15 Things That Have Happened Since Mario’s Last 2D Console Game

No matter how you slice it, Mario is best remembered for his 2D adventures that he first appeared in so long ago. However, for some reason, up until this week’s release of “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” he had not seen a 2D console release since 1990’s “Super Mario World.” Sure, Nintendo’s handhelds have gotten a ton of 2D love from Mario, but the consoles had been left in the dust. It’s been almost twenty years since our red plumber friend has run back and forth on a TV screen, and a lot can happen in that span of time. For example: [Continue Reading]

Video Games…We Have Sinned

Sigh Video games,
“stop playing that son why don’t you go outside what is a SNES anyway?”
“omfg Zangiefs throws are so lame”
“shit is that the time I got college I should stop playing counter strike”
“oh dude is that the time I said I would see her soon I should stop playing GTA”
“is it time for work already?! I really should leave the orange box alone” [Continue Reading]

NBA Jam Retro Review: From The Hoopsters That Brought You Mortal Kombat

It could have been one of the most interesting ad campaigns in the history of video games; NBA greats like Larry Johnson, Patrick Ewing, or Dee Brown simply discussing just how fun of “NBA Jam” is. Use your imagination… I’ll give you a minute. The pinnacle of arcade basketball games was released by Midway and published by Acclaim in 1993 for most of the major consoles and handhelds at the time, with ports for both sides of the Nintendo/Sega console war. The game was so popular in arcades that it spawned a handful of “sequels,” which were basically just updates to the system, and expanded on the “NBA Jam” brand with “Tournament Edition” and “NBA Jam Extreme” until they removed all the fun, and called the game “NBA Primetime on NBC.” Through it all, “NBA Jam” carried a little extra clout due to the fact that the arcade version of basketball was more interesting then normal basketball. [Continue Reading]

Punch-Out!! Review: Back In The Ring With A Vengeance

It’s always been amazing to me how some video game franchises can withstand the test of time, and others just fade away. It’s been 15 years since gamers have been able to get their hands on a new “Punch-Out!!” game from Nintendo, but with the release of the Wii everything old is new again (except “Kid Icarus” apparently). Whether it’s your first time stepping into the ring with Little Mac, or just your first time since Nintendo felt the need to put the word “super” in the title of all their games (even the not so super ones), “Punch-Out!!” on the Wii is a welcome experience. [Continue Reading]

Uniracers Retro Review: One Tire To Rule Them All

Created by Nintendo of America and DMA Design in 1994, “Uniracers” was a simple game where you play as unmanned unicycles racing against the computer on a lined surface of many different colors, performing stunts to increase your speed. Today, most readers would likely know DMA Design as Rockstar North, the creators of the “Grand Theft Auto” series, well before their exploration of anarchy and chaos through crime. They were also involved in a couple other titles you may have heard of, such as the ever enjoyable “Lemmings.” Yes, these developers were the ones responsible for sending digital tribesmen all over the world to their graves. [Continue Reading]

Chrono Trigger Review: Turning Back The Clock

Rereleasing a 13-year-old game, with only minimal updates had to be a risky proposition for Square Enix. The original Super Nintendo version of “Chrono Trigger” is a title that is held near and dear to many gamer’s hearts, and, updating it, much like they have begun to do with the “Final Fantasy” series, could have really offended some diehard fanboys. However, releasing a game with outdated 16-bit sprites on the DS might turn off even more of the gamer population, leaving them looking for a different portable RPG, with better graphics or even touch screen gameplay. Well, for once, the fanboys win, and thankfully Square Enix adhered to the old adage – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “Chrono Trigger” was released (mostly) as it was back in 1995, it does, however, include the movies that were added for the PS1 rerelease, as well as some additional dungeons and a multiplayer mode. Is that enough to carry a game whose technology can’t compete with what’s currently available on the market?

The answer, in one word, is, yes. [Continue Reading]