Games Beaten

Recent reviews I’ve written over at GamerDad.com are blooming, so please click on the links below and read as many as you can and maybe post a ‘like’ or comment or two.  I’d appreciate it.  OK let’s begin!

It’s the end of the year so you know what that means?  It’s time for my “Best Games of 2022 Awards Show!”  Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed.  And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet.  Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!

Every time I start up the Xbox I first check for any rewards points I can get by watching videos or playing certain games. This leads me to try a lot of stuff and sometimes find a new favorite. Here's what I played recently before long sessions of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. 

Around this time of year, I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten.  So here’s when those games get their due.  Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed.  And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet.  Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!

In the late 80s, I started seeing Tetris in computer stores. Created by Russian engineer Alexey Pajitnov while in the employ of the Soviet state agency Elektronorgtechnica (ELORG), the first version of Tetris to hit the US was published by Spectrum Holobyte for the Mac, under license from ELORG. As such, Pajitnov never saw a penny of royalties, these going straight to the Soviet government (he finally gained legal rights, and therefore royalties, to his creation in 1995, after the USSR collapsed and Pajitnov himself had moved to the United States.) A rather bare-bones version of the game, it nevertheless set the standard for the series going forward, including copious Russian imagery and music. It was kind of interesting seeing this blatanty Russian game in computer stores, it being five years since the infamous Able Archer 83 incident and two years since Gorbachev instituted the glasnost policy. 

Over the years, there have been many different types of cartridge software released. Where music and video media (eventually) became standardized, each game system had its own form of storage media. In addition to carrying interchangeable game software, companies tended to make the design and appearance of the cartridges themselves distinctive as a marketing gimmick. Most of us have memories of having game cartridges in boxes, not to mention blowing on the edge connectors when our games glitched out. So here's a brief overview of various game cartridges throughout history. This is not an exhaustive list.

Last time we looked at the arcade cabinet shaped NEO GEO Mini, which has a total of 40 games!  That’s enough to split this blog series into two parts, so here’s the second part with the rest of the games on this mini console. 

When I was a kid, (well, early teen I guess), game maker SNK came out with a console called the NEO GEO.  The games on it were arcade perfect, which was amazing, but not really when you consider the cartridges were the same being used in the NEO GEO arcade machines that let you choose which games to play.  The only downside was the home console was EXPENSIVE!  The console itself cost more than 700 bucks, and each game was over 100 dollars!  I didn’t know ANYONE back then who owned a NEO GEO!  That’s why when I see a NEO GEO collection now for cheap, I feel compelled to buy it.  It’s like retribution.  Take that, SNK!  I can afford your stuff now!  So the fad in the past few years is to make mini game consoles with games already included on them.  They’ve done it with the NES, SNES, SEGA Genesis, TG-16, and more.  And now they’re doing it with the NEO GEO!  But this one is different!  Instead of being shaped like a tiny NEO GEO, it’s made to look like a little arcade machine!  You can even play the games on a small screen, so it’s portable, too!  But you can also hook it up to a big TV!  I got one at a reasonable price, so let’s take a look at it!

If you live anywhere in the northeastern United States like me, your space is likely being invaded by the periodical cicada brood this time of year. After experiencing the terror of having one smack me in the eye the other day, I realized that these critters share some interesting commonalities with the insects in the arcade classic Galaxian. They’re red-eyed, noisy in groups, and will eagerly dive-bomb you as if “Ride of the Valkyries” were blasting in the background. If you told me cicadas were the inspiration behind this game, I’d totally believe you.

This was the demo disc for the March 2002 issue of The Official Xbox Magazine. It has demos, trailers, a behind-the-scenes video, tv ads, and gameplay highlights. I find it a cool trip down memory lane to watch these things again. Here are some more details.. 

St. Patrick’s Day is coming soon, so Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  And it’s your lucky day, too, as I have more links to reviews I’ve written recently over at GamerDad.com.  Please click on the links and read as many as you can, and maybe even post a ‘like’ or comment or two. I’d appreciate it.  OK, let’s begin!

Recently I reviewed Gals Fighters, one of the best games on the NEO GEO Pocket Color.  I loved that little handheld, and I’m glad they ported this game to the Switch!  It took a more silly, lighthearted tone.  Female fighters from other SNK series compete in the Q.O.F. (Queen of Fighters) tournament to win a talisman that grants any wish.   But the stories they gave to each of the characters and their wishes are pretty silly, and since I like talking about silly fighting game characters, I thought I’d make a separate blog about them! 

The arcades were my first gaming experiences, and I've alwasy had a soft spot for the arcade classics. Thanks to Atari, Namco, and the Arcade Archives series, my Nintendo Switch looks like the arcade of my fever dreams. But I've always enjoyed the look and feel of arcade cabinets. When I was a kid in Arizona, the local Ak-Chin commissary always had arcade cabinets like Dig-Dug, Donkey Kong, and Ms. Pac-Man, plus arcades were at grocery stores, movie theaters, travel plazas, and of course, shopping malls. 

Good morning Pixlpeeps! Hey I’m typing away in the morning, I haven’t done that in a couple of days. It’s a breezy Southern California day and while I am waiting for my Brita Water Pitcher to clean some water I thought we would do our usual and catch up…from a safe distance.

Games of the Decade #8/Blog a Day #23

For a while there, I had forgotten about being able to save video and screen shots on Xbox. I'm back at it though. Here are a few recent ones. 

Merry Christmas everyone!  It’s time once again for my annual Pretend Christmas Present Party!  Here’s how it works: in the comments section, you give me a pretend Christmas present.  It can be whatever you can imagine.  It’s the thought that counts…literally!  Then when I reply, I’ll give you a pretend present as well!  It’s fun when it’s fun.  Also, I have some more presents for you!  New game reviews I’ve recently written at GamerDad.com!  Just what you always wanted, right?  Anyway, please click on the links and read as many as you can, and maybe post a ‘like’ or comment or two.  I’d really appreciate it, and seriously, doing those things is just as good as any old present you could give.  So let’s get started!

Well it looks like Nintendo's handheld systems are ending. With the announcement of the Switch Lite and no new games for the 3DS, I'm afraid that we are nearing the end of an era. So, I have decided to take a look back and see what made them so great, pick out my favorite games for each system, and pay some respects to all the great memories I have had with them.

19 BaD days remain....