, but expectations are set reasonably low.

Super Mario World Finale - The Aristocrats

Today, I finally find out the secret of the green berries. This game still has things I don't know, 25 years later.