MTV Multiplayer › Retro

When I say classic, I mean you've probably never heard of any of them.

Upon seeing the news that Choplifter will be receiving an HD remake this week, I was immediately taken back to one of my earliest gaming memories: Playing video games on the Sega Master System. No, not the Sega Genesis. My gaming history starts with Sega's little-known NES competitor, wedged between the more popular 16-bit Genesis and the ultra-obscure SG-1000. Choplifter was a personal favorite on the Master System, but several other hits from that console's library make up this list of franchises ripe for a reboot.

Space Harrier

How can we be in the age of 3D graphics yet not be revisiting one of Sega's earliest attempts at stereoscopic 3D? Space Harrier was a third-person on-rails shooter that used pseudo-3D sprite scaling to send the world whizzing past you in its arcade port, and a later sequel took advantage of the Master System's 3D glasses accessory to further the effect.

If I could lose a weekend to Geometry Wars, I could definitely get on board with a modern Space Harrier remake. Add in a remixed version of that killer 8-bit soundtrack and you've got an XBLA/PSN hit on your hands. Just don't let me see this on iOS or Android. No amount of nostalgia is worth the pain of precision-killing virtual buttons, and I'm looking for a true reboot, not a cash grab port.

For bonus points, port over the arcade game Planet Harriers, originally published in 2000. The game looks to be exactly what I would ask for in an updated Space Harrier, but I can't pass judgement as the double-seater arcade game is quite hard to come by. Early plans for a Dreamcast port died along with that system, and the game hasn't been mentioned since.

Read more...

Tags Afterburner, Altered Beast, Choplifter, Choplifter HD, reboots, retro gaming, sega, Sega Master System, Space Harrier

Read more...

While eating ice cream with my colleague Josh Horowitz to somehow hype the release of his new movie "12 Rounds," WWE star John Cena started dropping names of games he loves. These include "Super Mario Bros." Okay. And "Ikari Warriors." Interesting. And "RollerCoaster Tycoon." Seriously?

Cena also pleads for gamers to look him up online and let him beat you at "Red Alert" on the PC. I'm not sure which "Command & Conquer: Red Alert" he has in mind, but maybe you can track him down by his gamer name, which seems to be "RichardHammerbush33". (When you're done watching the above clip, watch Cena rap-battle Josh.)

(Videos not viewable by users logging in from Canada or the U.K.)

Earlier this week I visited my mom in Florida, and we stopped by a flea market in Oldsmar. Amidst the piles of VHS tapes and romance novels, I found a treasure trove of old gaming goods. Take a look at what I found. Read more...

FROM SPLASHPAGE: YouTube user elmacbee probably had the right idea channeling Sunsoft as the faux game’s look. Anyone who played their original “Batman,” “Return of the Joker” or “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” should be able to appreciate the 8-bit cinematographer’s tricks here.

Read more about 8-bit Dark Knight gaming concept video at Splashpage.MTV.com...

ESPN.com has an article up about the awesomeness of "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" for the Nintendo Entertainment System. I was quoted in it.

Do I share my stories about being managing editor of a boxing magazine for several years? Nope.

Recount my times seeing but for some reason never talking to Iron Mike at boxing press conferences? No. I was young and a bit shy and Evander Holyfield was more approachable!

Do I defend the "Mr. Dream" version of the game, which is the only one I ever owned -- and which gets slammed in the piece? No.

I just talk about not remembering how to beat King Hippo. Thankfully the article's author, Patrick Sauer, reminds me in the article. It's a good read, with pro boxers and others reminiscing about the game.

So do we all agree with this line from the piece?

...if there's ever a Hall of Fame for sports video games, it's a first-ballot lock.

[Photo Credit: Focus on Sport/Getty Images]

Related Posts
Nintendo: We Will Have Games In 2009 For The ‘Halo’ Crowd
Shigeru Miyamoto Interviews Me About Hardcore Games, Also Talks ‘Punch-Out’ And ‘Mario,’ ‘Zelda’ Shortcomings
Wii ‘Punch-Out!’ Bids Me Good Night

There are many classic PS One games available to download through PlayStation Network in Japan, but we've seen barely any here in the United States (does anyone want to play "2 Xtreme," anyway?)

I didn't ask John Koller, the head of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, whether this was changing when we spoke earlier this week. My bad, readers.

But he did follow-up over e-mail last night.

"Yes, we are working on further PSone additions to the PS Store and should see those launch shortly," he said.

With that in mind, what PS One games do you want to re-buy? "Klonoa" and "Metal Gear Solid" would be very much appreciated, thanks!

Revisiting gaming's classics isn't an easy task, especially when you're talking about nostalgic titans like "Pac-Man" and "Galaga."

But team director Tadashi Iguchi and his team at Namco Bandai proved skeptics wrong with the acclaimed success of "Pac-Man C.E." and, most recently, "Galaga Legions."

Both projects have been deemed remakes, but Iguchi doesn't subscribe to that label. The designer told MTV Multiplayer over e-mail that he considers them "reconstructions." Specifically, Iguchi views "Galaga Legions" as a "mutation" from the original, whereas "Pac-Man C.E." was a "legitimate evolution."

The reason? "Pac-Men" creator Toru Iwatani kept shooting down their ideas.

Read more...

"The games I personally find to be the most influential are 'Xevious' and 'Geometry Wars.' 'Xevious' is the game I was most taken with during my childhood, and it is the title that led me to want to work at Namco. On the other hand, 'Geometry Wars' made me very interested in the Xbox hardware, which I didn't really care about before it was released. Both of these games had a big impact on 'Pac-Man C.E.' and 'Galaga Legions.' In these days where people only can make million-dollar budget games that are reality-centered, I was encouraged a lot by the fact that many people from all over the world respect these kinds of symbolic-style games. Both titles have none of the futile visual effects, and are titles that have beautiful balance between its symbolic style and game balance."

-- "Galaga Legions" and "Pac-Man C.E." team director Tadashi Iguchi via e-mail telling me about his influences when revisiting Namco Bandai's classic games

Here's a new Kanye West-N.E.R.D. video for a remix of the song "Everyone Nose." It's stuffed with old-school video game footage.

I see "Space Invaders," "Donkey Kong," "Galaga"... what else?

(For more on the making of the video check out this MTV News report from late July)