Hidden NES Gems Part One

I have been buying random NES titles lately and decided it is well overdue for me to compile a list of kick ass hidden gems. The Nintendo's library is vast and for every Super Mario 3, there is ten Dick Tracy's waiting to make you regret playing video games in the first place. Here are some of my favorite hidden gems, that are worth blowing money on and blowing cartridges over...

River City Ransom- Do you like beating people up with random objects? This is the grand dad of Final Fight style beat'ems and it has plenty of the aforementioned activity. The game involves two dudes attempting to rescue their girlfriends from a geek named "Slick." Along the way you fight random gangs, and exchange strange dialogue like "Barf" with various thugs. It is campy and fun. River City Ransom also has some weird ( and funny) RPG elements like buying items and getting nude spa treatments. Don't miss this one, it needs to be in any self respecting gamer's library.Clash at Demonhead- While this game has a super hardcore title, it is actually about a dude trying to stop a mad scientist. The game play is all about platforming, shooting stuff, and collecting power ups to reach new areas. The controls work well and the graphics are nice and colorful. It should have been a classic like Mega Man or Castlevania, but for some reason it remains in total obscurity. On a personal note, when I beat this game, the cartridge stopped working entirely and has never worked again.Faxanadu- This Zelda 2 clone is pretty awesome. Your character starts out looking like a homeless version of Jesus but you slowly gain armor and cool weapons to improve your stats and appearance. The story is fairly generic, but the game play is right on target. The password system is a pain in the ass however. This game can be found for super cheap, so I highly recommend it. Did I mention that the soundtrack is amazingly good?
Capcom Disney games- Ducktales, Little Nemo, and Rescue Rangers, etc. are all fantastic platformers for the NES. Each game captures the spirit of Disney and the wonderful game play of Capcom. I know Disney doesn't exactly bring the best gaming memories to mind, but these are all worthwhile titles. I would actually rank Ducktales and Little Nemo as some of the best NES games ever. Don't pass on these gems, every collector or true gamer needs these games in their collection.
That is a short list of NES hidden gems. I will continue this another day with even more obscure games like Shatterhand that rock your face off.

BlazBlue and Deathsmiles Fan Art

Aksys is bringing two big releases this summer: BlazBlue CS and Deathsmiles. I am super excited for both titles. Here is some nice Pixiv fan art to pay tribute to their upcoming arrivals. Only six days till Deathsmiles, look for a review to follow.

Hot...

OMG...

In unrelated news, Team USA is kicking ass in the World Cup. Go America! Go soccer! I will be drinking and cheering them on Saturday then possibly rioting if we lose :-p

Top Six Cheapest Fighting Game Bosses

I love fighting games. One aspect of fighting games I hate are cheap ass end bosses. In the old days these bastards were created to take unsuspecting arcade customer's quarters, but more recently they seem to exist simply to annoy the player. I figured it would be fun to assemble a list of the cheapest bosses and talk about just why they are so freakin' lame to fight in the first place.

6. Azazel (Tekken 6) - Tekken bosses can be cheap with projectiles and flying abilities, but the 6th installment's boss takes the cake. Azazel, a huge crystal dragon, stands between you and complete victory. Why is he so cheap? For starters he blocks all the time; when you do manage to hit him the AI makes him vanish before suddenly popping out of the other side of the screen to kick the shit out of you. He has a devastating projectile attack and he does insane damage with frame stealing combos. Why the hell are you fighting a giant dragon anyway?
5. Onslaught (Marvel vs. Capcom) The original Marvel vs. Capcom took the idea of making a two part boss and going nuts with it, standard versus series fare. The two part boss is named Onslaught, a mixture of Magneto and Professor X gone apeshit. His first form teleports around firing lasers that are impossible to avoid. If you make it through that nonsense, then you will see his screen-filling second form. In this form he rains downs super attacks constantly and tries to crush you with his giant hand. He can be handled fairly easily with some heavily projectile based characters like Mega Man, but good luck with Zangief or the Hulk. He is very cheap and unbalanced, but he is from the Versus series...
4. Igniz (King of Fighters 2001) - SNK has always been notorious for cheap bosses. Igniz should earn a prize, because his fight takes cheapness to a new level. He is hard as hell to damage, his normal combos do massive damage, and if his super hits you just go ahead and kiss your ass goodbye. He can destroy a three man team in no time, and the continue bonus of "boss starts with 1/3 health" doesn't really make him any easier to kill. For fun download him for MUGEN, he puts almost every fighter to shame.
3. Gill (Street Fighter 3: Third Strike) - Gill is a self-proclaimed god. He also looks pretty cool aside from the fact he is barely clothed. However, his cool factor is negated to due some really cheap tricks he can pull. Since Gill is a deity, he can resurrect himself from the dead with one super move. I can't tell you how many times I beat him only to watch him come back to life to beat me instead. He also has a super move where he sprouts wings and delivers a super devastating rainbow attack that takes about 90% of your health bar and is unblockable. Good luck maintaining your sanity after losing a few rounds to Gill.
2. I-no (Guilty Gear XX) - I-no has two forms. One is the selectable form for players to choose on the selection screen. The other form is the hell bitch boss that looks the same as usual but gets a dramatic new move. In her boss form, I-no gets a punishing super attack that even shows a flashing warning on the screen prior to her using it. If she lands the attack, you are dead. Your only option is landing an instant kill on her prior to her getting the attack off on your character. It is much easier said than done.
1. Shin Akuma (Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo) - Akuma is a tough guy in his normal form, but when he shows his true power, watch out! Shin Akuma teleports constantly, has move priority over almost everything, and his super move is pretty much an instant kill. He is super fast and the AI is so cheap it seems like it knows your moves before you even can use them. Shin Akuma is the secret boss and he has tough requirements before he appears, but if you see him rush M. Bison on the final stage, get ready for the fight of your life.

Here are some runner ups that can be really frustrating as well:
Alpha 152 (Dead or Alive 4)
Geese Howard (Real Bout Fatal Fury)
Omega Rugal (King of Fighters series)
Goenitz (King of Fighters 96)
Magaki (King of Fighters XI)
Justice (original Guilty Gear)
V-13 (BlazBlue)

The Quest to Collect the Mega Man Series

Recently I have found that obtaining an entire lineage of Mega Man titles seems more and more entertaining to me. It started with me picking up Mega Man 2 at thrift store. Then I found a mint copy of Mega Man X (my personal favorite) at another thrift store. Now I own digital copies of Mega Man 9 on XBLA and Mega Man 3 on Virtual Console.

I now own the following:

Mega Man 2 for NES
Mega Man 3 for Virtual Console
Mega Man 8 for PSX
Mega Man 9 for XBLA
Mega Man X for SNES
Mega Man the Power Fighters 1 & 2 in my CPS2 arcade cabinet

I could buy the collection games easily online, but that just seems boring and the emulation is off in some places from what I hear anyway. One of the most cool things I have ordered online recently is a box of Mega Man candy from Japan. It is called Rockmanju which is a bad pun based on Rockman and manju (Rockman being the Japanese name for Mega Man and Ju the Japanese character for ten.) Manju is a traditional cookie like treat, but I don't plan of eating it.

The box contains the Japanese style Mega Man 10 box art. It is the only place you will find it as everywhere insist on using intentionally bad Western art to parody bad box art from the NES era. The box looks like a famicom box from back in the day which makes it all the more awesome to have in my collection. Inside the box are little cookies with 8-bit Mega Man sprites on them. Overall, Capcom went out of their way to make a great item for fans.

Another edition has the original Japanese Rock Man art.

I plan on hitting the thrift store later today. Hopefully I can find some more Mega Man games hidden away.

Street Fighter IV: Juri Anime in "Limbo", Capcom Says

After looking all over the net for information on the new Street Fighter IV Juri anime movie, I finally turned to Capcom's own forums to ask about it. On the "Ask Capcom" forum, I learned that only the Asian Xbox 360 special edition came with a download ticket for the movie. No Ps3 release or XBLA marketplace release outside of Asia exist (Japan doesn't fall under Asia BTW.) Do not look for a DVD or Blu-Ray either, it doesn't exist. For the less scrupulous fan don't bother looking for torrents, they don't exist either.
S-Kill, Capcom's resident Street Fighter guru, had this response on the message board:

I wish I had some exciting news, but as far as the west is concerned, the anime seems to be in limbo

We're very aware fans would really like to see it, and it's quite good too. Bleh. Will update everyone immediately should I get any good news about this being available outside of Asia.

I suppose the exclusive nature of the Asian XBLA download deal is making it difficult, even for Capcom, to secure rights to the film for an all region release. This is very disappoiting to hear, as Mr. Killian himself notes the anime is quite good. Hopefully this gets a legitimate release in the future, or at the very least leaked for eager fans to enjoy.

Source: http://www.capcom-unity.com/ask_capcom/go/thread/view/7371/24838209/Super_Street_Fighter_IV_anime_by_Gonzo?pg=3

Mario Art

I have been pretty lazy about posting lately. Today I am updating with some Mario inspired fanart from Pixiv. Only a few more days till Mario Galaxy 2 arrives, I can't wait.

No More Heroes 2 is Now Just 19.99

I held off on buying No More Heroes 2, and apparently it was a wise move. All pre-owned copies of the game are now 19.99 at Gamestop. This is a very recent game with solid reviews but I suppose it flopped with poor sales. Too bad for the company and Suda51, but the Wii doesn't have very many hardcore gamers. I intend to grab a copy today as a reward to myself for making a B in my Japanese II class. What better way to celebrate than a cool Japanese game to play after exams?

I cannot resist the sweet 8-bit mini games I've read about...

Games I am Currently Playing

I haven't made a post in awhile. It is finals time for me, and I have been gaming alot as well. Here are the games that are currently taking away from my study time:

1. Super Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360)- I am already a big fan of this game. The new characters are all cool, except Hakan and the online has been done very well. One really cool addition is the replay channel. It is nice seeing other player's strategies and combos. Bravo, Capcom, bravo. I hope they release a DLC pack with Rolento, Elena, and R. Mika.2. Record of Agarest War (Xbox 360)- I ordered this game simply for the boobie mousepad, however it is actually not a bad game at all. I usually steer clear of Idea Factory, but this game seems to be their crowning achievement. The artwork is nice, battles are fun, and the music is fitting. I also dig the marriage and generation system, it reminds me of Phantasy Star 3.3. Space Adventure Cobra (Sega CD)- This game also seemed to be an oddity to me, so I tracked it down finally. The game is like a poor man's Snatcher. The story is ok, and the character designs look like they are out of an issue of Heavy Metal. I will keep playing this one for the story only.4. Sakura Wars V( Wii)- I am at the end of Sakura Wars, but since I seemed to have ended up with the lamest chick, I've been hesitant to beat it. The game is awesome, and I recommend it to any strategy fan. I hope Sega releases the older titles here at some point. The world could use some more mecha and romance.

Super Street Fighter IV Fanart

Enjoy some fanart from Pixiv to celebrate this week's release of SSF IV.

The Best Franchises Abandoned by Sega

Sega has a long history of building up cool franchises and then ignoring them like a dead orphan. Here is the rundown of franchises that would still make money if Sega wasn't retarded:

Alex Kidd- The awesome Master System and early Genesis had some good games going for it. Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, and Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (I miss Shinobi too) all hold a special place in my oldschool gaming heart. These games were nice platformers with enough charisma to compete with any Mario game. Too bad Sonic came along in the early 90's and Alex Kidd (Sega's initial mascot) was tossed to the side in favor of the blue hedgehog and his "Blast Processing". He has made a small comeback recently in a kart racer and Sega tennis game, but Alex has not starred in his own title in a long time. I think the time is ripe for Alex Kidd to return. Give him a new 2-D XBLA or PSN title...better yet call it Alex Kidd in Golden Axe World.Phantasy Star- I know we get online Phantasy Star games all them time, but I am talking about the original series. Phantasy Star started as an awesome space adventure RPG on the Master System. The series ended with Phantasy Star IV on the Genesis, which happens to be the best RPG on the system and a strong contender for best RPG of the 16-bit generation, only behind the phenomenal Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI. Sega re-releases this series regularly on it's collection disc, so why not give it another shot? A new Phantasy Star could become the JRPG to beat Mass Effect...or at the least the horrid Star Ocean series.
Streets of Rage- The Streets of Rage series is the pinnacle of beat em ups. I loved Final Fight, but where was the kickass music? In Sega's SOR, that's where. I don't know when walking around punching 500 dudes in the face or kicking crazy trannys in the nuts got old, but it is time to bring it back. Also what other series let you do those cool things with a freakin' kangeroo?Shenmue- The Dreamcast is my favorite retro system. Shenmue is one of the reasons it means so much to me. Ryo Hazuki, young karate student, has his father murdered right in front of him by a Chinese gangster known as Lan Di. Ryo then travels around Japan and China to find the bastard and uncover a plot about some magic mirrors along the way. The series stopped at the second game however, and Sega doesn't seem to care about finishing the plot since they lost a ton of money on the original two. I read in a recent issue of RetroGamer, that the rights to Shenmue are being offered by Sega to any company willing to finish the series. I hope someone takes them up of this offer. I hope even more that the company to pick it up is Bioware.Golden Axe- Golden Axe: Beast Rider doesn't count as a new game in the series, I don't care what Dave Halverson has to say about it. Golden Axe was the essential Conan ripoff. It had brutal violence, scantly clad women, swords, and sorcery. I also loved kicking the crap out of little gnomes to get more magic. Here is some advice for Sega: Re-release Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder on XBLA or PSN, it will make you alot of money and make gamers happy.
Hopefully one day Sega gets their shit together and makes a return to the glory days. Bayonetta was incredible and Sonic 4 looks like it will be tons of fun; these are both steps in the right direction. If Sonic can make a comeback, then I have faith the franchises above can be revived as well.

What Would Super Street Fighter IV Look Like on NES?

I found this awesome 8 bit image today and just had to share it. They all kinda look like Mega Man bosses from the old days. Beware of Ken Man, his power is the mighty Spam Shoryuken Attack!

Marvel vs Capcom 3 is Confirmed ( Possibly Will Take You on a Ride As Well)

I am not talking about another Mugen poject. Last week, Capcom held it's annual Captivate event in Hawaii. All of their new games were on display and were supposed to be kept secret until next week. That was the plan, but one site said, "fuck that nonsense."
http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=7838

This is great news for fighting fans and comic nerds. Since I fall into both categories, all I can say is thank you Capcom. Here are characters I hope make the new ( and supposedly huge) roster:

Marvel side

The Punisher- Frank Castle is just too cool to pass up and he has acquired two feature films under his belt since the last Marvel game.

The Fantastic Four- Dr. Doom needs his real rivals, plus the Thing is one my favorite heroes.

Blade- Watch out Darkstalkers, Wesley Snip...erm...Blade doesn't mess around.

Thor- He is a freakin' thunder god. Nuff said.

Dark Phoenix- She is super powerful and her lack of compassion would make her a fine choice for this game's endboss.

Capcom side

Dante- The hero of the Devil May Cry series would fit right in with the vs. series. His combo heavy attacks would be fun and the ability to become a demon would be a neat gimmick as well.

MegaMan X- He is seriously the only MegaMan not to be used outside his own series. X is a badass, he needs to be in this game...especially if they add Zero.

Bayonetta- She is like a female Dante...possibly even stronger. She would be really fun to have in here, plus she is pretty sexy.

Gene- I know not many people played Godhand, but the main character was practically built for a fighting game. He fights like Kenshiro from Fist of the Northstar, if you think that is lame...You are already dead.

Wesker- The ultimate villain from the Resident Evil series need some vs. series representation. If he fights like Agent Smith from the Matrix like in Resident Evil 5 then it would be even sweeter to have him as a selectable fighter.

I guess some more official announcements will be heard this coming week or next week. Knowing Capcom they will drag out each character unveiling for months, so who knows when we will know the full roster. I just hope we get some cool surprise along the way. I'm crossing my fingers for the characters I mentioned and some weirdos like Phoenix Wright!