Tag: Nintendo

Grandia I and II are getting a Switch release late this year

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No word on an actual release date, this particular announcement is going to release some time this winter. But, this is seriously a surprise! Grandia II has been re-released a number of times on the PlayStation 2 and PC. However, Grandia I has not seen as much love. Other than a downloadable version for the PS3, the original game in the Grandia franchise has not seen as much attention. From the buzzwords in the news, it also appears to be a HD remaster, whatever that means these days. So, I wouldn’t expect all that much except for some higher resolution textures and a wide screen aspect ratio.

What I am more curious about is the localization options. Are we going to get the Sega Saturn release graphics? Will we receive the English voice acting seen in the PlayStation One release? Many questions remain… Nevertheless, this news excites me that TWO of the best JRPG’s of all time are coming to a great console.

 

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The “half-step” console that nobody wanted

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The Sega 32X.

Before the PlayStation 4 Pro and the Xbox One X, there was an infamous add-on to the Sega Genesis. My friends and I would always joke about what a waste of money it was and the fact that it was likely a piece of junk. In an age where producing an upgraded version of a current console to sell to hungry consumers exists, Sega of the 1990s tried something bold and almost succeeded.

I was never on team blue, but in retrospect, it was either pretty cool or probably pretty disappointing arguing for blast processing. This time around, trying to be ahead of the curve proved to be disastrous for Sega.

Also, do check out more of the Gaming Historian, it’s a great channel filled with well produced mini-documentaries.

The Mega Man X stage select theme is amazing

DavidLeave a comment

You probably already know that it is. I was actually trying to compile a list of some of my favorite character/stage select themes and I could only come up with a few that I really liked. For example, the Street Fighter II and Mega Man 8 are pretty great, but nothing matched the affinity I had for the X1 theme.

But, let’s start with the ones I do like. Street Fighter II. It progresses nicely, doesn’t get on your nerves when it repeats and prepares you mentally for the fight, as all character select music should do.

 

 

And the aforementioned Mega Man 8 stage select song is decent too. It pulses with a great dance beat and synths that are easy going. It’s also kinda upbeat and doesn’t over do itself by being too complicated.

 

 

Street Fighter III: Third Strike definitely goes for something different. It’s hip-hop, funky and just down right cool sounding. It might be the only video game rap song that doesn’t sound dumb as you listen to it. It’s straight dope!

 

 

Nothing hits harder than the Mega Man X stage select theme. And I mean nothing. Just listen to the guitar riff, the snare drum and driving bass… it gets you pumped and ready for battle.

 

 

This song is just begging for a great hard rock or heavy metal cover. And I found a few that are actually pretty good. What actually surprised me the most was how good it could sound remixed on a Sega Genesis. Still, not as good as the Super Nintendo original.

 

 

Basically, we’ve learned that Capcom makes the best character and stage select music, ever.

The Top 3 best NES games to play on Halloween

DavidLeave a comment

Yes, this is missing a lot of horror games from the NES library like Maniac Mansion, Friday the 13th etc. but these are my favorite.

Monster Party

Monster_Party_Box

This game might fly under the radar for many, but it should not be ignored. Like most games on the NES, it’s a 2D platformer. But where it differs is in style. Halfway through the first level, the visuals and music change from odd and bright to dark and foreboding. Aside from its weird translations, this is well worth your time. Don’t miss out on this!

Castlevania

Castlevania_NES_box_art

What is Halloween without vampires? Nothing needs to be said about this action side scrolling classic that hasn’t already been said. This game set the stage for many of its kind and is still a treat to play to this day.

 

Ghosts ‘n Goblins

GhostsnGoblins_flyer

Another arcade classic! Everybody should know this painstakingly hard game. It can be cheap, but that’s how games were back then. And yeah… to the get the real ending, I hope you have patience and skill. Or you could just watch the ending like a normal person.