Steve | RVGFanatic

Paladin’s Quest (SNES)

**Pub: Enix | Dev: Copya Systems | October 1993 | 12 MEGS**

Known in Japan as Lennus: Kodai Kikai no Kioku (subtitle translated to Memories of an Ancient Machine), Lennus was first released in the Land of the Rising Sun on November 13, 1992. It was one of the earliest RPGs on the SNES. Nearly a year later, Enix picked it up for distribution throughout North America in November of 1993. The title was changed to Paladin’s Quest. This is, at the very least, a rather quirky and interesting game. While never thought of as one of the Super Nintendo’s finest, Paladin’s Quest isn’t without some merit if you can overlook some of its flaws. Truth be told, I didn’t give a damn about the RPG genre as a kid. However, I was always fascinated by the lesser touted titles. I remember seeing the ad for Paladin’s Quest during the holiday season of 1993 and being semi-curious about it despite the fact that I didn’t care for RPGs back then.

My taste in gaming thankfully matured over the years as the RPG genre became one of my favorites. One of the best things about this hobby as an adult is the ability to quell longstanding childhood curiosities. Five years ago in 2013, that’s exactly what happened for me with Paladin’s Quest.

PARTY LIKE IT’S 1994

Best part of this might be the SUPNES abbreviation! — Best part of this might be the **SUPNES** abbreviation!

I first bought Paladin’s Quest (cart only) on February 13, 2006. I bought a second copy complete in box with instruction manual and map charts in 2010. It was cheap enough ($22.48) and I was trying to complete my boxed SNES collection. What a lovely surprise when I realized the game was being passed down to me from its original owner, receipt and all! So many thoughts raced through my mind as the receipt fell out of the box upon arrival. He bought it right after lunch on January 1, 1994. Paladin’s Quest was released about three months prior. Did he want it for Christmas? Did he have to save up in order to buy it? Did his parents buy it for him? How old was he? In my head I picture a hardcore RPG nut power walking to Babbage’s after eating a Big Mac combo meal at the food court, determined to purchase Paladin’s Quest on the first day of the new year. On second thought, he probably didn’t eat at McDonald’s. Look at him busting out a crisp Benjamin Franklin on the spot like a big baller. Yup, he definitely had Black Angus for lunch.

One of the coolest things about RPGs back then was that many came packaged with all sorts of neat maps and charts. Paladin’s Quest had some nifty ones as you can see here.

Sure there were many palette swaps but it was still an impressive roster of monsters.

Some of the abbreviations were annoying but having this chart certainly helped.

He paid $67.59 in 1994 and I paid $22.48 in 2010. A differential of $45.11. Such is the life and fate of old video games.

PALADIN’S QUEST BEGINS

The game opens up with a little peer pressure

Our hero succumbs to pressure and chaos ensues

Be ready for loads of cut off letters and abbreviations

Paladin's Quest is extremely methodical to a fault — *Paladin’s Quest* is extremely methodical to a fault

Battles with six or more bad guys can get a little drawn out to say the least. You’ll need a healthy dose of patience to plow through this game.

The battle menu is pretty cool. Select commands simply by pressing the D-Pad.

Let’s say you click on weapon. This opens up a variety of options, from attacking to healing. Theoretically, you could play with one hand. The other hand you can use to… well, nevermind.

The good duke, er… Duke, follows you up the Tower of Gabnid. If only you knew beforehand what you’re about to discover…

Truth or Dare, a supernatural horror movie, hits movie theatres next month (April 2018). As you can surmise from the title, it’s about lies and dares that go terribly wrong. You ever had a dare go REALLY wrong before? Well, our hero is about to experience just that!

You just activated DAL GREN: Destroyer of Worlds. Good job, Steve.

There’s nothing you can do as Dal Gren automatically punishes you.

Despair. Destruction. Desolation. Doomed. Damn — Despair. Destruction. Desolation. **Doomed**. ***DAMN***

One little dare gone wrong and you’re partially responsible for having wiped out your own land. Talk about a rough day.

Sad but true. The hero moves at a snail-like pace with no run option in sight. It’s enough to possibly turn away potential players for good. I wasn’t kidding when I called Paladin’s Quest a more methodical RPG than the norm.

See that liquor bottle sign there? That signals the local tavern. It is here that you can recruit mercenaries for hire. There are many different mercenaries as you traverse the game. Upgrading and managing your allies is part of the key to success. Keep in mind that some allies are not always what they seem…

Look up their stats and abilities prior to plopping down the cash. Choose and manage your allies wisely. Thankfully, you can freely swap them out as you please. Well, most of them anyhow…

It’s standard RPG fare. You know what you’re getting. Despite Paladin’s Quest being slow as hell, it has its moments too.

What did I say about feeding 'em after midnight? — What did I say about feeding them after midnight?!

Ah, Gremlins. Loved that movie back in the ’80s. There’s three of them here but they’re not too difficult. Dispose of them quickly and leave before the house burns to a crisp.

“Hey, how about we crash this place?”

“Looks like a shady part of town to me…”

*GROWL*

“Did you hear that?! That wasn’t my stomach…”

“Don’t be such a pussy cat! Let’s set up camp here.”

“I guess beggars can’t be choosers but… f*ck my life.”

With fairly being the operative word here. Random enemy encounters. They play such a notable role, pardon the pun, in role playing games. Have too many battles and you risk suffocating the player. Have too few and the player waltz through. In the case of Paladin’s Quest, the random enemy encounter varies greatly. Sometimes it feels like you can walk a decent distance without a random battle. But other times it seems like you can’t take four steps without a group of enemies attacking you. This can make collecting “way out there” items a pain in the ass.

Alornso is no cake walk. You’ll need to make every battle turn count, especially since your party is sitting at only two members up to this point.

Be sure to develop your hero’s spells. Unlike most other RPGs where leveling up means your magic ability increases, here in Paladin’s Quest you can only level up your spells BY USING THEM. There is no MP count. Using spells takes points away from your HP. It may feel funky at first but to me at least it soon became second nature.

Everyone's a critic — Everyone’s a critic

Gotta love that Midia. She’s the type to go to the ends of the earth for ya.

Paladin’s Quest possesses a certain weird quirky atmosphere, thanks in no small part to its abundant strange looking towns and villages. Although the visuals are somewhat lackluster, the creativity behind them isn’t completely lost. The pastel-like colors has a way of transporting you into a fascinatingly odd world that’s reminiscent of a bizarre nightmarish dream after eating a leftover five-layered burrito a few days past its expiration date.

It’s always a thrill clicking on shelves and cabinets and then hearing the sound effect that plays whenever an item is discovered. Love that feeling (and sound)!

The added points are random. It’s always nice when you come out on the higher end like Steve does here, adding four points to his total.

I hope you're not afraid of heights... — I hope you’re not afraid of heights…

Ominous unsettling scenes are the order of the day

What, me, cynical? Never... — What, me, cynical? Never…

The most annoying and infuriating part. GAH! — The most annoying and infuriating part. ***GAH!***

This must have drove everyone who played this game back in the ’90s crazy. Nowadays we have YouTube to show us the way. Some may call it “cheating” but just try solving this for 10 minutes before you too inevitably say “Man, f*ck this shit.” Some puzzles just aren’t worth the pain of trying to figure out on your own. Life is too short. When you get to this part, just remember my words…

THE SEQUEL TO PALADIN’S QUEST: LENNUS II

Did you know that Paladin’s Quest saw a sequel on the SNES? It only came out in Japan, though. Lennus II was released on July 26, 1996. Thanks to the efforts of hardcore translators, those who can’t read Japanese can now enjoy and play through “lost games” such as Lennus II. I went through Lennus II after beating Paladin’s Quest, and I’m happy to say that it improves upon the original in pretty much every way. It’s no Chrono Trigger but hey, what is? RPG lovers will enjoy Lennus II. It even makes several references back to the first game. For example, take a look at the picture above that mentions Midia. It isn’t necessary to beat Paladin’s Quest first but it helps since that will give you the complete backstory. However, some may find Paladin’s Quest too off-putting, so you might want to skip straight to Lennus II if that’s the case. Lennus II won’t rock your world but it’s not a bad way to spend a couple weeks with.

Did somebody mention Castle of Illusion... :D — Did somebody mention *Castle of Illusion*…

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

I’ve always been a fan of the box art which does a stellar job of conveying a magical adventure in the making. Unfortunately, the game itself isn’t quite so magical. And the critics of the time agreed. The game received mostly middling scores. EGM gave it ratings of 5, 6, 6, 8 and 8. Super Play rated it 62%. GameFan completely overlooked it, which suggests that they didn’t think much of it. Otherwise, they would have been thrilled to promote and champion Paladin’s Quest. You know it’s a bad sign when GameFan (who handed out high scores like they were free condiments going out of style) completely ignores covering a game back in those days.

... is for diehard SNES RPG warriors only — … is for diehard SNES RPG warriors only

Not only does it have a cool cover but it also has one of the best looking SNES title plates you’ll ever see. Well, at least it has that going for it, eh?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

The SNES is blessed with an amazing library. In particular, the RPG genre is well represented. Some of the very best of all time resides on the Super Nintendo. As someone who fell in love with the genre moreso as a young adult, I’m experiencing gaming redemption left and right. Playing through the likes of Secret of Mana 2, Tales of Phantasia, Terranigma and Treasure Hunter G has been an absolute blast. I’ve been on a quest since 2006 to play through all of the Super Nintendo RPGs that I own. Paladin’s Quest is one that has always intrigued me, even back in 1993 when I didn’t care for the genre. Its off-the-beaten path vibe and unique art style made me hopeful that it might turn out to be something of a sleeper hit. After investing over 30 hours during the span of three and a half weeks, I can safely say that Paladin’s Quest resides somewhere in the middle of the SNES RPG pack. It’s by no means great but it’s not without some merit, either.

Let’s start with the good. The first thing that jumps out is no doubt the pastel-like visuals. It’s not for everyone but I personally dug it. It helps to give the game a rather distinct style. There aren’t many RPGs with the kind of look that Paladin’s Quest employs. Secondly, there’s the unique mercenary system where you can recruit allies to aid you in battle. It gives the game some strategy and even serves as sort of an in-game difficulty buffer. Looking for a tougher challenge? Then pay off the weaker fighters to join your crew. Looking for the least path of resistance? Then select the most ruthless and powerful assassins. Variety is the spice of life. It’s a double-edged sword, though. Because you can add to and subtract your party members as you go, there’s never much of a cohesive “team story” here as you’d see in most other RPGs, but having fresh characters come and go keeps you on your toes.

However, the story does mainly circulate around Chezni (or Steve or whatever name you decide to give the main hero). Therefore, I never felt robbed of a team story as this is Chezni’s quest. The back of the box spells it out for you pretty clearly so at least there is no false advertising. Besides, there are hundreds of RPGs that follow the traditional typecasting of RPG party members. So at the very least, Paladin’s Quest offers something a little different with its notable mercenary system. Yes, the mercenaries are underdeveloped and thus come off feeling a little soulless, but if you really think about it, that’s a mercenary to a tee. It’s all just a matter of perspective!

Now that the positives have been highlighted, let’s look at the negatives. Chezni moves like he just shitted in his pants. With no run option to offset this, this is a very slow moving RPG. To further accentuate that, battles tend to drag especially when dealing with up to eight (!) enemies at a time. Bosses are disappointingly weak. Random enemy encounters can linger on unbearable at times. The battle system is a bit awkwardly constructed. There are some pretty good tracks but the music isn’t all that memorable. What you’re left with then is a decent RPG. Paladin’s Quest does have its share of ardent fans so who knows, you might end up being in that camp. But for me, it was just alright. The first half was definitely the most enjoyable while the second half began to drag a bit too much. There’s groundwork for a solid RPG here but the execution left something to be desired. Paladin’s Quest isn’t unplayable but you can certainly find better ways to spend 25-30 hours on your SNES than this. The Super Famicom only sequel, Lennus II, is a far better and more satisfying effort. Try that one if you can!

Graphics: 6
Sound: 7
Gameplay: 6
Longevity: 6

Overall: 6.0

Shout out to Brock and Repros for the love! — Shout out to Brock Landers and repros4lyfe for the love!

While transferring over my Paladin’s Quest review from my original website to this WordPress, I found out literally yesterday that I was given some love on the SNES Reddit when a guy posted asking about Paladin’s Quest on October 30, 2016. Brock Landers gave my site, RVGFanatic, a personal recommendation. Pretty cool stumbling across this yesterday while fixing up my original review and doing some additional research. Didn’t expect to see that Reddit post but it totally made my day. Thanks guys!

Ahhhhh yes… this classic bit of dialogue. @ repros4lyfe, those two text boxes are some of my favorites from the game too!

Super Bomberman 2 (SNES)

**Pub: Hudson | Dev: Produce | September 1994 | 8 MEGS**

Super Bomberman was one of the big SNES hits of 1993. Its 4-player free-for-all mode made it THE party game of its generation. To no one’s surprise, Hudson Soft released a sequel exactly one year later. In theory, sequels are supposed to capitalize on the success of its predecessor. It should be more fun, more polished, bigger and better. The good thing about the Bomberman games is that for the most part, there’s almost no such thing as a bad Bomberman game, especially when you’re talking about pre-N64 entries. After all, it’s hard to screw up the classic formula of four friends duking it out for bombing supremacy. It’s kind of like pizza — even a mediocre pie is more than edible and it’s even better when enjoyed with a couple friends. So it’s not a question of if Super Bomberman 2 is any good but rather is it better than the classic original? Let’s see…

BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE

Super Bomberman was considered by many as the ultimate party game back in the day. The sequel had a lot to live up to.

The Normal Mode now scrolls multiple screens as opposed to the first game’s single screen affair. However, in a head-scratching decision, the 2-player co-op option was mysteriously dropped.

But as we all know, most people don’t play Bomberman for the Normal Mode. No, people play for the Battle Mode! Add three friends to the mix and a good time is sure to be had by all.

Brand new to the sequel is the tag team mode. This is especially handy for when you have two skilled players and two casual players. It’s also good for when it’s just you and the girlfriend or wife. My girlfriend and I enjoy this mode as it allows us to play co-op against two computer opponents ~~rather than me always kicking her butt.~~

Speaking of new, each of the Bombermen now have their own colored bombs. Now you’ll always know exactly who killed you. This allows for vows of vengeance and clear cut rivalries to develop. It’s a nice touch.

ICONS GALORE

Some icons have been added.

Another look…

And here’s a more in-depth look.

The Power Glove works a little differently from the Boxing Glove. In the first game, you could only punch bombs. But now you can carry bombs and toss them as you please. I like the Power Glove’s added versatility.

Ah, the classic good old skates. My girlfriend thought it was a car at first.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

New to this sequel is the G-Bomber option. When activated, the winner plays roulette at the end of a match. Whichever item procured is then granted to the winner for the next match. Not all items are beneficial. The Geta (Japanese sandals) will slow you down big time. The winner also adopts a golden hue. This makes the reigning champion an easy target as temporary alliances are quick to form!

BATTLE ZONES

It’s not a proper Bomberman game without the classic basic stage. Battle Zone 1 ensures a pure and fair fight. The gimmicks start rolling with Battle Zone 2 where players struggle to maintain their footing as they slide all over the slippery ice. Hitch a ride through one of the underground tunnels to escape the heat of battle… but beware that you don’t land right in the middle of an explosion!

Battle Zone 3 is unique because it’s the one stage where you can actually push the competition. Normally you can just pass through one another like you’re ghosts. But not so here. It’s fun because you can impede your opponent’s progress and set them up for an explosive finish. This stage in particular is best experienced in the tag team mode. Hell, there are even four different exit points thrown in for good measure. Battle Zone 4 has a neat gimmick where explosions touching the belt causes the entire belt to ignite. You definitely don’t want to be standing there when it does!

What would a Bomberman game be without some sort of tunnel stage? Super Bomberman has one of my favorite tunnel stages in the franchise. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Super Bomberman 2. The roofs occasionally pop open to reveal the playing area. I’m not a fan of that. To me that just kind of ruins the whole gimmick. I’m also not a fan of the aesthetic of Battle Zone 5. It looks rather drab especially when compared to the first game’s classic colorful pipes and blue blocks.

Battle Zone 6 contains four warp points. It’s a decent map but not one of my favorites. Battle Zone 7 incorporates a speed (or lack thereof) gimmick.

Much like the tunnel stage, it wouldn’t be a proper Bomberman title without some sort of conveyor belt and arrow gimmick. Bombs laid on the conveyor belt in Battle Zone 8 bob along until they explode. The arrows in Battle Zone 9 dictate the direction in which kicked bombs travel.

A peculiar stage, this one. Mushrooms are only temporarily destroyed before resurrecting. You can also freely hop around, which is exclusive to Battle Zone 10. Be careful you don’t land on a flame!

There are two secret stages in this game. The first is a wrestling ring where players are pretty much maxed out from the start. Bounce off the ropes for two seconds of invulnerability.

Use the trampolines but beware of the land mines!

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

GameFan gave it ratings of 72, 76 and 78%. It should be noted that these ratings were based during a funky period where GameFan switched its rating system from 100 points total to 50 instead, and rather than giving the game an overall score, they simply tallied up the scores in their five categories (graphics, music, control, play mechanics and originality). Well, a game like this won’t (and didn’t) score well in graphics so that hurt its final score. The ratings look low but I know if GameFan had done their original style of rating games, Super Bomberman 2 would easily have scored in the 90s.

GameFan's crappy new ratings system — GameFan’s crappy new ratings system

Sometimes a game’s whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Super Bomberman 2 is a shining example of this but such a ratings scale as above will not reflect that properly.

Thank God they went back to this a few months later — Gotta love this rating style as well as *Demon’s Crest*

There’s an old saying that rings true in this case: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. GameFan’s old ratings system was based on a 100 point scale. The final score was based on the reviewer’s overall opinion rather than simply tallying up the total in the five rated categories. While their reviews were never known for a large amount of text, at least there was some meat on the bones.

Ugh — This, on the other hand, had no meat

I hated this new ratings system and was happy they killed it after two issues. EGM had the 10 point rating scale and GameFan had the 100 point scale. It was perfect that way. The 50 scale and adding up the individual scores was downright lazy and not indicative of a game’s true ranking. There’s also hardly any text to describe why a game received the score that it did.

Super Play rated it 91% and ranked it #49 on their Top 100 Best SNES Games list. For the record, they listed Super Bomberman 3 at #39 and the original Super Bomberman #22.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Super Bomberman 2 is a worthy sequel indeed. Although I enjoy its predecessor that much more, I do have some fond memories with this one (albeit not as much as I have with the first game). My fondest memory dates back to Christmas of 2010. My cousins from Texas flew over for the holidays and I busted out my newly bought PowerPak. That night my cousins and I played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time and Super Bomberman 2 like there was no tomorrow. It was a really good time and playing those old games with my family brought back a lot of nostalgic memories of playing those two games way back in the day. Good times.

I like that the sequel introduced colored flames to let you know who killed you. This always made the following round that much more intense when you know without a shadow of a doubt who got you. The tag team mode is a solid added feature as it brings about a different dynamic. The Boxing Glove is now the Power Glove, which allows you to hold and carry bombs (much improved upon the old punching one). Hell, they even improved the story mode — it now features a scrolling screen rather than a single screen. Although sadly, they now made that mode a one player affair. However, it’s all about the Battle Zones. There are some quality maps here but some of that magic from the first game is missing a bit here. It’s still a great game and a whole lot of fun but it’s just not as charming or fun to play as the first game was. I prefer the Battle Zones and atmosphere of the original. So while there are notable improvements made in a few areas, there’s just something about that IT factor that Super Bomberman possessed in spades that Super Bomberman 2 doesn’t have as much of. Still one hell of a sequel though and a game I won’t ever turn down to play with three other friends.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 7
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 9

Overall: 9.0
Gold Award

Super Bomberman (SNES)

***Pub: Hudson Soft | Dev: Produce | September 1993 | 4 MEGS***

One of my favorite Super Nintendo games of all time is Super Bomberman. It’s been nearly 25 years since it came out. Hard to believe it was almost a quarter of a century ago that my friends and I would lock ourselves in a room to play this game on countless Saturday nights in Sacramento. GAWD DAMN. Super Bomberman was a revolutionary title. It was the first 4-player SNES game I can remember playing. Super Bomberman in my eyes at least forever changed the landscape of multiplayer gaming. Speaking of which, here’s a cheap plug to an article I wrote about notable SNES party games…

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a local best friend, Nelson, in addition to having a tight-knit band of brothers and sisters who lived two hours away. The birth of this connection all started during the Vietnam War. That’s where our dads met on the battlefield. Thankfully, they all survived and then continued their bond post-war. They each went on to marry, start a family and they stayed in touch through it all. Our countless family friend sleepovers during the late ’80s to mid ’90s were legendary. Staying up until 2 AM, the adults would be downstairs laughing up a storm — dancing the night away, singing cheesy karaoke songs and reminiscing about the good old days. Meanwhile, upstairs, a group of young boys and girls were busy hanging out, filming silly home videos, playing Nerf wars and playing video games galore. Those were easily some of the greatest times of my childhood. So many epic sleepovers and events that took place whenever my Gaming Crew got together. A memoir devoted to those special times is long overdue and something I’ve been meaning to do for over a decade now. I loved my out-of-town Gaming Crew. It’s impossible for me to think about my childhood without those guys and gals coming to mind. Good times.

My Gaming Crew and I loved playing the SNES

If I could somehow travel in time back to any random Saturday night in 1993 or ’94, chances are, I’d find myself playing Super Bomberman with my Gaming Crew. We spent much of those two years bombing Saturday night away. The winner would play on while the three losers would switch off. It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had gaming. Even to this day, once in a blue moon I still reminisce back to those days with a real deep fondness. Times were simpler and more innocent back then for sure!

No feeling was sweeter than decimating your friends… unless you happen to kill two at the same time. This leads to major trash talk as well as those two victims ganging up on you for the next round. Is it worth it? You damn bet your ass it is!

BOMBS AWAY!

Super Bomberman came packaged with a new multitap adapter. This allowed up to four players to play and paved the way for home console multiplayer gaming. It’s just you, three friends, four tangled controllers and some soon-to-be-severely bruised egos. Whether you form temporary alliances to gang up on another player or you play it every man for himself, a good time is sure to be had for all.

Oh and here’s an alternative art style of the box. Shame we didn’t get this cool looking anime-like box in North America, eh? We got the stubby chunky looking Bombermen instead. I want my Bombermen with Super Deformed heads! Ahem…

ICONS OF DESTRUCTION

Here are just some of the icons you can pick up. My favorites being the boxing glove and the kicking one. Punching a bomb from one side to the other is a riot. And not all icons were good by the way. Look no further than the poison skull! My friend used to call it AIDS, since you could pass your disease on to others simply by touching them. One of my favorite memories was how he would get poisoned on purpose and then run around the field trying to tag everyone while screaming “AIDS!”

Each battle zone contains different icons. For example, in this stage you can collect the icon that increases your blast radius to cover the entire length of the field.

With this icon, set a bomb down and you can detonate it at any time. Otherwise, you have to wait the usual three or so seconds it takes for a bomb to explode. You can leave a bomb lying there for 20 seconds even, and then BANG! at the right moment. Or detonate it one second after dropping a bomb. (Just make sure you get out of the way first). It’s a game changer!

NORMAL MODE

Look at this creepy ol thing! — Look at this creepy ol’ thing!

Thats not disturbing at all... — That’s not disturbing at all…

BATTLE MODE

This was the ultimate party game experience back in 93 — It was the *ultimate party game experience* back in 1993

Adjust from four human players to even four computer players if you so wish. You can even sideline two of the bombers and make it a strictly 1-on-1 affair. Difficulty level of computer opponents can be adjusted from 1 to 10. Even if you have no one around to play with, you can still blow up three computer opponents to smithereens. Good stuff.

BATTLE ZONE ONE

Classic basic stage. Each player starts off on the side. Blow up blocks in hopes of unearthing goodies to increase your chances of survival. It’s the ultimate single screen kill-or-be-killed party game! I like how this stage layout prevents those lame “I lost because of X gimmick” excuses.

Remember collecting post-match icons in slow mo?

In the final minute of each round, blocks start falling from the sky until it encloses the remaining players in a very tight space. Nothing matches the thrill of being the last (bomber)man standing and the taunting that ensues over the course of the next 10 or so seconds.

BATTLE ZONE TWO

This isn’t called the Western Battle Zone for no reason! Things start out hot and wild as all four players are dumped right smack in the middle as the opening bell rings. Be careful or you could embarrass yourself right off the bat like the black bomberman does here. You’ll never hear the end of it if you mess up like such…

What makes this stage so intriguing is how intense it is. Four player Bomberman is intense enough bu you usually start out the first 20 or so seconds fairly safe on your own “island.” Not the case here! This is where quick thinking and deft movement makes the difference between glory and agony.

Whenever a bomber bites the dust, any icons he has secured during his time of play will be randomly strewn across the map. Grabbing as many as you can may very well decide the final outcome of that round. Be ready!

BATTLE ZONE THREE

Be careful not to stand near one of the dead ends, or it just may become one.

Blue bomber will hate my guts in 3, 2, 1... — Blue bomber will hate my guts in 3, 2, 1…

All’s fair in love and Bomberman. It’s a blast, pardon the pun, to lie in the wings and then go pick someone off who isn’t paying attention to the finer details…

BATTLE ZONE FOUR

The Jump Zone has trampolines that send you skyward and landing God knows where. I find the trampolines to be detrimental because they put you in harm’s way more than they benefit you. Get too cute here and it could come back to haunt you.

BATTLE ZONE FIVE

Wow, that was easy! — Wow, that was easy

The conveyor belt slows down bombers who walk on them the opposite way. The conveyor belt also transports bombs until detonation. Strategy is varied as you can do lots of different things, which makes the Belt Zone one of my personal favorites.

BATTLE ZONE SIX

Still one of my favorite maps of all time to this day

The epic classic Tunnel Zone. Nearly 25 years ago this was the stage we most often waged war on. Not only did it have the best look of all 12 stages but it consistently produced the most intense Bomberman battles, time in and time out.

Now thats a B-Movie title in the making! — Now that’s a B-Movie title in the making!

THIS STAGE. Such good memories. Our choice map probably 20% of the time, the amount of chaos and confusion it created was off the chain. The various pipes made bombing that much more intense. Lots of devious and cunning shenanigans were at play whenever we battled on this map.

Bomberman is a great test of your hand-eye coordination. Your multi-tasking skills are put to the test as you scan the entire playing field at all times. Add to this formula a bunch of vision obstructing pipes and suddenly you have Bomberman on steroids.

BATTLE ZONE SEVEN

The Duel Zone is another one of my favorites. Everyone starts out scrunched in the middle. Avoid death early on and then it’s a mad rush to see who can grab the most icons first. The one who does usually wins.

BATTLE ZONE EIGHT

The Flower Zone has always been a bit meh to me. My Gaming Crew also didn’t care much for it either back in the day.

BATTLE ZONE NINE

The Light Zone produced the most excuses. Two spotlights illuminate the playing field. It’s very difficult to keep track of where all the bombs are laid. It’s a very gimmicky map that I never much cared for.

Red thinks he's safe — Red thinks he’s safe

BATTLE ZONE TEN

It sure is. No stinking blocks to blow up here. No icons to collect. Because everyone starts out powered up to the max. Instant chaos!

BATTLE ZONE ELEVEN

Warp exits transport you randomly from one hole to the next but you never know exactly where your end destination may be, or if you’ll pop up in the middle of a blast. It’s best to avoid using them unless you have no other choice.

BATTLE ZONE TWELVE

Remember how back in the day some fighting games had codes for increased game speed? You don’t need no stinking codes here — the Speed Zone puts everyone at max speed. The excuses are bound to come in fast and heavy.

VICTORY!

While there is an option to play against one, two or three computer opponents, you have to experience this with three friends. There’s nothing quite like the unpredictability of human players and the pure joy of sitting around a TV talking smack with your buddies. Super Bomberman took couch co-op to the next level!

A COOL “LITTLE” SECRET

This code added even more wrinkles to the game. It’s especially ideal for maps like Tunnel and Light Zone.

SEND IN THE CLONES!

Similar to Street Fighter II and Doom, it didn’t take long before Bomberman clones started infiltrating the market (at least in Japan anyway). Some were downright terrible while most were actually more than competent. The most disappointing one is Bakuto Dochers. I remember seeing it featured within the pages of EGM and wondering as a kid if it might be a hidden gem. I finally played it some 12 years later in 2006 and it freaking sucks. Can’t win them all

Super Tekkyu Fight! is the most different of the clones. There’s an energy bar and players attack with long ranged chain balls rather than dropping bombs. It’s certainly a unique take on the old Bomberman formula.

Spark World is the most blatant of the clones, although it does do a few things differently from Bomberman (two hit system for example). It’s still a fun alternative even if it’s very derivative.

Otoboke Ninja Colosseum is the best of the clones for my money. One of the best hidden gems on the system that barely anyone ever talks about.

NEVER ENDING SEQUELS

Super Bomberman 2 was released the following year in September of 1994. While that was the last release America saw, the series didn’t end there on the SNES. Super Bomberman 3 came out in Europe and Japan in 1995. Super Bomberman 4 and Super Bomberman 5 were both released exclusively in Japan (April 1996 and February 1997 respectively). The biggest difference between the first two games and the last three? A fifth bomber was added to the latter three sequels. Other new options include the mad bomber, new rosters (no longer were you relegated to selecting different colored Bombermen) and arguably the biggest change of all: animal friends known as Louies. Louies gave you a specialized power and an extra life. Each year Hudson Soft just kept cranking out new Bomberman sequels like they were Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. Super Bomberman 5 is my favorite of the three. But given the choice to play any one of the five, I still prefer the classic original. Perhaps that’s my nostalgia goggles talking but I’m a firm believer that the first one just felt and played the best.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Seemingly everyone loved the ever living hell out of Super Bomberman. It won EGM’s Game of the Month honors, earning scores of 9, 9, 9 and 9. GameFan gave it ratings of 70, 84, 90 and 90%. Super Play rated it 92%. In Super Play’s Top 100 Best SNES Games list, Super Bomberman ranked #23. Just about everyone agreed that it’s one of the best party games around, especially for its time. I have yet to meet one person who does not enjoy the four player mode with three friends in tow. It’s multi-player gaming at its finest. Sorry but I have to say it… this game’s DA BOMB.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Super Bomberman is synonymous with the term party game. You could lock four friends in a room for 24 hours with only a Super Nintendo and a copy of this game and they would probably come out 24 hours later still pretty happy. Probably. It’s one of those brilliant simple games that anyone can pick up and enjoy. The concept is pure and timeless: drop some bombs, scurry around the corner, hope for the best, pick up icons, look for opportunities to trap the competition and gloat like hell when you do. For my money it’s the most fun single screen four player game ever made. Before the series became inundated with animal pals, mad bombers and such, there was Super Bomberman. By comparison it may look a little bare bones but oh did those bones have meat on them! I still prefer this game over any of the four SNES sequels, although Super Bomberman 5 is a close second.

My Gaming Crew and I poured so many hours into this game that the battle tune is forever embedded in my soul. I’ll never forget my friend’s infamous “L-Maneuver.” Dropping bombs in an L-formation, he would scurry away trash talking and hoping for the best. I can still hear his maniacal laugh and shouts of “L-Maneuver!” to this very day. So many late Saturday nights were spent in his room bombing the night away. There was something magical about it. It was a time in our lives where we were free to just be kids. Not a single worry about school or doing homework and chores. On those epic Saturday nights in Sacramento, all we concentrated on was being the last man standing. Playing for hours on end with losers switching off, those were some of the best gaming memories of my youth. Super Bomberman will always hold a special place in my gaming heart. While subsequent sequels added in mad bomber options, animal friends and even up to 10 players (Saturn Bomberman), I still prefer Super Bomberman by a hair. To me it had the most appealing battle zones, a purity that later sequels lost (I’m not a huge fan of the animal pals) and the nostalgia definitely does not hurt. Super Bomberman is a classic party game every Super Nintendo fan should have in their SNES collection.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 10
Longevity: 10

Overall: 10

A classic quintessential party game that holds up well to this day. Its frenetic and fast-paced gameplay is video gaming magic personified. Super Bomberman is best experienced with three friends in tow. Easily one of the best 4-player games on the Super Nintendo!

"Damn, the black guy always has to die first eh?" — **“Damn, the black guy always has to die first, eh?”**

Bust-A-Move (SNES)

***Pub & Dev: Taito | March 1995 | 4 MEGS***

I love puzzle games. The good ones are fun, colorful, competitive and addicting as hell. I love how puzzle games appeals to even the most casual of gamers. There’s something about the genre that’s really satisfying and pure. And they’re the perfect type of games to introduce to your special lady friend for some quality couple gaming sessions. Lately, my girlfriend and I have been pouring hours into Tetris Attack, which I consider the best puzzle game on the SNES hands down. But there are plenty of worthy and honorable mentions. For example, look no further than Bust-A-Move. Known as Puzzle Bobble in Japan, Bust-A-Move is an offshoot of Taito’s 1986 arcade classic, Bubble Bobble. Taito struck gold once more as the Bust-A-Move series went on to become some of the most beloved and popular puzzle games of the ’90s.

LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING

Bust-A-Move originally came out in the arcades over 20 years ago in 1994. I didn’t have any memories of it until around 1996. It all started with my cousin Vivian. Growing up, she was the older sister I never had but always wanted. In late ’96, she embarked on a wild goose hunt to find a copy of PlayStation Bust-A-Move 2. I recall watching her walk a groove in her living room one late Fall afternoon as she called up one local gaming store after another. But no store carried this game and at the time we hadn’t yet been fully exposed to the power of the internet. She was never really a big gamer but Bust-A-Move 2 was her absolute favorite game. Somehow, it’s a memory that has stuck all these years later.

She eventually found a second hand copy later that year, and I recall all the crazy bubble bursting competitive fun we had that winter. It was a sentimental time for me as Christmas 1996 marked the last Christmas we spent at Vivian’s classic childhood home — they moved in 1997 so that Christmas proved to be the end of an era. Bust-A-Move 2 was such an excellent game with its simple bright colorful graphics and its mighty addicting bubble busting antics. It was the last time I remember gaming with Vivian, her brother Vince and my brother Kevin. We never really played another game after Bust-A-Move 2… not that I can recall. Good times they were. I can’t think of the Bust-A-Move series without thinking about those special times from a bygone era.

The ole neighborhood. Thanks for the memories

Coincidentally, my next memory of the Bust-A-Move series came nearly five years later. My gaming fandom came full circle in January of 2001…

I saw a Sega Saturn lying on the ground at my buddy’s house when I came over to study for a huge physics exam. Keep in mind that the PlayStation was all the rage back then and by 2001 the Saturn was a long afterthought.

“Hey, you’re the first person I know who has one too,” I said, pointing to his Saturn.

“Oh yeah? I didn’t know you had a Saturn, too. To be honest with you, I haven’t touched that thing in years.”

What’s this? I noticed Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Bust-A-Move 2 beside the system. Both games were looking real pretty in their big bulky American cases. Seeing all that triggered something deep inside of me that I thought was long dead. Suddenly I felt very excited about gaming again in a way I had not felt in some time.

“I still play my Saturn, but it’s been a while too,” I told my friend.

“If you want some of the games, go ahead. Take some. It’s cool.”

I nearly fell over. “Wow. But I can’t do that, man.”

“No, go for it. Really. I don’t play them anymore. Plus I never even bought any of them to begin with.”

“I can’t, really, but thanks…”

“You sure?”

“… I’ll just take these two,” I said quickly as the moment overtook me. I lured Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Bust-A-Move 2 out of the pile. I remember seeing BUG! but not caring enough about it. I just wanted some Street Fighter and BAM 2 action!

I found it difficult the rest of the study session to focus on atoms or Murphy’s Law, and who could blame me. The moment of truth arrived when I came home and fired the games up one by one. I cheered for every successful Dragon Punch, and I cringed for every “NO, I AIMED THE FREAKIN’ BUBBLE OVER THERE, NOT THERE!” moment. And it was freaking GLORIOUS.

Street Fighter Alpha 2 blew me away. It played so smoothly and had the right mix of style and substance. Playing Bust-A-Move 2 was like being back at an arcade hall, plopping a quarter into a simple but delightful puzzle game to tide me over until the line for the latest fighting game died down a bit. Ah, good times.

It was an amazing arcade-like experience I had that fine evening. I felt like I was right back in the arcades. It made me think about what other gems the Saturn has to offer. As they say, the rest is history.

HOW TO PLAY

Anyone can play this! — *Anyone* can play it!

Link 3 or more together — Link up 3 or more

MEET OUR HEROES

MODES OF PLAY

There are four different ways to play. You have the single player quest where you’re given 100 levels of set bubbles. It’s your job to burst them all before the ceiling comes crashing down on ya. In this mode there are three special kind of bubbles, in addition to the eight normal different colored bubbles. Bubble Bobble fans will find these special bubbles familiar…

It converts others... — It converts others…

... to the same color — … to the same color

This mode offers 100 levels of mayhem. A password is given when you lose all of your 7 continues. It’s always fun to see what the next stage might bring. Some of the designs are rather creative. Take this octopus stage for example!

How far can you go before losing all your continues? It starts out easy but quickly becomes a house of horrors. The password feature is a huge help since it lets you finish the game at your own pace.

Next up we have the Challenge Mode. Play on a single screen until you bust. The total amount of bubbles you burst is tracked. This is a simple and nice little mode when you’re in that endurance mood.

Next up is the VS. CPU mode. Perfect for when you want some competition but no one is around to play with.

But the best mode is 2 player versus. It’s super competitive and has that “just one more match” magic. This can suck hours from your life. It’s so cute and fun that anyone can play this and have a good time, even the most casual of gamers.

You damn right it is

AGONY AND TRIUMPH

Part of the agony of Bust-A-Move is the ill-aimed bubble. You’ll try to squeeze it through but ultimately to no avail. It doesn’t get any more frustrating than that. One misplaced bubble can change the tide of battle. For example, I just missed connecting with the four yellow bubbles there.

... bubbles off the wall — … bubbles off the wall

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Bust-A-Move was well received. EGM gave it scores of 7, 7, 8 and 9. Super Play Magazine rated it 84% and ranked it as the 48th best SNES game back in their April 1996 issue. Speaking of Top 100 lists, Nintendo Power ranked it as the 96th best game in their 100th issue. While the ad obviously uses hyperbole to market the game, Bust-A-Move is nothing short of being highly competitive and addicting. It’s kind of a shame that I rarely see this game being talked about much even in SNES circles, but I guess that’s because most people would rather play one of the later renditions. But that doesn’t change the fact that the original is still a winner.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Bust-A-Move is one of those rare games that I can pick up and play at any time. I can go at it solo for 20 minutes or battle a buddy for 2 hours. Aiming the bubbles to align correctly is crazy addictive and it’s awesome when you get locked in the zone. Some people feel the gameplay involves too much luck for their own liking, especially with the wall shots, but there’s definitely a need for skill. There’s more luck involved here than a puzzle game such as Puyo Puyo but that’s part of what makes it different and unique. No matter how good you get, you can always misfire a bubble and lose by the smallest margin of error. It keeps the matches exciting and unpredictable.

While this admittedly isn’t the best rendition of the series you could play, it’s still pretty awesome. I enjoy the Sega Saturn sequel even more, but this game certainly has a place in my SNES library. It has that classic “one more game” quality to it. Few games can match the intensity that Bust-A-Move provides. This is the type of game that will never go out of style and will always entertain. Thank you, Taito, for giving SNES owners a small taste of bubble busting glory.

Graphics: 6
Sound: 6
Gameplay: 9
Longevity: 9

Overall: 9.0
Gold Award

"SEE YOU NEXT GAME!" — ***“SEE YOU NEXT GAME!”***

Tetris Attack (SNES)

**Pub: Nintendo | Dev: Intelligent Systems | August 1996 | 8 MEGS**

Tetris, released in the summer of 1984, is the most classic puzzle game ever created. Hell, EGM deemed it the best video game of all time (issue #100, November 1997). More than a decade later, Tetris Attack redefined the puzzle genre. Originally released on October 27, 1995 in Japan as Panel de Pon, the game received a Yoshi’s Island makeover for its North American localization in the summer of 1996. It was also granted the Tetris name to further increase its appeal, even though technically it has nothing to do with the Tetris formula. Regardless, Tetris Attack effortlessly worked its way into our hearts and stands as arguably the greatest 16-bit puzzle game of all time.

ATTACK OF THE FLEA MARKET
-Saturday, February 4, 2006-

*beep*

*Beep*

*BEEP*

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*

Staggering out of bed like Otis Campbell on a Saturday night, I shifted my way through the darkness to put an end to the madness. The thought of crawling back in bed was nearly as tempting as Jessica Alba herself. The idea, however, went quickly as it came.

After brushing my teeth and helping myself to a bowl of cereal, I found the dawn just breaking between two white buildings. The sky was mostly gray but a streak of white stretched itself from the end of a flagpole. By the time I finished breakfast, the sky was lighter than it had been when I woke up — the streak of gray broadening into a patch of brilliant day.

I was a man on a mission. Three weeks into my SNES rebirth (1.17.06), I was gearing to embark on my first flea market voyage since 2002. With a wish list the size of Rosie’s waistline and a wallet jammed full of dead presidents, I headed off into that cool early morning, the light February breeze brushing against my face. As I pulled into the parking lot something told me today was going to be a good day. Maybe even a great one. I gazed at the box office where I saw the growing crowd purchasing their tickets. Just think, I thought to myself… beyond that building there… lies a part of my childhood.

My first flea market haul 2.4.06) — My first flea market haul (2.4.06)

I remember the morning rather well; the smell of apricot in the air, the bustling crowds all jabbering for bargains, and at long last — the lady with the game stand parked over at the far end. I dove head first into the SNES bin like Rickey Henderson stealing third base. All her games were wrapped. I eagerly waded through each one, picking out Final Fight, Dino City, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, Flashback and Tetris Attack.

What a FLASHBACK to my youth... — What a *FLASHBACK* to my youth…

Each of those games ran me $5 except for Tetris Attack. Some of these games I hadn’t played in 12, 15 years! There’s nothing quite like the rush of rediscovering games from your youth on a brisk, early Saturday morning. There’s just something awesome about it. It’s hard to look back on one’s early collecting days and not break out a nostalgic smile. It was the rush and the feeling of getting back into the fandom after so many years, acquiring games left and right… those are some sacred memories right there!

The vendor was a nice elderly lady in her 50’s. I showed her each game that I wanted as she sprouted off, “Five dollas, five dollas,” but she paused when Tetris Attack came up. Somehow, I knew she would.

There was no way in HELL I was getting Tetris Attack for a measly five bucks…

She grabbed the game from me and squinted long and hard at it. Oh boy, I thought to myself, here it comes. $20, maybe $25. Yup, Steve-O, you can kiss this bargain goodbye. She burned a hole through Tetris Attack before finally saying…

".... MMMM... seven dollas" — *“… MMMM… seven dollas OK?”*

I wanted to jump in the air and pump my fist. But I kept my cool and told the lady in a calm voice, “Sounds good.” All in all, it was $27 well spent! Crazy to think this happened just over 12 years ago now… (read more about my Flea Market Memoirs).

CHAIN GANG

As is the case with most puzzle games, the name of the game is chaining together combo hits to quickly derail the competition.

Don’t worry, there’s even a handy tutorial to acclimate new players.

Eliminate all 10 panels with one simple switch.

Switch the gray block over which drops the red heart. This leads to all 18 panels being cleared.

Combos are nice but chains are deadly. Check out this three hit chain reaction.

Recently I introduced a friend to Tetris Attack. We took time to view the combo tutorial. She kept saying, “Yeah right, like that shit ever happens.”

Speaking of improbable, skill chains are crazy. All this time and I have still yet to pull off one of these bad boys in actual versus competition.

GAME MODES

There’s plenty of 1-player modes to keep you busy even if you’re going at it solo. Let’s check out the VS. mode first.

Clearing four or more panels will drop a garbage block on your opponent’s screen.

Clearing three shock panels (the gray blocks with the white ! marks) drops a Shock Block on your opponent’s screen. Shock Blocks prevents any garbage blocks or other Shock Blocks on top of it from being cleared. Match four shock panels to send two Shock Blocks, match five shock panels to send three Shock Blocks and so forth.

Rather than being your typical falling piece puzzler, you move a cursor around the screen and switch pieces around. Part of the fun comes in clearing out one group and quickly yanking out another piece to cause another combo, as seen above. Tetris Attack favors the swift.

Computer opponent is almost done for. Apply the finishing touch by switching those two pieces there. Six piece combo!

Unfortunately there is no battery backed memory here. Just passwords. Yoshi liberates those that he beats.

Computer gets its revenge with a sick 3-hit chain attack, followed up by a 6-piece combo for good measure.

Dropping loads of garbage blocks is the name of the game. After you liberate the eight main characters, you face four bosses.

Hookbill the Koopa and Naval Piranha are the first two bosses you’ll face.

Magikoopa Kamek and Bowser are the final two.

OTHER MODES

There’s plenty of modes to pick from in the 1-player game. Puzzle Mode gives you a limited amount of moves to clear all the pieces.

Things start out easy but fools rushing in can easily get tripped up.

Another mode is Stage Clear. Clear all the panels above the special clear marker to beat the stage and move on. In addition to the VS. CPU mode, there’s also a Time Trial and Endless mode.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Tetris Attack fared extremely well with the critics. It was widely beloved by most that played it. EGM gave it scores of 7.5, 8.0, 8.5 and 9.0. Super Play rated it 90%. Nintendo Power ranked it the 17th best game in their 100th issue. EGM placed it #16 on their own Top 100 list.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

It’s fitting I’m writing this on Valentines Day because I freaking love Tetris Attack. Its main appeal is that it’s competitive and fun as hell. It’s also very accessible — literally almost anyone can play it and enjoy it. The handicap options ensure that everyone has a fighting chance to win, especially with a little practice under their belt. Few things are as intense as a match that goes down to the wire with both screens about to hit critical mass. It’s just a shame that it was released so late into the Super Nintendo’s lifespan. Alas, the old cliché rings ever true: better late than never.

Whereas most puzzle games depend on random falling blocks and a fair bit of luck, Tetris Attack stands out by letting you move a cursor around to rearrange the blocks as you see fit, creating your own combos and chains. It’s easy to pick up and play but difficult to master — the mark of a truly terrific puzzle game. The visuals are simple but bright and pleasing to the eye. There are some catchy tunes as one might expect but ultimately it’s the addicting gameplay that is the main draw of the game. 20+ years and counting and Tetris Attack still finds itself frequently occupying the slot of my SNES. For my money, it’s the best puzzle game on the system and easily one of the Super Nintendo’s top 20 games. Very few games can you constantly play and not get sick of. Tetris Attack belongs in that elite fraternity.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 7
Gameplay: 9.5
Longevity: 10

Overall: 9.5

Arkanoid: Doh It Again (SNES)

***Pub: Nintendo | Dev: Taito | November 1997 | 4 MEGS***

Last year, many SNES games celebrated their 25th anniversary. 2018 will mark 25 years for SNES games that came out in 1993. Meanwhile, Arkanoid: Doh It Again just turned 20. Released just in time for the Christmas season of 1997, Arkanoid is one of the last SNES games to come out in North America. Most gamers had long migrated to the PlayStation or N64 by then, but loyal SNES owners were treated to a nice update of an old classic title.

RECLAIMING THE RELICS OF MY YOUTH

Many of us who got back into classic gaming at some point I think fondly remembers that feeling of getting back into the fandom for the first time in ages. I’ll never forget that first quarter of 2006. The SNES bug bit me hard and on many early Saturday mornings I would wake up at the butt crack of dawn, hop into my car and drive down many windy roads in search of local flea markets. With a list of wants in the hundreds and a pocket full of dead presidents, it was a winning formula for always going back home with at least something. I met many vendors in my time, most memorable of all being “Mr. Mean.” He had tons of Super Nintendo games but they were way overpriced and he was generally a miserable grouch (hence the nickname). One day I saw Arkanoid and felt my heart leaping for joy. Mr. Mean quickly shattered that when he gave me a ridiculous price quote. I walked away feeling a tad discouraged. But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish…

Still, I kept my head up and continued happily exploring the rest of the flea market. At the 4th vendor I spotted Pac-Attack and *DUN DUN DUN* Arkanoid: Doh It Again. Funny how life can work in mysterious ways. I was denied Arkanoid just five minutes earlier by Mr. Mean, but here I was with another vendor who happened to have a copy of the same game as well. However, he was hesitant to sell Arkanoid off the bat.

“I don’t know… isn’t this game rare?” he asked, scratching his head.

“Nope.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I actually just saw it at the very last vendor.”

He examined the glossy game label long and hard, squinting even. He studied the Easter Island statue with burning intensity. Finally he looked back up. “Alright, I trust you… $5 it is then. With the Pac-Man game it’ll be $10.”

In your face, Mr. Mean! Ah, ARKANOID. I have some fond memories of playing the game on my computer in the late ’90s when my bro and I first discovered emulation. Kevin and I had already donated our SNES to our cousin David by the time my brother found out about roms and such. I remember it well; I was a sophomore in high school at the tail end of the ’90s, walking home from school one day talking with a buddy about my brother’s discovery the night before. This was how I first experienced Arkanoid: Doh It Again. I was taken aback by its simple and addictive gameplay. Fast forward to that day in 2006 at the flea market, things came full circle some 7-8 years later when I finally bought Arkanoid at long last.

THE STORY GOES…

Commander Therle searches for a home but Doh blocks him. Doh is a heinous intergalactic entity hellbent on causing contamination and utter destruction.

Sending out a scout ship to analyze the surroundings, the sentient being Doh immediately springs into action.

It reminds me fondly of the Easter Island heads I grew up seeing in the Gradius games and Godzilla movies.

Rocking that Mode 7 to the very bitter end, eh?

With 99 levels to beat, this comes in mighty handy

SICK POWER-UPS

Barriers can be a true lifesaver as can the “Viagra” power-up. Touch the blue capsule and watch your ship grow!

There’s a limit to how long it can grow but at its max, it can cover damn near one half the playing field! Nice.

Another awesome power-up, this capsule shoots out eight balls. Brings new meaning to the term, “Balls to the walls,” no?

FUN LEVELS

So pass it cross the table like ping pong.
I’m gone, beating my chest like King Kong.
And when it comes to get another stogie…
fools all kick in like Shinobi. I GOT 5 ON IT!

[More like this, right? -Ed.] Har har — *[More like this, right? -Ed.]* I swear, it *really was* 5 minutes

Little bad guys litter some of the stages — Little enemies litter some of the stages

Arkanoid: Doh It Again throws a boss at you every once in a while. This is a nice break from the norm and helps to add some much needed variety to freshen things up.

Backgrounds change every 11 levels. The backgrounds are well done and add a certain atmosphere to the game. I particularly like the one with the humans traveling in space.

Boss fights are the best part of this game. It adds a fresh feel to an old formula. They’re very much welcomed, indeed.

TABLE FOR TWO, PLEASE

Game B is my favorite mood — Game B is my favorite mode

Arkanoid is pretty fun on your own but it really shines when playing with a buddy. There are three different 2 player modes. Game A has you and a bud alternating turns. Game C pits both players against the same map and the first to clear said map is declared victorious. But Game B is clearly the bread winner. Team up with a friend in some awesome co-op action. Player 2 plays behind you and can swat away any ball player 1 misses. You switch places for each level. This is incredibly fun and one of the better 2 player co-op experiences on the SNES.

This isn't shabby but it's got nothing on Mode B — This isn’t shabby but it’s got nothing on Mode B

This is so true. I’ve played this mode with my sister in law and my girlfriend. Both of them are casual game players and don’t go out of their way to play games as a solo hobby. But they both loved playing this game. It’s perfect to play with a friend or significant other who isn’t into video games. It’s so simple and fun that anyone can play this and have a good time.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

December 1997. EGM issue #102 (January 1998) arrived in my mailbox. We were in the thick of the 32-bit era as you can see from the cover. Resident Evil 2 was the big title at the time. Yet in the back of the magazine, in the reviews section, I saw something that caught my eye. There was a Super Nintendo game being reviewed! It had been forever since EGM last reviewed a Super Nintendo game. Fun trivia tip: Arkanoid was the last SNES game EGM ever reviewed. It received scores of 7.0, 7.5, 8.0 and 8.5. Very respectable scores indeed. My brother and I were both out of the Super Nintendo scene by then but still, I remember being happy seeing the review. It was like seeing a dear old friend again after so many years and finding out that life had been good to them.

This was a comforting sight to see back in late 1997

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There’s something cool and soothing about Arkanoid: Doh It Again. Maybe it’s the contrasting combination of retro gaming goodness spliced with futuristic ambience. Or maybe it’s the awesome and addictive co-op 2 player mode that is instantly accessible to all. It’s probably all of that and then some. The graphics won’t wow anyone but they get the job done, although on some stages it can get tough at times to make out the ball due to the background. Some of the tunes fit well like a glove and there’s nothing like the sound of your ball bouncing off of a bad guy. The game has a timeless quality to it. Whenever the latest game lets me down, I know Arkanoid will always be there ready to whisk me to a far away world where lasers thrive and Easter Island heads rule.

Several years ago my sister in law wanted to sample one of my Super Nintendo games. She’s not much of a gamer at all, mind you. I mulled over my collection trying to select just the right 2 player experience that she might enjoy. It was an instant no-brainer the second my eyes landed on Arkanoid. As soon as we set up the 2 player co-op mode, we were both talking trash at the TV, high-fiving each other and shouting at every missed ball and subsequent second player save. It quickly dawned on me then and there that Arkanoid: Doh It Again presents one of the best 2 player experiences on the SNES. More recently, I’ve introduced this game to my girlfriend and she too digs the co-op mode. Sadly, because it came out so late in the system’s life, Arkanoid is something of an unsung gem in the SNES library. It’s one of those rare special games that anyone can pick up and play whether they’re 8 or 80. Not to mention have a blast along the way. As such, Arkanoid is definitely deserving of a spot in any SNES collection.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 8.5
Longevity: 8.5

Overall: 8.5

WWF Raw (SNES)

**Pub: LJN | Dev: Sculptured Software | November 1994 | 24 MEGS**

WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night Raw, celebrated 25 years this past Monday. Many iconic old wrestling legends made special guest appearances for the big birthday bash. In addition, the 31st annual Royal Rumble was held last night so let’s just say I am in a WWE state of mind. Having just recently reviewed WWF Royal Rumble, I can’t think of a better time to look at the sequel, WWF Raw, than right now.

25 GAWD DAMN YEARS

Congratulations to Vince McMahon and the entire crew. 25 straight years of weekly episodic TV is nothing to sneeze at. These guys and gals have entertained me and millions of others over the past quarter century. It kinda makes one feel old, eh? Although the actual 25th anniversary show was admittedly a bit of a flop, it did bring back to mind a ton of fond Raw memories.

The very first episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Manhattan Center in New York on January 11, 1993. It was an intimate venue and there was a raw energy (pardon the pun) to the whole show. It was must-see TV back then. I rarely missed a week.

Nowadays Raw is held in much larger venues and often has crowds of 15,000 or so. The show also went from one hour to three hours over the years. It’s way too much to consume these days yadda yadda insert bitter old timer wrestling fan rant here. But I still keep up with the product if nothing else out of habit and to relish those fleeting genuinely great moments that gets me jumping out of my seat like I’m five years old all over again.

TOP 5 RAW MOMENTS

There have been many epic moments in the history of Monday Night Raw. The night Mick Foley (AKA Mankind) won the WWF Championship. The retirement speeches of Ric Flair and Edge. Goldberg’s touching speech the night after WrestleMania 33. The invasion of ECW and WCW. Pee Wee Herman and The Miz trading verbal jabs on the mic. CM Punk’s pipe bomb. Chris Jericho’s countdown debut interrupting The Rock. And so much more. But here are my top 5 moments from 25 years of Monday Night Raw.

5. GET FAMOUS, KID!

Back then Vince McMahon was an on-air commentator. He often screamed “Welcome to Monday Night Raw, where ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!“ It wasn’t just a throwaway comment, either. Back in those days especially, it rang true. Perhaps never more than one fateful night on May 17, 1993.

Perennial superstar Razor Ramon was throwing the Kid around the ring like a rag doll. The Kid had appeared on TV for a while now, always losing matches left and right. Surely Razor was going to pick up the squash victory, right?

Not so fast! A crazy moonsault from the Kid and it was 1-2-3! The Manhattan Center erupted and the Kid launched his career into the stratosphere. Now known as the 1-2-3 Kid, this was a life changing night for Sean Waltman and made Monday Night Raw truly must-see TV.

4. THE END OF THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR

For years WCW and WWF went head-to-head for wrestling supremacy on Monday nights. Nitro and Raw found themselves embroiled in a heated rivalry until it officially culminated on March 26, 2001. It was a historic simulcast of both Raw and Nitro. Shane McMahon was live on Nitro while his dad Vince was live on Raw. And that’s when Shane dropped the infamous bombshell, “The name on the contract does say McMahon… *audience gasp* HOWEVER, the contract reads SHANE MCMAHON! That’s right — I NOW OWN WCW!“ Such a historic announcement and Vince’s shocked expression was simply priceless.

3. A STUNNING SAVIOR

One of the creepiest images in Raw history

Before Stephanie McMahon became the “Billion Dollar Princess” and Authority figure gone wrong, she was little innocent Stephanie. On April 26, 1999, wrestling fans bore witness to one of the craziest angles ever shot for national TV. It was set to be the unholy wedding between Stephanie and The Undertaker. They strapped Steph to a cross-like symbol and it made for some WTF is happening right now TV.

Seeing The Undertaker (in his Ministry of Darkness incarnation) caressing a 22 year old Stephanie McMahon made for some uncomfortable TV. At the same time, you couldn’t help but not look away.

Paul Bearer read Steph her unholy vows. Who was going to save poor Steph from the evil clutches of the vile Dead Man? Out of nowhere the glass shatters and the fans in Hartford, Connecticut erupted in unison. STONE COLD! STONE COLD! STONE COLD!

Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon were bitter rivals at that time, so it was hard to imagine Austin saving Vince’s daughter. But it was the unlikeliness of the event that added layers to Austin’s character. At the end of the day, Stephanie was innocent and undeserving of such heinous acts. Austin was simply out to restore order and deliver justice when no one else could (and many tried such as Ken Shamrock and The Big Show). I’ll never forget the emotional embrace Stephanie gave Austin after he untied her from that wicked cross-like symbol. Austin held his arms out like “OK OK whoa calm down, take it easy… just doing my job, young lady.” It felt like the satisfying conclusion to some big action summer blockbuster where the bodyguard saves the damsel in distress. Rarely have I felt so emotional watching Raw than this moment right here!

"Alright alright youre safe now. Easy, Steph" — *“Alright you safe now. Easy there!”*

2. THE ULTIMATE FAREWELL

One of my favorite superstars from the ’80s was The Ultimate Warrior. He was larger than life, crazier than a pet coon and just a comic book superhero come to life. Sure his matches weren’t all that great but it was the moments and memories he created that live on forever.

After a near 20 year hiatus from WWE for various reasons, the Warrior returned in 2014 to headline the Hall of Fame class. The night following WrestleMania 30, Warrior made his first Monday Night Raw appearance in nearly two decades. He gave a short but moving speech. In it he talked about how every man’s heart one day beats its final beat and his lungs breathes its final breath. Eerily enough, Warrior died the following day due to heart issues.

Vince and Warrior embrace each other one last time

On the bright side, he got to make amends with Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan and a host of others right before he passed away. He also got to go out in a blaze of glory before his adoring fans. Not so many people get that chance. I know Warrior did and said some crappy things in his life, but I like to think by the end of his life he had changed and made peace with everything. That’s the version I like to believe in. At any rate, his speech on April 7, 2014 stands as one of my most favorite Raw memories.

The Ultimate Warrior's final remarks — The Ultimate Warrior’s haunting final remarks

1. THE “HART” OF THE MATTER

Speaking of unresolved issues and personal vendettas, my number one favorite Raw moment was when one of my favorites, Bret “The Hitman” Hart returned to WWE TV for the first time in over 12 years. January 4, 2010, Bret Hart finally came home to guest host Monday Night Raw. But more than that, Bret came to clear the air once and for all.

Wrestling fans know all too well about the infamous Montreal Screwjob from Survivor Series 1997. It changed wrestling history forever. For a long time Bret and Shawn lived in its shadow. But on this very special and surreal night, the two came together to hash it out in front of a live national TV audience.

Seeing two of my all-time favorites shake hands and bury the hatchet on live TV gave me the feels. According to Bret and Shawn in later interviews, this was their first real interaction in nearly 13 years since the Screwjob. This moment was not rehearsed — the emotions displayed from the two were real and genuine. I also love that it transcends wrestling. How many relationships in our lives have we let pride, ego and vanity get the worst of us? Sometimes forgiving someone as well as yourself is the key to true freedom.

GET RAW!

Glitchy? Nope, it’s the classic original Raw intro nicely replicated. Gotta love that early-mid ’90s grungy style (or not).

RAW RASSLERS

The 1-2-3 Kid (AKA X-Pac AKA Sean Waltman) is most well known for upsetting Razor Ramon in a match that launched Monday Night Raw from a fun novelty to must-see TV.

Finishing Move: Moonsault — Finisher: Moonsault

Just like ol times, eh? — Just like old times, eh?

The Beast From The East is one of the most underrated and agile big men of all time. And hey, not many wrestlers can claim that they headlined a WrestleMania! Which Bam Bam did with Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania 11.

Bret Hart is one of the best in-ring technicians of all time. It blew my mind when I discovered years later why his finishing maneuver is called the Sharpshooter. That’s because he’s Bret “The Hitman” Hart. How did I miss that back in the day?

Initially a badass bodyguard to The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, Diesel eventually broke out and became one of the company’s biggest stars, both literally and figuratively. Big Daddy Cool also played SUPER SHREDDER in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.

That's Kevin Nash under all that get-up! — That’s Kevin Nash under all that get-up!

Some may remember Doink as a silly gimmick character, but the original Doink was straight up evil and diabolical. That version, played by Matt Osborne, was absolutely brilliant. There’s something very unsettling about evil clowns.

Vince McMahon tried to turn Lex Luger into the next big thing after Hulk Hogan left the company in mid 1993. Luger received a massive push and even got his own Lex Express. Unfortunately for Lex and Vince, the vision was never fully realized as Lex Luger never panned out to the level either man had hoped for.

Finisher: Running Steel Forearm — Finisher: Running Forearm

Before the WWE went crazy with their “Women’s Evolution” marketing and branding, Luna Vachon was breaking down barriers in the mid ’90s. She was the first female superstar to appear as a playable character in a WWF video game. Long before you had the Lass Kicker Becky Lynch or the Boss Sasha Banks, you had Luna Vachon — a badass woman not to be trifled with.

Bret’s younger brother, Owen Hart, emerged as a supreme talent in 1994. Cocky and brash, Owen had it all. In-ring skills, high flying moves and he was a great talker, too. It’s a shame he fell to his tragic death from a pre-match stunt gone horribly wrong in 1999. We’ll never forget ya, Owen.

Hey yo. Razor was one of my favorites back in the day and it saddened me deeply when he fell into hard times following his wrestling career. An alcoholic on the verge of death several times, he managed to clean himself up with the help of his good friend and all around good guy Diamond Dallas Page. Using DDP Yoga and living with DDP propelled Scott Hall to quell his demons and get his life back in order. His 2014 induction into the Hall of Fame was a touching moment, and produced one of the best lines I’ve ever heard: “Bad times don’t last… BUT BAD GUYS DO!”

Finisher: Razor's Edge — Finisher: Razor’s Edge

Shawn Michaels is arguably the greatest in-ring performer of all time. When comparing Shawn with his peer Bret Hart, one guy said it best when he said “Bret had the best matches but Shawn put on the best performances.” I’ve never seen another wrestler rise to the occasion quite like HBK. Truly a once-in-a-generation talent!

It’s often been said that The Undertaker is Vince’s greatest creation. That’s certainly debatable with Hulk Hogan and whatnot, but there’s no debating the fact that The Undertaker has had one amazing and storied career. There’s a reason why so many fans and wrestlers respect Mark Calaway so much. No one else could have pulled off the character the way that he did.

The man who killed Hulkamania, Yokozuna was a friggin’ beast. He was extremely agile for his size and his Banzai Drop always made me quiver in my seat. To cap it off, he was managed by both Mr. Fuji (the devious one) and Jim Cornette. Talk about being a heat magnet!

MEGA MOVES AND MORE

WWF Raw was an improvement over WWF Royal Rumble in a number of ways. For starters, Raw assigned more unique moves to the wrestlers. There are also secret super special moves known as “Mega Moves.” In addition, Raw incorporated a rating system. Although it’s a little shady to say the least. Each wrestler’s rating total equals 26 points. I have a really hard time believing that Diesel’s strength is only a measly 6 out of 10. Honestly though it doesn’t seem to matter as far as I can tell. The wrestlers’ speed and strength don’t appear to differ in execution. On a side note, Raw made history being the first 4-player WWF game on home consoles.

6 strength? That's BS! — 6 strength? That’s BS!

Mega Move: Dynamite Punch — Mega Move: Dynamite Uppercut

HBK stronger than Nash? Ha! — HBK’s stats are all messed up!

MODES OF MAYHEM

Raw is jam packed with modes galore. This is another aspect that Sculptured Software improved on from Royal Rumble. With the Royal Rumble match carrying over, Raw effectively renders Royal Rumble obsolete more or less.

Bedlam free-for-all Brawl is my favorite mode. It lets all four wrestlers battle in the ring at the same time in a fight to the finish. I like the campy small television monitors hanging out around ringside. It brings back memories of Raw’s earliest days in the Manhattan Center.

Trademark moves such as Razor Ramon’s fall away slam are nicely represented. Royal Rumble featured unique finishers but the wrestlers all shared the same moveset. Not so much with Raw.

Backdrop your opponents out of the ring in the Royal Rumble match.

Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon are knee deep in the drop zone. Diesel wins it all. If this were 2018, he would be pointing at the WrestleMania sign right about now…

RATTLE THE REF

Just like in WWF Royal Rumble, you can knock out the ref. It never gets old.

Refs bumping just like in real life — Refs bump just like in real life

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Although never reviewed by either EGM or GameFan, they spoke rather favorably of WWF Raw in previews. Super Play called it bigger and better than its predecessor, Royal Rumble, and rated it 84%.

Interestingly enough, WWF Magazine rated it an 8 out of 10. I was subscribed to WWF Magazine back in 1994 and I can remember being a little quizzical when I first saw that score. The official WWF Magazine only gave Raw an 8 rating? Usually these things tend to oversell a product by a point or two. For Raw to only get an 8 gave me a little bit of pause.

WWF Magazine certainly didn't overhype it — WWF Magazine certainly didn’t overhype it

CLOSING THOUGHTS

My brother and I bought WWF Raw back in late 1994 and we had a blast with it. It was fun for its time but similar to Royal Rumble, it hasn’t aged so well. I’m just not a big fan of its “who can tap the buttons the fastest” system. I much prefer grapples being determined by timing. It’s a shame we never got a definitive WWF game on the SNES. But WWF Raw is probably the closest thing to such.

It was the first WWF home console game to feature a 4-player mode. My friends and I wasted hours on the Bedlam Brawl mode. The Mega Moves added an extra layer to the game and there were plenty of modes to go around. Raw is by no means a bad game, but at the same time it’s a little disappointing. It’s a competent game, especially if you don’t mind its button mashing nature, but it still feels like a lot of unrealized potential.

While WWF Raw may not fully measure up in the way I would have liked, it’s still fairly fun especially when played with three pals.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 7
Gameplay: 7
Longevity: 6

Overall: 7.0

More of my WWF ramblings here!

WWF Royal Rumble (SNES)

***Pub: LJN | Dev: Sculptured Software | June 1993 | 16 MEGS***

I grew up on professional wrestling and have been a fan for over 30 years now. I first fell in love with the WWF when I witnessed the birth of the Mega Powers on a Saturday Night’s Main Event episode in late 1987. Throughout the years I’ve attended shows and followed the product. It’s had its ups and downs but it’s one of those things that has become a part of me, much like video games. One of my favorite WWF events growing up was the Royal Rumble. So imagine my joy back in the summer of 1993 when WWF Royal Rumble was released on the SNES. The previous WWF game on the SNES, WWF Super Wrestlemania, was pretty meh. Would Sculptured Software redeem itself with Royal Rumble?

Not so super... — Not so super. Wish we got *WWF Wrestlefest* instead

We should have got this instead! — Oh what could have been

Released in 1991 by Technos, WWF Wrestlefest was something of a mythical legend in my gaming group growing up. The game was larger than life and as colorful as the wrestlers themselves. One of my biggest SNES disappointments is that there was never a Wrestlefest port. Instead we got WWF Super Wrestlemania and it sucked.

"TELL EM, HAWK!" — **“TELL ‘EM, HAWK!”**

"WEEEEEEEELL!!!!!!" — ***“WEEEEEEEELL!!!!!!”***

The action spills to the ouside — The action spills to the outside

"WHAT CHU GONNA DO BROTHER?!" — ***“WHAT CHU GONNA DO, BROTHER?!”***

Despite all my rage Im still a rat in a cgae — *Despite all my rage I’m still a rat in a cage*

Wrestlefest was legendary back in 1991 — The stuff legends are made of

But we got this instead :P — But we got this instead

Now this is more like it. Not Wrestlefest, but hey — Now this is more like it. Not *Wrestlefest*, but hey

THE ROYAL RUMBLE

The Royal Rumble has always been one of my favorite WWE events of the year. 30 men duking it out, a new wrestler comes out every two minutes (ish) and surprises galore. From returning superstars to one-off legend returns to debuting talent, that buzzer always brings a certain level of excitement and anticipation.

Tonight marks the 31st Annual Royal Rumble. It will also feature the first ever 30 women Royal Rumble match. Whatever happens and whoever wins, I’m expecting a pretty good show. My favorite Rumble would have to be the 1992 edition where “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair went the distance to win not only the Rumble but the WWF Championship as well. Besides, who could ever forget Bobby “The Brain” Heenan’s classic commentary on that match? “THAT’S NOT FAIR TO FLAIR!”

Another personal favorite is the 2006 Royal Rumble. I remember this one fondly for a number of reasons. For starters, it was one of the few WWE pay-per-views I bought and the last one I purchased before the WWE Network launched in early 2014. Secondly, I watched it with my cousin David and we both became five year old wrestling marks again that fine evening. Last but not least, it was the night before I received my massive Super Nintendo package along with 30+ games. I remember that Sunday night at David’s house like it were only yesterday. January 29, 2006. Crazy that it’s been 12 years.

It was an exciting time. I was at David’s house watching the Royal Rumble with him and knowing that my big SNES package was probably just a day away. It was just a perfect evening… one of those nights that live on forever in your soul.

2006 Rumble was when Rey Mysterio went over and began his Cinderella run to the top following the death of Eddie Guerrero.

God damn, look at all those Hall of Fame legends. It’s sad though when you think about who has already passed. Cue Dead Wrestler Beach.

Who will win the 2018 Royal Rumble later tonight? Some are saying Shinsuke Nakamura. Others are citing a returning Daniel Bryan. The safe bet may be Roman Reigns. Regardless, I look forward to another fun evening with the boys.

One of my favorite things about the Rumble? The theme, particularly from 1991-1992. Talk about childhood memories. Remember the wrestlers’ portraits flying in and out of the screen as Vince McMahon would scream their names? Classsic!

SMASH!
HAAAA-KUUUUU!
THE ULLLLLLL-TIMATE WARRIOR!!!!

ROYAL RUMBLE THE VIDEO GAME

Being huge WWF and SNES fans back in 1993, my friends and I were super hyped for WWF Royal Rumble. I remember a lot of boasting about its hefty 16 MEGS. It’s funny looking back what a huge deal was made out of games that boasted 16 MEGS. It was just a sign of the times.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of its “who can tap the fastest” gameplay system, though. Then again, I always had the slowest thumbs of my gaming group

Each WWF wrestler has a special finishing move that WWF Royal Rumble nicely duplicates. This was one of the many things missing from Sculptured Software’s initial effort, WWF Super Wrestlemania. No finisher is better than Undertaker’s Tombstone!

There are plenty of modes on hand but the main appeal is of course the Royal Rumble match itself. Up to six wrestlers can be on screen at a time. Unfortunately this game doesn’t take advantage of the multitap. So only up to two people can play, which is a shame. Luckily, Sculptured Software learned from this and made the appropriate changes to their follow-up game, WWF Raw.

Knock out the ref just like in real life WWE. This entertained the crap out of me and my friends back in the day.

Chair head shots have long been banned from the WWE, but you can still relive those glorious headbangers in Royal Rumble.

Nothing like a little cheating. Choke ‘em, rake ‘em and kick ‘em!

We had way too much fun with this back in the day.

THE WRESTLERS

Bret Hart was always one of my favorites. The Excellence of Execution was one of the best wrestlers I’ve ever seen. His 2006 Hall of Fame speech was awesome.

Crush started out in the WWF as the third member of the declining Demolition. He then turned babyface and took on this Hawaiian persona. I always liked him.

Ah, Mr. Perfect. It’s hard not to appreciate Curt Hennig. He was one of the first heels (bad guys) I can remember liking. He was just so athletic and smooth in that ring. Everything he did, he did it to perfection. And who could forget his classic manager, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan? Good times.

Lex Luger made his WWF debut coincidentally enough at the 1993 Royal Rumble. Unveiling a brand new gimmick, The Narcissist flexed and posed in front of many elaborate mirrors. This was before he became Mr. America Lex Luger with the Lex Express

My favorite wrestler of all time, Macho Man Randy Savage is the total package. Personality, charisma, mic skills and in-ring acumen. The dude had it all. “Oooh yeah, DIG IT!”

Say hello to the Bad Guy. Oozing with machismo, Razor Ramon had an IT factor unlike many other guys. Whether he was flicking his toothpick at the camera or hoisting up fools in the Razor’s Edge, Scott Hall was always entertaining as hell.

16-time world champion The Nature Boy Ric Flair is one of the few who have managed to transcend the sport of professional wrestling. The dirtiest player in the game is right at home with those eye rakes and choke holds. “WOOOO!”

The Icon. The Main Event. The Show Stopper. Mr. WrestleMania! Before Shawn went on to become all those things, he was simply Shawn Michaels. A brash up and coming youngster who quickly rose through the ranks with his superior athleticism and knack for putting on the best performance of the night. This is the beginnings of The Heartbreak Kid, even before he used Sweet Chin Music as his finisher.

The Native American made his WWF debut in 1992 and was undefeated for a great many months (nearly two years). Tatanka went 10 years between Royal Rumble appearances — 1996 was his last Rumble match until he came back 10 years later in 2006. Speaking of battle royals, Tatanka competed at the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32 in front of over 100,000 screaming fans a few years ago in 2016. Maybe we’ll see the great Tatanka in another battle royal in 2026…

The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase was one of the truly iconic wrestling villains of ’80s lore. He and Mr. Perfect were my guys, so it was nice to see both of them make the cut here. DiBiase was showing his age by 1993 and his last WWF match was against Razor Ramon in a short seven minute match at SummerSlam ’93. Thanks for the memories, Ted. I’ll never forget the time you kicked that kid’s basketball. So dastardly!

THE PHENOM. The Undertaker. A mainstay in WWE for over 20 years, who knew when he made his debut back in 1990 at the Survivor Series that he would go on to become one of the biggest superstars to ever grace a squared circle. Much respect!

I always thought as a kid that Yokozuna was Japanese. It wasn’t until years later that I found out Yoko is actually Samoan. He’s part of the famous Anoa’i wrestling family, which includes the likes of The Rock, Roman Reigns, Nia Jax, Rikishi, The Usos, Umaga and many more. I hated Yokozuna as a kid. He defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship in Hogan’s last WWF match in the ’90s. King of the Ring 1993 AKA The Day Hulkamania Died.

GENESIS VS. SNES

Want to play as Mr. Perfect? Better go with SNES then

The SNES version came out in June of 1993 while the Genesis version was released in September. Each version had five exclusive wrestlers. SNES: Ric Flair, Mr. Perfect, Ted DiBiase, Yokozuna and Tatanka. Genesis: Hulk Hogan, IRS, The Model Rick Martel, Papa Shango and Hacksaw Jim Duggan (the first ever Royal Rumble winner way back in 1988).

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

WWF Royal Rumble fared pretty well with the critics. Many considered it the first viable and legitimate home console game under the WWF umbrella. It’s certainly come a long way since the days of WWF WrestleMania on the NES. EGM gave it scores of 7, 7, 7 and 7. GameFan gave it ratings of 84, 85, 85 and 89%. Super Play rated it 79%.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

WWF Royal Rumble was a definite step in the right direction as far as WWF games were concerned. Wrestlers were given their finishing moves and visuals were significantly upgraded. I guess that’s what 16 MEGS can do for ya! The Royal Rumble match is a fun novelty but unfortunately, time has not been so kind to this game. WWF Raw, which came out in November of 1994, is essentially an improved version of this game. I’ve never been a big fan of the grappling meter. I much prefer wrestling games that are based on timing rather than who can mash the buttons faster. Some fine examples of the former include the Fire Pro and Zen Nippon Wrestling games. Another thing that Sculptured Software missed the mark on here is that every wrestler shares the same moveset, sans finisher. Part of what makes wrestling so much fun is that each guy has his own set of moves unique to him. At least WWF Raw fixed this.

Tonight, the 31st Annual Royal Rumble emanates from Philadelphia. As someone who grew up loving the Royal Rumble event, I am so looking forward to it. And being that it’s Rumble season, I recently played WWF Royal Rumble for the first time in… gosh… almost 25 years. My friends and I had a blast with it back in the day but it definitely hasn’t aged so well. Back in mid 1993 when the pickings were slim, this was a good game. But now there are so many better wrestling games on the SNES alone that it renders WWF Royal Rumble a bit obsolete. It’s not bad, but it’s not really that good, either. If you absolutely have to play a WWF game on the SNES, make it WWF Raw.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 6
Gameplay: 6
Longevity: 5

Overall: 6.0

***ROYAL RUMBLE 2018 SPOILERS***

I just finished viewing the 2018 Royal Rumble and wow. I’ll be damned. WWE finally gets it right. The two Rumble matches were a ton of fun and I can’t complain about the booking. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a lot better than the past five years or so. Hats off to the guys and gals. I was thoroughly entertained.

I marked out so hard for the return of Rey Mysterio! He was the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble which I ordered on Pay-Per-View and watched with my cousin David the night before my SNES package arrived. Fond memories and seeing Rey coming back tonight was a rush of nostalgia. Best of all, Rey can still go. Bravo!

The biggest moment though might have been Ronda Rousey. Sure it was corny and cheesy, but I loved it. Ah Royal Rumble, you did it again.

For more WWF ramblings, see WWF Memories.

Power Moves (SNES)

***Pub: Kaneko | Dev: System Vision | January 1993 | 8 MEGS***

Power Moves, believe it or not, turns all of 25 years old this month [said no one ever -Ed.]. Hey! I just said it! [Like I said, said no one ever -Ed.]. Ahem, at any rate, 2018 is a crazy time. A lot of our favorite (and not so favorite) SNES games from 1993 will be turning 25 years old. Power Moves didn’t move the needle at all back then, and it’s a safe bet you won’t be seeing many (er, any) “Happy 25th Anniversary” messages for this game. Nonetheless, it stands as a critical game in my SNES fandom. I have a ton of nostalgic memories tied to this game even if it isn’t any good. Why is that? Well, let’s fire up the DeLorean…

THE YEAR WAS LATE 1992…

My brother was too shy to go rent video games so he would always ship me to do his dirty work. 90% of the time he gave me a specific game to rent. On this particular Saturday morning however, he didn’t have a choice title in mind. It was one of those rare “just rent whatever looks good” weekends.

Bow to the glory of imports — **“I’M NOT WORTHY!”**

Around this time a hot new rental store called GAME HUNTER burst onto the scene. Game Hunter prided itself on catering to the hardcore. No movies, just video games. You name it, Game Hunter had it. NES, Genesis, SNES, portables and even Neo Geo. But best of all were the imports galore! Walking in seeing a wall plastered by exotic Super Famicom boxes was mind blowing especially back in late 1992. Game Hunter had a HUGE cult following in my area and for damn good reason. They were, simply put, gaming paradise personified.

My very first import experience ever :) — My very first import experience ever

Strolling the SNES aisle I was taken aback by the countless rows of boxes on display. It was a visual feast! A game by the name of POWER ATHLETE eventually caught my eye. A Street Fighter II clone, eh? I was sold. Sadly for me, I didn’t realize until I got home that it refused to play on my SNES. My brother snapped at me. Not only did I waste my dad’s money and time, but now we had a game we couldn’t even play for the weekend! I immediately called Game Hunter to explain the situation and they told me about the special adapter that would allow an American SNES console to play Super Famicom imports. Thanks guys — a little warning in advance would have been appreciated! My dad, being a great father, drove me all the way back to rent that damn adapter.

Some 40 minutes later, all systems were GO. And the rest is history. Power Athlete was my first import experience. My brother’s best friend came over that weekend and he loved the game. I liked it for what it was, and so did my brother. We had fun with it that weekend. It was no Street Fighter II but it has a cheesy charm to it. Now granted, I think we all knew it wasn’t good per se, but we still enjoyed our time with it. After all, kids have a funny way of making the most out of any given situation.

Nothing like playing a game months before it hits the US

***13 YEARS LATER: JANUARY 2006***

Saturday night fever? Psst, I had SNES fever!

During my winter break of December 2005-January 2006, I developed a nagging feeling I could no longer ignore: it’s time to get back into the SNES. On January 17, 2006, I logged on eBay to search SNES. The first auction ending (in 38 seconds) was none other than Power Moves. What were the odds? It was fate. How fitting, too, that my first import rental ever would become the first game purchase of my SNES comeback.

Of these 51 games, which one to play first?

By the time the SNES came on January 30 I already had 51 games in my possession. Can you guess the first game I chose to play? Of course… POWER MOVES.

Seeing the old sights and sounds for the first time in 13 years was rather surreal. A lot I’d remembered precisely like certain stages, special moves and the cheesy fighters. It was quite the neat little trip down memory lane of a bygone era.

The graphics brought a smile to my face. They’re decent in some places while lacking in others, all while having a semi-nice (nostalgic) look to it all — if that makes any sense. The images of Warren and Baraki’s stages were burned into my retina 13 years ago. Warren’s stage features a big raft sailing across a ocean. Floating high in the air in the background is a blatant and shameless KANEKO blimp. Sure, it may look largely unappealing today, but back in late 1992 it was quite a sight.

Baraki’s stage, located in the exotic outreaches of Kenya, sees the fight taking place on soiled ground full of foliage. Littering the background quite nicely are a pair of huge dinosaur remains. A small river flowing about can be seen beyond all this. 13 years later, it still looked pretty damn cool to me at least.

Each character has two special moves. These are executed by holding punch and kick, and tapping forward or back then forward, etc. Control could have been better. They can be somewhat difficult to pull off in the heat of battle at times. Sound and music is generic but passable.

Meet Average Middle of the Road Joe — Hey look, it’s Average Joe

The 1 Player mode only allows you to control Joe. You must build up stats in various categories as you progress through the ranks. It’s an interesting idea in theory but not so in execution. It’s a shame too that you can’t pick from any of the eight fighters in this mode. Only the 2 Player mode allows you full access.

The combo system is very basic and simple. It’s nothing special, although it does feel sweet to jump kick someone deep followed by connecting a hard punch straight to the jaw. Like I said, there’s sort of a weird nostalgic charm to this game. Let’s meet the characters now.

POWER ATHLETES

Meet Joe [Black -Ed.]. You better get used to liking him because he’s the only fighter you can control in the 1 player mode. One of the most generic and forgettable Ryu clones of the early-mid ’90s, Joe is obsessed with being the best in the world. Hmmm, where have I heard that before…

Hadoken? No, meet the Ken-Do-Ha! That’s not its official name of course; I just like to think of it as such. To Joe’s credit, his Dragon Punch is pretty cool and looks different from most other Dragon Punch variants. The Rising Dragon Palm is Joe’s ticket to victory.

Baraki is what you’d get if Blanka and Baraka had a love child. This savage beast hails from Kenya so he’s near and dear to my heart (see my Kenya adventures for more). Baraki’s stage is quietly underrated. The huge dinosaur bones littered about and the quaint little river flowing in the background blew my mind when I first saw it 25 years ago in December of 1992.

“FIRE!” shouts the savage each time you unleash his Sonic Boom-like fireball. Not creative, but cheesy and charming in its own weird Power Moves way. He also rolls up in a ball and launches himself at opponents with no regard for human life. A goofy Blanka clone with a fireball? Yes, please.

I remember calling Warren “The Old Muscle Man” as a kid. He’s got one of the creepiest looking portraits I’ve ever seen in a fighting game. Imagine running into Warren down a dark alley. No thank you!

Warren is a dangerous and capable adversary in spite of his goofy looking ass. The Hawaiian brute is deceptively agile and quick.

Hey look, it’s Discount Chun-Li! Reayon is your standard token female fighter. Nothing about her really stands out — she’s pretty forgettable. I couldn’t even remember her name until I went to write this review. Considering my memory, that’s saying a lot…

Shades of Sonya Blade!

Kabuki fighters weren’t too uncommon in fighting games back then. Kyoshiro from Samurai Shodown is probably the most famous one, but Buoh came out about seven months prior. He’s nowhere as interesting, though.

Teleport and use Buoh’s long hair to your advantage. Battles take place in front of a Japanese shrine complete with a Torii gate.

Shades of Neo Geegus from World Heroes, anyone? This mutant is the strongest fighter in the tournament.

Vagnad is the king of the double attack. This includes a double piledriver and a double rushing punch. Combatants duke it out on a roaring train. The scrolling was rather impressive for its time to a nine year old kid, anyhow. Dreary as hell, which suits the character perfectly.

An elite athlete, Nick spent years honing his craft. He tried to channel all his inner energy to unleash a fireball but he could never muster enough chi. Fed up, one day he realized, “Shit, I could just use daggers.” And the rest is history.

Flamboyant and graceful, Nick uses his breakdancing skills and deadly daggers to inflict barrels of pain unto his opponent. His stage is reminiscent of Rolento’s from Final Fight. Nice looking sunset!

China, known for its savage warriors, has produced Gaoluon — Master of the Bladed Tonfas.

Gaoluon’s deadly tonfas act like boomerangs and has the ability to hit you twice. He also does one hell of a Flash Kick impersonation.

After defeating all seven opponents, you face off with the big bad bruiser known only as Ranker.

Ranker isn’t exactly top tier M. Bison Geese Howard Wolfgang Krauser level but hey, it’s Power Moves. In its own weird little universe, he’s not the worst final boss I’ve ever seen.

BONUS ROUNDS

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Not exactly champion... — Not exactly champion…

GameFan, notorious for doling out generously high review scores, gave this game ratings of 80, 85, 87, 90 and 90%. Pretty safe to say they would admit in hindsight that those scores were way too high. Power Moves is often considered a poor fighting game. Coming out roughly half a year after the amazing SNES port of Street Fighter II didn’t do it any favors, either. It would have fared better had it been released a year earlier in January of 1992. Power Moves felt like a massive step down by early 1993. Super Play, ever the reliable voice of reason especially when contrasted to GameFan, rated it 49%.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I always say when it comes to the SNES that nostalgia is a nice added bonus, but there has to be more to a game than just nostalgia. After all, that will only take one so far. The game still has to be fun to play. Unfortunately, Power Moves falls flat in that department. It isn’t your typical single plane fighting game. Imagine a beat ‘em up playing field, shrink that down and you get Power Moves. This means that pressing up moves your character up instead of jumping. Pressing down moves them down; fighters cannot duck. To jump you must press a button. Thankfully, blocking is still holding back on the D-Pad. While the freedom of movement is certainly unique — it’s easy to avoid fireballs and attacks — this engine sadly doesn’t make for a good 2D fighting game. It’s even more baffling when blocking special moves doesn’t inflict any harm whatsoever. It takes away from the gimmick of the more open ended playing field. Dubious decisions all around plague what could have been a semi-decent fighting game.

To make matters worse, players can only control (Average) Joe in the 1 player mode. You can only use the seven other fighters when playing against a friend. So whatever limited replay value there was to begin with has been slashed even further. Surely there must be some sort of code? Nope. Not that it would have helped much, but hey, it can’t hurt to have more choices. Speaking of bad, special moves are awkward to implement. If there’s one thing a fighting game absolutely cannot suffer from, it’s bad controls.

Still, there’s a part of me that will always appreciate what this game means personally to me. It was my very first taste of import gaming at a time when the word “import” still meant something very sacred and special. Nowadays with the internet and everything, gamers can play and buy imports at the drop of a hat. But things were a ~~little~~ lot different 25 years ago in late 1992. Imports back then carried a certain high level of mystique. They were exotic and almost mythical, even. I’ll never forget that weekend I rented Power Athlete in December of 1992, and the stupid fun my brother, our friends and I had with it. In addition, Power Moves became the first SNES game I bought during my SNES comeback 12 years ago in January of 2006. It also marks the first SNES game I reviewed exactly 11 years ago on my original RVGFanatic website. While the game itself borders on being bad (although not entirely unplayable), the rich history it has in my gaming fandom cannot be understated. As such, Power Moves will always have a spot in my gaming heart.

Graphics: 5.5
Sound: 4.5
Gameplay: 4
Longevity: 4

Overall: 4.0

My SNES Comeback

Today marks 12 years since I got back into the Super Nintendo. January 17, 2006. Who would have guessed that I would still be going strong with the SNES a dozen years later? It either speaks to my insanity or to the clout of the SNES. Hopefully the latter but the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. I can’t help but grow nostalgic around this time of the year as it brings back to mind some truly great memories. This is the story of how I began my SNES renaissance. It’s a look back at that fateful first month of January 2006 and all the different crazy stories that came along with it. So kick back and join me on this jaunt down memory lane. This is my story. This is… my SNES comeback.

IN THE BEGINNING…

There was nothing like playing SNES with your buds

My brother and I had a Super Nintendo from early 1992 to 1998 or so. We owned about 20 games over that time and we loved it. It took everything awesome about the 8-bit NES and injected it with steroids. There were so many great memories forged, from renting SNES games to midnight sessions with your friends on Saturday nights to the simple joy of eagerly anticipating the next arcade translation. It was a great time to be a kid growing up.

Always fun anticipating the next arcade to home port

But as it is with these things in life, my bro and I eventually moved on. The system was donated to our cousin, David, in the late ’90s. My brother moved onto the PlayStation and aside from a few select titles, I really didn’t care a whole lot for Sony’s new machine. I was a disenchanted teenage gamer secretly longing for the glory days of 8 and 16-bit.

In 1999 I found myself venturing onto planet Sega Saturn. As detailed in my Sega Saturn Saga, I acquired 350 Saturn games from 2001 to 2005. Speaking of 2005…

JANUARY 15, 2005

On this day I found myself at the local Game Crazy by my childhood home. Some guy was playing Super Mario World on the SNES and I stood there watching him play. I still vividly remember he was right at this spot in the picture above. And I stood there thinking to myself, “Should I buy a Super Nintendo?”

Later that night I made a post on a video game forum asking for opinions.

I ended up not buying it. So I carried on sans SNES and concentrated on finishing my Sega Saturn collection in 2005. Then a funny thing happened. My Saturn passion, which at one point seemed endless, gradually faded. In late 2005 I found myself playing it less and less but even more telling, my heart was no longer in it. The burnout was real.

CHILDHOOD DREAMS REALIZED

As a young child growing up in the late ’80s to mid ’90s, I was fascinated by sitcoms such as Full House, Home Improvement and The Wonder Years. I found the art and magic of acting to be really intriguing. In fact, one of my dreams was to one day be in a movie.

FALL 2005

September 2005 I made my on stage acting debut

That fateful semester in college I saw a dream of mine come true when I was cast in my very first University play. It was the thrill of my collegiate career. Those late night rehearsals, dressing room ribbing and performances will live on forever in my soul. It was everything I expected and more. The cast got along like we had known each other our whole lives. We went out clubbing, grabbed dinner after shows, and even had a sleepover party. I’ll never forget the rush coursing through my veins when I finally made my acting debut on the big stage. I burst out of the curtain with a vengeance and knocked my opening monologue out of the park. I never felt more alive during my college years than those three weeks in late 2005. I’ll always look back on those days with a real deep fondness.

I drove all over town like a mad man just to audition

Riding the huge wave of momentum following my performance in the play, along with a renewed sense of self-confidence, I drove three hours to audition for an independent movie in December of 2005. It was a childhood dream of mine to one day be in the movies.

Long story short, I was cast two days following my audition. I remember that time well. It was an exciting time that felt like anything could happen. I only had a few speaking lines but I was thrilled for the opportunity. I was only 22 at the time and not many of my peers could claim IMDB.com credit like I could. It made for a great icebreaker!

One of my favorite things about college were those fat six week winter breaks. I’ve always joked that there’s something about those long lazy winter weeks that does things to a man. During this time my cousins came over a lot and we found ourselves playing a shit ton of 10-player Saturn Bomberman. It was a blast, pardon the pun. Prior to these sessions though, my Saturn laid dormant for a few months thanks to my crazy rehearsal schedule for the play, my independent movie role and also, like I said earlier, I could feel my Saturn passion waning. But all those epic Saturn Bomberman sessions definitely got me in the mood to dig back into my Saturn library.

After my cousins left one night in late December, I had the strongest urge to play a platformer. I looked at my Saturn collection and saw some potential choices: Tryrush Deppy, Keio Yugekitai, Steamgear Mash and Willy Wombat just to name four. Yet none of them met my need for a pure old school traditional hop ‘n bop. I suddenly realized precisely at that moment what I had secretly been yearning for. And right on cue, that’s when an old friend from the past came roaring back to mind…

Now that's more like it! — Now that’s more like it!

JANUARY 2006

I still had about three weeks until the Spring semester would begin. I started entertaining thoughts (again) about whether I should buy a Super Nintendo or not. I had my doubts — was it worth it? Perhaps this was all just a nostalgic trip best kept locked in my box of memories. That’s when fate decided to step in. By mid January I decided I was all in. I posted the following on a gaming forum, coincidentally, almost one year since my last SNES post (as shared earlier).

January 17, 2006. It was just another ordinary Tuesday night, or so I initially thought. I logged on eBay following dinner. Just for fun, I typed in SNES. And the VERY FIRST item I saw ending was none other than Power Moves. I couldn’t believe it — what were the odds? Power Moves and I go way back; it was the first import game I ever rented back in late 1992. It was ending in 38 seconds. I didn’t even have the system yet but I knew this was no mere coincidence. Nope, this was fate. The very first import I ever rented back in the day would now become the very first game purchase of my SNES resurrection. It was meant to be.

I didn’t have long to just sit there and get all mushy. Clicking on the seller’s other items, I also won Prehistorik Man, Ignition Factor and Fatal Fury Special all within the next 10 minutes. Now that I had time to digest things a bit, my mind was running at 200 MPH. I really did it. I was back in! One minute I went from having zero SNES games to having four! The next day I bought five more titles. Not one to stop there, I was back at it again two days later with five more. The games were a mix of childhood favorites, games I missed out on, or games I always was curious about but never got to play. It was an exciting time with a want list literally in the hundreds, left-and-right buying and building up my brand new SNES library. But there was one slight problem you see — I didn’t buy the system itself yet! That’s when I found a friend online to sell me one for $39. He also had over 20 games I was interested in, so it became a bulk buy of epic proportions. The final damage? $192. YOU DAMN RIGHT it was worth every last dime!

It all began with this... — It all began with this…

What started out as “Should I or shouldn’t I?” ended up in one simple impulse buy (Power Moves), opening up the flood gates completely. In 72 hours I went from zero SNES games and no SNES to having the system and 38 (!) games. There was no turning back now… a monster was born.

I posted the following on a gaming forum the next day on January 18, 2006.

Like I said, I don’t know what it is about mid January but those long six week winter breaks does things to a man

SCHOOL’S BACK IN SESSION

Wednesday. January 25, 2006. It was the first day of my Spring semester at University. I only had one class that day (from 9 to 10:15 AM). My SNES was still in transit but that didn’t stop me from buying even more games. After class that day I had a couple girl friends go buy some books with me at the campus store. We ate brunch and talked excitedly about the future. All the while I was thinking about the past in the back of my mind, and what SNES games I might find later that morning to add to my rapidly growing collection. It was an exciting time in my life — an odd but irresistible clash of looking toward the future while also looking back.

A most welcomed sign — A most welcomed sight in those days of 2006

Afterward it was 11:30 and I decided to drive to a nearby Game Crazy to see what SNES goodies they might have that day. Game Crazy was a hub attached to Hollywood Video back when these relics existed. Game Crazy used to carry a solid variety of SNES games in early 2006.

The actual location I went that fateful morning

On this particular morning, much to my delight I found The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues and The Lost Vikings. I got The Lost Vikings free as part of Game Crazy’s buy 2 get 1 free deal. Talk about starting off my final undergrad semester with a bang!

Hard to believe it's been nearly 12 years — Hard to believe it’s been nearly 12 years

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Thursday. January 26, 2006. This was a big day for me. It marked 10 years since I had moved from my childhood home. After my classes ended that late afternoon, I decided to stop by my old stomping grounds for a reunion tour. I loved my old hometown. We lived there from mid 1985 to January 26, 1996. 10 and a half years of my life. From infancy through childhood. Some of my best memories came in my old hometown, my old house and that old neighborhood.

Ah, the vintage train tracks of my childhood :) — Ah, the vintage train tracks of my childhood

So off I went, revisiting the old sights and sounds. I stopped by my childhood Toys R Us. I dropped by a few Game Crazy locations in the area but found no SNES games of interest. Finally I arrived right around my old house roughly at 6 PM, and I headed straight to my childhood Hollywood Video.

The actual "scene of the crime" in all its glory — The actual “scene of the crime” in all its glory

Added Art of Fighting, Clay Fighter, Mortal Kombat II and Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 to the collection. These games represented the crux of my SNES comeback well — two games I loved playing as a kid and two I always wanted to play but never did.

They had a glass full of SNES goodies but I decided I’ll just pick these four for now and come back later for the others…

With another bag full of old childhood favorites and memories, courtesy once again of Game Crazy, I made a beeline toward my old house. There was no way I was ending this 10 year reunion trip without seeing my old house.

By now it was 6:30 and darkness had devoured my old hometown. Driving by I took full inventory of all that assaulted my senses. I remember those old roads… that old street corner… the little hill where my brother, our friends and I used to play tag and flag football. The smell of the crisp cool night air. And the soothing sounds of the grass and leaves swaying gently in the calm of a quiet January evening.

This was more than just a Super Nintendo comeback! — It was more than just a Super Nintendo comeback…

I spotted my house at long last. Memories came flooding back like a tidal wave crashing over me. It was an ordinary house, like any other house in America, in a suburban neighborhood just like any other. But it was home. My home. Or at least, it once was, anyhow. Somewhere in the depths of my heart though, it will always be to some degree.

I took a minute to take it all in — I took a moment to take it all in

I turned off the engine and radio. I sat there for a couple quiet minutes, admiring my house from across the street in the dead still of the night. Has it really been 10 bloody years?! Gawd DAMN.

There she is. Still as pretty as ever, too

I was lost in a trance admiring the sight that stood before me when suddenly I had a crazy idea. Now I’ve had a few crazy ideas in my life before but this one… THIS ONE might be the craziest of them all…

Before I knew it, I found myself standing at the front door. Like a man possessed, I rung the doorbell before I could talk myself out of it.

Well, it certainly helped that my parents still owned the place and rented it out to some tenants. I wasn’t close with them but they knew who I was. So when a lady opened the door I asked if I could use the restroom since I was passing by the ol’ neighborhood.

Its the home where my bro and I fought, played and loved — It’s the home where my bro and I grew up

All the birthday parties and fun we shared. Priceless!

Using my old bathroom for the first time in 10 years was a little surreal, as was being back in the house I grew up in. After using the facilities, I thanked her for her generosity.

The house was still in good shape. I couldn’t help but glance around fondly. The lady and I spoke for a good 15 minutes or so about the house and my memories there.

And that opened up a 10 minute conversation! — And that opened up a 10 minute conversation

We talked about how cold the house gets during the night time, like really REALLY cold. We talked about my old room where her daughter now occupies, and so forth. It was a really nice conversation and an awesome way to end what had been a crazy reunion tour.

Time to head back home. My real new home... — Time to head back home. My real new home…

Finally, we bid one another farewell. I slipped inside my car, took a glance at the new SNES games resting on the passenger seat, cranked up the radio, stole one last glance at my old house and floored the hell out of there.

That night, driving home on the freeway with the windows down and the music blaring, was truly one for the ages. A tale to be retold to my future children. Daddy was a crazy kook [Wait, was?? -Ed.]

JANUARY 30, 2006

I remember this fateful rainy Monday afternoon quite well. It was around 12:45 PM. I was sitting at home waiting for my big SNES package as well as my Advanced Acting class at 1:30. I’ll never forget the sight of the UPS man carrying a huge box to my door through the whipping rain. My baby has finally come home! The raindrops pelted my window and looked like melting silverware. I had 45 SNES games waiting in the wings to be played, and now, after a good seven or eight years, I finally had a Super Nintendo again. Alas, with class beginning in less than an hour, I had no time to delve in. Oh how badly I wanted to just stay home and have one major binge session. Reasoning got the better of me when I decided if I already waited this long, then surely a couple more hours wouldn’t kill me, right?

My Advanced Acting class that day ran from 1:30 to 4. After class got out, I drove to Game Crazy by my old house once again to buy the other enticing titles I saw just a few days earlier on January 26.

The actual pic I took on that rainy Monday evening!

Game Crazy delivers again — Game Crazy comes through again

ActRaiser and Equinox are the best of this bunch — *ActRaiser* and *Equinox* are the best of this bunch

What a crazy time it was -- that January 2006 I tells ya! — What a crazy time it was — that January 2006 I tells ya!

Arriving home late that Monday night, I had a whopping 51 SNES games from which to choose. Which one would I play first? It suddenly became clear to me that there was only one appropriate choice. It’s certainly not the best game, but for all intents and purposes, it had to be my first.

You win if you guessed Power Moves — You win if you guessed *Power Moves*

Yup, it had to be Power Moves. It was the first import I rented back in late 1992 and it was the first SNES game I bought during this whole comeback reunion tour. A reunion tour, mind you, that has now lasted for 12 years and counting. To say that I was nostalgic as Power Moves fired up would be a grand understatement. I felt like I had gone into a time machine and was transported back to my youth for a few minutes. Even though the game was kind of bad, I knew there were tons of great games to beat and that this was going to be a hell of a comeback. As it turns out, my gut was right.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There is something special and sacred about the Super Nintendo. It reminds me of a simpler time in my life. A time in which playing games with your best bud took center stage on a lazy Saturday night. A time where damsels in distress must be saved and red shells and fireballs must be thrown with malice and joy alike. But perhaps best of all… a time where junk emails and bills didn’t yet exist.

My SNES comeback these past 12 years has been a fun-filled ride down memory lane and beyond. I don’t just play these games for nostalgia. There are many I have yet to play, so many are actually brand new experiences for me. Yes, even 25 years later in the year 2018. I’ve had a blast going through my SNES collection the past dozen years. With many more yet to go, here’s to 12 more years!

My dream is to one day pass my love of these vintage classics down to my son or daughter. Maybe they’ll never know what it feels like to stroll through a Hollywood Video on a rainy Monday night. But I hope they’ll get half the joy out of these games as they’ve given to me over the ~~years~~ decades. Call me corny but I like to think of this whole SNES comeback, which started way back 12 years ago in January of 2006, as more than just one big epic gaming adventure. I like to think of it as reclaiming bits and pieces of my childhood and one day being able to share that joy with my children. One thing is for sure… there’ll be no shortage of video games for them to play. Long live the Super Nintendo, indeed.