3/30/08
This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test.
Don't worry, I've still got an Awesome NES update planned for today. Right now, though, I'm more interested in updating the layout of the site. All the Nintendo pages have been switched to the new two column format, with tech specs and brief histories of each system on the left and the actual reviews on the right.
There's one other relatively minor formatting change. See those blue dots at the top of some reviews? These indicate that the reviewed game can be downloaded from Nintendo's Virtual Console service. Similar icons will be added to games available on Xbox Live Arcade and possibly PSN in the future.
All right, without further ado, here are the freshly formatted pages! If there are any problems with them, like broken links and such, be sure to let me know!
3/27/08
ANOTHER 50 Cent game? Wasn't the first one more than enough? At least this new title, Blood in the Sand, takes place in the Middle East, so we might see some yellows in addition to the drab browns and greys of the original.
Oh yeah, there's a new Awesome NES update in addition to the one I posted (but didn't announce) last Sunday. This time, the sensational Cobra Triangle takes the spotlight, along with Codename: Viper (a blatant rip-off that's actually BETTER than the real thing? Inconceivable!) and the considerably less exciting Color A Dinosaur. Thanks for that one, Tommy...
All right, I've got to start working on the site's layout again. I didn't realize that so many of the pages on the Blitz still used the crusty old design from 2005! Arrgh, I'm so lazy!
3/20/08
It may be March, but with all the good news we've been getting lately, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Let's take a look at the week's past events...
* After two decades of ineffectual slaps on the wrist, the Florida Bar Association has finally, mercifully dropped the hammer on anti-fun lawyer Jack Thompson. The organization has determined that Thompson has failed to justify his frequent legal filings, and has taken away his right to file more without a signature from another (presumably more competant) lawyer. It's the next best thing to a disbarment, which could also happen in the bar trial that will determine Thompson's fate as a lawyer.
* A half-dozen fantastic Nintendo DS games have been released in Japan, with a majority of these titles coming to the United States later this year. In addition to remakes of the first two Ys games, there's a sequel to the quirky Dreamcast shooter Bangai-O, a spinoff of that beautiful but brutally difficult Xbox classic Ninja Gaiden, and a new Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles without all that poison fog. Goodbye urn, hello unrestricted exploration! Finally, there's Super Dodgeball Brawlers, which takes the hard-hitting sports game and injects features from another NES favorite, River City Ransom. Talk about your two great tastes that taste great together!
* Finally, there's another Awesome NES update! Actually, it's been up since yesterday, but for those of you who missed it, we're taking a crack at the Castlevania series along with a lot of other games with the word "Castle" in their names.
3/16/08
The latest Awesome NES is ready, if you're so inclined to read it. We're covering the Cs now, starting with reviews of Cabal and a number of games with the word "Captain" in the title. Rounding things out are a few casino simulations, including Caesar's Palace and Sofel's Casino Kid series.
I need to branch out from these Awesome NES updates... maybe review a few Nintendo DS games for a change. I suppose I could also detail my misadventures with Wii homebrew, but I might wait until they iron out all the kinks in the Twilight Princess exploit. There's news that the developers responsible for the exploit are working on a channel accessible from the Wii's main menu. This would grant gamers instant access to their favorite homebrew applications, but only time will tell how well this will work, if at all.
3/13/08
It's that time again, folks! In this installment of Awesome NES, we're closing out the Bs with reviews of arcade hits like Bubble Bobble, Burgertime, and Bump 'n Jump.
3/09/08
This Awesome NES update is the bomb... and the sequel to the bomb! Yep, we're covering Bomberman, its greatly improved sequel, and a bunch of other games that aren't Bomberman.
Also, I've applied for jobs with several blogs, ranging from DS Fanboy to Kotaku. Wish me luck, folks... I could really use the work!
3/07/08
Oh crap! I was so busy working on my spinner that I completely forgot to upload the latest installment of Awesome NES! My apologies, folks. There are a lot of classics in this update, ranging from the innovative action/adventure title Blaster Master to the soon-to-be-remade Bionic Commando. And for all you sports fans out there, your Stanley Cup floweth over with Blades of Steel and the surprisingly good Bo Jackson Baseball. Who knew he knew video games?
All right, back to this spinner. I'm trying to add a joystick to the housing and wire up a few more buttons... that way, I can play games like Special Criminal Investigation and Tron without having to reach for the keyboard. Wish me luck!
3/04/08
I may have been a little hasty in my judgment of that spinner. After tweaking it a bit, I gave it one more test... then spent hours playing everything from Typhoon 2001 to Tac/Scan. I still wish it were USB compatible, but what the heck... I'll bring my old PS/2 compatible desktop out of hibernation if it means I can play a few arcade-perfect games of Major Havoc.
3/02/08
Not much to report at the moment, aside from a fresh update to Awesome NES. This time, it's a grab bag of random titles, ranging from two games starring those slippery superheroes the Battletoads to a video game adaptation of the film Beetlejuice. Tim Burton's macabre masterpiece isn't done justice on the NES, but that's not much of a surprise considering that it was an LJN release. What is kind of shocking is that half the games on this page were developed by Rare. Damn, those guys were prolific in the 1980's! These days, you're lucky to get more than one game a year out of them.
Before I go, I've got some advice for all you old-school gamers out there. If you're thinking of building a spinner for your home computer to get the most possible enjoyment out of Arkanoid, Space Duel, and Tempest (or even better, Typhoon 2001!), save yourself the headaches and just get one of these. I tried going the homemade route and got nothing but frustration out of the deal. The cruelest irony of all is that I spent enough money on parts for my own crappy spinner to buy one from EZ Arcade Solutions! Blast, foiled again!