Retro Game of the Week 123: Castlevania 3 (NES)

This is said to be the best Castlevania for the NES and I do agree with that for once. It's probably the most complete Castlevania for the 8-bit console. I wouldn't say otherwise because there isn't much competition to begin with. You have a humble first game and a total turn around in the sequel. Finally, Konami releases a nice gem to finish off the series before moving to the SNES. Anyways, this game kicks ass in many different ways!

The Castlevania series has always been a hit because of their wonderful sound scores. It doesn't matter which game you are playing, you'll familiarize yourself with the music in no time. The tunes on this game are no different. They are amazing and memorable. The music motivates you to get through the level and find that evil fiend Dracula. Hands down!

The graphics are one of the best for the NES. They are as detailed as they can get. You can't get much for the 8-bit console but then again, some of the most memorable games are for this same console. The game will be a joy for your retro loving eyes. 

The gameplay is one of the best. The game will challenge you along the way but you'll have new allies to help you as well. Be sure to know the basics and be able to balance your team in order to get through the game. The controls are very responsive and don't disappoint. Difficulty has always been a factor on Castlevania games. Konami did a great job at balancing the difficulty level. You won't find it impossible but it won't be an easy ride!

The game is always great to come back to and play on such holidays as Halloween ^_^ It's a classic and classic ultimately mean that you can come back and enjoy it time and again! Ready to hunt for vampires again?

The game itself is a perfect addition for your collection. You can't say much of the negative side of the game because there isn't much. Maybe trying to fuse the Castlevania 2 features within the game would've revolutionized it although other games did it already (Faxanadu, Zelda 2) But it definitely would've been welcomed. 

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Retrobeat Tuesdays 031: Simon's Theme! Yes, it's Castlevania!

One of the best Castlevania games period is none other than Super Castlevania IV. Dare to defy me! I dare you!! There is so much greatness in this game that you'll thank me for shelling out 20 bucks for a physical copy of this gem. Enjoy and be sure to listen to the tune! It's quite catchy!

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Animonday 031: Castlevania HD Intro

With Halloween here we had to have some scary related stuff for you guys. This is a very impressive introduction! ^_^ 

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Finds 448: Spooky Additions! Contra Hard Corps and Home Alone BOOOO!!

I decided to stop by the thrift store after school work and a horrible lunch to find myself with these two new additions to my collection. I never actually got these CIB (I have Contra loose only) So I was more than happy to pay for them being 3 dollars for each. I think I overpaid for the Home Alone but I need the case for a project....it's coming oh yeahhh

Contra Hard Corps (Genesis)

Home Alone (Genesis)

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Happy Halloween!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween! ^_^ Nyak nyak nyak nyak!!

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Ads from the past 237: Tengen World Cup Soccer (Game Gear)

It's Soccer season! (Not really) But this should still get your kicks on. I rather play the Captain Tsubasa series but if you want some tough soccer action, then look no further. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLL!

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SMW Central enters Super Mario 64 hacking

I remember visiting this site for tips on hacking my old Super Mario World games. The information is abundant and useful indeed. Now, they are entering the Super Mario 64 hacking world! Check out the full note!

"For almost 7 years now, SMW Central has been the backbone of the Super Mario World hacking community, providing valuable resources to SMW hackers, as well as hosting a huge list of hacks for those just looking for something to play.
Now, for the first time ever, we are expanding by adding another Mario title to the list of games we support. Yes, you guessed it, I am, of course, talking about Super Mario 64. In addition to adding a Super Mario 64 forum where hackers can mingle, we’re now hosting music, textures and Super Mario 64 hacks for everyone to enjoy, and we hope to add sections for even more types of resources soon.
If there’s a little Mario hacker in you, whether it be for the old or for the new - or even if you just want to try out a hack made by someone else - you should definitely stop by.
We look forward to welcoming you to our community!"

 Be sure to visit them!!

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Retro Gaming News 156: Pokémon Red - Proud Eyes edition V3.0

"Hello everyone, Break here with the release of the 3rd major update to my popular romhack Pokémon Red - Proud Eyes edition. After spending an extended period of time testing out the hacking tools available…I am very happy with the results of my re-balancing of this classic game.
Here is a condensed list of changes:

• The levels and types of pokémon that appear in caves, grass, and water have been edited
• Pokémon experience gains have been modified
• Updated the difficulty to catch in-game pokémon
• Pokémon starting move sets have been updated
• All of the pokémarts have been edited
• Lowered professor Oak’s aids item requirements
• Changed the types of pokémon that cycle through at the title screen
• All of the in-game pokémon trades have been updated
• The casino prizes have been edited
• All of the gym leader’s and elite 4’s pokémon teams have been edited
• Changed the number of TMs you recieve after obtaining a gym badge to three
• Overworld pokémon levels have been modified
• Edited all of the in-game rival encounters

Progress ( Complete )

• Elite 4 - 100%
• Pokémarts - 100%
• Gym Leaders - 100%
• Title Screen - 100%
• Casino Prizes - 100%
• Pokémon Move Sets - 100%
• Pokémon EXP Gains - 100%
• Pokémon Encounters - 100%
• Pokémon Catch Rate - 100%
• Professor Oak’s Aids - 100%
• In-Game Pokémon Trades - 100%
• In-Game Rival Encounters - 100%

Credits

• http://imgur.com/ - for letting me host my images
• http://fusoya.eludevisibility.org/ - for creating the Lunar ISP tool
• http://www.mediafire.com/ - for letting me host my patch for download
• http://www.swamperttools.co.nr/ - for creating the editors to make my romhack
• http://www.youtube.com/ - for letting me upload gameplay footage of my romhack
• http://www.romhacking.net/utilities/240/ - for helping me understand how to use this tool (Nightcrawler)

Contact:

• twitter: @Proud_Eyes
• email: grandflare@yahoo.com
• skeetendo: http://hax.iimarck.us/user/3474/
• facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamGunLeo
• youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/breaktube
• piforums: http://piforums.info/member.php?u=3591
• pokemonforum: http://www.pokemon-forum.com/user-break
• romhacking: http://www.romhacking.net/community/1557/
• xboxlive: https://live.xbox.com/en-US/Profile?Gamertag=Joe%20D%20Haze"

 

 

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The first ever CIB Atari Air Raid up for Auction!

So here we are with another awesome incredible find. Well, it's not really a find but more of a storage digging adventure! According to the information I've gathered around, the game was known to be in the storage unit of this person who got his daughter to open the storage unit and dig it up. Apparently, they knew they had Air Raid and were just looking through cases of Atari games. It's kinda of sad seeing it sold because it could've made a great addition to a video game museum of some sort. I'm just saying, just because you have a game that's worth so much money doesn't mean you should sell it. After all it's only one of two complete copies known to man! Either way, check out the auction and congrats to the winning bidder of this craptastic game ^_^ 

Bid Here

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Featured Article: The Surprising Health Benefits of Gaming

Many people over the years have criticized video gaming as a negative influence in our lives. During the 90s, video games were attacked by different representatives from religion, violence, and so on. It was real easy to blame it all on something that wasn't known much about by adults but for us it was the escape and relaxation we always craved. Lets face it, our lives were quite stressful with school and other activities. Video gaming was our down time! A very savvy writer published this wonderful article stating the positive effects of video gaming. I was familiar with some of them but I was definitely caught off guard by the rest of them. With advances in technology, we have been able to interact with video games even further and even been able to work out with them. The big craze of DDR (Dance Dancer Revolution) might have been the turning point into combining video games with exercise but we definitely have to look at the Wii as the turning point in the subject. Overall, I'm glad people are coming out and defending video games and their positive traits, it's about damn time! Be sure to read the article and find out more information! Credits for the article goes to Kwik Med ^_^

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Shigeru Miyamoto Awarded Prestigious Spanish Prize

Shigeri Miyamoto infinite creativity has reached new heights over the years. There is no ending the amazing talent and creativity this gaming god has to offer. In the mist of the release of the Wii U, Miyamoto was surprised by an announcement he received stating the following:

"With these creations, he has converted the video game into a social revolution and has managed to popularize it among a sector of the population that had not previously accessed this kind of entertainment, while also making it a medium capable of bringing people together regardless of sex, age or social or cultural status. Shigeru Miyamoto conceives games as an element for family and social integration, an experience that can be shared by all which manages to move players and help them express their emotions."

The humble creator was surely surprised! He replied with the following statement:

"I am very honoured to have received the message that I was chosen to receive the Prince of Asturias Prize for Communication and Humanities.

Creating video games is very much a team effort, which is why I feel so humbled to be chosen for this honourable award. I would therefore like to receive the award on behalf of all of my friends and colleagues with whom I have been creating video games over the years.
I will continue my efforts so that video games will continuously be able to offer fun and joy to people of all generations all around the world."

I think this is a good thing as video game creators are getting more recognition. They have been here for a long time now and not only is video games considered an art nowadays but it's becoming part of everyone's daily lives. Long gone are the days of the secluded nerd, we are all here and we aren't going anywhere! Hooray for my hero, Shigeru Miyamoto! ^_^ 

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Yu-gi-oh! Amazing Cards 029: Evil Scorpion

This is a very tough monster indeed! Can you believe you have to sacrifice two monsters for a 900 attack powerhouse? Check out the convincing text!

"It is a huge scorpion with evil soul. In normal it will reserve power. But it has tremendous potentials."

There is no fucking effect! If you ever use this card in your deck, then you are one crazy bastard! It's a waste alright...I never even heard of this "Land" type of monster! Blasphemy! 

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Retro Game of the Week 122: Banana Prince (FC)

Banana Prince is one of those missed gems that very few people know about. The game is genius! It's such an enjoyable game! Why? Because it's pure simple side scrolling action. The music is also gorgeous and the animation of the game is excellent. This is a must have for any collector! 

The music is incredibly enjoyable. You will definitely not forget the wonderful tunes you'll hear from this game. They are quite memorable and catchy. The sound effects are also excellent. There is very little to hate about the sound score from this gem.

The game has amazing animation and excellent detail. The developers made sure the game was animated enough for an awesome experience. I can't say I've played a more animated and detailed game as this one for the Famicom. Then again, there are 1050 titles for the console so there might be others. Nevertheless, this game looks stunning!

The game is a simple platformer that is just too fun to put down. The game has a lot of different features from such games as Super Mario and even Zelda 2. Combine those two schemes and you have an awesome title if done right that is. Be sure to check it out! FUN FUN FUN!

The game itself is great. You'll definitely have to come back for another run. The game is a great experience from beginning to end. Any platformer fan has to try this one out. The animation and beauty of this game makes you want to come back for more!

So to conclude, the game itself is a must have for any retro collector. If you want to go for the Famicom title, might as well get it complete with box and all as it's very gorgeous to look at. If you want a US release, there isn't one! You'll have to get a reproduction of it though which is the next best thing! 

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Pirate Game of the Week 052: Donkey Kong Country IV (FC)

Another wicked pirate is here. This time is based on a very popular franchise. When Donkey Kong Country was released on the SNES, the world was stunned by how beautiful the game was. The 16-bit console showed us it was just getting started! With graphics to rival those of future consoles like the Sega Saturn and Playstation, Nintendo was going one step further in their ingenious control over the gaming market. With such amazing popularity, pirates found a way to port the game to the Famicom and pirate it all over the world! The result is a very tacky game. Lets check it out in a little more detail. 

The music is unimpressive. They can't do much for the game in the limited 8-bit console but that's no reason to make the music annoying. You won't find much to like but will hear familiar sounds from other pirates in this one. They all seem to originate from the same company! 

The graphics are actually not that bad but will start to flicker once there are too many things going on in the same screen. It's all due to hardware limited processing power. Still, if you are making a game that's not supposed to be on a certain console then don't do it. Furthermore, it was a very decent attempt on making the game look animated but of course it's nowhere near the beauty of the 16-bit gem. 

The gameplay suffers a lot which is a problem of the majority of pirates. The game is quite frustrating especially when it comes to jumping. Unfortunately, platformer pirates have always had this issue. At times it feels like a force is trying to push you away from where you want to go. It's quite annoying.

The game is only worth a couple of playthroughs although if you are a huge Donkey Kong fan then you'll probably come back and suffer all over again. The game can be frustrating but quite fun at the same time. It all depends on the way you confront it.

In the end, the game is a decent and interesting mixture of the Donkey Kong franchise. Of course, Nintendo had nothing to do with it so don't blame them if your game crashes. It's the pirates way once again. I suggest you pick it up as it's quite rare to find in physical form. For the rest of you, emulation is your answer!

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Finds 447: SNES Gems plus Virtual Boy Stuff and PC Sealed Game

 Here are a couple of awesome finds from the other day. I decided to hit a couple of thrift stores near my campus and found some pretty wicked finds. Some Virtual Boy stuff, a sealed PC game, and some SNES Gems. Lets go through them.

Here are the SNES games. All three of them cost me ten bucks together. Not a bad deal since two of them can go for 20+ each.

Here is a very awesome PC game. I love picking old PC games especially sealed. It cost me three bucks but man I was able to check it out on eBay and it's quite rare! Good for me!

Finally, here are some Virtual Boy finds. I don't get these that often but they are good to have when you do get them. It's nothing major but a controller, Wario Land, and an AC adapter. Of all the items, the AC adapter is the rarest. I paid 2.95 for all of them. Good for me they were in a bag with a price tag ^_^

XF5700 Mantis (PC)

Virtual Boy controller 

Virtual Boy AC Adapter 

Wario Land (VB)

Contra 3 (SNES)

Mega Man X (SNES)

Super Metroid (SNES)

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