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After starting 2015 off with a *BANG*, prepare yourself for the load of action and drama, that the RF Generation Playthrough Group has in store for you in February.
For the February Retro Playthrough, we return to the land of Hyrule in the timeless classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the SNES. In this prequel to the original two Zelda games on the NES, take control of Link as he embarks on an epic adventure to once again save Princess Zelda and restore peace to Hyrule. Join us for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and experience what is commonly regarded as one of the greatest games of all time.
Retro discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=14980.0
Over on the modern side we will be choosing our own fates with a visual novel for the Nintendo DS. In 999: Nine Persons, Nine Hours, Nine Doors you find yourself aboard a sinking cruise ship with eight strangers. The only path to freedom is found after finishing a series of puzzles. The branching story line and six unique endings will have you replaying until you find the right answers to the "Nonary Game."
Modern discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=14978.0
If you think you have what it takes to save the Hyrule kingdom or escape the sinking ship alive join us in February's Community Playthrough.
[img width=610 height=343]http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o736/Fleach/mother3_zps7162c918.jpg[/img]
If you play Super Nintendo games you know what to expect. A Link to the Past, Secret of Mana, and Final Fantasy III are fantastic games, which many of us hold close to our hearts. Perhaps these were games you played as a kid or during your teens, but you at least have the satisfaction of knowing that you've experienced these essential pieces of gaming history. What we played in North America is only the tip of the iceberg though. There are so many great role playing games that we never got to see because they never left Japan. Here are five games that, thanks to translators and/or repro developers, we can finally add to our backlogs.
Continue reading Stuck in Japan: Five RPGs We Never Got to Play
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Posted on Dec 4th 2014 at 05:00:00 AM by ( singlebanana) Posted under playcast, wrapup, podcast, November, 2014, Super Metroid, modern, retro, SNES, System Shock 2, PC, playthrough |
Join RFGeneration Playcast (different name, same great, crunchy, and flavorful listen) hosts, Rich (singlebanana), Jamie (techwizard), Floyd (Fleach), and Shawn (GrayGhost81) as we discuss November's out-of-this world retro and modern playthroughs. In this episode, singlebanana, techwizard, and guest, RetroRage, discuss one of the most beloved sci-fi platformers of all time, Super Metroid on the SNES. On the modern side, join Grayghost81, Fleach, and guest, bombtomba, as their conversation safely navigates the Von Braun in their discussion of the survival horror, PC classic, System Shock 2.
Episode 8 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...x.php?topic=14824.new#new
Get the show on Podomatic: http://rfgenplaythroughs.podomatic.com/
On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/...playcast/id874327459?mt=2
On YouTube:
On Stitcher: http://app.stitcher.com/browse/feed/55943/episodes
And follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rfgenplaythroughs
And Twitter: https://twitter.com/RFGPlayCast
Continue reading Episode 8 - RF Generation Playcast
Ah, the 16-bit era. The two major systems in North America during those years were home to amazing shmups, RPGs, platformers, fighters and pretty much every other genre. What title would finally hold the honor of closing out the retail market? What magnum opus could serve as the cross-platform release to end the glory days of 2D gaming? The answer, surprisingly, was Frogger.
[img width=200 height=279]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/genfroggerc.jpg[/img][img width=199 height=138]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/snesfrogger.jpg[/img]
Frogger, of course, had been a hit when it launched in arcades in 1981. In the years afterward, it would be ported to every computer and home console imaginable. According to Wikipedia, for example, there are over 20 Frogger clones for the ZX Spectrum alone. There was certainly not a frothing demand for a Frogger game when Majesco and Hasbro collaborated to bring the game to the Genesis and SNES in 1998, but that is exactly what they did. By most counts, Frogger was the final retail release for both of these systems.
[img width=320 height=224]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/genFrogger.png[/img][img width=256 height=223]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/Frogger-Ingame.gif[/img] The Genesis and SNES versions, respectively
The two games are actually quite different in terms of graphics and playability. The Genesis port of Frogger is widely hailed as one of the best ports the game has ever seen, and though it fails to really take advantage of the Genesis hardware, it is extremely faithful to the arcade version. It offers no high score tables, no difficulty settings or other options, but it is nonetheless Frogger.
[img width=320 height=239]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/3f7a35d4.jpg[/img][img width=320 height=239]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/d0fa7cf8.jpg[/img]
My copy of this game shows how cheap the Genesis packaging had become by the end of the Genesis lifespan. Long gone, of course, were the clamshell cases...but this is even cheaper than the slide out cardboard games from the latter half of the Genesis run. Theres also a lot of red border and text surrounding the box art, something which detracts significantly from the look of the packaging. From the pictures available of the SNES box (I dont have a copy), it looks like there is a little more uniformity with the rest of the library.
[img width=256 height=223]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/Frogger.gif[/img] Even Frogger himself looks depressed by this shoddy port
The SNES box art may have been the best part about that release of the game, as not only are the updated graphics a travesty for the eyes, but the control and sound are a mess as well. It seems that the folks at Majesco wanted to make a different version of the game for each console but it is hard to imagine what they were thinking with the SNES port.
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As an interesting footnote, Frogger received a near-simultaneous release on the PlayStation and PC as these 16-bit versions. These versions place Frogger in 3D perspective and offer a lot of interesting additions to the game. The PS1 port is especially worth a look, if you are a fan of Frogger (it even spawned a sequel).
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Continue reading Unloved #22: UN Squadron
[img align=right width=210]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-072/gs/U-072-S-00850-A.jpg align=right[/img]Oh, hi! A lot of birthdays happened lately, so I'll have to be short.
November 19, 1998 (10 years ago): Half-Life is released (on PC; the updated PS2 version appeared three years later ).
I hope I don't have to explain as to why this is important: it is a very fun FPS game. It also has a very fun sequel, lots of spin-offs and expansions, and about a zillion mods. Back in '98, Valve managed to make a shooter which was cinematic, and yet didn't have a single cut-scene in it. If you missed it, or lost your disk or something, Steam has it right now for $0.98 (that is 98 CENTS). For best enjoyment, use the original version (not the Half-Life Source), but do install the High Definition Pack (paste this url into your browser with Steam running, no quotes: "steam://installaddon/halflifehd").
Also, some day we may have a very updated version of the original game thanks to the guys at Black Mesa Source. With the help of supportive community, those awesome people spent the last three years or so converting the original Half-Life into Source engine (as in fully, and not just the water, like in Half Life Source). Before you say "what's taking them so long", go and check out their screenshots and such. Be amazed.
Continue reading VG History: Freeman and the others
On August 13, 1991, 4 years before the discontinuation of the NES, Nintendo released the new 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System, in North America. The system was already widely available in Japan under the name Super Famicom, when it was released there on November 21, 1990. This system promised to further Nintendo's domination and popularity in the video game market.
Because the system came after the NES, it was launched with the sequel to Super Mario Bros. 3. Of course, that game was Super Mario World. The game itself practically sold the system. The SNES also offered continuations of NES favorites such as The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Double Dragon, Battletoads, etc. Also, some sets of the SNES came packaged with Super Mario All-Stars, which was a compilation cartridge that had the NES games Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario Lost Levels in better 16-bit graphics and sound.
The console itself is pretty plain-jane. It was very boxy, with a standard Power, and Reset button. The console does, however, have an eject lever on it allowing the player to simply press down on the lever to pop the cartridge out of the console, as it is a top loading system. That is good because the games get firmly seated onto the pins and would just about always boot right up. On the front of the console, there are the standard 2 controller ports. The bottom has an expansion port on it, but was very rarely used, and the back, of course, has the AC, RF, and AV ports.
The controllers, are a huge step op from the NES controllers. They have rounded sides, a d-pad, 4 face buttons, and 2 shoulder buttons. The shoulder buttons were a new thing back then, but are now a standard on video game controllers. The 4 face buttons were arranged in a fashion like this:
X
Y A
B
The controllers are very comfortable, and very responsive. The buttons are arrange perfectly for games like Mortal Kombat.
In 1994, Nintendo release a new SNES game that kicked the Super Nintendo's popularity into overdrive. That game was Donkey Kong Country. This game had some of the greatest graphics and gameplay of any SNES game. The game sold more consoles and millions of cartridges. In the last 45 days of 1994, the game sold 6.1 million copies, making it the fastest selling video game to date. There were even 2,500 competition cartridges released. The game was followed up with Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble.
As with the NES, in October 1997, Nintendo released the SNES 2, a smaller and lighter version of the SNES, with Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island packed in with the system for only $100. The things removed were the expansion port, RF port, and eject button. The power and reset buttons were confined to the left side of the system. Finally, on November 27, 1997, the last first-party SNES game, Kirby's Dreamland 3 was released and the SNES was discontinued in 1999.
Games from the SNES library continue to live on through different systems. Many of the games, such as Super Mario World, and Donkey Kong Country, were ported to the Game Boy Advance, and many of the Super Nintendo's games are available for download on the Wii's Virtual Console. The SNES also has a huge emulation scene, as virtually every game is available for download to be used on an emulator.
As you have seen, this console was a favorite of 1990s era gamers, and was the first game console that i ever played. I can remember the countless hours that I spent playing Super Mario World, Super Mario All-Stars, and Donkey Kong Country. Many gamers probably have those fond memories, too. Well, again, this one deserves a 10/10.
[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-044/ss/ts/U-044-S-01090-A.jpg&sizex=200[/img]Wow, Europe gets screwed with games. At least, they did in the past. Nintendo has been pretty hard towards them, but then, they still are. But wow, you readers in Europe (all 4 of you) got screwed. SCREWED! Need a refresher as to why you should think you've been screwed? Check out this article. This list makes me a sad panda. You've missed out on so much awesome, and when you do get awesome, it's often months later than the rest of us. What a cruel world it is.
I can't believe that my top two SNES games never got released in Europe. It's also sad that nine of the ten things the article mentions are for Nintendo systems. Nintendo clearly has it out for you, except, you should celebrate that you guys never got the Virtual Boy, rather than mourn it. Some things are better off not released, and this headache machine is one of them.
So, Europe, I feel you pain after seeing that list. Is this list spot on, or are there glaring omissions from the list? All I know is that after seeing that list, you have my sympathy.
Import Tax: Best Games Never Released In Europe [British Gaming Blog, via GoNintendo]
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I am a huge Earthbound Fan, and each passing week where Mother 3 is not released makes me a sad panda. If you are interested as to how much I enjoyed Earthbound, why not check out its game page? Feel the love, and I hope that you've played the game.
What? You say that you have not? That's okay, many other people have not played this amazing game. Fortunately for you, Nintendo has apparently decided to release it for the Virtual Console, at least that's what the ESRB says. Personally, that makes me excited. Perhaps Nintendo will not be a whore and release Mother 3. I don't know, but I'll be content knowing that a new group of people will have the opportunity to try this amazing game.
ESRB Rates Earthbound For Wii VC [Kotaku]
[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-027/ss/U-027-S-00360-A.jpg&sizex=150[/img]This week is special for a lot of us. Families are getting together to remember everything they're thankful for, a good meal, some board games with the cousins, or some good shopping deals. The anticipation for that turkey to come out of the oven is great. Well, what better game to feature than Anticipation for the NES?! I know it's not one of the best NES games (nor is it in the top 100 most likely), but I felt that this was a great time to feature it! It plays like a board game on your TV. Read the review for my take.
Our featured image is from Family Feud on the SNES. As I sit here watching a little TV, I see that Family Feud is on reruns right now. It's starring that Al guy from Home Improvement. It's basically the exact same show as 30 years ago. Pretty amazing that it's still around in a similar form (...please, please return Wheel of Fortune to it's simpler, better days without hundreds of bonuses and crap quick puzzles).
Our featured hardware is the new Nintendo Wii glove from Nintendo themselves. Maybe the TV market will start to die off since they may not be throwing their WiiMotes mindlessly. Nevermind...people still will.
The featured collection is from shaggy. Shaggy works extremely hard to keep his collection clean, organized, and complete. I think he's slowly compiling a great collection!
Everyone, please have a safe, happy, and wonderful holiday. Remember everyone that is in your life to allow you to eat that turkey this Thursday. And when you've eaten your fill, come over to RFG to talk it up!
 This week, it's time to bring out the big gun!
Our featured game this week is Super Mario Bros. 3! A favorite for many, many gamers. Maybe it is because we all grew up with this game, maybe it is because it is just stellar in every way, or maybe it is because of the silly plumber that we have all been trained to see as the poster boy of Nintendo.
Honestly, I think the answer is in all three. This is a game we grew up playing, it is a wonderful game from nearly every angle, and it does star the famous poster boy Mario. That aside, in Super Mario Bros. 3, you take on the role of Mario to defeat the evil Koopa King Bowser and his friends. With many more abilities than in the previous games, you have to be quicker, smarter, and more cunning than ever before! Check this game out if you haven't already. If you haven't, I feel sorry for you.
Our featured image comes from the Nintendo DS's Cars. This is a cute game full of races and mini-games. It is obviously based on the wildly popular Disney/Pixar movie. How could I not pick this image? Look at the car. He's so cuuuuuute! Well, my wife thinks so anyway.
Our featured hardware is in my opinion, terrible. The Turbo Touch 360 for the SNES is so hard to use, not sensitive, and not comfortable. Disagree with me? Let me know!
Lastly, our featured collection is from jtaylor. The collection may be small, but they definitely have some great games (including our featured game)! I bet our featured collection's owner has some great stories about where some of these games came from. Send him a message and find out!
Well, that's it for now folks. In the meantime, send checks payable to me and keep it tuned to channel 3!
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