Yes, that’s right, a Virtual Boy game. Before you shoot me, hear me out! This is actually one of the few good games for the system, and it makes best use of what little the console had to offer. It has true 3-d environments, wire-frame graphics (think Battlezone, but in red), and it made use of every button on the Virtual Boy controller, including both directional pads. Remember, this was before single-analog, let along dual analog. Fans of rail shooters (like Starfox) who happen to come across the ill fated system will enjoy it. You play as the pilot of a Tech-Wing fighter on a mission to destroy a rouge super computer. You make your way through 5 stages, blasting at everything in the way. For the most part the game’s levels are straight forward, but since you can move in all 360 directions, it’s easy to get disoriented at times. After you complete a stage, you can watch a replay, complete with full control of the camera. There are also Easter eggs in the form of hidden wireframe objects. It’s not much compared to other games, but it is nice to have, and they do a good job of pushing the system to its limits.
Obviously this game isn’t enough to make anyone go run out and buy a Virtual Boy (and it’s not like I’d personally recommend it anyway). However, Red Alarm did an excellent job of showing off what the system is capable of. If there had been more games of this caliber, then maybe the Virtual Boy wouldn’t have crashed and burned as badly as it did. Wishful thinking I know, but a man can dream can’t he?
by Crazy, filed in Comics, Toys, TV on Jul.08, 2008
In a move sure to aggravate fans of the two highly anticipated waves of Hasbro’s Marvel Legends, The Red Hulk wave will be a Target exclusive wave and the Nemesis wave will be a Wal-mart exclusive wave. Just the thought has already given me twitchy flashbacks to the scarce availability of Toy-Biz’s Wal-mart exclusive Giant-man wave.
The Wal-Mart wave is due to hit retail in December of 2008 at US$9.99 per figure.
This wave is set to include: Astonishing Beast BlackBolt Nova Punisher Tigra Yellow Daredevil
VARIANT: Camo Punisher w/ painted face
VARIANT: Red Daredevil
VARIANT: Blue Tint BlackBolt
With Metal Gear Solid 4 having hit stores earlier this month, we took a look at Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel, which was a Metal Gear game set outside of series continuity. This week’s lost classic will take a look back at another non-canon Metal Gear game. Snake’s Revenge, developed for the NES by Konami under its Ultra Games label, can be considered the red-haired stepchild of the Metal Gear franchise. It was developed without the involvement of series creator Hideo Kojima. After the original Metal Gear was successful in the U.S., Konami commissioned its developers to create a sequel. After meeting one of the developers and being told that Snake’s Revenge wasn’t meant to be a true Metal Gear game, Kojima was inspired to create the true sequel, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. Surprisingly, despite hating the NES Metal Gear game, Kojima has stated that he likes Snake’s Revenge, saying that it’s in the spirit of the Metal Gear series. If one gives this game a shot, then it’s easy to see why.
This right here is mid to late 80’s shoot-em-up action at it’s finest. Like Contra and Heavy Barrel, Jackal was one of those games that didn’t need any big gimmick to be innovative, but at the same time it had its own little quirks which set it apart from other games during that era. Taking control of a jeep (or two if playing two player), you make your way through an unidentified country (which was called Vietnam in the instruction manual from the NES version) and take out any opposition in your way. You mission was to rescue captive POWs and get them to the helicopter. You would them be rewarded with various weapon upgrades, which you use to defeat the enemies. Similar to other Konami games during this period, this game features some neat, even if somewhat outlandish boss designs. You’ll encounter Medusa statue heads that shoot missiles, a fortress gate with turrets, and a command HQ which turns into a giant tank. This is an awesome top down shooter to play, and of course it’s even better if you bring along a friend. Seeing as how Konami is a big supporter of the Wii virtual console, I have no doubt that this will be hitting the VC’s lineup sometime in the future. In fact, I’m surprised that it hasn’t already. For now however, you’ll have to do some hunting for the original cart.
A few months ago, I did a special on the first half of the Final Fantasy series, where I briefly touched upon this iteration of the series. With Final Fantasy IV hitting the Nintendo DS shortly (as evidenced by aDam’s video review of it below), hardcore FF fans will want to check out its predecessor as soon as possible. This remake is the first and only international release of Final Fantasy 3. It blends together what made the original version of the game unique with some new innovations that help keep it fresh for today’s gaming audience. [Read the rest of this entry…]
Final Fantasy IV for the Nintendo DS comes out on July 22nd. I’ve gotten my hands on the Japanese version of the game and put together this review of all the new features of the latest incarnation of my all time favourite game.
by FakeTrout, filed in Uncategorized on May.13, 2008
I won’t kid you: I’m not a huge Rare fan. Loved Donkey Kong Country, but I didn’t grab on to any of their N64 titles, and their debut efforts for the Xbox 360 weren’t my cup of tea either. However, I do like a good platformer, and I’m willing to give Banjo a shot. Its coming in November and they’ve released a gameplay montage to show off the new vehicle building, driving, and flying. Looks like you can get pretty creative! [Read the rest of this entry…]
PS3
Famicom Dojo
KEEP PLAYING
KEEP PLAYING: Rewind
Powet Toys
Powetcast
Hitchhiker's Guide POWETcast
Yes, that’s right, a Virtual Boy game. Before you shoot me, hear me out! This is actually one of the few good games for the system, and it makes best use of what little the console had to offer. It has true 3-d environments, wire-frame graphics (think Battlezone, but in red), and it made use of every button on the Virtual Boy controller, including both directional pads. Remember, this was before single-analog, let along dual analog. Fans of rail shooters (like Starfox) who happen to come across the ill fated system will enjoy it. You play as the pilot of a Tech-Wing fighter on a mission to destroy a rouge super computer. You make your way through 5 stages, blasting at everything in the way. For the most part the game’s levels are straight forward, but since you can move in all 360 directions, it’s easy to get disoriented at times. After you complete a stage, you can watch a replay, complete with full control of the camera. There are also Easter eggs in the form of hidden wireframe objects. It’s not much compared to other games, but it is nice to have, and they do a good job of pushing the system to its limits.
