Today, I’ll be taking a change of course for a bit to talk about a classic PC game, Diablo. Diablo was one of the first PC games I ever purchased with my own money. From the very first time I laid eyes on this game, I knew I would spend countless hours with it – and I did! Now, with...
Taking a break from the retro reviews for a moment, I’m going to share my thoughts on something a little more modern. Back in April, I purchased the long awaited RPG, Xenoblade Chronicles. And I am so glad I did. Most JRPGs offer pretty good storytelling in combination with a ton of content. Xenoblade Chronicles is no exception. In fact,...
Oh, Super Mario Bros. 3. How I longed to get my hands on this game as a child! I remember my first encounter with this title. I was at an open-air shopping mall in Japan when I rounded the corner and came face-to-face with a brand-new Mario 3 arcade machine. I immediately became re-obsessed with Mario (is that even a...
I still remember the day I got my first issue of Nintendo Power magazine. Not only was it MY first issue, but it was also THE first issue. Featured on the front cover of that magazine was a colorful clay sculpture of Mario and the words “Super Mario Bros. 2“. Until that moment, I had no idea that Nintendo...
It is August 22nd, 2012. Yesterday, I received in the mail, my copy of The Last Story. I couldn’t be happier. The Last Story is a Wii title that was released in Japan some time ago, but is only just now seeing the light of day here in the United States. This wouldn’t have happened without an online movement known...
Continuing on with my Super Mario series playthrough, I’m brought to the next installment in the series, Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels. This title was originally released in Japan as Super Mario Bros 2 – For Super Players. And was the original sequel to SMB. The game was intended for players who had already mastered the first Super...
Working on this blog and waxing nostalgic about old games really got me hankering to play. So tonight I decided to have a little quality time with my son by breaking out some old school Super Mario Bros. A couple years ago, I picked up the Mario 25th Anniversary disc for the Nintendo Wii. This collection is essentially nothing more...
So far I’ve written about my experiences growing up with the original 8-bit NES. But naturally, like many other kids who came of age in the 80’s and 90’s, I was also the proud owner of its successor the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The SNES was a thing of glory to behold. It boasted better graphics and better sound… I mean...
J-Pop. AKA: Japanese pop music is another interest of mine that just won’t die. In Japan, young female Japanese singers are often called “idols”. They are often made up and dressed in a completely over-the-top fashion. I’m ashamed to admit, there’s something about these magical singing/dancing pixie-girls that enthralls me. The first time I was exposed to J-pop was days...
**UPDATE** Due to my general dissatisfaction with the game, I cancelled the podcast several months after the initial launch. As mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been a lifelong fan of the Wizardry franchise. In fact, writing that post had me pining for the glory days of Wizardry again. So much so, that I began researching the upcoming Wizardry Online...