The Snes Mini (Snes Classic Mini) is coming & Starfox 2 FINALLY gets a release after 22 years27/6/2017
Blog post by Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
The Classic Mini Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Thank you Nintendo!
Imagine your perfect Super Nintendo games. Your ideal lineup of Snes games that you’d happily have sitting on your gaming shelves. What would they be? Super Mario Kart is my favourite video game of all time. A timeless classic of a packed Nintendo lineup of familiar faces like Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong & more. Though perhaps you would prefer to play the classic Super Probotector (Contra III The Alien Wars in North America). Battling your way through the levels collecting flamethrowers, bombs and other deadly weapons! I could sit here all day and talk about how important the 16bit era was to me as I am sure you can to. The Super Nintendo, for me, is the most pivotal console of all time bit just in terms of game lineup but in terms of cultural influences too.
Back in school there were two groups of geeks: those that had a Sega Mega Drive and those that had a Super Nintendo. I had the Super Mario All-Stars Super Nintendo action set. We’d joke and banter all day long at which console was superior and which had the best games. Sonic Vs. Mario was another angle to approach it from. Luckily today I adore both but the Super Nintendo will always hold a sacred place in my heart. Here we are in 2017 with the upcoming Snes Classic Mini. Simply a mini build of the Super Nintendo (PAL and NTSC design) packed with 21 of the best Super Nintendo games of all times. Let us pause and hail the fact that Starfox 2 will be among the classic ones games. The unreleased title that was completely finished by never got a release. I was lucky enough to interview Dylan Cuthbert; one of the lead designers behind the original Starwing/Starfox and Super FX Chip. You can catch the video below in which I interviewed him about his work on Starfox 2 but be warned it’s a few years old.
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Guest blog post by Todd M @The_Top Loader
Mortal Kombat - The Players Journal
Get over here -----> Welcome to the 90's baby because I'm having fun n' games playing Mortal Kombat (released in 1992), but what version? That has been the topic of my childhood. Who had the best version, who could beat their chest the loudest in this primal rage that surprisingly escalated over just a few drops of blood? It came out on everything you could possibly think of, Master System, Gameboy, Game Gear, PC... you get the idea I literally could go on and on (until I run out of consoles to name) but the real test of might came down to just two consoles - the mighty Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo. The simpler time's of the 80's were gone with our Commodore 64's and their, 8's with their ,1's and don't forget to press play on tape as I watch the true fanboys get all fired up like a Scorpion fatality as they enter the console tournament looking for blood (which is truly where the battle begins) and where the movie version of Shang Tsung would famously say - "it has begun" - while Ed Boon's literal voice as the original game announcer now tells us to "Fight!!" The 90's were Excellent if not a little Dan Forden Toasty as I ripped out hearts and gave the kiss of death as my opponent went up in flames in the face of a burning skeleton's defeat as they dropped down to ashes because didn't you know you weak pathetic fools - I've come for your souls ! .. and so forth. That was Mortal Kombat, the gameplay was decent but let's be realistic here it's the gore that people came for. There were violent videos games before Mortal Kombat but they weren't in the mainstream and were never as popular because - lets face it - everybody pays more attention to the cool kids. Its funny being a parent now and thinking I don't think I would want my kid playing Mortal Kombat X .. but back when I was at that wise old age of ten I knew it all. I knew what was right and I knew what was wrong, hey I may have not bought Super Castlevania IV when I had the chance ..but in my defence I didn't now I was wrong at the time. My brother liked Excalibur with capes and crap like that but one thing we both loved was ninja's and the whole Eastern Kung-Fu scene because guess what? We both loved - Mortal Kombat - finally, we agreed on something.
Throw in a coin, select a player, choose your destiny while watching this klassic character line up that includes my personal favourite Sub Zero as he swings back and forth with his cold blue hands to the perfectly selected music beat while waiting patiently to controversially rip off your head right before we "Fight!!" Kano throws knifes and spins on a dime but what do you expect from a guy that lives for a life of crime because he won't hold back when ripping out someone's heart straight from their chest as it would Finish Him!! ..or her. No time to pause for a moment in this game (which can be frustrating) so you will have to use one of the other klassic digitized characters to release more effective green screen effects if you end up on the wrong side of Scorpion's famous harpoon attack, just don't teleport past Sonja Blade and panic while she flexes her reversed matrix style scissor kick as they both can burn you aliveafter they input the the right button combination before the fatality timer finally runs out. Liu Kang still kicks around while throwing projectiles in your face until Wham Bam! Van Damme .. hey he wasn't in the game, well he was supposed to be but he pulled out to do something else so here's Johnny.. Cage ! What a cool name, he's the complete package and this movie star has a secret weapon that's a real ball breaker and not the kind that you would find in his pants which does not work on Sonja Blade because of what's not in her pants - ironic - but with all this flippin' and floppin' all over the place I forgot to mention Raiden the God of Thunder who looks like he just come off the set of Big Trouble in Little China. You may think I'm going off track here but have you ever have wondered where the inspiration for Raiden came from? Watch the Three Storms in this movie because as I played Mortal Kombat for the first time it hit me like a bolt of lightning needed for the 1.21 gigawatts .. what the hell is a Giga.. wait, what? - wrong movie - sheesh now I'm really getting off track here so let's get back in the DeLorean to take me back to where I was before I made this alternate typing time line. Raiden is a parody verified by the words of Ed Boon himself from one of my all time favourite movies, hey.. who else thinks John Carpenter would have been a perfect match to direct and write a MK movie? It's a perfect blend of East meets West with western digitized character sprites and oriental backgrounds that felt like they were lifted straight out of a Kung-Fu scene with Eastern mystical mythologies including a four armed general monster Goro and shape shifting Lo Pan .. I mean Shang Tsung.. as the final bad guy with a story so far left out of Outworld about Elder Gods and Earth realm Sacred tournaments I can hear the words of Jack Burton echoing "I feel like a little bit of an outsider here"...because we are and I don't care because we all know that all he wants to do is go get his truck back.
Guest blog post by: Todd M @ The Top Loader
Super Castlevania IV - Initially released on the SNES in 1991
Super Castlevania IV on the Super Nintendo (SNES) is a pretty kick ass Video Game right? Rise from the grave as I see a bat outta hell. Oh no wait sorry my mistake it's just Dracula spreading his wings again. It only took him a hundred years because it's dark and I guess hell was too hot. Well stretch out your legs and relish the sun (unless your Dracula) because oh glorious day, seriously these are Konami's glory days and oh how the mighty have fallen since the days of Super Castlevania IV , a masterpiece on the Super Nintendo but now a relic from the past that should seriously have a resurrection of it's own just as Nosferatu the spawn of hell has done so convincingly here. Resurrection's are supposed to be every one hundred years but let's make an exception and bend the rules a little bit, for Konami's sake. Simon Belmont is the perfect fit rebel for the job and he is here to play by his own rules, on his own terms with a whip in hand - within the boundaries of the game's coding of course - but it maybe too late for Konami because I don't even think in this day and age that the Belmont's would even except a friend request on Facebook from them as they're certainly off the Christmas card list - and I've checked it twice - but just like the opening scroll it's the same old story that will also end in horror. There was a time where I didn't care much for this franchise .. or so I thought as I did the unthinkable .. I judged a game by its front cover while standing in Kmart arguing with my brother over which game to buy next for our beloved Super Nintendo, as at that age I didn't care for the Monster Squad freaks it was showing me on the box. Well we are in Transylvania where things are different and my brother tried to tell me it will be fun to play as he begged me to buy it with him, but I did not listen as I went with Super Star Wars anyway (which is a whole other story) ..was he right .. or was I wrong? I feel like I've almost told this story before.
The power of Dracula starts to revive himself stronger and stronger, his sinister actions have consistently been thwarted! "Let's get the whip out", no time for this nonsense as I'm ready and raring to go so lets skip to the action because - if you know me - which most don't, I'm not big on reading the big picture so just give me the whip, show me where the monsters are at and get out of my way as I slay everything in my sights using Toddy as my password name.. that's the basic gist of this story right or at least that's what I got out of it. My brother drew the short sword so I guess that means I got the long sword, right? Well i dunno but there is a whip dangling in front of me and the more I play with it the bigger it gets but don't worry I didn't go blind because it's clear to see this whip does come in handy so lets whip it - whip it real good. After I get my head out of the gutter I see Simon is having a splish splash making a blood bath avoiding any Vampire kiss's while collecting hearts as he is out and about ice skating cross country.. or by the look of the way his animations show him walking as Transylvania is being threatened in this breeding ground for evil - I wonder what the land value is there. I can tell Dracula has been gone a hundred years because they really let the castle go with all these vines and weeds everywhere that have really come to life, but he's back now making a grand entrance as he has obviously has woken up the dead. Maybe he was out looking for love as these wild hearts that I'm constantly collecting seem to be broken because they are doing nothing to my health bar, wait .. what, OK who's playing funny buggers - Translation - who's playing tricks because these hearts aren't your health but if you look hard enough you will find pork that worksa treat. The walking dead are all skull and bones so I guess they didn't find the pork hidden in the wall - well I'm not sharing - but unfortunately I can't moonwalk my way up the stairs out of this one because these guys are everywhere so I've decided to have a BBQ as I fry all these spare ribs with my awesome Holy Cross when I throw it back and forth through the air and since I'm a Vampire Killer - I'll bring the garlic.
Gust Blog Post by Todd M @ The Top Loader
Super Star Wars (SNES) - Lightsaber's at the ready!
A long long time ago in a Kmart not too far away the hot shot young rebel TODD declared civil war upon one of his brother's, AARON. "Todd I am your brother, join me and put our money together to buy Super Castlevania IV" he begged .. "No, I will never you so my money stays" I said, as it was something I had never heard of and yeah sure it's easy to say now "how could I pass it up"?.. but look at it from my point, that of view young Padawan - I was 11 - and I didn't like mythologies or Excalibur type stuff swinging around chain's at Medusa heads with three headed dragons - that was not me - and it still isn't to be honest (Game of Thrones excluded) .. but that is a story for another time, or another blog as at the time I did what I felt was right of course. We were in this battle together going head to head as it had to be a joint decision - my poor mother honestly - we couldn't decide but as I saw Super Star Wars under the shop light at a glance sitting behind the glass I quickly thought to myself, well he loves Star Wars and it has light sabres. Ironically that was the game play element that I liked the least about the game. We took it home and eventually powered up our SNES to play it for the first time.
What type of game is Super Star Wars (released in 1992) anyway? Well our hero Luke hits the ground running N' gunning while platforming but I find it's more start 'N stop because in true male fashion Luke can't do two things at once - where's Rey when you need her? Maybe the force wasn't with him the same way he wasn't at Tosche Station where he was famously supposed to be buying power converters. Well let's not get our right hand all chopped off just yet and get too far ahead of ourselves as it will be fixed in future games to come and as annoying as it is right now - it's not game breaking. Luckily platforming is my strength because I will need to be strong willed if I want to climb all the way up there to the top of the legendary - Sandcrawler - now that sounds like an awesome club name, or a song I could dance and jump around to. Well Luke is a prodigy so lets get the party started because as we enter the Sandcrawler's house of pain the laser beams that kriss-kross will make you jump jump, yes I am a product of my generation - thank god - I'm sure you're thinking the same thing, yes kids that was cool once and it will happen to you one day too - word. But fear not my young apprentice once you get the pattern down you will be swinging a dull disappointing light sabre around in no time trying to take down those Tusken Raiders because this isn't something I can dance with in my hands as this life sized glow stick is not an effective weapon that doesn't even come in the standard blue or green, sometimes red and the once in a life time purple - so don't give your new hopes up.
Guest Review by Lamar @ Every Gamer Review
Cool Spot - Surfing on a 7up bottle never looked so appealing until 1993
Another day, another product placement game and which company wants to sell themselves onto our video games? 7 Up! A fizzy drink that a lot of people may have drank in their lifetime, including me. To me its lemonade in a can…or just lemonade in general. But for those who don’t know (somehow), 7 Up is a fizzy drink with a flavour of lemon and lime. Well that’s it, it’s been around since 1920 and was sold in 1929 as Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda before eventually changing it to 7 Up in 1936. Wait what does this have to do with Cool Spot? The giant red guy with a pair of sunglasses on and kick ass white sneakers!
Filler aside, how do you sell a fizzy drink, especially to the young generation in the radical and embarrassing decade of the 90’s? Use a mascot of course, and for 7 Up, we have Cool Spot and I don’t know anything about him since in the UK, we had Fido Dido. In fact, he was supposed to have his own game too but unfortunately, due to Kaneko U.S shutting down, the game was cancelled, though you can download a ROM of this lost game. But back to the other game I’m taking a look at Cool Spot, developed by Virgin Games and published by Virgin Interactive and was released in 1993 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and in 1994 for the SNES and other consoles in the US and Europe, with the Amiga, MS-DOS and Sega Master System ports being released exclusively in Europe. Cool Spot, and his friends have been captured by someone who wants to show them to the world to prove that Cool Spots do indeed exist. So you are Cool Spot, but you’re different, and when I mean different, I mean you weren’t caught by this person. So Cool Spot the…Red Spot, go save your friends…I guess. This is a retro game and stories didn’t matter, especially for a game that’s selling you citrus flavoured carbonated liquid.
Guest Blogger: Todd M @The Top Loader
Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts (SNES Review) - Players Journal
I died. Please hold back the tears because I'm playing Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts on the Super Nintendo and it happens all the time, so if you truly know how this ends you know I will just dust myself off and try it all over again. On your feet soldier because remember you are Arthur a knight in all that shining silver, green or gold armour and you don't want to be left with your pants down with your undies exposed when this first level beats me to the ground because you must face your demons when traveling to Lucifer's realm if you want to keep the peace and order to prevent another system break down. The town is now reconstructed but I still have a purpose in this new life because a demon just broke through the glass and snatched the princess mid flight. I've never felt so alive when I get up and running as Arthur sure seems like he is going to do lots of jumping, just be careful if it all starts to slow down because sometimes there is way too much chaos on screen going round. I don't blame the game - I blame the system - because it can be hard to handle when all these enemies come at me from all angles, but hey .. who am I kidding? It's not that bad even if the processing is in over the Super Nintendo's head, this console has given me so many good times before and I can already tell that these Ghouls n Ghosts are going to give me some more.
Every time I went to my local Video Flicks rental shop I always had to hire the mighty Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts. We always hired two games because the second one came at a cheaper price, not that we had much money to hire out games but we didn't want to waste an opportunity if it was only a little bit more. I could never finish the first level yet I rented it every single time anyway - and I don't know why - since it always gave me so much grief. What it all comes down to is I really had to get better at the game and like the controls it seems to be just that simple. This game asks for nothing less than perfection which I fear will be too much for some people to handle as I often wonder if the creators of this game had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which is something I am all too well familiar with, but do you know what temporarily stops that? - Two taps with my right hand - but in this game case it's two taps with the B button that will really help with A & Y at your side to really fire off some support. Double jumping has both saved me and killed me at different times as you cannot change the trajectory once you go into the motion, it's a double edged sword that can get out of control and just like my obsessively compulsive tendencies I hope it won't be my eventual downfall. But enough with all this double dribble as you run through the stages my advice is do not try and destroy everything on the screen because this isn't a game for kill streaks, do what you need to do to move on and worry about what is in front of you and not so much what is around you. The learning curve is steep so pay attention as the layout of the land doesn't always hold its retention. Zombies, flaming skeletons with Weredogs are all in your path and unfortunately Gandalf is not here to help as these wizard's shall make it hard for you to pass. I like how every part of this game always seems to be perfectly laid out, the weapons might change but the placement of the chest are always the same.. just try and avoid the flame. Throw a slow spear or a fast knife but that double angled crossbow feels just nice because throwing a controller won't help as I finally have an axe to grind because twenty years laterI finally get my peace of mind, as I walk the plank and take Arthur to the sea and find out if that second stage was worth the wait. Aim your jumps carefully because just like good comedy its all about the timing and you don't want to miss your landing otherwise you might miss the punch line. Floating like a butterfly seems like how it is meant to be because it always seems to end up underneath me as I see the lightning strike while looking out for the fish that come out from the sea.
Guest Blog by Kevin K @Agent_Prince
Aladdin Vs Aladdin - Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Vs Super Nintendo
Forget the current resolution wars between Call of Duty on PS4 and Xbox One; this one intellectual property added to the already-brutal console wars of the 90’s, and is still diversifying to this day. I remember having brutal arguments with friends when I was 13 years old, defending my choice at the time.
Having experienced both from start to finish, is there a definitive answer as to which is best? Let’s see which one truly is the diamond in the rough. (Sorry). Aladdin (SNES) First of all, Aladdin on both SNES and Sega Mega Drive were published and developed independently, the former by Capcom, due to its Disney licensing rights with Nintendo consoles at the time. It is a simple, enjoyable and often challenging 2D side-scrolling platformer, with some of the crispest visuals to ever appear on the platform, with a great, faithful soundtrack. Although not the longest of games, every level plays out at pretty breakneck pace, as you vault from posts in the ground and swing from those stuck out of walls, Prince of Persia-like. Capcom also used the Super Mario method of bad guy disposal: jumping on them. This version was the first hit game of designer Shinji Mikami, of Resident Evil/Vanquish fame, and it is indeed the level design that is Aladdin’s greatest attribute. The traversing of obstacles flow effortlessly when negotiated with the desired precision, in order to get all the health-increasing gems and 1-ups. It’s a game to perfect as well as conquer, with the charm and essence of the movie all wrapped up in a nice few hours of entertainment.
By Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
Super Mario Bros 3 is a classic on the NES and the SNES
It is hard to believe the Super Mario Bros 3 has yet to be spoken about on here. It is one of the all-time classic Super Mario Games albeit slightly different from the original Super Mario Bros but still an absolute diamond of a video game. So much so that Super Mario Bros 3 received a 16 bit upscale for the release of Super Mario Allstars on the Super Nintendo. We could re-live the entire experience in a much better resolution back in the 90s.
Nintendo released Super Mario Bros 3 in 1988 on the NES. Back then the new top down perspective overlooking each world looked stunning and certainly influenced the styles in numerous other Mario game namely Super Mario World and the New Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo DS. So there’s a legacy right? Of course there is. This is a Super Mario game after all and it seems fair to suggest that most Mario game games leave a long standing legacy. Name a series or gaming franchise that is more popular that the Super Mario Bros (including spin offs)? Super Mario Bros 3 contains eight worlds that Mario must battle though over fifty levels in order to rescue the the pesky Princess. Why pesky? I could not help but feel annoyed with Princess Peach throughout my younger years. I used to wonder how can she be so helpless and why is she constantly getting herself caught? The answer is obvious. Super Mario Bros 3, like many Super Mario games, adopts a classic formula of Hero saving the damsel in distress. Ta da. It works very well and provides an excellent story for Super Mario Bros 3 to build upon. Throw in some amazing Power-ups like the Mushroom, Tanooki Suit, Flower and more and voila. Amidst the eight world’s are eight big bosses and eight mini bosses that are half way though each world. That seems like a pretty basic fact but it’s a pinnacle part of the game. As a kid I found the mini bosses very difficult which often left my confidence decreasing the closer I got to the final boss (of the world). Don’t forget that Super Mario Bros 3 was the first game to adopt this type of structure: overhead world’s containing two bosses. This holds true in Super Mario World also.
Guest Blog by Kevin K @Agent_Prince
Is Super Metroid the Perfect Video Game?
That’s the ultimate goal isn’t it? To create the perfect video game. Is Super Metroid that game? Did the Super Nintendo host some of the the most perfect Video Games? Very few video games are considered as such, and even then it is of course only opinion. There is no fact in a critic’s verdict, whether it’s print/online. People often forget that, and it is of course the same for you; we’re all critics after all. But there is the matter of consistency to take into account, which is where one of my ‘perfect’ game choices gets a unanimously positive critique/public view: Super Metroid. For those that have played through Yoshio Sakamoto’s action/sci-fi magnum opus, I may be wasting my words on you; but I’m confident you’ll read on to either nod/shake your head at this ‘critic’. Super Metroid is as perfect as a video game can be. With its super sci-fi intro, a dark atmospheric tone is set from the get-go. This never dissipates but, even more impressively, increases or decreases depending on the location/situation. The elevator ride down to Ridley’s lair is a prime example; I don’t think a 16-bit videogame had ever given me goosebumps before. The crisp, fluent visuals complement the soundtrack perfectly, and of course vice versa, the soundtrack often giving the perfect nod of anticipation for the next section. A great example of this is the descent into Brinstar; it fades in superbly, and sets the tone for the action packed section up ahead.  Is Super Metroid the perfect video game?
Then there is the learning curve; which is seamless in its execution. It’s no different to previous games in the series in that you start with a simple blaster, but the aforementioned visuals and power of the SNES not only leaves enough subtle hints, but also develops the mind-set that success is dependent upon. Add to that the perfect pacing, an average play through of roughly ten hours first time around, which might not sound like much, but like many a Nintendo classic, it’s highly likely you’ll return for at least a second run through. Add icing to the cake in the form of one of the best and most memorable video game endings ever, and you have an instant classic.
Now I’m sure you’ve heard all this before, in some form or another. I believe Super Metroid is not a perfect video game just for its vision, production and execution, but more than that. Back in 1994 when it was originally released, I was 13 years old. Video Games were already a big part of my life, and had been for 8 years, and games such as Super Metroid only served as a positive aid to my lateral thinking, evaluation, puzzle solving, and general acumen. Over 20 years on, it not only stands the test of time, but has indeed got better with age. Super Metroid is not just technically brilliant, but still technically brilliant, even to this day. And with the beauty of virtual console, it is already being passed on to further generations. That, for me, is perfection. Guest Blogger: Kevin @Agent_Prince 
Spinning bird kick in to this!
Posted by Gemma @Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past is a game that has resonated with me for years. It’s one of those titles that embeds itself within your gaming core through and through. Why is this? Perhaps it is the vast nature appeal of the Hyrule with all of the bright colourful sprites that pop up all around Link’s quest? Perhaps it is the storyline of one hero taking on all evil? Perhaps it’s the dungeon crawling with room after room of traps, enemies and puzzles that kept my interest for all these years? We could ask these questions all day long. One thing is clear though: The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past is one of the Super Nintendo’s finest games. That was true back in 1991 and this is true as I write this in 2016.
#1Top/Down Fantasy A Link to the Past adopts one of my favourite perspective’s of the 16bit era: The top down perspective same as was used in The Legend of Zelda on the NES. As a young girl, before I even knew what Video Games were I used to love drawing top down pictures of fictional houses and ships. My drawings were always full of colour and secret rooms much to the same as A Link to the Past is. As an adult I look back on this and it comes as no surprise that The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past taps right in to that part of my childhood. More often than not Video Games can trigger a memory like this for us gamers. That is part of the buzz, the intrigue and the enjoyment and that right there is a pretty powerful concept. A Link to the past really invokes the Nostalgia in me and I find that incredibly overwhelming. |
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