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...
Who says that you need a disk to have some fun playing video games? Sometimes all you need is a little bit of hard drive space. Ranging from updated classics to brave new takes on tried-and-true genres, here is my list of the top-ten downloadable games for your consoles.
1. Pac-Man: Championship Edition (Xbox 360)
The original "Pac-Man" was one of the games that changed the world, but the Championship Edition goes to a whole new pellet-munching level. Timed levels, crazy effects, and intense challenges make "Pac-Man C.E." a worthy successor to the Pac-Man crown. Hopefully 2008 will bring us "Ms. Pac-Man C.E." (I really do love her bow).
2. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Wii)
A classic finally made its way across the Pacific in its original form. The true sequel to the greatest game of all time, "Super Mario Bros. 2" (as it is known in Japan) picks up right where the first game left off, and keeps true to the game's 8-bit visual and audio style. Although it was released on the SNES "Super Mario All-Stars" compilation, true hardcore fans know it just wasn’t the same.
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Super Mario Bros. 2 has always been the anomaly in the SMB universe, since it wasn’t the original sequel (you needed a Famicom to play that one). Much like my thoughts on Punch-Out!!, there have always been a handful of questions left unanswered.
1. What’s the deal with Wart, and where’s he been? The same goes for Mouser, Fryguy, Triclyde , and Clawgrip. They should totally have made an appearance in a Mario Kart game by now.
2. What makes Shy Guy and Birdo so special? They have reappeared, and they both kinda suck.
3. Why did that face chase you when you stole the key? Was it his house key or something?
4. Why is Toad so awesome?
5. Floating Princess? That doesn’t even make any sense- SHE COULD HOVER!
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So, it isn’t Mario Galaxy just yet, but it is the oddball of the NES Mario Bros. family. Super Mario Bros. 2 (or the reskinned Doki Doki Panic - depending on how you look at it) heads the pack of this week’s Virtual Console titles, along with Ecco: The Tides of Time, and Dragon Spirit. While SMB2 might not fit in with the traditional Mario Bros. mythology, it’s still a pretty fun game (with possibly the most addicting music). Hopefully, someday, Nintendo will finally release the original SMB 2 in its full 8-bit form to the world. While dolphins and dragons aren’t really my thing, I encourage you to buy as many Virtual Console games as you can afford.
