Out of all the Playstation 1 Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy IX is perhaps my least favorite, although for old school fans, it’s perhaps the most memorable. While VII and VIII took the series in new directions with more futuristic settings and new gameplay mechanics, FF IX put an old school spin to the series modern look. While the game’s plotline seems more slapstick and cartoonish than the previous FF titles (and this is the main gripe I had with it), it’s still a good dedication to FF fans who may have felt alienated by the more recent entries in the series. With FF XIII hitting stores this past week, what better time to flashback to this blast from the past.
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Ever since its arcade debut, Shinobi stood alongside Ninja Gaiden (and to some extent Strider) as the king of video gaming ninjas, and the series only got better on the Genesis. Shinobi 3 was the follow up to the awesome Shadow Dancer, and it really pushed the envelope on the Sega Genesis, as it’s visuals were so awesome that you’d think you were playing an SNES game. There isn’t much of a plot (the big evil organization is back, and our hero is back out to stop it) then again who needs one? You basically make your way through several stages kicking ass. Sometimes you ride on horseback, and you’ll battle everything from Ninjas, to soldiers, to bio-engineered freaks. You have your throwing knives, sword, and ninja magic to help you. It’s one of the finest examples of 2D action on the Genesis, and one of the finest games of the 16-bit era. It’s available on the Sonic Mega Collection disc for Xbox 360 and PS3, the Sega Genesis Collection on the PS2 and PSP, and the Wii Virtual Console.

Back when Midway was a part of the Nintendo 64 Dream Team, they promised an exclusive Nintendo 64 version of Doom that would take advantage of the console’s capabilities. In 1997 they delivered Doom 64, a continuation of the franchise (yes, even after Final Doom) that gave the game a brand new look while retaining the shoot-em-up action the franchise was known for.
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Goldeneye changed the direction of console first person shooter games. While there had been good console FPS games in the past, Goldeneye established a foundation of fun multiplayer and an intuitive control scheme. Who didn’t enjoy spending weekends huddled around their TV with 3 of their friends shooting each other up? When several of the original developers broke off to form their own company, Free Radical, and began work on a PS2 FPS game, many believed that good things would happen. They were right. The company’s first entry, Timesplitters was one of the best launch-window PS2 games, and its multiplayer managed to surpass Goldeneye in terms of sheer variety and fun.
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While it wasn’t nearly as well known as its peers, Taito’s Darius Twin was part of the holy trinity of 2D side scrolling shooters along with Gradius and R-Type. In the games, players faced giant fish-like enemies and collected weapons in order to defeat enemies. Although Darius Twin was the first Super Nintendo entry in the series, it’s actually the third game in the overall series. Heroes Proco and Tiat return to the planet Orga to once again stop the evil Belser. Like many of the early entries in the series, Darius Twin allowed players to chose which stages to go through between levels. While it isn’t much different from other side scrolling shooters, Darius Twin’s music, backdrops, and huge enemies help set it apart while the multiple stage paths and multiple endings help give it some replay value. Hopefully it won’t be much longer before we see this game on virtual console if it isn’t there already.

Welcome to Powet’s first $20 GOTW and Lost Classics of the new decade. We got two classic games that will help you get the new year started off right. Without any further ado, click below and lets get started.
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Although Technos’s River City Ransom never gained much in the way of commercial success, it gained a cult following amongst fans with its humor and RPG-like gameplay. The game follows high school students Ryan and Alex as they take on River City’s toughest gangs in order to rescue Ryan’s girlfriend from the villain Slick. You (and a second player if playing co-op) travel around the city taking on each of its gangs. You can earn money to purchase new techniques, food to restore your health, and recovery treatments at the spa. The game featured a complicated password system to save stats, although various remakes (such as the 2003 Game Boy Advance remake) use a battery backup system. For those who missed it the first time, it’s available on the Wii Virtual Console for 500 points. Oh, and for giggles, check out Seanbaby’s River City Ransom Page.

Little Known Fact: River City Ransom is actually the third game in what’s known in Japan as the Kunio series. The first two made it over here as Renegade and Super Dodgeball.

With the surge in Voltron articles, I wanted to join in on the fun. However, as I have nothing Voltron related, I figure the next best thing is a Voltron rip-off. Of course, what better rip-off is there than Power Rangers, the live action kids show that not only rips off Voltron, but also borrows liberally from Godzilla’s giant-monster-who-is-really-a-guy-in-a-rubber-suit theme? After Ninja Turtles and before Pokemon, Power Rangers emerged as the premiere kid’s show. It’s goofy monsters, giant robots (called Zords) and cheesy martial arts action made it a hit with school kids, and a nightmare for parents. The obligatory marketing blitz followed, complete with toys, costumes, video games, and even a movie. The movie, released at the height of the franchise’s popularity depicted a non-canon fight against new villain Ivan Ooze. There were also video game tie-in for SNES, Game Boy, Genesis, and Game Gear with Bandai handling the Nintendo versions, and Sega handling the Sega versions. Although they were intended for kids, they were pretty good for games based on movies.
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