Remember when the original "Super Mario Bros. 2" or the NES version of "Earthbound" that were never released in the United States?
You may have even had the opportunity to give these games a go, either on the Wii's Virtual Console, or even on your PC using an emulator -- but that isn't how they were originally intended to be played.
What if there was a way you could play these games the way they were supposed to be -- on your NES. If you are a video game traditionalist like I am, then Leon Kiriliuk from NES Reproductions may be your savior.
Leon, an avid collector of NES games, helps retro gamers by selling games that were never released (either because they never came out Stateside, or they because are homebrew games) in their original form -- the classic NES cartridge. As an NES collector myself, I have to admit I was more than intrigued, so I reached out to Leon via e-mail last week to find out a little bit more about what he does, how he does it and helpful tips on how to avoid "bit rot"... Read more...
We gave you our thoughts on what one big company from Washington is up to at E3 this year... now how about the other one (Washington, by way of Japan)? Nintendo appears to be coming out ahead in the current console race, so let’s see what we think Nintendo has in store to keep all the fans -- new and old -- happy. Again, this is 100% speculation, and 0% confirmed. Check back tomorrow for our thoughts on Sony.
Read more...
(UPDATED 7/1/07: Readers' findings are noted below. Thanks everyone!)
I'm on a hunt. Your assistance is required.
I'm looking for things that I think might have been in video games. They certainly could have been in video games. But I'm not sure.
I've sampled a large swath of gaming in my years on this not so little big planet. I've played all sorts of games. Games that let you argue with yourself and games that explain the cycle of life. I've even played games about baseball.
But there are other things I need help spotting. Starting today but continuing as long as I can, I'm going to build a list of stuff that's got to be out there. Let me know which games I can find these things in and I'll update this list accordingly -- and give proper credit, of course.
For starters, this is what I'm looking for.
- A game that has speed bumps. I want to be racing down the streets with cops behind me a la "Need for Speed: Most Wanted," but then have to slow down for speed bumps. But I've never run into that.
FOUND Several people had suggestions: "Excitebike," "Paper Boy," and "Town & Country." While those apparently all fit, they just make me wish I wrote the question more clearly. I wanted speed bumps in a game that has car chases, not just a bunch of bumps in old 2D games. My mistake.
- A game that has an homage to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" other than that rolling-boulder scene, which even Nintendo ripped off in "Super Mario 64." Really, has no one at all done a boss battle that takes place under the wing of a plane? Has anyone other than the "Pursuit Force" team come close to replicating that scene of Indy fighting on and under the truck -- a scene that might be the most exciting thing in the movie?
STILL MISSING: Someone mentioned Indy homages in "Sam & Max" and "Monkey Island," but no one has yet cited specifics. I'm skeptical. Where are the waving-torches-at-snakes games? The bad-guy-burns-a-medallion-print-in-his-hand moments?
- A video game biography. I've read biographies, watched biopics, but never played a biogame. And, no, "Eternal Sonata" doesn't count.
FOUND: Reader Josh suggested that the educational "Age of Empires" might be considered biographical. MattG suggested "Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space." Oren offered "Oregon Trail." Anonymous mentioned "Super Columbine Massacre RPG!"But I'm my very own winner on this one, because after publishing this entry I was reminded of Level 5's upcoming PSP Joan of Arc biography game. She fought dragons in real life too, didn't she?
- A role-playing game that features mages who are neither old men nor attractive women?
FOUND: Several readers suggested answers to this one -- "Earthbound/Mother", "World of Warcraft" and even the first "Final Fantasy." Folks, this is what we call a "gimme."
- A game in which bad frame-rate is an art effect the way grainy film and lens-flare sometimes are. I like the old "Space Quest" game that had you time-traveling to different eras and used different levels of graphics technology to show how primitive or advanced each era was. I'm thinking of that kind of creativity. Or would everyone just think it's a bug or an "Earth Defense Force" game?
STILL MISSING: Someone mentioned "Paper Mario," but I don't remember any artistic slowdown and I've played the full series. Reader Fort90 -- that's Matt Hawkins to you -- asked if shmups qualify. Well, of course they do. And I remember plenty of slowdown in "Super R-Type." Matt writes: "a number of them are unplayable without slow-down and ... I tend to think that it's not just a matter of playability but the designer slowing it down and letting you come to grips with the intensity/absurdity of the situation." It's a sound theory, but I need specifics and proof. Someone name me a game where the slowdown definitely happened on purpose -- for gameplay or artistic effect.
Let me know if you know of any game titles that sport these missing features. I think I'll expand this list next week.
