Random Screenshot 03: Custard's Revenge

Custard's Revenge (Atari 2600) Mystique 1982

For students of history, Custard's Revenge is not an education tool. The game follows the nude exploits of General Custard as he evades enemy fire to rape a large breasted Indian woman on the other side of the screen. The game is considered to be one of the worst pieces of shit ever made. The funny thing is that this "porn game" was designed to get people off...yeah I am serious, this was designed to be sexually arousing. If this screen shot makes you feel that way then you should probably go back and check on your victims in the well, remember "it puts the lotion on it's skin!"

Assault Suit Leynos: Sexy Nostalgia

For mecha fans, life doesn't get much better than playing a few hours of Cybernator or Target Earth. There is just something very cool about controlling a little 2-D mech on your favorite 16 bit system. For hardcore fans of the glory days of Assault Suits Leynos, check out this new model kit from Plum. It is a beautifully recreated copy of the AS-53 Reinosu from Target Earth. The kit is currently available for preorder at Hobby Search for 66.31 USD. Leynos will look make your room super manly and impress all the ladies...okay, I am lying about that last part.http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10134325

Random Screenshot 02: Rambo

Rambo (NES) Acclaim 1987

The movie series Rambo is known for it's non-stop action sequences and "take no bullshit" attitude. The NES game, Rambo is quite the opposite. The game could have easily copied Contra's run and gun stlye, but for the most part Rambo is running around with only a knife. If you manage to make it to the end of this game, then you are probably all to familiar with the screen above. After you defeat the final boss, Rambo's commander comes out to greet him. For a brief period Rambo gets this wacky new ability to shoot a Chinese character (the symbol for Anger) from his fist. If you hit Rambo's commander with the Chinese character, then he turns into a frog. Yeah...a frog. Strangely, this comical scene almost makes this horrible game worth beating. Almost.

Random Screenshot 01: Ring King

Ring King (NES) Data East 1987

Ring King was a fairly competent boxing game released for the NES. Tragically, it gained infamy from the comical mid round...um...sessions. The coach is supposed to enter the ring after each round and act as a healing aid for the boxer. In Ring King, the coach enters the ring and suddenly the game turns into a blow job showdown. Intentional? Unintentional? Who approved this?!

Awesome Box Art

I love good box art. Catherine, the new game from Atlus, has two amazing covers. Many game covers are boring, and lack any real character; however some covers really sell the atmosphere of the game and look amazing. Here are some of my favorite video game covers...

Thoughts on Video Games Live

The Video Games Live event came to Charlotte, NC this past Saturday. For those not in the know, it is a concert hosted by Tommy Tallarico ( game composer) who pays tribute to famous game music with a live orchestra and laser show. I am a big fan of game music, so I had to attend and see what the big fuss was about...

Highlights:

During the tribute to Sonic games of yesteryear, a live chorus chimed in and sang "SEEEGGGAAA!" just like the logo screen from the original two Sonic titles. It was awesome.

Sephiroth's theme, One Winged Angel, with the full chorus and guitar lead sounded incredible.

The famous Mario pianist from Youtube played selections from many Final Fantasy games and rocked the house down with his Super Mario World mix.

Could Have Lived Without:

The dumb jokes supplied by Tommy Tallarico came off sounding like lines from a washed up game show host. Lame.

The game videos and laser shows distract heavily from the orchestra and guitar work on display leading to boredom with some pieces. It felt alittle too much like a light show at Six Flags, which is cool, if you are under the age of 10.

The music from World of Warcraft makes me yawn, I didn't even know it had music till last night. Of course, I am not a PC gamer, so my taste may not be shared by all.

The Guitar Hero days are dead, Tommy's tribute seemed like a wasted segment.

Overall, the concert was a fun experience. I was really surprised that they ended the show with music from the Chrono series. It was a nice way to end the night, as Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross have some of the best music in gaming history. If Video Games Live comes to your city, check it out, the show is great for music lovers and very family friendly...just don't take spend too much for tickets.

Deathsmiles Patch is Out

Being the nice guys that they are, Aksys has released a patch for Deathsmiles today. This patch is supposed to fix the problems that people have been complaining about like the lack of slowdown in some areas of the game. Here is the information from Aksys's page:

There's a patch out for Deathsmiles! It releases today, and allows Deathsmiles to run at optimal capacity. It fixes several key issues, including a de-sync problem that prevented players from viewing their level replays properly. It also adjust the slowdown on several levels. Game on!

Even though I will be playing Marvel vs Capcom 3 today, it is still nice to know this game was fixed for the naysayers. Thank you for your dedication Aksys!

Now release Deathsmiles 2!

Marvel vs Capcom 3 Fan Art

I am pretty excited for the release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 this week. To celebrate the reunion of two of my most beloved companies, I have collected some nice pieces of fan art from Pixiv. Enjoy!

Top Ten Games of 2010

It is kinda late being Feb. 11 and all, but I want to do my rundown of the best games of 2010. I played a shit ton of new releases last year so I feel somewhat qualified to make this list. I am also including honorable mentions for a few that didn't quite make the list. The number assigned indicates each game's rank on the list (i.e., number one is best.) Without further ado, here we go...

10. Deadly Premonition This game came out of nowhere, and stole many jaded 360 owner's hearts. I loved the story and all the weirdness. It is a budget title so there is no reason not to own this cool sandbox horror title.

9. Deathsmiles While this game technically came out in 2009, the US release didn't happen till last year. The goth girl theme is unique, and the music is fantastic. It is a must play for oldschool shooter fans.

8. Ys Seven I never cared for the Ys series till I played this little PSP gem. The game is a refreshingly fun take on the action RPG genre. The battles are so fun that this one becomes hard to put down; my PSP game of the year.

7. Super Mario Galaxy 2 I didn't care much for the first Mario Galaxy, which is strange, because I loved the sequel. The planets were so imaginative, and the game really felt like the first perfect 3-D Mario experience. Thank you Miyamoto-san, you continue to impress me.

6. Bayonetta Platinum games really knows how to make a great game. Bayonetta oozes style and sexiness putting Dante to shame. I loved the action, setpieces, and the nice little homages to oldschool Sega titles like Afterburner. I hope this lady gets a sequel.

5. Heavy Rain The Playstation 3 doesn't get many great exclusive, but this one is a masterpiece. It has elements of horror and drama that stay with you long after the game is complete, and the characters look beautiful. Too bad all the DLC got canned to make way for Move support. Lame.

4. Fallout New Vegas This game caught alot of flack for having too many bugs. I only experience two non fatal bugs during about 40 hours of game play, so maybe I am alone in loving the new Fallout. The Vegas theme was really fun, and I loved the new party members. Boone was like a one man army!

3. Red Dead Redemption I am not a huge fan of cowboys, so it surprised me how drawn into this world I became. I really felt attached to Marston, and hoped the best for him. The twist this story takes at the end blew me away... truly one of the best game endings of all time!

2. Super Street Fighter 4 I am a huge fan of Street Fighter in general, so it is not a surprise that this almost tops my list. It is basically a very polished version of SF 4, but there is nothing wrong with that. Plus I can play as Dudley again...now let's fight like gentlemen.

1. Mass Effect 2 I love science fiction. The Mass Effect series takes the best of Star Trek, and everything else I love in space opera stories and creates a masterpiece with each game. This wonderful sequel has great new team members, fascinating new worlds, and an awesome storyline. This is my game of the year.

Honorable Mentions

Valkyria Chronicles 2

Pokemon Black and White

Super Scribblenauts

BlazBlue C.T.

Sin and Punishment 2