Castlevania Fan Art

One of the best gaming series dating back to the NES era is Castlevania. I love the official artwork for the series, but I was curious of the artwork fans had produced. Here is some fan art I collected from Pixiv. Enjoy.














If you like Castlevania, check out the fan game:Koumajou Densetsu - Scarlet Symphony. It is a Tohou doujin title that uses the characters from that series in a 2-D action game similar to the more modern Castlevania games on DS. It is a cool PC game that you can buy fairly cheap online, and the artwork is simply amazing. I put a sample of the art below.


Here is a link for more information on this unique title:http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2009/08/koumajou-densetsu-scarlet-symphony.html.

The Ten Most Epic Boss Battles part 2

Here is the follow-up to my countdown of awesome bosses:

4. Luca Blight (Suikoden 2)- Luca Blight is one of the most evil bastards in gaming history. He loves being brutal to his subjects, and kills without any regard for human life. Luca is very powerful with a blade and magic as well. In one of the best RPG showdowns ever, your entire army faces one man. An ambush is the method your generals decide on for destroying Luca Blight, and he doesn't go down without a fight. He will wipe out most of your army without much effort, and even when you think he is beaten he wants more. Luca demands a one on one battle to the death with the main hero after your army is done with him. The bad part, if you lose the one on one battle; then you have to restart the entire ambush and that can be very time consuming. Here is a nice little quote courtesy of Mr. Blight: "You can round up a million maggots to try to defeat me... but you'll still all just be maggots!"

3. The Boss (Metal Gear Solid 3) - Big Boss's mentor is a tough cookie. Early in the game she field strips your pistol and proceeds to kick your rookie ass. Later on, the player finds out The Boss is basically a mother figure, battle guru, and love interest to the young Big Boss. To make things worse, it is unclear why she defected to the USSR. In the game's climatic ending, she declares her true intentions ( she was following secret orders), and challenges Big Boss to a fight to the death. It is a sad and beautiful fight in a field of flowers; one of the most unforgettable moments in any game. This is Hideo Kojima's series at it's finest and most poignant.

2. Gannondorf (Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time) - Gannon always came across as a fat little chump to me in early Zelda games. It was not until the N64 game that I learned he was a crazy elven shape shifter. It is an awesome moment when adult Link climbs the staircase to face his nemesis, Gannon. A dramatic organ tune grows louder and louder as Link gets closer to the top. Once he finds Gannon, he is playing the organ in a cool and dramatic fashion. Then all hell breaks loose as he transforms into a giant demon with swords. It is a really bad ass fight with moody music, that takes place in the flaming ruins of Hyrule. The fight feels very adult, and gives long time players a sense of pride in seeing Link through to his toughest trial. This is simply the best boss battle of the Zelda series to date.

1. Claus (Mother 3) - Mother 3 is a powerful game. It is funny, weird, and even sad. In one of the most depressing final boss fights ever, Lucas has to fight his brain washed brother, Claus. The entire game has Lucas searching for his twin brother, and when he finds him, it is too late. Pokey destroyed the boy's mind, and all that is left in him is hate. The voices of their mother and father chime in throughout the battle to remind the boys that they are brothers and beg them to stop the fight. Eventually the fight does end, Claus remembers Lucas; but he is on the verge of death. After their one on one duel, Claus dies. It is hard for a video game to evoke emotion, but I remember tearing up during this showdown. This battle is well written and transcends being merely a boss battle. If you haven't played this game, please do...it is a wonderful experience you will not forget.

That is the list folks. I love many other bosses for being hard like in Cave shooters or Contra...but none of them particularly stuck out to me like these fights did, they were all very special in someway. I hope you enjoyed this, and feel free to tell me your favorite boss battles in the comments.

The Ten Most Epic Boss Battles Part 1

Almost every video game has bosses to defeat. They represent progress, and beating a hard one feels rewarding. I love a cool boss character, sometimes they can make an average game seem better than the sum of it's parts. Here is a look at the ten most epic boss battles in gaming history:

10. Alien Mothership (Metal Slug 3) - Metal Slug 3 is a hard game. It is a balls to the walls tour de force Contra killer on steroids. The real challenge comes in the form of the final level, as it is the longest and toughest of the Metal Slug series. At the end of the level awaits a massive alien mothership. It is so large you are forced to ride on top of it as you fight it. The music is really good during this fight, and it feels great when you finally defeat this boss. As a cool tribute, this boss returns to help your crew in the final stage of Metal Slug 6!

9. Wiegraf (Final Fantasy Tactics) - Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the better tactical RPGs released, but many of the boss fights feel pretty underwhelming; with the exception of one man. The villain, Wiegraf, is a rebel knight you fight many times during the course of the game. He represents the opposition to the nobility, and becomes Ramza's true nemesis. He trades his soul to the devil halfway through the game, and turns into a Zodiac monster. In the final battle with Wiegraf, he pulls out all the stops. The first part of the battle is a duel between Ramza and Wiegraf in his human form. After losing the duel, Wiegraf decides to become a demon for his revenge. This is the hardest battle in the game as he summons a crew of high level beasts to help him win the fight. This battle forces you to use every ounce of your tactical mind, and overcome an insanely difficult enemy and his cohorts. His Cyclops summon can wipe out your party in one turn. Wiegraf really sticks out in FFT because his Zodiac form is way harder than the final boss of the game, and the frightening music for this boss fight makes it even more intense.

8. Bowser (Super Mario World) - For the Super Nintendo outing of Mario, the familiar foe, Bowser, really steps up his game. Mario comes to the end of the final castle, and enters what appears to be an empty castle rooftop. This quickly changes as the music amps up and Bowser appears in a mechanized clown balloon. The fight changes and grows more difficult as you do damage to Bowser, and the Princess even pops out to encourage Mario with power ups between attacks. The game suddenly takes a cue from the Super Mario 2 rule book in the final area, as you can only defeat Bowser by throwing his mecha cohorts back at his head. It is a nice reward for the long time Mario player at this point, to use every skill that has been learned in the series ( from the NES era) to bring down the Koopa King in his first 16 bit outing.

7. Seven Force (Gunstar Heroes) - Anyone familiar with Gunstar Heroes will immediately remember the mine cart stage. The boss here is the rogue Green's mecha known as Seven Force. It has seven unique forms it takes before going down. Treasure pulls out all the stops as he goes from a giant gun, to a crab, to a green robot, etc. He only takes all seven forms on the higher difficulty settings, because Seven Force is not for the inexperienced player. It almost seems like a combination of many old Konami bosses rolled into one super boss. Seven Force returns in the shooting stage that appears later in the game to wreak havoc on unassuming players once more. Treasure loved this boss design, as he also cameos in different forms in Alien Soldier.

6. Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7) - The long haired villain of Final Fantasy 7 has alot of things going for him. Sephiroth has an amazing battle theme called "One Winged Angel", it is basically a crazy orchestra piece with his name being chanted over and over in an operatic tune. Next, he has one of the most epic attacks ever: Super Nova. This minute long attack shows a Super Nova literally destroying the galaxy before it hits your party. Sephiroth also doesn't go down for the count until Cloud lands him in a one on one duel after this battle and finishes him with the super powerful Omnislash technique. It really feels like you are settling a personal vendetta with this boss, making the payoff seem very personal for the player.

5. Mother Brain (Super Metroid) - Samus's showdown with Mother Brain is a key part in most Metroid games. Super Metroid ended the original trilogy with a bang, as the young metroid that follows Samus like a child defends her when Mother Brain is on the brink of winning the fight. Mother Brain kills the metroid causing Samus to go into a super powerful form that allows her to defeat the diabolical bitch, and escape the planet before it explodes. This is simply one of the best boss fights of the 16 bit era.

Stay tuned for part 2, coming soon.

Halo 2600 on eBay

I am selling a very rare game to help me pay some bills. Halo 2600 was sold in limited number at the PAX show, and a second run was made available only through contacting the head of Atari Age to be placed on a waiting list for the cart. I have assembled a cart, official box, and a custom manual for the complete deal. The proceeds will help me pay the dentist. Root canals costs way too freakin' much in America.

Check out the link:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280574242478&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT



Mini Duke Togo approves!!

Yuji Naka is a Jerk

After saying the quote above he said he was joking of course. I would buy ten of that shitty game to get a new Dreamcast. Very cruel sense of humor, Mr. Naka.

Rejoice! Mega Man Legends 3 Announced

One of the most awaited sequels has finally been announced: Mega Man Legends 3. Capcom will be bringing the title to the 3DS. The new Nintendo handheld system looks very powerful for it's size, as it is capable of real ports of Super Street Fighter 4 and Resident Evil 5. Let's hope the game shapes up to be a true gem with full voice overs and good graphics. I think Capcom needs to scrap Mega Man Universe, and focus on this one instead...

Mother Series Fan Art

I beat Mother 3 yesterday. If you haven't played it, go find the English translated rom and do so; because it is one of the best games for the Gameboy Advance. Period. The game really brought back memories of Earthbound. I have gathered some really outstanding pieces of fan art today to show my love for this series. Enjoy, and if you like this stuff, join Pixiv. They have so many fantastic artists on that site. It comes highly recommended.

Potato Dono!!! NOOOO!!!!

I love Japan. They make great games, and wonderfully weird movies. Another treat is the almost infinite selection of insane anime shows. This is not game-related, but I was laughed my ass off at this clip and felt like sharing it. Enjoy!

The Dreamcast of Your Dreams

Check out these amazing looking custom Dreamcasts. Each system was lovingly air brushed by artist Torsten Rachu. In a perfect world, these systems would be for sell. Shenmue's Ryo has never looked so good.





Here is a custom portable Dreamcast. I would buy one even if looks really ugly and dorky. It was modeled after the Stormtroopers from Star Wars.

Treasure Fan Art

One of my favorite game makers ever is the little Japanese company, Treasure. They started out blowing our minds with games like Gunstar Heroes, then blowing our minds again with hits like Radiant Silvergun and Guardian Heroes, and continue today with hot games like Sin and Punishment 2. They consistently make fun games that push their platforms to the limits. Here is my small tribute with fanart pulled from Pixiv. Sadly, I couldn't find more for Dynamite Headdy.













Here is a cool piece that was released within the Sega Ages 2500: Treasure Box on PS2 in Japan. It is a beautiful and rare piece of official promotion artwork used for Gunstar Heroes.

Classic Review: EarthBound (SNES)

The Super Nintendo was a RPG powerhouse. We were given wonderful games like Chrono Trigger, Final 4 and 6, and one other hidden gem. That gem would be the cult hit, EarthBound. These days you will not find it on Virtual Console, and it's awesome sequel was released only in Japan. The only way to (legally) play Earthbound is to track down the cart and pop it in the old SNES. The game is pretty expensive these days as a result. Is it worth the high price eBay dictates?

EarthBound comes from the Mother series of RPGs developed by Nintendo. The first Mother released on the Famicom. An English translation was created, but never officially released due to the dawn of the SNES era. The Super Nintendo would see Mother 2, better known in the US as EarthBound. Mother games all revolve around aliens, psychic powers, and comedy. Another neat attribute of the series is that each is set in a modern world.


EarthBound follows a boy named Ness and his attempt to stop an evil alien from dominating the world. He meets three allies along the way, each with unique attacks and fighting style. The plot sends the player everywhere from a town haunted by zombies to Stonehenge to The Great Pyramind. Each setting is designed wonderfully, and populated with really fun NPCs.

Comedy separates Earthbound from most most RPGs in the West. The writing is very self-aware and intelligent. NPCs in each location are actually fun to talk to unlike most games. I usuallly hate finding a clue in a town, but in this game it is a treat to hear comedy gold from most anyone you talk too (even animals.)


The graphics are simplistic but I think they hold their weight well with modern games. Small objects are very detailed like cars and buses. Elaborate dance animations are giving for musical performers in the game. Also the battles use strange hypnotic coloring for backgrounds. It is trippy! It might not be Chrono Trigger, but for 16 bit it is pretty awesome.

The music is strange. Some tunes are catchy like the Sky Runner theme (a UFO you fly around in), but others like the Dungeon Man Theme are awful. Apparently some bits use samples from Beatles' songs and Monty Python, this is one reason people attribute to the game being unavailable for Virtual Console due to legal issues. The music is honestly, hit or miss.


The game difficulty is also strange. The first couple hours of the game are brutal. Be prepared to grind for boss fights. It gets easier with progress, as new party memebers help balance the scales of power. A few boss fights towards the end are also brutal, but nothing a few good items can't beat. Another quirk is the rare items being very hard to acquire. If you want the only weapon for Poo (yes that's his name), you need to fight a certain enemy that appears briefly, and you have a 1 in 128 chance of getting it from him!

EarthBound is a cult classic. It is very loved by a small hardcore crowd. The weirdness of the game will almost surely draw you in. The difficulty can be a rude awakening, but trust me it is worth sticking through to the end. As for my first question: Is it worth the high price? Absolutely.


This is how a re-make could look on today's systems.

Random Stuff

- Mother 3, this game's sequel, has a great fan translation available. If you like RPGs at all, then you should get it.

- GameReproductions sells the NES version of Mother for 30 dollars. That is pretty cheap for a cool game.

- Ness appears in all three Smash Bros. titles. His Mother 3 counterpart, Lucas, appears in Super Smash Bros Brawl as well.

Busy Days

I have been super busy with real life these days so I haven't posted much on here lately. I will try to post some new art soon or review something old. In the meantime here is a kick ass picture I saw on Kotaku today!


EWOK IN A DELORIAN!!!