On October 18, 1985, the Nintendo Entertainment System was launched in the US. Among the 18 games released alongside it was Kung Fu. A rather unassuming title, Kung Fu has an intriguing history behind it. It started as an arcade game from Irem called Kung-Fu Master and was intended to be based on the movie Game of Death- Bruce Lee’s final film before he died. Later in the course of development, the story and characters were changed to become a tie-in to the Jackie Chan film Spartan X (aka Wheels on Meals). Most noteworthy about the game was its genre-defining gameplay elements that are considered by many to be the first example of what would come to be known as a beat ‘em up.
So here I am on Saturday morning typing up what usually is a Friday blog because I got lazy on Friday. Actually I started the blog but then I got caught up in other important business (I went to pick up some Mexican Food for breakfast) and then went about my day without updating you good people. Anyways let’s get started.
These are my water element Skylanders from the SuperChargers game.
Welcome back to a traditional episode of Nerds Without Pants…FINALLY! We’re back at it this week, with all your favorite segments: Stage Select, Consumption Junction, and Chrono Crossing. We even have all three Pantsless Ones on this show, so let’s get into it, shall we?
We had an Apple/Macintosh growing up. Some of my first memories of gaming were on an Apple II... My point is that I did not grow up with DOOM or Duke Nukem or Quake. Marathon was the FPS that I knew and enjoyed. I also played a lot of Descent, but that is a different kind of FPS.
I got very little done gaming wise all week. I collected my Miis by stopping at McDonalds. Most of the time it worked but today I got nothing from going there. I discovered the chicken snack wrap as a good alternative to those dollar cheeseburgers I usually get (I always have to buy something even though I’m only there for the Spot Pass). I finished Find Mii II and started over again. I noticed there is a Secret Quest you can choose from the menu the second time around, so I did that. I think it just added another path on the map screen. I’m almost finished the Fire Emblem Awakening 3D picture in Puzzle Swap. I’m going to do the Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon one next.
Starting something a little bit new here. On Sundays I'm going to write up what I did all week, my work week being Tuesday to Saturday, and then on Monday nights do my weekend, Sunday/Monday.
Duke Nukem 64 must have put up decent sales numbers or something, as here we have what was a brand-new Duke Nukem title created exclusively for the Nintendo 64. Changing perspective from first-person to third-person, Zero Hour more closely follows the gameplay conventions of the PlayStation games than its Nintendo 64 predecessor. Although I prefer first-person to third-person, this game is still a solid adventure that spans many time periods, though its multiplayer mode switches to first-person for its frantic action.
Following in the footsteps of the likes of DooM and Quake, the PC release of Duke Nukem 3D offered similar alien-busting action with an added layer of raunch, swears, and spoofs. The Nintendo 64 version of the title brings with it a few additional features and levels, but at the same time heavily censors the content. Removing most of the personality from a game that sold itself on its attitude and mature themes results in a bit of a dull shooter, as its design leaves something to be desired.
So Crash was at the height of his popularity and Naughty Dog did the only logical thing: Stick him in a cart racer. And boy did they succeed on this one. CTR kicks every Mario Kart game's butt, with the possible exception of Double Dash (mainly because that one was so different that you could easily prefer what it did over what standard cart racers do). Why it kicks so much
I will try my best to play through this game. I am glad it is free because I would never have wasted my money on this piece of crap. Really, the game starts out with him nude, which verified my stereotype of Male stripper with daddy issues.... The art style is sub-par and minimal at best, although I do enjoy the music during the first chapter. Will I enjoy the rest of the game? maybe not but hey, like I said it was free.
The Wonderful 101 is at times a normal action/adventure brawler that is typical of Platinum Games, with an over-the-top sense of humor to boot. On the other hand, The Wonderful 101 is a deep action game with a unique battle system that brings about a sense of joy and discovery, alongside intense action from the bygone era of the SNES. It is, right now, one of the most unique Wii U games in retail, but it is not a game that holds your hand. Instead it will stomp on your hand and make fun of you; chances are you probably deserve it.
It’s been a long, hazardous road from Saints Row the Third to the fourth entry in the series. As Volition began work on a final (and massive) piece of DLC for the third game, THQ was collapsing around it. Realizing that Saints Row was one of the company’s last best chances for survival, then-CEO Jason Rubin got the team working on a proper Saints Row sequel, using the DLC as a springboard for the new game. While this news rubbed some fans the wrong way, it seemed like it wouldn’t matter, as THQ indeed shut down, its major IPs and studios sold off to the highest bidders. Thankfully, Volition survived intact, and from what I’ve seen of Saints Row IV, fans have a lot to look forward to.