RETRO REVIEW: SUMMER ‘92 RECCA (NES, 3DS 1992, 2012) Let’s Make Life HARD.
Featured Ray Gabriel Featured Ray Gabriel

RETRO REVIEW: SUMMER ‘92 RECCA (NES, 3DS 1992, 2012) Let’s Make Life HARD.

Now that Nintendo World Championships has arrived on Switch (my overpriced deluxe set is in the mail courtesy of ebay), I thought it was time to take a look at another odd and highly elusive piece of tournament software: An extremely obscure little shooter called Summer Carnival ’92 Recca. Developed by Naxat Soft (?) for the original NES, this speedy little bastard was originally created specifically for some Japanese gaming festival you’ve never heard of back in 1992. As such, not very many copies of the actual cartridge exist and it has since become a highly sought after collector’s item for nerds. Well, it managed to make it’s way onto the 3DS virtual console back in 2012 and I of course instantly scooped it up at the time and whooo boy, this game is cray cray.

Read More
RETRO REVIEW: LUIGI’S MANSION 2: DARK MOON (3DS, 2013) ”Mario? Marrrio!!!”
Featured Ray Gabriel Featured Ray Gabriel

RETRO REVIEW: LUIGI’S MANSION 2: DARK MOON (3DS, 2013) ”Mario? Marrrio!!!”

Another in the fairly recent trend of classic Nintendo games receiving the HD remaster treatment, Luigi’s Mansion 2 (formerly subtitled Dark Moon) arrives on the Switch today. And while more games for the hybrid are always welcome, this one is a bit of a head scratcher. The 3rd installment in the spooky series arguably delivered the definitive ghost sucking experience several years back and this game was designed for the 3DS, a console who’s software for the most part remain tethered to the system (the glassless 3D effect is still impressively charming). So what gives, Nintendo? From what I understand based on initial reviews, what we’ve got here is almost 100% the same title with minimal animation upgrades and the obvious higher resolution. I can’t say that that justifies a full price repurchase from me but for anyone out there who has yet to experience it (and enjoyed part 3), it may be worth looking into.

Either way, a great game is a great game so please have a look at my review of the original release.

Read More
PODCAST: BATMAN RETURNS (1992): ”The Rob. The Ray. The Cthulhu.”
Featured Ray Gabriel Featured Ray Gabriel

PODCAST: BATMAN RETURNS (1992): ”The Rob. The Ray. The Cthulhu.”

In honor of that long awaited June 19th from way back in ‘92, please enjoy this podcast episode from the vault. Where Rob and Ray give it up for Batman Returns, our second favorite second installment in the major motion picture Bat-Franchise!

Click here to listen!

(And for even more nerdiness over Batman Returns, I give the Super Nintendo game a whirl right here)

Read More
RETRO REVIEW: JURASSIC PARK: THE VIDEO GAME (SNES, 1993) Based on The Movie Based on The Book.
Featured Ray Gabriel Featured Ray Gabriel

RETRO REVIEW: JURASSIC PARK: THE VIDEO GAME (SNES, 1993) Based on The Movie Based on The Book.

Anyone who grew up in the NES/SNES days can attest that games based on licensed properties were with very few exceptions, notoriously awful. But this never took away from their allure, an undeniable curiosity would set in begging the question: Don’t you want to play the movie? Jurassic Park was one of those titles that I never had the chance to check out during it’s 16-bit heyday, but thanks to my SNES Classic which has had a few *cough* modifications *cough*, the other night I decided to finally have a go at it. The idea was to drink a ton of beer and with the help of a gamefaqs walkthrough, attempt to complete the entire game in one sitting.

The post which you are about to read is an account of the tragedy which befell me. It is all the more tragic in that I was drunk.

Read More
BLOG: NINTENDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS “Today We’re Gonna Play Like it’s 1990.”
Featured Ray Gabriel Featured Ray Gabriel

BLOG: NINTENDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS “Today We’re Gonna Play Like it’s 1990.”

Well alright now, we’ve got the Nintendo World Championships: NES™ Edition hitting Switch this July and I’d like to share a little story of that time when yours truly competed in an actual Nintendo World Championship! The year was 2015 and by “World” Championship, really it just means that the company restricted the event to North America then threw 8 darts at a map covered in Best Buy locations. As luck would shake out, one of the stores happened to be held in San Francisco and about 10 blocks away from where I used to live. Which means? Yep. I can officially someday watch my grandchildren roll their eyes when telling them the tale of how I participated in a Nintendo tournament. Hell, I may even include it on my resume’ from now on.

Read More