-
Review – Cool Riders
If you don’t look too closely, it looks like a bunch of thrown-together digitized sprites trying hard to look cool. Like Pit Fighter; exactly like Pit Fighter. But upon closer inspection, you realize that it isn’t just some ill-advised, thrown-together racing game. It knows exactly what it is. I still do not know what chaotic ritual conjured this game, but…
-
Review – Alien vs. Predator (Arcade)
If you were tickling me mercilessly and would only stop if I named what developer made the best beat-’em-ups, I’d say Capcom. Without coercion and with some time to think about it, I might come up with a more interesting answer, but it’s more likely that I’d still just say Capcom. I grew up in rural Ontario, which is a…
-
Review – Zunzunkyou no Yabou
When it comes to arcade games, actually being enjoyable to play isn’t always the most important aspect. To succeed in the arcade – and really, this is still true in what passes for an arcade these days – you needed to be attention-grabbing. Look at the original Mortal Kombat, for instance. It was absolutely shit to play, but the mix…
-
Review – Sparkster (SNES)
Rocket Knight Adventures remains my favourite game on the Genesis, so it’s heartening to see that Limited Run Games has a collection on the way. I preordered the Ultimate Edition because sometimes you have to spoil yourself. I love RKA, and what other opportunities will I have to really express that in the form of consumerism? But while I’m happy…
-
Review – Sparkster (Genesis)
Rocket Knight Adventures has long stood as my favourite game on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The sequels... exist. They're... fine. The Genesis and Super Nintendo versions are completely distinct from each other, but neither of them really capture the magic of the original. Within is the reasons why.
-
Review – Clay Fighter 2: Judgment Clay
The original Clay Fighter was a pretty landmark title for me. My family and I rented it multiple times and I recall enthusiastically discussing it with friends. Strangely, though, while I was aware of the existence of a sequel, I never actually saw it in childhood. It never showed up at my usual rental haunts, and none of my friends…
-
Review – Earthworm Jim
When I was younger, I was a massive fan of Earthworm Jim. I remember renting it for the first time, seeing the promo for the cartoon, and even managing to beat it, despite my inexperience and underdeveloped thumbs. I once even wrote a letter to Shiny Entertainment, and asked if they would be creating a sequel, and they wrote back…
-
Review – Demon’s Crest
This is the oddly named third game in the Gargoyle's Quest series. Demon's Crest ditches the more cartoonish aspects of the previous game and goes full horror. Firebrand is also a hot piece of toast, and people don't read this far down in these excerpts, do they? That would be embarrassing.
-
Review – Castlevania: Bloodlines
Don’t get me started on Castlevania. The original title stands as one of my favourite NES titles, perhaps even topping the list if I was forced to decide, and I don’t make that statement lightly or without due consideration. A few years ago, I did a deep dive into the more Metroid inspired titles — a corner of the series…
-
Review – Pocky & Rocky 2
Pocky & Rocky and I go way back. I probably would have been 6 or 7 during the time I rented it and played it with my mom. It stuck in my mind for years until I was old enough to drive and buy insurance, so I looked it up to reconnect with it. That’s when I learned there was…