Rampage (1986) - Video Game Review

I know that today most people are familiar with XBox One, Playstation 4 and the lot, but when I was a kid it was all about owning the latest awesome video game for the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System...) And you know what? There was a lot of them! 

One of these games is actually believe it or not one of the first video games I ever played on any system... And this one... Believe it or up til recently I hadn't played since I was 4 years old! That game is, Rampage (1986) by Bally Midway (a.k.a. The former, 'Midway Games'!) 

Rampage... A classic NES game that maybe as much fun on other systems, but for my money, the original will always be the best!

Now this game started off as an arcade game back in the mid 80s... For myself though, I only got to try it the one time when it was an arcade game, and the truth is, is that this game was pretty amazing in the arcade... (I would go so far as to say that this game's format for me... I think that, that was probably in the arcade!) 

Anyway, basically this game's story tells of a group of humans (in the first one it is only two humans,) who end up being mutated in to giant King-Kong & Godzillaish style monsters, and the idea is that through the game you go through city after city in the United States destroying one after another until you have essentially made a full circle through out the country, and parts of Canada! 

King-Kong anyone?

I have to say that smashing buildings to rubble is a ton of fun! 

Ok, so that maybe the best part of the game... But there are some other good stuff in this game... I mean it is easy to control, and considering how long this game is, the music and graphics are pretty fun! 

Now for the bad part... This game has about 128 levels... And where as about the first 50 levels or so are a ton of fun to play in a row... Much after that the game starts to get a little dull... 

So if you are planning on going through the game from beginning to end, you might want to spend a few days or a week on this one... But if you do, you won't regret it! 

Tweet

Video Game Of The Month: Bionic Commando (2009)

Bionic Commando (2009)... The Video Game Of The Month For A Reason!

When I first got in to playing video games, the video game system that had been really popular had been the, 'NES'... (I know, practically the stone age compared to modern systems...)

Well, there was a lot of truly fun video games out there, rather you were an RPG fan, or a side  scrolling shoot 'em game fan (There wasn't really much in the way of first person shooter games then... with the obvious exception of, 'Duck Hunt'...)

Anyway, during that time, one of my favorite video games on the NES (and still is one of my favorite games of that era was,  Bionic Commando (1988)!

This game was so much fun... I am glad they made a sequel to it!

Well I recently discovered an updated version of this game, that as it turns out is a sequel to the classic NES game... That game being: Bionic Commando (2009)!

Now I do want to review this game eventually, so all I am gonna say, is this story is amazing, the graphics are kick ass, and the game play is easy enough... Ultimately it is just awesome!

For more information, check out this trailer for the game!

Tweet

Strider (1989) - Video Game Review

Official Score = 4 Devils

This is a first for me, you know... Doing reviews for the same game on two different systems... Well it was bound to happen...

You see back in the day when the competition in the world of video games and their consoles began to finalize around just a couple of different companies and their systems (by the late 90s, and up to about the mid 1990s, it was primarily Nintendo and Sega in competition with each other,) anyway...

When the competitors in the world of video games for the 1990s, began to show themselves in the late 80s, one of the things that began to occur is that some video game companies would end up releasing the same video games on different systems, (they did this a lot in the rest of the 80s as well, but it really did not become more pronounced until roughly the late 80s and through the 90s...)

Strider is a great example of a fun game on two different systems!

And the fact is, is where as this game on the NES certainly has its differences between the NES version, and it's Genesis counterpart... I am going to have to say that, 'Strider' (1989)... Maybe the better one!

You see, I like games that are really hard to beat... Rather it is through the controls, or the story, or whatever, that is my thing, and I have to be honest and say that this game has it all... I would say that this game maybe one of the best NES games I have ever played!

A true classic!

Don't get me wrong, the Genesis version of this game was fun, it just could not compare... Although I will say that the Genesis version does have better graphics!

Battletoads (1991) - Video Game Review

Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils

In the late 80s through out the early 90s, Hollywood, rather it be in movies, or in TV series were experimenting with different concepts behind a, 'mutant'... Now in some cases, this was the more mundane form... (You know, using Toxic waste to mutate a bad guy, which will ultimately kill him... As was the case in, RoboCop 2,)

But there was another side of it that had it where a group of mutated animals are turned in to a group of crime fighters... As is the case with the, 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'... A show, that would later be turned in to a movie, as well as other forms of media...

Well during this hype, there was another cartoon that became rather famous, that was created as competition for the, 'Ninja Turtles', and that being the hardcore, 'Battletoads'...

Now these Toads may not be as popular as their Turtle counterparts, but one thing they did produce besides a fun cartoon was an equally fun video game in 1991 for the NES!

Maybe dated... But still a good one!

This game told the story of how Professor T. Bird and the three Battletoads, Rash, Zitz, and Pimple, are escorting Princess Angelica to her home planet using their spacecraft, the 'Vulture.' Pimple and Angelica decide to take a leisurely trip on Pimple's flying car. They are ambushed and captured by the Dark Queen's ship, the 'Gargantua.' Pimple sends out a distress signal to the Vulture, alerting Professor T. Bird, Rash, and Zitz that himself and Angelica had been captured. Learning that the Gargantua is hidden beneath the surface of a nearby planet called, 'Ragnarok's World,' Professor T. Bird flies Rash and Zitz there in the Vulture to rescue them.^[1]

In the end, this game was and still is a classic 2D fighting game, on par with games like, 'Street's Of Rage', 'Double Dragon' or even, 'The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', and even though this game is kind of dated, it is certainly well worth trying at least once!

Discovering The World Of Video Gamming And Their Consoles For The FirstTime... Again

Contra... A particularly violent game... Definitely one that boys enjoyed back in the day!

When I was a kid, one of the things that I discovered at a very young age (as a matter of fact, I think I may have been in either 3rd or 4th grade when I first discovered these, but till then I was still so young that I was still mostly playing with toys... That was till I discovered the world of video games!

The way this happened was... Well it was when I was in Elementary School or so... You see, one of the things that the Principle of the School let kids do on Fridays, was get off School a bit early and one of the kids would bring in one of their Video Game Consoles (back then we are talking, Nintendo... Sega Genesis... etc...) And all of us kids got to play...

Well in the end, this gave me the opportunity to dive in to the world of video games at a very young age... And I will say, that video games...  As a kid growing up, gave me loads and loads of fun, I got introduced to some very awesome video games, such as: Final Fantasy (1987), Contra (1987) as well as, Space Harrier 2 (1988), as well as so much more!

A truly classic game, and was one of the ones that I am happy to say helped me to truly enjoy the world of video games when I was a kid!

 Well... I hate to say it, but as time went on, I came to stop playing video games all together... Considering the fact that I developed a website that has to do with reviewing and blogging about video games that this might be a little odd... But it is true!

You see, I happened to be in Colorado with my wife a few years ago visiting the inlaws, and her brother (who fancies himself a bit of a, 'gammer',) introduced me to the world of the, 'XBox 360'... And well to say the least, I was hooked like I was back in the late 80s through the 90s!

Well when my wife and I got home, of course I wanted to get me an XBox 360... Couldn't do so at the time... (At the time, the XBox 360 was still a bit pricey...) The first system though I was able to dive in to was Microsoft's original, 'XBox' video game console, and the few games I was able to get my hands on when I bought the system and games from a friend of mine who was selling his!

The first, 'XBox' video game console that Microsoft released.

 The XBox 360... A video game console that was released by Microsoft, and is one of two of probably the most prolific video game consoles to have come in the 21st century!

In the end, I was able to get my XBox 360... And I have not looked backs since!

Now you might be wondering why I am writing this... Well if you are some one who has any doubt about the value of a kid's first video game system... Well let's put it this way, coming from a gammer of many years... Engaging in activities outside is important for everyone, no matter what age they are, and so... The reason that I write this, is that yes, it is a toy... But you never know... Some day your kids could do what I did, and turn their love of video games in to a worthwhile career!

Final Fantasy (1987) - Video Game Review

Official Score = 3 Devils 

When I was a kid, one of the things that I had really wanted was a video game system of my very own, I had found out about them because when I was still in school, one of the things that the Principal let us do, is they let one of the kids (who had, it seemed like most of the available video games, and systems of the mid 80s...) And so of course I really wanted one!

Well my mom wouldn't let me have one... Not sure exactly why, to much violence in video games I reckon (in the mid to late 80s, that was starting to become an issue for a lot of folks, especially when it came to their kids...)

Well to the least, my Dad ended up getting me a Nintendo (I know, I am starting to feel really old,) anyway he got that with a Basketball game that was fun, but another game that was pretty addicting to my dad when he first got it for me, and is still one of my favorite games... (Albeit more Fantasy the Science Fiction... But there is enough of that to make it count...) That game is Final Fantasy (1987)!

A classic!

Originally developed for the: Famicom, and which would later be released on the NES. MSX2, Wonderswan Color, Playstation, Gameboy Advance, various mobile phones over the years, PSP, Virtual Console as well as for the, 'Playstation Network' tells the story of how when fours warriors of light appear, each carrying orbs that kind of control the 4 elements (earth, wind, water & fire.)

Now these orbs are currently all dark, and so monsters and the like are being allowed to run rampant, and it is the mission of the Warriors Of Light to destroy the monsters, and to bring the Orbs back to life!

The fighting sequence may look a little lame... But what do you expect? I mean this game came out in 1987... And to this day is still a total blast! 

Now this game is a total blast, and I will say this, despite the fact that this game is old, it is still so good, that I myself am currently playing it on an old phone of mine that I kept just so that I could beat it!

The only problem with this game is this, the Final Fantasy series is known for the players getting in to a lot of moments when they are going to have to fight, and the first one is no different, the problem is, is this happens a little to much, to the point  where it can start to get a little irritating, and thus can make long term play a little rough!

Check it out, it maybe old, but it is fun!

Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) - Video Game Review

Official Score = 4 Devils

I am gonna call it... I think that Super Mario Bros. maybe the most prolific video game to have ever come out in the history of video games!

Don't get me wrong, there are certainly a lot of truly awesome video games out there, but this game... Which believe it or not, since, 'The first Mario game' actually came out for the. 'Atari 26000', and was just simply called, 'Mario Bros.'

This video game series has not only catapulted, 'Nintendo' and all of it's home video game consoles in to the stratosphere... And when all of Nintendo's competitors either went out of business, or stopped making video game system, since Nintendo started in the video game market (with the exception of Sony's 'Playstation series' or Microsoft's 'Xbox series'... But let's be honest here, both companies as far as video games go, are relatively recent arrivals, and shouldn't count.)

Well regardless, with Nintendo having maintained it's status as a major player in the world of video games, thanks to the, 'Mario Bros.', it is no wonder that when a lot of people think of video games, they think about, 'Super Mario Bros.'

Now where as I believe that the first, 'Super Mario Bros.' is probably the most prolific, I have to say that Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988), is probably my favorite!

Mario going through one of the levels in Super Mario Bros. 3!

The reason for this is simple... This game, which has been seeing various releases on various video game platforms since the late 80s, and all the way up to the present... A video game which tells the story about how Bowser, his children and their Koopatroopa army invade the Mushroom Kingdom and stole the wands of the various King's and using them to turn them in to animals, are one of the most inventive of the series to date!

Don't get me wrong, each Mario game in it's own right brings something to the table that just makes things better, but I found that I really liked the fact that Mario and Luigi can find various suits that give them special powers that most of the time looks like animals, (I especially like the, 'racoon' suit'!

But besides tha I also found that I really liked the fact that they also had the classics super power getting power ups (including the, 'flower' that lets you shoot fire, or the, 'star' that kills any enemy that you touch.)

Mario with one original power, and is about to grab the, 'Flower Power' in Super Mario Bros. 3!

Also I like the fact that this video game was the first video game to introduce a world map for each of the, 'zones' that you have to work your way through... It is fun, and it gives you some choices as to which level you do or don't want to play through!

The last thing that I wanted to mention here... And this may seem silly, but there are some extra games that you can play while going through the game that if you win can help you as you make your way through the game (or drive you nuts if you loose often enough!)

In the end, I have to tip my hat to the team that made this job, they did a fantastic job, and well... If by some stroke of a lack of luck, you ended up not trying this game... Do so, I doubt you will regret... I know that I don't!

Final Fantasy. An Evolution From, 'Fantasy' To, 'Sci-fi Fantasy'!

Final Fantasy 3 for the Super Nintendo (as seen above), is the first earliest example of a Final Fantasy game that has begun to make the transition from, 'Fantasy' to, 'Science Fiction/Fantasy'.

When I was younger I was one of the last people in my circle of friends to get a, 'Nintendo'... I think at least part of that maybe the fact that my Mom, (like a lot of other mom's out there,) probably thought that there was to much violence in the games that were being released, and thought it wise not to get one...

Well never-the-less, eventually I was able to get one from my Dad... So my Dad ends up picking up the video game system with one of the, 'Basketball' games that came out at the time, and a game that would be come one of my favorite video game series of all time... That game being, 'Final Fantasy.'

Now for me, I was pretty lucky, because my dad ended up playing it so much before he got it to me, that he ended up laminating the maps and the like (he did such a good job preserving these maps, that they were actually in mint condition up till an old friend of mine accidentally sold them about 10 years ago...

This game I would say is still one of the better Final Fantasy game to have ever come out!

Needless to say I was a little bit miffed about that... But it did show the importance that the game did hold, and still does hold for me... And you know what? Like most video game series, this series just kept getting better and better!

Well I can't say that entirely (I hate to say it but I never actually had the chance to play the sequel... But I did have the chance to play the third one... And hot damn was that a fun game!

You see, the first Final Fantasy game was a primarily, 'fantasy' game... And you know that was a total blast, I mean being able to fight demons and monster and big bads and all sorts of creepy crawleys... Well if you haven't tried it, then I would say do so... You won't regret it if you are a fan of ancient games!
Well when the third one came out, it was this awesome fusion of kind of both... The ancient fantasy style game that made the first one such an amazing great time, but with an added technological element, that not only made it even more exciting, but in the end, this nice fusion of both, really made it for a more epic story line!

To this day... Still a classic series!

But wait... There is more!

You see when Sony released the, 'Playstation', One of the games that was released on to this system was, 'Final Fantasy 7', and the truth is, is this game expanded on the concept of a, 'Science Fiction Fantasy' game even further!

Well, this one was a bit more Science Fiction then Fantasy, you see, in this game, you could almost see the fictionalized version of semi-modern day/futuristic cities... But with the characters that have to right the global wrong, they rely on stuff like, 'Magic', and swords and shields and what not (the stuff that made the fantasy aspect of this series so great,) but also more modern weaponry and the like!

This game is to the Sony, 'Playstation' what the first one was to Nintendo's, 'NES' and, 'Famicom'.

In the end, I hate to say it, but I haven't been in the position to play much more of these games (a situation I intend to rectify,) I mean I heard that there is potentially at least one game that brings together the heroes from the entire series together... But unfortunately I really don't know much more then that... I do hope though, they continued to use the whole, 'Sci-fi/Fantasy' aspect in more games... It was pretty fun!

Super Mario Bros 2 (1988) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="307"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Ok, so I know that this particular review is not exactly, 'horror' or, 'sci-fi' but since enough of the series fluctuates with elements of, 'sci-fi' in it, I thought that doing a review for, 'Super Mario Bros 2' (1988) would be fun!

Originally developed by Nintnedo's R&D for the NES, this game, which would be re-released at least 5 different times all over the world for video game systems that besides the, 'NES' would also include: the, 'Game Boy Advance', 'Wii', '3DS' & 'Wii U', and which also utilized the same, 'platform' format that tells the story of how, 'Mario' and his team went to a new, 'dreamland' to stop a new big bad for carrying out his nefarious deeds!

Where as it is true that the same basic 2D, 'platform' format was used in the creation of this game, this game also was the first... and as far as I know, only Mario game of it's type to utilize a system that allowed you to play as different characters (besides just Mario or Luigi...)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="618"] In, 'Super Mario Bros 2' (1988) one of the characters you got to play as is, 'Toad.'[/caption]

Another thing that this game did was that it introduced the concept of being able to not just pick things up in the game, but also to be able to pick things up and throw them at the enemy... This variation proved in my opinion to not only be a lot of fun, but with the expanded story line, I actually (and until I played this game for the first time, couldn't believe,) but all of this in my opinion had actually made this game a lot more entertaining then it's original game!

Now like most of the older games, I have to imagine that it is at least to some extent harder to find, but in the end, it is well worth trying out if you get the chance!

http://youtu.be/j_gmxAMUmV4

Video Gamming... A Next Generation Closer To The Holodeck

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="618"] The Holodeck... The next evolutionary leap in video games?[/caption]

I will admit that I am a major trekkie, and well... As a gamer going back to the days of the NES, I am still excited to see how the successive generation of video game systems seems to be bringing us closer and closer to the Holodeck!

Now for those of you who don't know what a, 'Holodeck' is... A Holodeck was a concept that was first introduced in, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', as a fully interactive, game/tool for the Enterprise crew that was created to simulate the real world in some capacity or another, using life like looking and acting holograms that were given their solidity by special created shielding.

Sounds like fun right?

Well unfortunately we aren't quite to that level yet, but we are getting closer and closer as time goes on... What I mean by that is well... Look at what has been created with the, 'Wii' and, 'Wii U' special controllers that act and give the feel more and more like you are holding a, 'gun' or a, 'tennis racket'...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="384"] A light sword controller for the Nintendo, 'Wii'.[/caption]

Or what about the XBox's, 'Kinect'... I mean I personally have not tried it yet (I made the mistake when I got my XBox 360 of not getting one of those with it,) but with it's motion sensing technology, you are pretty much controlling the avatar with out a controller at all!

In the end I guess what I am trying to say is that as a gammer, we are living in exciting times, and with each successive generation of video game consoles that are released, we are getting closer and closer to creating a real life, 'Holodeck'... And trust me, if you haven't seen Star Trek, and so haven't seen one in action, trust me when I say that the experience is one that will be well worth it when the time comes!

http://youtu.be/vZ7CGBM4JJo

Bring Blaster Master To The Big Screen

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="549"] Blaster Master was originally a video game, but would make for a great movie![/caption]

One of the biggest areas that Hollywood seems to have adequately neglected and replaceed with literally dozens upon dozens of remakes... are the movies that are based on video games... Don't get me wrong when I say that there truly are some impressive movies based on video games... There are some duds as well... But there are some truly fun ones that still need to be made!

So I am hopping that with this series, to bring awareness to Hollywood about the fact that it is not time yet for Hollywood to remake everything it has ever made... That time will come, but until then there are other avenues to exploit... And one of them being, 'movies based on video games!'

Another great example that I personally feel could be adapted to serve as both a great movie as well the classic NES video game that it already is, is the classic video game, 'Blaster Master' (1988).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Blaster Master... A great game, could be a great movie![/caption]

Now I will admit to the fact that unless you were born before about, '2000', then most people will have almost certain have forgotten about this killer game (the truth is, I hate to say it, but this game did not get a whole hell of a lot of recognition when it first came out either...)

Never the less, this video game would make an amazing movies... The reasons are as follow:

1. I think there are periods in general where, in Hollywood there is just not the right group of talent available to make a truly amazing Science Fiction movie (This may be the reason why there was literally, 'YEARS' between each of the early Alien movies...) But I think with the success of, Prometheus (2012), that, the time to strike for a Science Fiction movie, with a great cast, is now.

2. I think to really do this movie right, that up until recently the technology to make the special effects to the caliber necessary for such a great movie was not really available until recently.

3. And since the story is fairly well established in the video game, even with the usual, 'Hollywood' changes, it would be almost impossible to destroy the story for this story.

But don't take it from me, check out this clip from the video game, and lets get started with pre-production!

http://youtu.be/Wakyt-KtoBU

Blaster Master (1988) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="307"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Don't get me wrong there are ton of truly awesome games out there today, and I would even go so far as to say that at least technologically that all the games that are coming out today are far superior then the games we used to play back in the 80s & early 90s, but for my money, there is still something truly awesome about setting down to play around of, 'Mega Man', or trying your hand at, 'Space Harrier 2'  or any of the other countless classics that are floating out there today!

Now I suppose I ought to tell you guys why I am mentioning this... Well before I answer that, let me pose a question to you... Is there a video game that you played when you were a kid, that may have not particularly been the best game that was out there then, but was still so truly awesome that it was almost like... Your dirty little secret?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="580"] 'Jason' taking off for his destiny![/caption]

Well for me that game was, 'Blaster Master' (1988)... This run and gun style Sci-fi game that was developed and released by Sunsoft for the NES, told the story of Jason a boy whom after chasing his frog down a hole comes to discover basically a tank by the name of, 'Sophia The 3rd'... This tank was specifically designed to destroy mutants, so Jason ends up mounting the weaponized Vehicle and takes off after the mutants and to destroy their leader!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mutants beware![/caption]

In the end I ended up finding out about this game from a friend of mine back in the late 80s, and when I tried it at his house, I have to admit that I freakin loved it!

You see this game has (for it's day), some amazing graphics, and being able to play as both the tank and the kid is an awful lot of fun, and surprisingly easy... (A little to easy in some cases... If you don't watch out, some times after jumping on to another platform you can end up rolling off by mistake...) But the music was great, and the bad guys (both boss and regular) were a lot of fun...

I guess really my main issue is with the controls being a little to easy (like I had mentioned just above), because the truth is, is that there are moments when the movements of your guy just go out of your control...

But in the end, this game is truly a blast, and if you get a chance to try it out, I think you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/Wakyt-KtoBU

Mega Man (1987) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Video games titles often times only will end up doing one run, but some times, just some times there are particular titles that are so popular that they end up not only having their own following, but sometimes will end up becoming an awesome institution more then just a game!

A couple of great examples of this are:

1. The, 'Call Of Duty' series.

2. The, 'Final Fantasy' series.

3. And even the, 'Castlevania' series.

And that is just to name a few of the truly awesome series that are out there that kick ass... Another great example of this is the, 'Mega Man' series!

This series, which opened up in the United States for the NES by, 'Capcom'... This series which in Japan is known as, 'The Rockman' series told the tale of Dr. Wiley and his various attempts to try and take over the world, and how Dr. Light sends his robot, 'Mega Man' in to stop Dr. Wiley...

Now in this first one, Dr. Light and Dr. Wiley are working together, with Dr. Wiley as the assistant to Dr. Light... During this time Drs, Wiley and Light are building robots with the intention of helping the people of. 'Monsteropolis'... But as they are going along, Dr. Wiley ends up stealing the robots and re-programming them as their henchmen to try and take over the world!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Mega Man as he is going after, 'Ice Man' in Mega Man (1987)![/caption]

Now Dr. WIley sends out one of his other 2 remaining robots... 'Mega Man' to stop Dr. Wiley and destroy Dr. WIley's henchmen, before Dr. Wiley can destroy the world!

The truth is, is this game is fun, considering the fact that this game was for the NES, the graphics are pretty good... The problem is, is the music, albeit was pretty good, but there are times when the game slows down, and when that occurs, the music can be a little annoying, and the game play (which gets better in the future versions of the game,) is not good at all!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="319"] The Box Cover for the original North American release of, 'Mega Man',[/caption]

Regardless, for most people these days, they probably don't have NES's anymore (considering the fact that Nintendo stopped producing these systems in the early 90s, but this game has been re-released for such systems as: The Playstation, some mobile phones, etc...

Now I will be honest and say that this game is not the best of the series, and it probably is not the best to get started with the series, but in the end, it is well worth it, and if you get in to this series, then I think that you might in the end get in to this one as well!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnGfx0dfi7g&w=420&h=315]

 

 

Dr. Wiley Vs. Dr. Robotnik: Who's Better?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Dr. Wiley Vs. Dr. Robotnik... Who is better?[/caption]

In this next phase in the, 'Who's Better' series, I thought that I would expand beyond movies, and start off the new phase of this with doing 2 classic video game characters from a couple of video game series of yore, and that is, 'Dr. WIley' from the, 'Mega Man' series and, 'Dr. Robotnik' from the, 'Sonic The Hedgehog' series...

Now you might be wondering why I am mentioning these 2 villains... I mean after all Dr. Robotnik and Dr. Wiley are both from 2 different series that have mostly to do with 2 different heroes (one being a robot, and the other being a hedgehog)... Well simply put, they both have to do with evil mad scientists that create robots in an effort to try to take over their respective worlds! For Dr. Wiley, he just builds straight robots, and Dr. Robotnik has captured Sonic's friends and defends the capsules that he has captured them in using robots!

Now for what is great about Dr. Wiley:

1. I have to admit that the Robots that he builds are pretty cool!

2. I also have to admit that I do like that the look as being more like an animated human then an actual robot is pretty cool as well!

3, I also like the overall story line of how Dr. Wiley became the mad scientist that he is!

The bad parts about Dr. Wiley:

1. Primarily the fact that despite the fact the robots that he obviously creates, and the bosses that you play are from him, the only problem when you play him as the final boss at the end of most of the games, just is not as cool as the bosses that you play before hand!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Mega Man Vs. Dr. Wiley![/caption]

Now as for the good things about Dr. Robotnik:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Dr. Robotnik battling Sonic![/caption]

1. You know the levels that you play in Sonic the Hedgehog you would assume the bad guys that you fight you would assume are the same robots that are being sent by Dr. Robotnik, and those are usually pretty fun!

2. Robotnik himself is usually a fun bad guy to do battle with at the end of the game!

As for the bad side of Dr. Robotnik:

1. Oddly enough, the characters in Sonic The Hedgehog are pretty well created... Except for Dr. Robotnik...

2. And as for the bosses at the end of each level, they just aren't as much fun!

In the end, you would have to make up your own mind, but for me I have to admit that my favorite is Dr.Wiley!

http://youtu.be/hpqaE22S6hw

http://youtu.be/5A54A2OoNoo

Contra (1987) - Video Game Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="300"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

If you were born in the 80s or earlier then I am sure that you will remember playing classic NES games such as, 'Mega Man', 'Super Mario Bros.', etc... Well obviously the graphics in those old games by consideration of how far they have come with in the last 30 years would be considered to be crap... but back then I have to say that they were pretty exceptional!

But besides that there is another side to these old video games that has been to some degree lost in translation... And that is the 2D side view that all of these old video games had... Now don't get me wrong the more standard these day games that are getting closer and closer to playing movies is cool and all, but there was something to playing 2D side view games that were just truly spectacular and  you know what, Contra (1987) is definitely one of them!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The first player fighting one of the bosses![/caption]

Created by Konami on February 20th 1987, for  in this video game you control 1 of 2 Commandos as they are go from level to level fighting soldiers of the, 'Red Falcon Organization' and the various bosses that are in control of these areas! In Japan where this, 'run & gun' game is called, 'Kontra' the game takes place in the year 2633 on a ficitional archpalego near New Zealand!

In truth this game (which was called, Gryzor in Europe) was an awesome great time, as you go from level to level fighting off more and more bad guys, the levels get harder and harder and the bosses get harder and harder, and even though some times you might die a few hundred times and get frustrated, you end up continuing to play because... In the end I found that no matter how many times I died in the game, I just had to win!

Another thing  that I thought that I would mention here is that the game play on the NES is real smooth and not hard to figure out... And as a side note, this game is actually the first one that I found secrets in!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The game play for, 'Contra' on the NES is real smooth![/caption]

And the last thing that I have to say that was really truly awesome about this game is the music, considering that it is computer generated, was actually a lot of fun.... So much so, that if there was a sound track available it would be worth checking out!

http://youtu.be/uzQKF9LUQ90