Pokemon Propitiation: Day 1
I choose you, Squirtle
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Articles
Pokemon Propitiation: Poke-Preperation
Let the Pokemoning begin
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Why I Love Wrestling: Paul Heyman
It’s all about the business
Where once there were names such as Slick Rick, Sensational (sometimes Queen) Sherri, Mr. Fuji, the Sinister Minister, the quintessential stud muffin Joel Gertner, and the legendary Bobby the Brain Heenan, today they are few and far between. The current focus in the business is on men and women who can not only go in the ring but who can also go on the mic. The Manager as a concept has somewhat fallen by the wayside. Except for Paul Heyman.
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Lost in Time: Cobra Triangle
Quite possibly the coolest boat in history
RC Pro-Am for NES was a revelation. Simple, addicting, and insanely fun, this isometric racing game was a staple for most NES owners in its day, and while it received its own sequel very late into the console’s life, the geniuses at Rare had another brilliant idea: What if, instead of RC cars, you controlled a boat with a helicopter propeller that could shoot missiles, jump over waterfalls, and slay dragons? Thus, Cobra Triangle was born.
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Coming Full Circle: How I Once Again Found Myself a Single Console Gamer, and Why I’m Okay With It.
The single console life for me…
I retired my Xbox 360 and PS3 last week, leaving me with only one game console connected to my TV. When I was a kid, this was the norm, but nowadays, having multiple consoles is almost required if you want to experience the best of what modern games have to offer. Life, however, doesn’t always agree with this philosophy, and after years of trying to keep up with everything, I’ve finally accepted the brutal truth: My parents were right. I don’t need more than one.
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Joining the Force
Nintendo Power’s legacy is a sight to behold
About 2 years ago, Nintendo Power announced that it was coming to an end, and with it, my lifelong dream of writing for them. Print magazines had been ceasing publication left and right, but even still, the announcement came as a shock. What started as a relentlessly charming glorified ad campaign for Nintendo had transformed over the years into an incredibly thoughtful, intelligent, honest, and fun magazine. It was everything print media should be, and having spent lots of time over the years collecting every single issue, I admired its evolution over the years. Its cancellation hit me hard, but as it turned out, I was not alone.
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Lost in Time: The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang
Cute vampires, delicious tomatoes, and magic hats
Vampires have taken on many forms over the years. There’s your traditional Castlevania types, your sparkly Twilight types, and even your Sesame Street Count types. In June 1994, Bullet Proof Software thought Super NES owners could use a new type of vampire: the adorable, tomato juice drinking, magic trick enthusiast type. In a market already flooded with mascot characters with names like Bubsy the Bobcat, Awesome Possum, and Aero the Acrobat, Bullet Proof Software took a chance on a little vampire prince named Spike McFang, and the SNES library is just a little more charming because of it.
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Why I Love Wrestling: CHIKARA
More than just WWE
So the thing about wrestling is that it can be many different things to many different people. Over the years, there have been an insane amount of performers from the biggest promotions in the world, like WWE and NJPW, to the smallest, your local indy show, putting on a show to entertain the fans. One somewhat overlooked aspect of professional wrestling is comedy wrestling. Comedy wrestling has a long-standing tradition of being overlooked by the bookers that run the promotions. Comedy wrestlers are often pushed down the card and not given the respect they deserve.
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Lost in Time: Blaster Master 2
Blasting again
Blaster Master for NES is awesome. With a Metroid-style open world, top notch graphics, and a fantastic soundtrack, there’s little not to love about the original Blaster Master. What most people don’t know, is just how many sequels it got. From Game Boy to PlayStation, Sunsoft has been trying to recreate the success of the original for years. Way back in 1993, while the NES was reaching the end of its days, Sunsoft wanted to make a 16-bit sequel to their flagship title. Blaster Master 2, however, wouldn’t be what fans expected.
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Lost in Time: D/Generation
Avoid the bouncing balls
Of all the video games that have slipped through the cracks over the years, Robert Cook’s D/Generation is perhaps the most unjustly obscure. This PC title from 1991 is a wonderful gem that suffered from poor marketing all around. To date, I only know 2 people besides myself that have even heard of D/Generation, and that’s shame. Featuring clever puzzles, bizarre enemy design, and some hilariously weird dialogue, it’s a mystery why more people haven’t played it.
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