Re-Releases You Should Play Part 5

If you've played them before, play them again. If you haven't played them, take them out for a spin.

Arcade Archives DONKEY KONG (NS)

There have been tons upon tons of versions of Donkey Kong. Nintendo's 1981 classic has been on NES as well as the Commodore 64. The issue with a lot of home ports, however, is that often times, they were missing a stage or two. Even the NES version, the one most are probably familiar with, only has three stages, omitting 50cm. Most players that wanted to play the arcade version of Donkey Kong either had to fire up MAME or Donkey Kong 64. Those days are long gone as HAMSTER has at long last rolled out the arcade version of Donkey Kong on the Switch.

You want that opening cut scene of DK climbing up the construction site with Pauline? Present. The "How high can you get?" tagline that shows before each stage? Here. All four stages? You got 'em. You get the usual options of toggling the screen display so you can play with scan lines, the original arcade output or turn them off completely to get a nice, clean visual appearance. There are also three versions of Donkey Kong to play that change the game slightly such as mixing up the stage order or cutting the game in half, only containing the first and last level. Your usual high score and caravan modes are also here

As Donkey Kong is an old game, Mario doesn't have the super smooth movement he does in his games today. Heck, he can't even fall very far without dying. Even though this is the first game to star Mario, I'm surprised at how well it still holds up. Though his movements are stiff, controlling Mario still feels comfortable. It feel incredibly satisfying to jump over a barrel or crush a flame with a hammer. I've lost count of how many times I've beaten this game since purchasing it earlier this week. The first loop is easy but loop 2 is giving me trouble.  If you're looking for a way to legally enjoy the game that introduced two of the biggest names in gaming, Arcade Archives Donkey Kong is the way to go. Oh, and TATE mode, baby!

Also available on: ARC, N64

Ikaruga (NS)

In the early 2000s, I found a new favorite SHMUP in Ikaruga for the GameCube. A game that was originally in arcades and later ported on the Dreamcast in Japan, both the GCN and DC versions will run you a pretty penny these days. Ikaruga has since been re-released digitally on the 360, Steam and now, the Switch, a platform that is quickly becoming a SHMUP and arcade lover's paradise.

There are no power-ups to collect to strengthen your ship in Ikaruga. Instead you have the brilliant polarity system. What this does it let you change your ship's polarity to black or white with the press of a button. If you see white fire coming your way, turn your ship's polarity white and you'll absorb the fire. Do the same for black bullets coming in your direction. The kicker to this is that your ship is weak to whatever color is the opposite of it at that time. There will be times when you'll have to reverse your ship's polarity at just the right moment to avoid death. White enemies are weak to black bullets and the reverse applies to black enemies. Absorbing enemy fire not only nets you points but you can build up a full meter to release a barrage of bullets on the opposition.

Anyone that has heard of Ikaruga knows it is not an easy game. Even on the easiest setting it can be quite brutal. Thankfully, there free play can be selectable from the start but you can forget about saving those high scores if you choose to play this way. Online rankings are sure to inspire competition and even on the easy setting, I'm surprised at how far ahead I was above a lot of other players (I'm in the 1000s if you were wondering).

There are achievements to unlock as well as the awesome ability to play in TATE mode, which is one of the best things about Switch game on the arcade. The Switch version just might be the ideal way to play Treasure's classic shooter.

Also available on: ARC, DC, GCN, 360, PC

That One Level Part 3

You're trucking along in a game just fine and then, IT happens. What is IT, you ask? Why, it's the level that trips you up over and over again and makes you wanna crack your controller in two. TV Tropes likes to call these areas That One Level because despite all the colors these levels may or may not have, the stage has you seeing only one color: red.

75cm - Donkey Kong (ARC, NES)

Even by arcade standards, Donkey Kong is a short game, consisting of only four levels, three if you're playing the NES version. By far, the hardest level of the game is the third level 75cm. You've got small, moving platforms, Fire, the game's most prominent mook that can move up and down ladders and the stage lacks the Hammer, so Mario is completely defenseless. But the moving platforms and Fires are the easiest things to deal with. The most infuriating obstacle on 75cm is the freaking Jacks that bounce across the screen. When you work your way to the right side of the screen and get closer to Donkey Kong, these things become a serious threat. Jacks bounce in the exact same pattern each time they cross the screen but this knowledge does little to help you on that last ladder climb to reach Pauline. If you climb the final ladder at the wrong time or are in the wrong position, you're taking a Jack to the face. This single item makes 75cm a game stopper for a lot of new Donkey Kong players. In the NES version of Donkey Kong 75cm is the second stage. 75cm is a stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and unsurprisingly, its a much loathed stage.

Supply Lines - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, XB, PC)

If you ever tire of being a taxi driver, popping off rival gang members and increasing your wanted level, there are plethora of missions to do in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, many mandatory, some optional. One such optional mission is Supply Lines, one of Zero's missions, a good buddy of CJ's. In Supply Lines, you take control of an RC plane to shoot down five moving targets in San Fierro, the San Andreas version of San Francisco. Sounds like an easy job, right? The only thing standing in your way of completing your objective is the shoddy controls of the RC plane.

Picture if you will, the most difficult flight based controls in a video game that you've ever played. Now those awful controls of whatever game you're thinking of? That's Heaven. The RC controls here are Hell. Whatever game burned you with bad flight controls has nothing on Supply Lines. Oh and because garbage controls weren't enough to deal with, the RC plane has a limited amount of fuel, placing a time limit on what is already a highly stressful mission. But you're likely to crash and burn the plane a few hundred times long before you come close to getting the hang of the crappy controls. Why are we doing this mission, again? Oh I said Zero was a good friend of CJ's, did I? I don't even like Zero all that much. Screw 'em.

Scrambled Egg Zone - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GG, SMS)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Game Gear and Sega Master System is one of the most difficult games in the entire character's history. The Acts have no checkpoints and every single boss act gives you no rings, meaning failure really stings here. But the real sledge hammer to the face comes in the form of Scrambled Egg Zone. You know those tubes in Chemical Plant Zone in the Genesis version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2? Scrambled Egg Zone is full of these things, taking up most of the level, in fact. These tubes are the primary means of transportation around Scrambled Egg Zone and as you may have already guess, it is very easy to get lost. Take a wrong turn and some of these tubes will send you to your death. If you're searching for trial and error gameplay at its worst, look no further.

King Stage 2 - Mega Man & Bass (SNES, GBA)

Mega Man & Bass is one tough costumer all around. It gives you no E-Tanks, the Robot Masters are some heavy hitters, and depending on whom your playing as, the severity of the migraine this game will give you has varying degrees at specific points. The game has more than its fair share of BS for both characters but King Stage 2 is straight booty no matter how you slice it. For whatever unholy reason, King Stage 2 is a a marathon level. It drags on and on, thanks in large part to the bosses, four of them to be exact, including King himself. King isn't what will make you rage quit. That honor goes to the tank boss and his three forms, more specifically, the first two forms.

Even with the proper weapon equipped, these thing take forever to kill and the first two forms have no life bar, which gives you the impression that these are mid bosses, but they are not. As aggravating as the first form is, the second is unquestionably the worst. You have to contend with the tank's second form while jumping on moving platforms over a bottomless put. That's a challenge in and of itself but Capcom didn't think that was exciting enough, so they decided to have the boss shoot a fist at you, which can destroy the platforms you're jumping on. Oh yeah, and we can't forget about that flash bang attack that whites out the whole screen, blinding you for a second, making it very easy for you to screw up and die. Bass has more options for avoiding the fist attack due to his double jump and Treble Boost but Mega Man? Oh, he is so shafted. King Stage 2 is the main reason some players haven never even finished Mega Man & Bass, myself included.

4-2 The Wild Red Yonder - Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (Wii U)

Most Kirby games are pretty easy. These are, after all, designed with entry level players in mind. Even so, some levels can prove more than a little challenging even for the experienced player. The Wild Red Yonder is one such level. Throughout the course of the stage, a ship frequently blasts Kirby and his Waddle Dee pals with bombs. You can see where these explosives are going to hit but steering clear from the blasts is still some tricky business. These booms from the bombs linger on the screen for several seconds so its very possible to take multiple hits from a single bomb blast. Often there's several bombs hitting the screen at once. To compound the problem, this is an auto scrolling level. The Wild Red Yonder brings the frustration for solo or group parties.

Memories #19: Donkey Kong & Donkey Kong Jr.

While Super Mario Bros. was my entry into the world of Mario games, I would later find out that it was not his debut title. Mario would make his first appearance in a game where not only were Princess Peach, Bowser and little brother Luigi nowhere to be found, but Mario himself wasn't even given title billing.

Parents are good for a lot of things like raising you and occasionally coming home from work with some gifts in tow. Even better when said gifts are video games. One night my father came home from a long day's work with two NES games, Ice Climber and Donkey Kong Classics, a compilation cartridge that contained Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. The NES was still new to me and while I hadn't heard of either one of these games, I was more than happy to have more to play. It didn't matter that Mario's name wasn't in the title of Donkey Kong Classics. He was on the cover of the box, clobbering DK with a hammer and that was all I needed to know.

Having cut my teeth on Super Mario Bros., it really came as quite a surprise to find out just how different Donkey Kong was. Sure, both were platformers but that was the only two things the games had in common. I was still new to the gaming world of which I was quickly becoming enthralled with, so the very notion that other types of games outside of Super Mario Bros. did exist was strange, but intriguing.

It all started here.

The story of Donkey Kong was simple. Carpenter named Jumpman, who we'd later come to know as Mario, owns big ape named Donkey Kong. Jumpman mistreats Donkey Kong. To get back at his owner, DK kidnaps Jumpman's girlfriend known as Lady, who would later be called Pauline. Perhaps abduction is a little too far but the game needed to do something to warrant DK being the villain, so here we are. I think this was one of the first, if not the first damsel in distress plots for video games, making it a pretty groundbreaking thing for its time.

My struggle with Donkey Kong was very real. Each stage was a single screen and while that meant I could clearly see where the end point was, that didn't do me much good in the grand scheme of things because I was all kinds of scrubtacular. The first level alone was an uphill battle in more ways than one. Atop the construction site, DK had an endless supply of barrels that he would rain down upon me. Sometimes they would roll down the ramps that the steel girders made, other times they would fall straight down. The worst was when they would role down the ladders I was climbing. Add in sentient fire to the mix and you have one very nerve-wrecked kid. It wasn't long ago that I'd gotten the hang of jumping on turtles while walking right. Now I've got a game that tasks me with dealing with a revenge driven ape, barrels that come at you in multiple directions and fire all on the opening stage? It was enough to nearly send my child mind into overload.

Mario did not have the controls in Donkey Kong that Super Mario Bros. made me so accustomed to. His jump height couldn't be controlled, you could only walk, not run and he actually felt a lot stiffer in this game. What's worse is that Mario was noticeably weaker. Mario could not fall very fall at all or he would die. I'm guessing his legs were made of toothpicks because after falling from insane heights in Super Mario Bros. and surviving and then playing a game where Mario perishes from falling a few feet was incredibly jarring. I can clearly remember the "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" look on my face when happened for the first time.

Where as Super Mario Bros. presented me with numerous opportunities for me to arm myself with power-ups enabling me to more than one hit before dying, I felt practically naked in Donkey Kong. Nearly every enemy had to be avoided or jumped over. Mercifully, the game did contain one means to defend yourself. It wasn't present in every level, but the Hammer made me feel like I was unstoppable. I always loved the short looping song that plays whenever picking up a Hammer and smashing an enemy with it was the best feeling in the world.

Before Fire Flowers and Super Stars, the
Hammer was Mario's weapon of choice.

With repeated plays, the first stage didn't give me much trouble anymore. It was the second level that became the bane of my existence. Those freaking bouncing trampolines were the stuff of nightmares. The trampoline would never change the height and speed at which it bounces and because of this, where you are when you attempt to climb that last ladder is absolutely critical. I think I lost more lives on this level than any other and it was probably one of the earliest sources of gamer frustration that I encountered.

The infuriating second level of Donkey Kong Jr.

Donkey Kong Jr. was a part of Donkey Kong Classics so I would often switch off between the two titles. DK was the antagonist of his self titled game but in Donkey Kong Jr., it was Mario who was the bad guy. This really perplexed me. As much of a jerk DK was in his own game, seeing Mario have the big guy all caged up, sending down all sorts of obstacles to hinder DK Jr. seemed like five different kinds of wrong. Seeing Mario as the villain was akin to seeing my childhood brutally murdered right before my eyes. Mario has played many roles but his stint as a villain never sat well with me as a kid.

Like Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. was a platformer, but the game switched things up by placing an emphasis on climbing via vines. An advantage DK Jr. had over Mario in terms of climbing is that the little ape's climbing speed could be controlled. Climbing a lone vine made DK Jr. ascend slowly but stretch his hand out to another nearby vine and DK Jr. will haul ape butt upward. It was rather gratifying that I could go faster in at least one of these games. It was much more appreciated in the case of Donkey Kong Jr. since he felt even more sluggish than Mario due to his weight.

I don't know what it is about Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr, but both of these games seemed to have the most infuriating second levels. Like Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr.'s second level was a ball buster. If I wasn't falling into the bottomless pits below, I was getting hit by those blasted birds. One of the most annoying enemy types (flying) over a stage with bottomless is a recepe for disaster. Unlike the crocs and the like of foes in the first stage, the birds were much more mobile, which meant hitting them with the fruit required nothing short of perfect timing. By the way, what was up with Mario and all the animals, anyway? I'm guessing this little confrontation between the carpenter and apes took place at the zoo because Mario was sicing all manner of the animal kingdom on DK Jr.

Sometime in the early or mid 1990s, I can't exactly recall which, my dad and I went to a place called Hoagies Pizza with some friends from our church and I came across a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet. Having spent ample time with the NES version years before, I wanted to try my hand at the coin-operated version. It was when I played the original that I saw that it actually contained an opening cut scene, something the NES version lacked. When I placed my cents into the arcade machine, I saw DK carrying Pauline up two ladders and using his massive weight to bend the girders to create the first level. I remember this being a "Huh. Cool" moment.

All the time I spent on the NES version of Donkey Kong was for naught because I was terrible when it came to playing this game standing up. What really hampered me was the arcade stick. I was so used to playing Mario games with a control pad that controlling him with a stick felt so odd. I struggle to do the simplest of things like jumping over barrels. I'd only played a handful of arcade games up to this point and most of those were either fighters or beat 'em ups. If I've got to control my character in a 2D platformer with a stick, it never feels right to me.

I was given another chance to experience the arcade version of Donkey Kong in 1999. This was the year that Donkey Kong 64 released. In the game's fourth world, you could find a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet, which housed the complete arcade version of Donkey Kong. Playing this version of Donkey Kong showed me that the NES version was missing a full level, what is commonly refereed to as the cement factory. Playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong in DK64 was a much better experience for me since it supported the control pad. I actually managed to finish it and upon a second play through, Pauline was replaced with an N64 logo coin, one of which was needed to reach DK64's final boss. The re-release of Donkey Kong in DK64 is kind of a big deal. It marks the only time the arcade version of Donkey Kong was given a home release.

While Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. gave me a lot of grief as a kid, I do still have some fond memories of them. I was introduced to Donkey Kong through these games and my perseverance paid off because these ended up being some of the first games I completed. Seeing DK take a dive as Mario and Pauline reunite and Mario take a fall as DK Jr. catches DK made all the blood, sweat and tears so worth it.

The Greatest Video Games of All-Time Vol. 1

Some games are truly near and dear to my heart. These are the games that I go back to and play time and time again or look back on with immeasurable fondness. These are what I consider to be the greatest games in the history of the medium. It should go without saying that this is my own personal list. No doubt some gamers will take issues with some of my choices and that's fine. I've decided not to rank my picks. This feature isn't about where each particular game stands but rather about the games themselves. All of these games are here because I think they deserve to be so I'm not going to be bothered with attaching a number placement to them.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1990)

My first, clear memories of gaming began with Mario so this feature may as well kick off with one of his best efforts. After taking a trip to the strange, yet intriguing world of Subcon in Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario and Luigi returned to the Mushroom World to take on the Koopa Troop once more. This time, Bowser got himself some extra help. Bowser has the Koopalings at his aid and has sent each one off to conquer seven worlds. Super Mario Bros. brought back the familiar power ups from the first Super Mario Bros. while introducing a slew of new ones. The Super Leaf allowed Mario the brief power of flight. The god-like powers of the Hammer Suit made losing it the most painful feeling in the world. The Frog Suit made those torturous underwater levels a breeze. So many power-ups and suits were at your disposal that you could stock them up for later use. But Super Mario Bros. 3 didn't just expand the number of power-ups. The worlds of the game were so much bigger than the ones in Super Mario Bros. 1-2 that they were each comprised on their own world map. This of course meant you could bypass certain levels all together. Super Mario Bros. 3 also hosts some of the shortest levels of the franchise, which made lack of checkpoints on the more difficult levels especially painful. Improved controls made using the new abilities you gained so much more satisfying, making for a platform fan's utopia on the NES. From start to finish, Super Mario Bros. 3 is an unforgettable thrill ride that never gets old no matter how many times I play it.

Also on: SNES, GBA, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, 

Sonic 3 & Knuckles (GEN, 1994)

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released in Feburary of 1994. Come October of that same year, Sonic and Knuckles stormed onto the Genesis. Strap Sonic 3 onto Sonic & Knuckles through the later cart's lock-on technology and you get Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the mammoth sized game Sonic 3 was always intended to be. Taking plenty of cues from Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles has expansive zones to explore and keeps much of the same high speed fun and platforming. The game does, however, spice things up by giving you three characters to play as. While Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are all speedy little devils, each one has something that sets them apart. Sonic controls the same way he always has but Tails can fly and swim for brief periods of time. Knuckles can't jump as high as the previous two but he can glide, climb walls and bust down certain walls to reveal shortcuts. Those new elemental shields really came in handy depending on what area you were in and were a step up from the first game's vanilla shield. Throw in some slickly design zones, some incredible final boss battles and some catchy, mondo cool beats and you've got my all-time favorite Sonic game. Don't bother play these games as stand alone titles. You're doing yourself a great disservice.

Also on: SAT, GCN, PS2, XB, DS, Wii

Final Fantasy VI (SNES, 1994)

Final Fantasy VI features an intriguing plot driven by some of the most colorful cast of characters in an RPG. Through Terra, Lock, Celes, Shadow and the rest, the game deals with some pretty heavy issues like coping with the loss of loved ones, suicide, teenage pregnancy and coming to terms with who you are. The good guys are a wonderful band of protagonists but they really do get upstaged by the game's villain, Kefka. Initially introduced as a gofer, by the time you reach the second half of the game, Kefka is the god of magic, has transformed the world into his own private hell and most of the remaining populace lives in fear because the maniacal clown can pretty much put an end to their existence whenever he feels like it. The different character classes keeps the battles from growing stale and the relics that can be equipped turn some characters into walking tanks. Fine as the battle system is, though, the real attractions of Final Fantasy VI are the story and memorable cast members.

Also on: PS, PS3, Wii, iOS

Gunstar Heroes (GEN, 1993)

Konami's Contra franchise houses some truly magnificent run 'n gun games, with the crown jewel being Contra III. So it's fitting that some of Contra III's staff would go on to form Treasure and their first game as the company was the legendary Gunstar Heroes. Gunstar Heroes does much to make it stand out from most games in the genre. You actually have a health meter that can be increased. The first four levels can be selected in the order of your choosing. You can mix and match weapon combos for devastating, even game breaking results. Even your partner in co-op play can be hurled at the enemies and will receive no damage in turn. The level design is also quite lively. The anti-gravity mine cart level lets you shift gravity at any time and is capped off with a jaw dropping battle against Seven Force, a shape changing mech. There's even a crazy board game stage where you roll dice and get sent off to do a myriad of different trials such as getting through a maze or fighting a pint sized soldier who is far stronger than his size would lead you to believe. All of this and some of the most impressive visuals and audio on the Genesis make Gunstar Heroes a 16-bit masterpiece.

Also on: PS3, Wii, 360, iOS

Final Fight (ARC, 1989)

Mayor Mike Haggar's daughter has been kidnapped! That's terrible! Does Haggar sic the police on those awful Mad Gear thugs? Nope. Being a former pro wrestler, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty so he takes to the streets along with Cody and Guy to clean their filthy clocks. Walk to the right and beat up mook after mook. Some are harder to take down than others but the concept of the game is simple, repetitive, beat 'em up fun and great for when you just want to zone out. Being an arcade game, Final Fight is on the brutal side and if you happen to being playing the arcade version, expect to see up to eight Mad Gears on the screen at one time, even if you have back up. Guy is quick and can wall jump, Cody has a really good stabbing hand whenever a knife is nearby and Haggar moves like a tank and has the muscle of said machine. Choose your brawler and go save that daughter!

Also on: SNES, SCD, GBA, PS2, XB, PSP, Wii, PS3, 360, Wii U, iOS

Mega Man 3 (NES, 1990)

The second Mega Man game I ever played is, in my honest opinion, the greatest Mega Man game of the whole franchise, yes, even eclipsing the highly praised Mega Man 2. Mega Man 3 kept plenty of what had become series staples by this point. Crafty level design, a catchy chiptune soundtrack, and some pretty memorable bosses, even if Top Man is a little bit of an oddball. This game also brought some new things to the table. The mysterious, fan favorite Proto Man would often show up to challenge you and other times, he'd aid you. Mega Man gained his faithful robo canine Rush in this outing as well as some faster maneuverability with the slide move. Along with all the new stuff the game has going for it, Mega Man 3 shows that it isn't afraid to tread some old ground. All of the Robot Masters from Mega Man 2 are back and so is a second incarnation of the dreaded Yellow Devil. Mega Man 3 is a long (at least in terms of classic Mega Man), sometimes frustrating, but very entertaining Mega Man experience that I love returning to.

Also on: PS, GCN, PS2, XB, Wii, Wii U, 3DS

Donkey Kong (GB, 1994)

Everyone remembers the 1981 arcade classic Donkey Kong. Platform through four levels to rescue Mario's girlfriend Pauline all the while being assaulted by her captor, the big ape himself. At the end of the fourth level, Mario trounces DK and is reunited with Pauline. But then Donkey Kong gets back up, kidnaps Pauline again and initiates one of the lengthiest video game chases ever, going to the city, the jungle, the desert and even the arctic to name a few locals. Huh. That never happened back in 1981. This masterful handheld Donkey Kong game contains all four original arcade levels and 97 brand  new stages. Mario can perform hand stands, back flips, double jumps and more. And you thought Mario's jump game didn't get crazy until Super Mario 64. You'll need Mario's insane acrobatic moves to navigate through this platform/puzzle affair to reach the key and proceed on to the next stage. Mario still has access to his trusty hammer, he can pick up certain enemies and chuck them at other baddies a la Super Mario Bros. 2, and his durability has been improved so he can fall from slightly greater heights and still keep breathing. If you're looking to see Mario and Donkey Kong's rivalry at it's very best, look no further than Donkey Kong on the GB.

Also on: 3DS

Out Run (ARC, 1986)

Yu Suzuki's driving masterpiece is quite simply one of the finest video games that has ever come out of SEGA. The only thing you're outrunning in Out Run is the clock as you drive cross country with your girlfriend at your side through five different stages. When you approach the end of the stage, you'll come across a fork in the road, which lets you choose which destination you'll travel to next. Most arcade racers at the time had you traveling the same path over and over but the non-liner stage progression really keeps Out Run from getting stale. Using "super scaler" technology (also used in games like Super Hang-On, Space Harrier After Burner, and Galaxy Force II) Out Run pumps put some eye widening visuals that remain impressive almost 30 years after the game was released. Ditto for the game's soundtrack. "Magical Sound Shower", "Splash Wave", "Passing Breeze," and "Last Wave" rank right up there with the "Ground Theme" from Super Mario Bros. when it comes to iconic game music. It may seem dull on paper, but passing other cars, handling tight turns and traveling the world on four wheels at high speeds is one of the best experiences the medium of gaming has to offer.

Also on: SMS, GEN, GG, MSX, SAT, PCE, DC, GBA, PS2, XB, 3DS

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2, 2001)

The stealth action gameplay had been refined from the original Metal Gear Solid. Being able to aim in first person mode with any gun allowed for greater accuracy and the inclusion of lockers meant you could hide bodies to avoid alerting other enemy soldiers to your presence or unleash your inner bully. Many were butt hurt upon learning that Solid Snake had been replaced by newcomer Raiden , but I honestly didn't mind this because, as much as I like Snake, the gaming world is overrun with characters just like him. MGS2 also catches flak for its cheesy romance between Jack and Rose and absurd story moments. Yeah, let's pretend the other MGS games are perfection and don't have more than their fair share of eye rolling moments.

Aslo on: XB, PS3. 360

Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii, 2011)

Good things are worth waiting for and such is the case with Kirby's Return to Dream Land, a game that went through a lengthy development cycle, spanning a little over ten years.  The game plays like a bigger, better Kirby Super Star, which is pretty impressive when you consider that Kirby and Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai had nothing to do with this game's development. New abilities are introduced, older abilities are enhanced and it has chaotic, but super fun, drop-in-and-out four player multiplayer. Anyone that isn't the first player can play as non-pink Kirbys or select from King Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee. The game also sports a beefy amount of bonus content like an EX version of the game's main story mode, which gives bosses more attacks, cuts your life bar in half and overall makes the game a lot more challenging. There's also the Challenge mode that has you mastering each Copy Ability to be awarded the highest ranking medal, which, surprise, surprise, isn't gold. The Arena, a boss rush mode also makes a come back as does The True Arena. From Pop Star to Halcandra, to insane duels with Galacta Knight, to fun with acronyms, and cutting a mountain in half with a giant fish, Kirby's Return to Dream Land gets my vote as the best Kirby game ever.

The Greatest Video Games of All-Time Vol. 2
The Greatest Video Games of All-Time Database 

Latest Purchases #76

I've really been slacking on my LP posts and on this blog overall. It's a combination of having been sick, working a lot and other personal issues. I hate that I did so little posting throughout the month of November and as much as I'd love to do a post a day, I'm just one man, so that isn't possible. Still, I do want to get back to making more frequent posts, so if I gotta lose some more sleep and what no for the greater good, so be it. With that said, here's the combination of at least three different purchases done up in a single post.

I think it's safe to say that just about any fan of DBZ has picked up or at least watched Battle of Gods. Unlike previous movies and TV specials, this is actually a cannon thing, with the story being written by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama himself. Having seen this movie  three times now, it's definitely one of my favorite pieces of Dragon Ball media. Love the action and love the comedy, though I do find it odd that some fans are complaining about the later, which strikes me strange since Dragon Ball has comedic roots. That 20 minutes of extra footage is all kinds of cool.

This 5 inch Mario figure is one of the most common toys in the World of Nintendo line. Unlike Link, Bowser and Donkey Kong, I didn't have to order him online as I've always seen him in Target and K-Mart. He really is a sweet-looking Mario figure with some excellent points of articulation. I'll try not to forget all about him when I open up the other Mario figure that I picked up...

Like Mario, this Yoshi World of Nintendo figure is pretty freaking cool. He's the first Yoshi toy I've picked up that isn't a plushy. I'd planned to get this thing sooner or later, but since I've been playing as the dino a lot in Mario Kart 8 and loving what they did to him in Smash 4, that might have hastened my purchase somewhat.

The K'Nex Super Mario and Super Mario 3D Land toys aren't anything too new. They've been out for a few years I believe, but these were marked down super cheap at K-Mart so I snagged them. I doubt I'll build the full sets they came with, but I've already had some fun posting pictures on Instagram with Mario and the mooks.

I was given 20th of November off from work, which meant I could attend the midnight release of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Man, that title sucks). It was my very first midnight launch and while my local GameStop wasn't super packed, it was still nice to feel the hype in the air. I wasn't aware that the amiibo figures were already available so I coped two while I was in the store. I may scan these just to see how they play and evolve but I really got these for display purposes. You can bet I'll be collecting all of them.

I had to get this guy through Toys 'R Us online store to get him, but man, was he worth waiting almost a week for. I didn't think the 6" inch DK figure would be this big. I was more than a little surprised when the UPS truck dropped him off and he was sealed in a box almost twice the size of the default packaging. I'm guessing Bowser is around the same size.

When I saw these S.H. Figurearts figures at Barns & Nobles months ago I fell in love. Mario looks like he has even more articulation going on than the World of Nintendo figure I mentioned above. Even the packaging is awesome, with the plumber in all types of poses on the back of the box. Goombas, easy as they are to do away with, are some of my favorite mooks from the Mario series. Sure, he's got no articulation to speak of, but he looks great and he comes with two sets of Pipes, a set of hands to go with the Mario figure, and a Koopa Troopa Shell. The text remains in Japanese and I never thought I'd see figures like this in Barns & Nobles. These things also cost more than the World of Nintendo Toys. The Goomba set was only $19.95 and despite being in smaller packaging, Mario went for $24.95. But it's hard to complain when you're getting something this good.

Taking a break from playing Smash 4 last week, we went to Wal-Mart and I almost had a stroke when I saw Gargoyles Season 2 Volume 2 on DVD. I'd heard that Disney completed Tailspin's DVD releases some time ago, but seeing Gargoyles get completed? That was a very welcome shock. I didn't think Disney had any interest in finishing their Disney Afternoon cartoons but it looks like I was wrong.There are no extra features like the previous Gargoyles DVD releases but I'm just happy to have the cannon series done.

Big surprise, I have always been a fan of Mickey Mouse ever since I was a kid. I loved those classic theatrical shorts, I started picking up the Mickey Mouse newspaper strip series in 2011 and I adored these newer Mickey Mouse shorts when they aired in 2013. This was sitting right next to Gargoyles Season 2 Volume 2 and until then, I had all but forgotten about this series. I couldn't help but notice the Season 1 on the packaging. Sure enough, season 2 already begun airing earlier this past year.

Latest Purchases #75

A Latest Purchases post, featuring stuff I picked up in September. Well as they say, better late than never.

I was pre-ordering the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. when I saw this lone 20 inch World of Nintendo Mario. I'd never seen a Mario that frickin' huge before. It was jaw dropping. I must say, the World of Nintendo toy line is quite superb with mini figures, plushies and the like, but this? Duuuuuuude. I just had to snatch this bad boy up before someone else did. My dad actually asked me what I was gonna do with him. The same thing I do with all my other gaming merch: display it. Agh, parents.

Adding two more mini figures to the World of Nintendo set I already own, I picked up Donkey Kong and Wario. These things are quite easy to find, making collecting all six one of the easiest things to do. Now DK has his side kick and I finally have something Wario that isn't a game. 

I was hoping I'd find the Yellow Pikmin after I picked up the Red Pikmin a while ago and sure enough, Target had one left. Now Red has someone to keep him company but they Pikmin plushies feel so incomplete without the other colors. Perhaps Nintendo will add the rest to the lineup. I already know other Pikmin color plushies exist, at least in Japan. Perhaps I'll just order those someday.

This New Super Mario Bros. Wii Mario plush is a few years old but it's only the second Mario plush I've ever bought, where as I own three different Luigi plushies. I wasn't too fond of this thing at first but since you can actually sit this one down, I find that to be a big plus. 

I love my Classic Sonic plush but I figured I could use a Modern Sonic plush as well. At 5 inches, he's smaller than I thought he'd be, but he looks quite nice and like the aforementuioned Classic Sonic, I can hang him on my wall. He's currently resting above my TV right next to the Pac-Man plush you see there, which is the smallest plushie I own. Pac-Man was also the cheapest plush I've ever picked up. Not including shipping, the little guy was only $2.87.

I picked up these plushies so I could take photos like this...

It's almost time.

Latest Purchases #74

I think I'm approaching otaku status in terms of collecting Dragon Ball manga. I already have Viz's 16 volumes of Dragon Ball and the 26 volumes of Dragon Ball Z, yet hear am I, buying the whole series all over again in the form of their Dragon Ball 3-in-1 volumes. I love the spines on these and those red covers taken from the Japanese perfect editions is just soooooo awesome. I ordered the third edition Dragon Ball 3-in-1 off of Amazon in late July but it never arrived. This is actually the second time I've ordered something off of Amazon and I haven't gotten it. Worse, this was ordered from Amazon Prime, so I'll definitely think twice before ordering from them from now on. I just went ahead and picked up book 3 along with 4 and 5 from  my Barns & Nobles. If the book ever does come in the mail (doubtful since it's been over a month), I'll just give the extra copy to a friend or something.

Wrapping up the Dragon Ball purchases is the Blu-Ray of Dragon Ball Z Kai season one. I already have all nine seasons of DBZ in the form of Funimation's orange bricks and while I do intend to pick up the Blu-Ray nine season set as well, I've been meaning to start recollecting Kai for a long time. I picked up Part seven of the DVD release about two years ago and then realized that I'd be better off just nabbing this series in season form.

It's been years since I've picked up a physical copy of an imported game. When I was writing my editorial about the printed instructional manuals being phased out, I came across scans of Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Japanses manual on Sonic Retro. I was so enthralled by it that I went looking on Amazon to see how much a Japanese copy of Sonic 2 would set me back. Much to my surprise, the cost was quite low, as in only $15 or so including shipping. This thing is in very good condition and even includes the European and Chinese instructions in addition to the Japanese manual. I'm thinking I'll pick up a Japanese copy of Sonic 1 sometime down the road and perhaps Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Batman: Assault on Arkham. There are more DC animated Batman flicks than of other DC super hero. I caught a preview of this when on the Blu-Ray of Son of Batman and I gotta say, I liked what I saw. This one looks like it's pretty bad guy-centric, which is fine with me, because Bat's rogues gallery can easily carry a comic or TV episode when written correctly. As I am in the middle of Dragon Ball season four, blogging, gaming and work, I haven't watched this thing yet.

The last water bottle I bought was in 2011 and the image of Sonic the Hedgehog has long since faded from it, sadly. Be it cartoony or serious, I'm all over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles merch. The sandwich containers is something I'll probably use for storing small things. No way I'm going to use it for what the manufacturer intended at my age.

Well, would you look at that. Books! And neither one of them Dragon Ball related. The only Alice in Wonderland things I've see are Disney's 1957 movie and the Batman: The Animated Series episode Mad as a Hatter. I've passed by this book numerous times in Barns & Nobles and I've been wanting to see just how differently the book is from Disney's film. $6.98 for a hardcover book isn't shabby at all. There's even some artwork in here.

The hardcover edition of The Fault in Our Stars is usually somewhere around $20 or so. My local Krogers had it for $13.99. I was a bit worried there wouldn't be any copies of the hardback edition left when I got paid, but sure enough, there were three sitting on the shelf.  The first time I saw this book is when I was getting checked out at fye a few months back. The praise and summerization on the back intrigued me, so I thought I'd give this one a look. I'm backed up with a ton of other books but I plan to make room for this one.

So apparently there's this whole World of Nintendo toy line going on, ranging from figures to plushies. The plushies were $7.99 in Target and I had slim pickings between a Yoshi, Toon Link and a Red Pikmin. I went with the Red Pikmin because he was the only one left, I already have Toon Link and Yoshi plushies and the thing is just so dang adorable. I always knew Pikmin would make great plush toys and the very sight of this thing sends me in daaaaw mode. I can't wait to get the remaining Pikmin colors. The mini figures were $3.99 and they nearly had the whole set of six was there for the picking. Of Diddy Kong, Ice Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, the Donkey Kong and Fire Mario appealed to me the most. I've always been a fan of Waluigi, so maybe I'll grab him  next time.