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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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Guest Blog Post by Todd McDonnell @ The Top Loader
Bubsy (SNES Review) - Are we wasting our time with it?
I like Bubsy. Why on Earth would I talk about Bubsy Claws Encounter of the Furred Kind (SNES)? Is it armageddon, are the Woolies invading? Yes, I said it here in an open forum. I'm not spinning any yarn here as there are no strings attached, I just hope the room doesn't clear as Bubsy bounces in from the foreground when the title screen loads up. YouTube is a wonderful thing, I've learnt so much about games and consoles that I had never heard about or knew much about before.. for example I never really knew how universally disliked Bubsy seems to be? I have a question mark lingering over my head and I can understand why Bubsy has an exclamation point printed on his shirt after hearing about all the bad things said about him in retrospect. Not that I let a review sway my decision on anything, whether it be a movie or a game. I often search YouTube to find people and their stories that I can connect with or relate too and I could never find a connection for Bubsy.. no matter how hard I looked, so maybe I'll send out an SOS as I dive into the deep end because remember bobcats can't swim and our furry friend looks like he needs some help as he throws up the white flag as he sinks to the bottom. He seems to be in trouble and these Woolies are giving me the willies, but fear not they can't do too much harm with yarn.. right? I say let them have it as you bounce right on top of them since these guy's are not going to wrap you up in wool anytime soon even though there are quantities of yarn surrounding me as these space invaders are here to grab it for themselves. Whoever has the wool, has the power and it is a race against time to save the Earths supply.
The clock is now ticking and Bubsy's tail is all Ready, Set .. GO!! I mean what could possibly go wrong? Bubsy hits the ground running as you gain some sonic type speed leaping over water in a single bounce straight onto a crate of banana peels only to regain your balance to find yourself thrown forward by the end of a boot and who says Bubsy isn't funny with all this dark humour lying around as it now fades to black when the day turns to the night of the bobcat with a bounce here and a bounce there Bubsy is truly everywhere and as he hits the sky remember don't ride the coaster of death on this cracked track for too long as this is all happening too fast and we are already past the bridge to fur and I really should mention by now that Bubsy is afraid of heights so be careful when traveling to the west by train as I would suggest he treads carefully when you suddenly stop. It's now operation Bubsy drop as he is chased by the cheese wheels of doom near the rolling rocks because we are well past the forbidden plummet as you now find yourself trekking through the woods while sailing on rafts and climbing the high trees and I still have no idea what I am doing in all these bonus stages all the while thinking out loud "Hey I thought I saw Elvis back there" until you now finally slow down to the final frontier as we say farewell to the big Woolie style mammoths in this double header as Bubsy walks like an Egyptian right into the back of a limo. Take a Break. Roll the credits. Somebody call 911 because WOW what a great time I just had ! .. where is this terrible game I keep hearing about? I don't remember jumping any sharks, admittedly out of context it all does sound a bit strange.
Guest Blog by Todd M @The Top Loader
TMNT IV (SNES) Review
Cowabunga! Too soon right? Well before talking video games let me first take you back in time so I can paint you a picture of my childhood, even without the help of any renaissance painters. If you look up close you will see images of four pizza eating turtles carrying around a half shell - oh and did I mention - they have a splash of green. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were walking talking ninja stars and it was turtle-mania as they defined my generation's pop culture. Sure there have been other properties that have come and gone in and out of our screens over the years, even the likes of the still popular Pokemon came out of the wild to take a good shot to reach the same heights of the turtles at their peak popularity.. but slightly missed, maybe they should've equipped the X accuracy. Their faces were everywhere as they left their turtle tracks behind for generations to follow in the years to come. It's hard to explain to anyone that wasn't there how big they were at the time. For me personally the turtle effect was unmatched, I had the lunch box, I collected the coins, the cards, and even had the costume, I ate their strange tasting ice cream and I vowed never to take shredders advice and dine on turtle soup, I had the board game - that broke - bought the figurines and of course the video games. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time on the SNES is one of the pinnacle Super Nintendo titles.
Sit down, turn off your turtle-comm and eat a celebratory jelly bean pizza - no wonder they were green - and let's kick shell as the Tm-N-T explode onto the scene like their Dynamite. But there's more explosions than that to look out for since Krang straight away has his eyes set on you and he is beaming, and so am I because I am playing Turtles In Time. There were games before and after this one but for me this is what I come back to the most. Playing in the back yard was one thing but playing the arcade game made me feel like I was right there in the action with them. Many of my favourite characters from the cartoon made the jump into sixteen bits as it includes Leatherhead, Metalhead and lets not forget ol' tin faced Shred head himself, but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves as there are many minor characters to get in the way in your travels as The Foot were made for walking and that's just what they will do, so be careful as they were built to come right after you. Waggle that stick and press my buttons as these mousers have a mind like a steal trap but I certainly don't have any Alley Cat Blues because, man I love being a turtle. April's evening news shows us that The Statue of Liberty is at stake as Krang the bloated bean bag swiftly comes in and fly's away with it. A class in action is called as we are dropped at the very top of a construction building swatting fly's that bother me as Baxter tries to terminate the turtles but, since he blows we continue working our way down through the streets but can't seem to catch a break even when surfin' those sewers. The Rat King is hiding out at the back of the sewer and luckily for Splinter himself he is only to be seen making a cameo as he encourages you to hurry up and attack a case of some killer pizzas turned monsters, sounds like a plot from an old 50's movie but this is the New York city sewer after all who knows what lies beneath as you keep digging because eventually you will stumble across the Technodrome.
Guest Blog by Kevin K @Agent_Prince
4 Must Play TMNT Games
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been going through a massive resurgence in the last couple of years, coinciding with the purchase of the rights by Nickelodeon. This has led to the production of a great new animated show (which is now on season 4 and it’s rather good), toys, merchandise, and a return to grace in its originating comic book medium.
With the upcoming Activision/Platinum Games collaboration imminent, what better time than to recommend 4 of the best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games of all time, each one representing one of the team. Cowabunga dudes! Michaelangelo = TMNT the Arcade Game (Arcade, 1989) Video gaming at its classic best. Back in 1989, this style of arcade was everywhere: Scrolling beat em ups. What was cool was the original cabinets allowed for 4 players on screen at once, for the full team experience. It was challenging. In typical coin-op style you had little health that soon depleted, having to part with your cash for more credits. That might sound terrible, but such was the appeal of kicking the crap out of Foot Soldiers and the supporting bosses such as Bebop, Rocksteady, even Krang, it is tough to walk away because kicking butt is what the Turtles are all about. Like Michaelangelo, TMNT Arcade is fun in short bursts, but just simple and repetitive.
Guest Blog by Todd McDonnell @TheTopLoader
Street Fighter 2 Review
As I type I can hear a lot of loud noise coming through the internet. Have I forgotten something? I take a moments break to see what all the commotion is about. Street fighter II turned 25 and everybody's celebrating as though they were aboard one of Ken's party boats. I sit and think - has it been that long since it was 1991 - well I've done the math and apparently math doesn't lie. Should I stop typing.. as everything that needs to be said about this game has been said. I don't need to tell you again how great it is, that would be an obvious statement. Then it hits me, and no it wasn't one of Sagats Tiger Uppercuts .. again - I realize that everybody is talking about this game because, everybody - from my generation at least - has a Street Fighter story, and guess what so do I.
Street Fighter 2 ? For me it Begs the question: If this is the second game then where in the world map was the first? I had always heard of the myths surrounding the original Street Fighter - was it even real? I had never seen or heard of it before. Later on in life i did find out that it did in fact exist as I finally got a chance to play it, and how this game got a second game made based on the original is beyond belief. How do you go from a laggy, unbalanced un-fun waste of time to arguably one of the best and most important fighting games in the history of video games? This time however, Capcom lined up its quarters ready to play again and won because this new challenger certainly got it - Perfect. Super Probotector Alien Rebels (SNES Review) - Is this the best action side scroller ever?28/2/2016
By Gemma @Juicy Game Reviews
Super Probotector Alien Rebels Review (SNES)
Super Probotector: Alien Rebels (known as Contra 3 in North America) is arguably one of the finest side scrolling action games from the Super Nintendo era. That’s a pretty bold statement but it sure holds a lot of validity by today’s standard’s and if price is anything to go by then Super Probotector is definitely one of the pricier titles if you snap up a boxed, complete copy. Why is it so sought after? Why is it one of those retro games that comes up in conversations a lot? Why do some of us go to further lengths to obtain those games like Super Probotector?
Remember those days when you used to count your change to try and reach the desired amount to buy a game? Perhaps you didn’t need to do this but I remember a dirty old second hand (thrift) store on the outskirts of my town. I counted copper pennies, twos and had a few pound coins laying around back when I was fourteen. I wanted so desperately to buy a used copy of Super Protector: Alien Rebels on the Super Nintendo. It was priced at £10 and forced so deeply to the back of a shelf that I could barely see it in store. Alas, I had counted £9.50 and I knew I was short when I handed my money over. I prayed the old guy would’t notice but he did. He was a good sport and let me walk out with the discounted Super Probotector: Alien Rebels. Even a teenager I went to those lengths. How rude of me to think I could get away with short changing this guy! I knew I wanted my very own copy after first playing it at my friend, Matt’s house. I always wanted to be the red robot during our fights before a two player game.
Guest Blog by Todd @The Top Loader
Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo
The name Mario in this day and age is common place. You see him everywhere, kids clothes, hats, toys. In a world full of Grand Theft Auto's and Rockstar Games, he is a modern day Retro Pimp, and he deservingly flaunts his star power all over town. But back in my day, oh man I didn't just say that did I? Well I am getting older, but you know what so is Mario just in a different way.
Back in my day Mario - he was was a high flyer even before he reached the great heights of Super Mario 3. Mario was his name and platforming perfection was his game, and by the time Super Mario World hit the shelves he was already well known amongst us kids for his perfect gaming formula. Super Mario World; a classic game in this day and age. Released in Japan in late 1990 playing it these days I know every secret, every hidden key and have a good read on the many hidden warp pipes in any given level. There is nothing new to experience, yet I still play this game decades after its initial release. At least once a year. I could play this game blind folded, and die multiple times but without the blind fold I could easily fly through this game (even without the cape). With 96 ways to exit all of the levels (and not the 96 levels the back of the box would mistakenly tell you). With a world so vast, bright and colourful. Everything on screen feels so alive. With each area interlacing so seamlessly with one another, and surrounded by the best level selection Hub I have seen in any game. It was exciting, mysterious and it just felt fun. I will never forget walking into the Forest of Illusion for the first time and having no idea where I was about to end up.. as on the surface it seemed to have no path to follow. I still make a smirk remembering back to my 11 year old self trying to work out how to get out of the area. I truly felt lost in the woods walking around in one big circle as the main path forged itself into a circle (if you finished the levels in the normal fashion). The game forced you to think outside that linear box of normal straight forward thinking of merely getting to the end pole, which is what we were all used to in previous Mario games. The key here was to find the keys which in turn unlocked the hidden paths and to find your way out of the area. And If you had managed to go that far into game without finding any keys by this point it would turn out to be even more confusing for you. Completing the levels and then finally the Castles would make for more major changes as you would watch the World change its landscape right before your eyes, and in in many ways Super Mario World changed the gaming landscape for Platformers forever.
Guest Blog by Alan G @GretzkiAL
Retro gaming Christmas Memories - What are you personal favourites?
Well the time is nearly upon us again and I have to admit it I feel a little more prepared for it this year. Yes folks that's right the Christmas holidays are nearly here and if you're anything like me, you are hoping that one of many video game titles out at the moment will be joining you at same stage over the festive period. In doing so, we must make the most of the purchases that love ones/dodgy looking gaming Santa’s from a UK chain of video game shops have gifted to us - and for some of us the origin of this yearly influence of tradition is set somewhere in the last century. However before thinking this narrative is about the number of Christmas consoles I received on a yearly basis it is not, as this constantly eluded me up until only last year, so this is more of a personal muse into my gaming existence.
Crafted by Gemma @Juicy Game Reviews
Who here doesn’t remember this debate? Raise your hand, there’s no shame. Perhaps you were too young? Perhaps you weren’t even born? In the early to mid-nineties a household either had a Super Nintendo console or a Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and it was often a hot debate in school as to “which one is the best”. Usually, we’d choose the console we owned and paid no regard to the technical spec. I used to say things like “I like the coloured Snes buttons (red, yellow, blue and green in PAL and JP regions) over the predominantly black Mega Drive controller. This is a pathetic argument to support the Snes but back then it was valid.
There are two ways to approach this and I’m eager to see your views in the comments: Objectively and Subjectively. Objectively we can analyse the both consoles and it is clear that the Super Nintendo wins all day long. Click here for a really easy breakdown on each console by technical specifications. Let’s not beat on about that. The Super Nintendo is clearly the superior console in terms of spec...
By Gemma @Juicy Game Reviews
It works! The Nintendo Playstation prototype Owners finally show the world that the machine works
Source:HKGolden.com
2015 has been a remarkable year for gaming. Alongside the plethora of Triple A titles rattling around store shelves, I've had the pleasure of getting to know Dan and Terry after they broke the story of their Nintendo Playstation Prototype (SNES CD). I've long dreamt about this machine and always joked with my friends "they'll be a box of them sitting in a factory in Japan somewhere". Never for one second did I think I'd be talking to the owner of one! Today, I immediately text Dan and Terry once the story broke and punched the air a few times in absolute elation from the update.
By now you should know the story of how the Nintendo Playstation or SNES CD or Playstation Super Disc came to light. Many sources across our community made a huge noise about the prototype, including me when I reached out to Dan and asked for a Skype Interview and later when I released a video to try and silence the doubters of the validity of the Nintendo Playstation. Both videos were met with the normal levels of hostility with people suggesting the prototype was "a fake". Some people will still argue "it's a mockup, it's not real" which I highly contested and rightly so. Why would anyone go to such lengths to make a 'fake?' |
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