nintendo
Retro Review: Pokemon Snap (N64)
Release Date: March 21, 1999 Developer: HAL Laboratory, Inc.; Nintendo Co., Ltd. Publisher: Nintendo Co., Ltd. When Pokemon Snap was announced for the Wii U Virtual Console, there were some smiles among fans of the series. The game, originally released on the Nintendo 64 in 1999, was already available on the Wii’s Virtual Console, and that version is compatible with the Wii U. The new version mere...[Read More]
Retro Review: SimCity (SNES)
Release Date: August 23, 1991 Developer: Maxis Software, Inc. Publisher: Nintendo of America, Inc. The Super Nintendo officially launched on August 23, 1991 in North America. It launched with a measly five games, but the games were noteworthy. Super Mario World was, of course, the heavy hitter and a pack-in title. F-Zero and Pilotwings were the system’s tech mules, showing off the SNES’s “Mode 7”...[Read More]
2016 and Video Games: The Bullshit Year in Review
Every year, by the time Christmas passes, we all take stock in the year we had. Many of us look back, promise to do better next year, and look forward to a better New Year. I don’t make that promise, because I know I’m going to fuck up just as bad in the upcoming year as I did in the year I’m ending, if not worse. I’m old; I ain’t changing anything except my underwear, and even THAT can be prolong...[Read More]
‘Tis the Season to Get Great Video Games Gifts
I am part of the first generation to transition from “normal” Christmas presents like toys to getting video games for Christmas. I vaguely remember my last Christmas where I only received toys. The presents were indicative of my era. I received Hot Wheels cars, Lincoln Logs, toy soldiers, LEGO blocks, and an electric slot car set that year. I felt like I had been the best child in North America th...[Read More]
Retro Review: Golgo-13: Top Secret Episode (NES)
Release Date: 1988 Developer: Vic Tokai Corporation Publisher: Vic Tokai, Inc. This article is late. I apologize for the delay. Sometimes, life gets in the way. Anime has been a big influence in gaming for years. Anime staples like Dragon Ball Z and Pokémon have been the basis for very successful video game franchises. Moreover, games with anime aesthetics have seen acclaim. One needs to go no fur...[Read More]
Retro Review: Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos (NES)
Release Date: June 1990 Developer: Software Creations, Ltd. Publisher: GSC Imagesoft Inc. As I mentioned in my Adventures of Lolo Retro Review, I have a special place in my low-res heart for puzzle games. From Tetris to Portal to Braid and everywhere in between, puzzle games have kept me occupied way more than RPGs and racing games, my other two favorite genres. On the NES, the aforementioned Lolo...[Read More]
Retro Review: The Krion Conquest
Release Date: January 1991 Developer: Vic Tokai Corporation Publisher: Vic Tokai, Inc. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, The Krion Conquest is the most flattering game in the 8-bit world. Known as Magical Kids Doropie in Japan, Vic Tokai’s The Krion Conquest is about as close to a rip-off of Mega Man as you can get. From the premise to the visuals to ...[Read More]
NES Classic Edition Suffers from a Classic Nintendo Problem: Shortages
When Nintendo announced the NES Classic Edition in July, retro gaming enthusiasts and Nintendo fans collectively peed on themselves. I admit to having some moisture issues with my tidy-whities. Discussions among the Digital Crack crew about the news were spirited. Thirty classic Nintendo games, all in one miniature package, seemed like a good idea to most. Even the price point seemed right. We agr...[Read More]
Retro Review: Blackthorne (SNES)
Release Date: 1994 Developer: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Publisher: Interplay Productions Ltd. On February 8th, 1991, three UCLA Bachelor’s graduates decided to start making video games for the SNES under the name Silicon & Synapse. The games were good but not spectacular. Sometime in 1993, Silicon & Synapse became Chaos Studios. They eventually caught the attention of distributor...[Read More]
Retrospective: Nintendo’s Oldest Mascots – Best of Enemies, Friends and Rivals
More than 30 years ago, a young, upcoming designer by the name of Shigeru Miyamoto was employed by Nintendo to ‘Americanize’ a space shooter that had received poor feedback from test audiences. Rather than redesign the game, he used the hardware to create what has become one of the most iconic and beloved video game characters (and game series) in the industry. You can forget your Master Chief or ...[Read More]
Wii U Production May End Next Week
According to multiple sources who have spoken with Eurogamer, Nintendo Wii U production will end this Friday. Nintendo’s Japanese production line will shut down after the final deadline for orders passed yesterday. Very few orders were placed. The end of Wii U production guarantees that this console will be the lowest selling standalone home console in quite some time. At last official count, the ...[Read More]
10 Best Horror Games
With Halloween approaching, the gimmick of writing about scary things becomes prevalent. Well, far be it for me to buck the tradition. I mean, what am I gonna write about in October, Christmas games? I decided to go back to my past and chronicle the games that scared me the most. Believe it or not, that’s not a simple thing to do. The horror genre has many entries across numerous platforms, but mo...[Read More]