It’s difficult to have a discussion about retro JRPGs without someone mentioning Secret of Mana. This game has long been heralded as one of the most critically acclaimed 16-bit era RPG titles. But despite all of the hype, it’s one game that I never managed to check out during it’s heyday. That being said, it’s also not a game that...
It seems that the age of retro game collections is upon us! In recent months and years, we’ve seen compilations for Mega Man, Castlevania, Street Fighter, and Contra. Most recently, and especially exciting for me, is the Collection of Mana. This bundle includes the first three “Mana” RPGs; Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana, and never before available in the west,...
To those of you who happen to find this article on the day it was originally posted; Happy Father’s Day! To the majority of you who will read it at some point in the future, it was originally posted on Father’s Day 2019. Why is this significant? Well, as I mentioned in my recent review of the original Street Fighter,...
This is a game that I’ve wanted to review for a very long time. Years ago, when I played through the bulk of my Super NES backlog, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island was one of the titles on my to-do list. However, at the time, I did not own a physical copy, nor was it available on the Virtual...
Back in the fall, I made a post where I discussed the best way to experience classic NES games. My suggestion, of course, was the NES Classic console. In case you’re not familiar, the NES Classic is a modern plug-and-play style system, designed by Nintendo themselves. The system comes pre-loaded with a number of classic titles, all ready to play...
After a several weeks of intense SNES RPG action, I decided to take a step back and relax with something a bit simpler. I was browsing thru my Virtual Console library and came across a game that I purchased a couple years ago, but never actually played. That’s right, Super Punch-Out! is a classic SNES title, but one that I...
Here we are with the third and last Final Fantasy title in the 16-bit era, Final Fantasy VI. This game also marks the end of the “number confusion” debacle. Originally released in the US as “Final Fantasy 3“, this was the west’s second taste of 16-bit FF glory. These days, there’s a few options for the people looking to play...
Onward with the 16-bit Final Fantasy playthrough, we have one of the more obscure entries in the early series, Final Fantasy V. Again, this is another title that was not available in the US upon its original release. Released in 1992, North American players did not get a taste of the game until 1999 when the title was bundled together with...
I have spent the last week continuing my retro playthrough with two excellent Zelda titles. This first review is for the SNES classic, A Link to the Past. This was the game that finally brought the story of Zelda and Link to the 16-bit era. But not without ruffling a few feathers and causing some mass confusion among fans. In...
With the release of the Super Nintendo came the delivery of another entry in the Mario series; the fabled Super Mario World. Considered by many to the ultimate Super Mario experience, this game took everything that was great about the previous titles and combined into a 16-bit powerhouse of a game. This game features the classic platforming elements expected from...