Today, Jay and I were talking about classic Sega games we played as kids.
For some reason, I instantly remembered Awesome Possum; probably the worst game ever. You play as an environmentalist possum trying to clean up garbage while avoiding robots with chainsaws. All you can do is jump….you don’t even have any attacks!
Despite it’s shortcomings, it sported an unforgettable start screen that lies close to my heart.
The craziest thing is that Jay already had it on his laptop…..
-ZF
No wonder my mom didn’t like me playing these games….
I used to put in the blood code when I played MK1 on Genesis.
So much better.
-ZF
So I was on Twitter earlier today when I came across a post submitted by @gvoakes. It’s hands down, the YouTube video of the day :) I must admit tho, during the first 30 seconds I was a bit skeptical thinking some dude was sitting behind the camera controlling game, but then the 360 drops…. Check it!
ps. I love how when I checked this out earlier today it only had 139 views or so, now it’s past 10,000… Is this dog destined for YouTube stardom?
-AD
Okay Okay, so for those who don’t know, I am OBSESSED with video games. I’ve been studying EGM and Gamepro since my parents graced me with Mario/Duck Hunt for my 5th Bday, and I pride myself with secretly knowing the ins and outs of the videogame industry. If I didn’t love music so much, I would probably work for a gaming company. Infact, when I was 15, I showed up on Bioware’s doorstep in Edmonton and asked for a job.
That said, when Playstation first came out, I was a H8ER! I had an N64, and my loyalty to Nintendo blinded me from the mad amount of dope games that Sony was rocking at the time. That all changed when my best friend Nathan got a PS1 for his Bday and I played a demo od PARAPPA THA RAPPA.
This suddenly changed my world….and keep in mind, it was only a demo. The other game his parents bought was Coolboarders 2, which at the time was pretty cool, but now….not so much.
SO, for my upcoming bday, I pursuaded my Dad to buy me a PS1. HE DID, and showed up with a brand new wrapped copy of Crash Bandicoot.
FUCK THAT SHIT – That game is LAME.
I promptly returned to the store and purchased a double disced copy of a game that would shape and change my young adolescents. Resident Evil 2.
THIS GAME WAS (IS) CRAZY!
Nathan and I had (reluctantly) played Resident Evil 1 for the first time ever only a couple weeks prior and this game had JUST HIT THE SHELVES.
Better Graphics! New Locations! Scarier monsters!
This was what Resident Evil was all about, and benchmarked a completely new gaming experience for the survival horror genre. This game was ACTUALLY SCARY to play…well, I was like 13 or 14, but still.
During that summer, we brought the PS1 to Nathan’s lake cabin in Saskatchewan and played this game at night.
I’m attaching a couple you tube vids of the lead up to the final boss in the game. I distinctly remember finally beating him shortly after midnight. All the lights were turned out as Nathan, Chris and I were glued to the television….
Isn’t it funny how whenever you go to a new location, it switches to the door opening screen (to load the next level)? I thought it created suspense at the time, but it was probably just implemented because of technical limitations…ANYWAY – Here is a vid depicting the FINAL BOSS. Skip to the 6:00 minute mark to watch it all go down.
Whoever is playing knows what’s up, but it’s kinda cheap that he has an unlimited rocket launcher. It was mos def not that easy when I played it, and fighting zombies on fixed camera angles is a bitch…whatevs….I’ll always love you Resident Evil 2.
-ZF
Alright… normally I wouldn’t be looking for an excuse to spend more time parked in front of a computer, but amidst all the audio/video editing I’ve been doing lately, I developed the desire to do something ‘fun’ – gaming! I generally avoid this urge (I get addicted way to fast), but my PC got the best of me ….how you ask? Well, I installed a 2 year old game called STALKER – Shadow of Chernobyl that I had laying around annndddd big surprise … I couldn’t stop playing it til I’d beat it every possible way (thankfully it’s now out of my system… time to catch up on sleep!)…
Obviously, STALKER isn’t the most amazing 1st person shooter out there (tons of bugs to report, stagnant AI, etc), but I still dug the missions and I’m big-time into the story… For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, the game is based in the area (Zone) around Chernobyl (most famous for the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster)… The game is modeled on the actual area and is super creepy … radiated and abandoned apartments, schools, vehicles, zombies, mutated animals, and every man for themselves… Anyways, here’s a few images from the game as well as the real town for comparison… *sigh* I’m over it, back to real work now …. -AD
Oh! By the way, for anyone that’s interested in Chernobyl in general, I found an amazing blog post about it with photos – this dude traveled through there recently and snapped some eerry shots. Check it at http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2007/02/02/nuclear-winter-in-chernobyl/
Mario Paint is quite possibly the most amazing thing that has ever been made. Not only did it include the first mouse peripheral for the SNES (EVER), but it had programming features that rivaled recording software of now (PRO=TOOLS/LOGIC)
You could do ANYTHING with Mario Paint. With it’s state of the art interface, sound sample libraries, and execution, you could CHANGE THE WORLD (via Eric Clapton after his son died)
The game featured specialized drum and keyboard tones that EVEN AT PRESENT TIMES are seemingly TOO DIFFICULT to replicated by any MODERN INSTRUMENTS.
It made you FEEL.
This game turned the ordinary to the EXTRAORDINARY.
Suddenly, classic music had a new updated and FRESH SOUND. It single handedly brought classics like “THRILLER” to the mainstream!
Check out this clip of a Mario Paint Re-working of The Radiohead calssic “Paranoid Android”.
BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL?
You even had mini games like “FLY SWATTER”. Whoa.
MASTER OF PUPPETS ANYONE?
(Lars looks like a larger 12 year old)
MARIO PAINT GIVES 90′S CLASSICS LIKE HADDAWAY AN UPDATED SOUND AND FEEL.
It’s obvious to anyone with ears that Mario Paint has inspired such contemporary favorites as LADY GAGA
MEN AT WORK
TAYLOR SWIFT
and ROD STEWART
Mario Paint is truly an incredible achievement in and a leap forward in human technology. The people at Nintendo have proven themselves time and time again that they are on the forefront of technology. THANK YOU NINTENDO.
-ZF