Jon here.
In honor of Marvel’s latest comic-book-to-movie cash-in, it’s my Best Captains in Gaming list!
Captain Olimar
Although Olimar has no crew, he pilots his own ship (The Dolphin). He also commands legions of walking carrot creatures that he plucks from the ground. In his second adventure, he does get one crew member under his command – his faithful lieutenant Louie.
Douglas Jay “Captain” Falcon
He seems to have the honorary title of “Captian”, but it could actually be a former rank in the Internova Police Force. Alternatively, the F-Zero GP Legend anime establishes that “Captain Falcon” is the title given to the top racer in the world. Perhaps one day we’ll get an entry in the series that retcons it all together and gives us a better idea of who Falcon really is.
Captain Rainbow
Nintendo loves their captains, but not enough to bring them all to North Amercia. Captain Rainbow’s titular Wii game was probably deemed too absurd to bring to the US and Canada. Captain Rainbow stands out because he’s a burned-out TV superhero on a quest to regain his former popularity. Not exactly an obvious plot for an action-adventure game, so it gets points for novelty.
Captain Commando
Capcom’s former mascot (although it does look like they’ll be killing off another) used to only appear on the backs of NES games until he got his own side-scrolling beat-em-up game in the 16-bit era. He led a four-man team, the “Commando Squad” against villains threatening to conquer the earth. He also appeared in Marvel vs Capcom 1 and 2.
Captain America
Although I have not played a game starring the Nazi fighting Marvel superhuman in almost 2 decades, my nostalgia of Captain American and the Avengers for the Genesis compelled me to up him on the list. The Cap teamed up with Iron Man, Hawkeye and Vision in this side-scrolling beat-em-up, and it probably does not hold up very well. But it holds a very special place in my childhood and is one of the reasons (along with many other games of its ilk) that I love co-op gaming.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Shinning Example of Trials HD
Jon here.
So I played Trials HD last night for the first time. I guess the best way to describe it is Excite Bike meets Sonic the Hedgehog in HD with some really fun physics. Like Sonic, the levels operate on a 2D plane (although in fully polygonal environments) and feature lots of obstacles, ramps, hills, boulders, flips, falling platforms, etc… Like Excite Bike, the object is to get to the finish line with the best time possible.
There are no lives, there are no continues. You keep trying and crashing until you get to the end. Completing levels with better times and fewer crashes yields better medals and unlockable features.
What impresses me the most about Trials is the very clever levels designs with such limited scope. The 2D tracks are much more fun than they would be in an open 3D environment. Keeping the game on a 2D plane allow players to focus on the basics of the gameplay and the developer to come up with some twisted and, frankly, almost unfair designs. All the levels take place inside a dangerously irresponsibly maintained warehouse and use a lot of the same assets in different ways. The only controls are lean forward, lean back, accelerate and break as well as a “bailout” button that tosses the ragdoll rider in some often hilarious directions. Despite the limitations, the game is a whole lot of fun and very rewarding when you beat a hard level.It’s also funny to see the rider crash and smash his head and neck against various obstacles.
Games and gaming as a hobby could benefit from minimizing the scope like Trials HD and other indie-type games do. Instead of expanding horizons and making games with more freedom, expansive worlds, full customization, and NPC’s with lives of their own, let’s get back to making games with compelling gameplay. That’s not to say there’s not room in with world for epic, 50-hour gaming extravaganzas, but the ratio of fun, creative games like trials to online FPS’s is far to imbalanced. If the choice is between 5 or 6 games like Trials HD and no new Call of Duty or a new Call of Duty and only 1 or two games like Trials HD, I’ll take the former. Every time.
So I played Trials HD last night for the first time. I guess the best way to describe it is Excite Bike meets Sonic the Hedgehog in HD with some really fun physics. Like Sonic, the levels operate on a 2D plane (although in fully polygonal environments) and feature lots of obstacles, ramps, hills, boulders, flips, falling platforms, etc… Like Excite Bike, the object is to get to the finish line with the best time possible.
There are no lives, there are no continues. You keep trying and crashing until you get to the end. Completing levels with better times and fewer crashes yields better medals and unlockable features.
What impresses me the most about Trials is the very clever levels designs with such limited scope. The 2D tracks are much more fun than they would be in an open 3D environment. Keeping the game on a 2D plane allow players to focus on the basics of the gameplay and the developer to come up with some twisted and, frankly, almost unfair designs. All the levels take place inside a dangerously irresponsibly maintained warehouse and use a lot of the same assets in different ways. The only controls are lean forward, lean back, accelerate and break as well as a “bailout” button that tosses the ragdoll rider in some often hilarious directions. Despite the limitations, the game is a whole lot of fun and very rewarding when you beat a hard level.It’s also funny to see the rider crash and smash his head and neck against various obstacles.
Games and gaming as a hobby could benefit from minimizing the scope like Trials HD and other indie-type games do. Instead of expanding horizons and making games with more freedom, expansive worlds, full customization, and NPC’s with lives of their own, let’s get back to making games with compelling gameplay. That’s not to say there’s not room in with world for epic, 50-hour gaming extravaganzas, but the ratio of fun, creative games like trials to online FPS’s is far to imbalanced. If the choice is between 5 or 6 games like Trials HD and no new Call of Duty or a new Call of Duty and only 1 or two games like Trials HD, I’ll take the former. Every time.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
I'm Not Jumping Ship, I'm Buying a Life Raft
Jon here.
I’m not really sure what to write about in this Tuesday blog post. I thought about writing about the slow start and lackluster 3rd party support of the 3DS, but I’m sure it will turn around and I don’t want to be eating my words a year down the line. In fact, most of the hot-topics surrounding Nintendo over the past couple of months are beaten to death. Don’t get me wrong, the Big N still has some serious issues to resolve around it’s struggling hardware and lack of 1st and 3rd party software, but I’d rather talk about something more positive.
But there’s just not a whole lot going on in the world of gaming post-E3, so I’ll talk about something more personal.
I’ve always been a multi-console owner since the end of the 16-bit era. I had an N64 and a PS1. I had a Gamecube and a PS2. However, almost five years into this generation, I find myself owning only a Wii. I do get to play games for other consoles that my friends own, but the always steady stream of quality and interesting games on the Wii and DS kept my wallet in check, preventing me from purchasing another system. I always intended to get a PS3 though. But now that the Wii’s life is coming to an abrupt end (much to my chagrin), I think this holiday will be the right time (financially speaking) to take the plunge.
Side note: I would have been satisfied with the Wii being my only home console with generation if the software had kept coming. But that seems to not be the case.
Barring any massive surprises from Nintendo over the next few months, I’ve begun making my list of PS3 games to purchase. I’ll probably start with some older games and build a library on the cheap, but I am really looking forward to The Last Guardian, Bioshock Infinite, Resistance 3 and Uncharted 3.
Also on my list:
So, I’m throwing this question out to the MyIGN users: what other PS3 games would you suggest I get to build a library? Disclaimer: I’m not into sports or racing simulators. Suggestions about downloadable games would also be very welcome.
I’m not really sure what to write about in this Tuesday blog post. I thought about writing about the slow start and lackluster 3rd party support of the 3DS, but I’m sure it will turn around and I don’t want to be eating my words a year down the line. In fact, most of the hot-topics surrounding Nintendo over the past couple of months are beaten to death. Don’t get me wrong, the Big N still has some serious issues to resolve around it’s struggling hardware and lack of 1st and 3rd party software, but I’d rather talk about something more positive.
But there’s just not a whole lot going on in the world of gaming post-E3, so I’ll talk about something more personal.
I’ve always been a multi-console owner since the end of the 16-bit era. I had an N64 and a PS1. I had a Gamecube and a PS2. However, almost five years into this generation, I find myself owning only a Wii. I do get to play games for other consoles that my friends own, but the always steady stream of quality and interesting games on the Wii and DS kept my wallet in check, preventing me from purchasing another system. I always intended to get a PS3 though. But now that the Wii’s life is coming to an abrupt end (much to my chagrin), I think this holiday will be the right time (financially speaking) to take the plunge.
Side note: I would have been satisfied with the Wii being my only home console with generation if the software had kept coming. But that seems to not be the case.
Barring any massive surprises from Nintendo over the next few months, I’ve begun making my list of PS3 games to purchase. I’ll probably start with some older games and build a library on the cheap, but I am really looking forward to The Last Guardian, Bioshock Infinite, Resistance 3 and Uncharted 3.
Also on my list:
- Uncharted, Uncharted 2
- Little Big Planet, LBP 2
- Bioshock, Bioshock 2
- Resistance, Resistance 2
- Dead Space, Dead Space 2
- Lost Planet 2
- Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3
- Portal 2
- Valkyria Chronicles
- Resident Evil 5
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
So, I’m throwing this question out to the MyIGN users: what other PS3 games would you suggest I get to build a library? Disclaimer: I’m not into sports or racing simulators. Suggestions about downloadable games would also be very welcome.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Putting the Sorting Hat on Nintendo Characters
After seeing the latest Harry Potter flick, I thought it would be fun to see what Nintendo characters would fit into what house in Hogwarts.
Gryffindor
Characteristics: brave, daring, nerve, chivalry
Notable Members: Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Harry Potter
Link – the most obvious choice for Gryffindor, his body houses the Triforce of Courage
Mario – always willing to charge into danger when someone is in trouble, especially if that someone is Princess Peach
Captain Falcon – bounty hunting at 3000mph takes balls
Fox McLeod – he leads an elite squad of 4 star fighters against platoons of enemy star ships
Ravenclaw
Characteristics: intelligence, wit, knowledge
Notable Members: Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood
Princess Zelda – always a few steps ahead of Link, her wisdom is just as essential for the salvation of Hyrule as Link’s courage
Professor E. Gadd – the brilliant inventor of the Poltergust 3000 and general crackpot
Captain Olimar – while Pikmin may be predisposed to following whoever harvests them, Olimar cleverly employs their specific skills to solve complex puzzles
Peppy Hare – mentor to Fox McLeod and calming anchor of team Star Fox
Slytherin
Characteristics: skill, ambition, cunning, resourcefulness
Notable Members: Tom Riddle, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy
Samus – the galaxy’s most proficient killer often works with the Federation, but is not above taking a dirty job… for the right price
Kirby – highly skilled at both stealing powers and causing trouble, although the most trouble he gets into is stealing a cake or two
Pit – adept with the blade and bow, Pit can dispatch the vast armies of the underworld; but his playful and childish attitude can sometimes be a detriment to his success
Falco Lombari – the ace pilot of team Star Fox can hold his own against any fighter in the galaxy, but is also a little resentful of Fox’s leadership; he seems like he’s always one mission-gone-bad away from striking out on his own
Hufflepuff
Characteristics: hard work, patience, loyalty, fair play
Notable Members: Cedric Diggory, Nymphadora Lupin (Tonks)
Luigi – the perpetual coward, Luigi still fearfully follows Mario on his adventures and never fails to help his brother out of a jam
Donkey Kong – not particularly brave or smart or cunning, DK falls into the Hufflepuff house more by default; but his hardworking attitude make him fit in just fine
Princess Peach – she does not have any particular skills (unless a floating umbrella counts) but she always tries her best
Slippy Toad – in need of a helping hand 90% of the time, Slippy is the weak link of the Star Fox team; he gives it his all and follows Fox to the end of the galaxy, and occasionally comes through
Who else would be a good character to sort into a Hogwarts House? Not just a Nintendo character, but any classic game icon. Where would Mega Man or Protoman or Simon Belmont fit?
Gryffindor
Characteristics: brave, daring, nerve, chivalry
Notable Members: Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Harry Potter
Link – the most obvious choice for Gryffindor, his body houses the Triforce of Courage
Mario – always willing to charge into danger when someone is in trouble, especially if that someone is Princess Peach
Captain Falcon – bounty hunting at 3000mph takes balls
Fox McLeod – he leads an elite squad of 4 star fighters against platoons of enemy star ships
Ravenclaw
Characteristics: intelligence, wit, knowledge
Notable Members: Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood
Princess Zelda – always a few steps ahead of Link, her wisdom is just as essential for the salvation of Hyrule as Link’s courage
Professor E. Gadd – the brilliant inventor of the Poltergust 3000 and general crackpot
Captain Olimar – while Pikmin may be predisposed to following whoever harvests them, Olimar cleverly employs their specific skills to solve complex puzzles
Peppy Hare – mentor to Fox McLeod and calming anchor of team Star Fox
Slytherin
Characteristics: skill, ambition, cunning, resourcefulness
Notable Members: Tom Riddle, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy
Samus – the galaxy’s most proficient killer often works with the Federation, but is not above taking a dirty job… for the right price
Kirby – highly skilled at both stealing powers and causing trouble, although the most trouble he gets into is stealing a cake or two
Pit – adept with the blade and bow, Pit can dispatch the vast armies of the underworld; but his playful and childish attitude can sometimes be a detriment to his success
Falco Lombari – the ace pilot of team Star Fox can hold his own against any fighter in the galaxy, but is also a little resentful of Fox’s leadership; he seems like he’s always one mission-gone-bad away from striking out on his own
Hufflepuff
Characteristics: hard work, patience, loyalty, fair play
Notable Members: Cedric Diggory, Nymphadora Lupin (Tonks)
Luigi – the perpetual coward, Luigi still fearfully follows Mario on his adventures and never fails to help his brother out of a jam
Donkey Kong – not particularly brave or smart or cunning, DK falls into the Hufflepuff house more by default; but his hardworking attitude make him fit in just fine
Princess Peach – she does not have any particular skills (unless a floating umbrella counts) but she always tries her best
Slippy Toad – in need of a helping hand 90% of the time, Slippy is the weak link of the Star Fox team; he gives it his all and follows Fox to the end of the galaxy, and occasionally comes through
Who else would be a good character to sort into a Hogwarts House? Not just a Nintendo character, but any classic game icon. Where would Mega Man or Protoman or Simon Belmont fit?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Fondest 16-bit Memories
Jon here.
I’m still on my 16-bit kick and therefore spending quite a bit of time with my SNES and very temperamental Genesis. I’m perpetually stunned with how well the SNES hardware and cartridges hold up when you follow the single most important rule of retro gaming: never blow in the cartridges.
I’ll just throw this anecdotal evidence out there for you consideration. I blew in NES cartridges. The games would all freeze, the spring in the loader broke and the input port for the AC adapter loosened to the point that any contact with the cord caused the system to lose power. I blew in Genesis cartridges. The games would freeze and the internal batteries went caput, eliminating their ability to save progress; and both the AC and RF input on the hardware loosened to the point that any contact with the cords caused the system to lose power/video signal. I never blew in SNES cartridges. Works like a dream.
For the record, I never blew in N64 cartridges and it works fine as well. My biggest issue with the hardware was always the fragile analogue sticks.
But I didn’t want to blog today about the superiority of the SNES hardware compared to its contemporaries and even modern hardware (as far as durability). I wanted to share some of my best memories with 16-bit systems.
Two of my favorites revolve around the same game: Spiderman Separation Anxiety. For anyone unaware, it’s a side-scrolling beat ‘em up that best played cooperatively - one player plays as Spiderman, the other as Venom. It was the first game I ever bought with my own money and I can still remember going into the Game Trader store just before they closed to throw down my hard-earned birthday and lawn mowing money for the brand-new, $60 Genesis cartridge. My second cherished memory with the game was obtained much later in the Genesis life cycle when my brother and I finally beat the game. The game ruthless end runs you through a gauntlet of bosses without relief and less than a plethora of extra lives. Our sense of accomplishment was immense.
One of my other favorite memories comes from a much more obscure game: Genghis Khan II Clan of the Grey Wolf. It’s a strategy game from Koei where players choose a starting 13th century nation, build armies, groom successors, invade nations in a grand attempt to take over Europe, Asia and North Africa. I spend so many hours of my childhood scheming, allying, molding economies and waging war against computer-controlled historic figures. And when all the countries on the world map finally turned the uniform color of my home country, it was a feeling of triumph that has only been duplicated or surpassed by a handful of games.
One of those games that surpassed the triumph of Genghis Khan is Super Mario World. Beating a Mario game doesn’t induce a ton of pride, but getting through all of the Star Road levels takes game. And it rewards you with giving all the levels a trippy new paint job, which is a ton better than a screen that says “good job”. Hundreds of Marios died, but that was nothing a quick side trip to the Forest of Illusion couldn’t fix. Trudging through that torture chamber and coming through victorious is the greatest memory I have playing a 16-bit game.
Oh, and "fighting" that fish boss in Earthworm Jim. Classic.
How about you? What’s your best memory of a SNES or Genesis game?
I’m still on my 16-bit kick and therefore spending quite a bit of time with my SNES and very temperamental Genesis. I’m perpetually stunned with how well the SNES hardware and cartridges hold up when you follow the single most important rule of retro gaming: never blow in the cartridges.
I’ll just throw this anecdotal evidence out there for you consideration. I blew in NES cartridges. The games would all freeze, the spring in the loader broke and the input port for the AC adapter loosened to the point that any contact with the cord caused the system to lose power. I blew in Genesis cartridges. The games would freeze and the internal batteries went caput, eliminating their ability to save progress; and both the AC and RF input on the hardware loosened to the point that any contact with the cords caused the system to lose power/video signal. I never blew in SNES cartridges. Works like a dream.
For the record, I never blew in N64 cartridges and it works fine as well. My biggest issue with the hardware was always the fragile analogue sticks.
But I didn’t want to blog today about the superiority of the SNES hardware compared to its contemporaries and even modern hardware (as far as durability). I wanted to share some of my best memories with 16-bit systems.
Two of my favorites revolve around the same game: Spiderman Separation Anxiety. For anyone unaware, it’s a side-scrolling beat ‘em up that best played cooperatively - one player plays as Spiderman, the other as Venom. It was the first game I ever bought with my own money and I can still remember going into the Game Trader store just before they closed to throw down my hard-earned birthday and lawn mowing money for the brand-new, $60 Genesis cartridge. My second cherished memory with the game was obtained much later in the Genesis life cycle when my brother and I finally beat the game. The game ruthless end runs you through a gauntlet of bosses without relief and less than a plethora of extra lives. Our sense of accomplishment was immense.
One of my other favorite memories comes from a much more obscure game: Genghis Khan II Clan of the Grey Wolf. It’s a strategy game from Koei where players choose a starting 13th century nation, build armies, groom successors, invade nations in a grand attempt to take over Europe, Asia and North Africa. I spend so many hours of my childhood scheming, allying, molding economies and waging war against computer-controlled historic figures. And when all the countries on the world map finally turned the uniform color of my home country, it was a feeling of triumph that has only been duplicated or surpassed by a handful of games.
One of those games that surpassed the triumph of Genghis Khan is Super Mario World. Beating a Mario game doesn’t induce a ton of pride, but getting through all of the Star Road levels takes game. And it rewards you with giving all the levels a trippy new paint job, which is a ton better than a screen that says “good job”. Hundreds of Marios died, but that was nothing a quick side trip to the Forest of Illusion couldn’t fix. Trudging through that torture chamber and coming through victorious is the greatest memory I have playing a 16-bit game.
Oh, and "fighting" that fish boss in Earthworm Jim. Classic.
How about you? What’s your best memory of a SNES or Genesis game?
Friday, July 8, 2011
Genesis v SNES
Jon here.
I took a bit of a break from blogging since the only thing on my mind was Operation Rainfall and Nintendo’s lack of interest in bringing core software to their fans. But I’m trying not to beat that dead horse. I’ve sent my Xenoblade letter to Reggie and plan to send one of The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower according to the schedule that Operation Rainfall came up with. And I’m comfortable ending that sentence with a preposition.
Carlos and I are planning on doing an all-SNES podcast next week. I was a Genesis kid, but not really by choice. My dad bought my brother and me a Genesis with Sonic the Hedgehog on New Years Day when I was in the third grade. I loved that Genesis and spent countless hours with the Sonic games, Streets of Rage games, Vectorman, X-Men Clone Wars, Spiderman Separation Anxiety, Earthworm Jim, NBA Jam, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Grey Wolf (look it up). What a fantastic system for side-scrolling beat-em-up games.
That’s not to say that I didn’t also like the SNES. On the playground, I kept in ranks as a Sega acolyte; but I always loved going over to my friend’s house and playing Super Mario World and other SNES classics. But I wasn’t back in the Nintendo camp until the N64. Looking back, I get a lot more replay value out of the SNES games. I play Mario World and Contra 3 on a weekly basis. Final Fantasy II and III (IV and VI) are two of my favorite RPG’s and two of my most prized possessions in my collection.
It’s a shame that there was such division between the Genesis and SNES fans. It was a fun rivalry, but if you only owned one system then you only got to experience half of the awesome software produced during the golden age of gaming. Both systems had their share of great platformers and mascots. The Genesis had phenomenal beat-em-ups. The SNES was the go-to system for RPG’s. Recognizable third-party franchises like Castlevania and Mega Man and the stunning first-party graphics of Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox probably put the SNES over the top – but just barely.
So, if you were compelled to choose one system, which one would it be and why?
Carlos and I will decide what day we’ll do a podcast on and probably do a live broadcast again. I’m going to ask Ryan if he’ll join us for this one since he’s pretty well-versed in SNES games as well. We’ll adopt the formula we used for the NES podcast and go through the life span of the SNES year-by-year.
I took a bit of a break from blogging since the only thing on my mind was Operation Rainfall and Nintendo’s lack of interest in bringing core software to their fans. But I’m trying not to beat that dead horse. I’ve sent my Xenoblade letter to Reggie and plan to send one of The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower according to the schedule that Operation Rainfall came up with. And I’m comfortable ending that sentence with a preposition.
Carlos and I are planning on doing an all-SNES podcast next week. I was a Genesis kid, but not really by choice. My dad bought my brother and me a Genesis with Sonic the Hedgehog on New Years Day when I was in the third grade. I loved that Genesis and spent countless hours with the Sonic games, Streets of Rage games, Vectorman, X-Men Clone Wars, Spiderman Separation Anxiety, Earthworm Jim, NBA Jam, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Grey Wolf (look it up). What a fantastic system for side-scrolling beat-em-up games.
That’s not to say that I didn’t also like the SNES. On the playground, I kept in ranks as a Sega acolyte; but I always loved going over to my friend’s house and playing Super Mario World and other SNES classics. But I wasn’t back in the Nintendo camp until the N64. Looking back, I get a lot more replay value out of the SNES games. I play Mario World and Contra 3 on a weekly basis. Final Fantasy II and III (IV and VI) are two of my favorite RPG’s and two of my most prized possessions in my collection.
It’s a shame that there was such division between the Genesis and SNES fans. It was a fun rivalry, but if you only owned one system then you only got to experience half of the awesome software produced during the golden age of gaming. Both systems had their share of great platformers and mascots. The Genesis had phenomenal beat-em-ups. The SNES was the go-to system for RPG’s. Recognizable third-party franchises like Castlevania and Mega Man and the stunning first-party graphics of Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox probably put the SNES over the top – but just barely.
So, if you were compelled to choose one system, which one would it be and why?
Carlos and I will decide what day we’ll do a podcast on and probably do a live broadcast again. I’m going to ask Ryan if he’ll join us for this one since he’s pretty well-versed in SNES games as well. We’ll adopt the formula we used for the NES podcast and go through the life span of the SNES year-by-year.
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