juliobrand

So sad to hear about his passing. His work / personality truly shaped so many of our favorite games, and for me, Devil’s Third, warts and all, was an absolute blast. It was somewhat predictable but somehow uniquely his, and that's something I'll always appreciate.

Rest in peace, Itagaki-san. Your legacy will definitely live on in the games you created and the memories we have of them. Thanks for the wild ride from the Tecmo days and beyond. 🤘🎮🔥

@Chocobo_Shepherd
I got your back, true believer!
The version of Nova with flowing red hair is Richard Rider from the 90s, specifically during the early New Warriors era and his solo adventures. This long hair craze became standard especially in some of the 90s runs (even The Punisher got a ponytail for a while). As for Captain Marvel with the sword, it's Phylla-Vell, who took up the Captain Marvel mantle in the Annihilation storyline (2006). She was created by Peter David during his Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) run in the early 2000's. Um... 'Nuff said. Excelsior and stuff.

Jeez, Europe! What have you done to Capcom to be dissed like you've been? Killed their Rush or something?

Oh yeah? Where's my Disney Afternoon Collection physical copy then? While you're at it what about making it available to Switch as well? grumble grumble

Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a pretty tight metroidvania that has perfect gameplay and length too imho. It felt like a Symphony of the Night abridged version. On the other hand, as much as still love it, The Messenger could've had some of its fat trimmed, especially on its "second half".

'sigh'... I'll just share what everyone is thinking right now - Wii U version when?
/s

Nice list! Personally, I think the Sonic Superstars ''reversed" cover looks better though.

Happy holidays, everyone!

All right! Gaiden and now this. More Double Dragon is always good I suppose. (Kind of a big middle finger up in the faces of the ones who bought DD IV as a stand-alone release though). No DD Zeebo hurts this too. Wasted opportunity to finally get this version out of the virtual limbo set by Tec Toy. Oh well, it will be nice to go "punch punch, (move in a little) and uppercut / kick" in DD Advance once again.

Edit: I just realized these are not the arcade versions for I-II-III but rather the NES ones (already part of the Kunio-Kun bundle) making it a DD Nintendo collection (lacking V / DD and Battletoads) with IV. This is just lazy! (Abo)booooo!

@Eel

This is one that I'll keep my time waiting for a physical release (hopefully a retail one). Having loved (and owned) their previous work on Oniken, Odallus and Blazing Chrome, this is one Brazil I can be proud of. (I'd love to see them tackle on a beat'em up in the future). ✌️🇧🇷

Don't think you can extend, just comprehend

The Wii version of The Simpsons Game is perhaps the closest a video game has come to replicating an episode of the TV show it's based on.

Um... I'm afraid (even though later) South Park did it!

@Truegamer79 😆😆 Thanks! But I wouldn't call myself an expert - more like an avid fan of the sons of Stan. (Because they're the Lee brothers, get it? Blame Marvel for this one). 😅

@AstroTheGamosian your guess is as good as mine. But I remember reading a while ago that the problem was basically 'money'. 😅

https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/10/18/monolith-soft-says-a-xenoblade-chronicles-x-switch-port-would-be-too-expensive

@Truegamer79
The life and times of Marian in the Double Dragon games can get a bit convoluted (but maybe not as much as the first game conundrum as it's spoiled on the pages of the NES instruction manual that your brother and guy that has been fighting beside you, Jimmy, is the Shadow Boss!)

Anyway, in DD 2 - The Revenge, Marian is killed right at the beginning of the game. In the arcade version Marian remained dead in the end. However, the NES home port changed this as she is resurrected by an angel once you beat the game.

In the western localization of the NES version of Double Dragon III, Marian was turned into the final boss, who had been possessed by the spirit of an ancient Egyptian queen called Noiram (that is, "Marion", a misspelling of her name (think Bimmy 😅), spelled backwards). Although in both the original arcade game and its Japanese versions, the final boss is the queen Cleopatra herself. Marian is nowhere to be found here. She was also possessed in Double Dragon Neon.

Finally, she'd also appeared as a playable fighter in the vs fighting game Double Dragon for the Neo Geo, allegedly based on Alyssa Milano's appearance in the live-action movie. (This game was also ported for the PS1 but only in Japan).

@Teksetter
You got it!

Oof! Sorry for the wall of text, folks! I'm kind of a wordy Lee Brothers aficionado!

@Dualmask
She's easy to miss in the first RCG for two (three?) reasons - first, she's only found running a shop in one of the game’s secret areas; and second, here she looks different enough (already glowed up and all) from her previous DD designs and no one refers to her by name. Eventually, it was confirmed by the game developers to be indeed Marian.

@AlanaHagues
No worries! It was my pleasure.

@AstroTheGamosian
@Tounushi
@AlanaHagues

Long story short - Double Dragon's development was led by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, and it was supposed to be a direct sequel to the first Kunio game - Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (1986), released as 'Renegade' to western audiences, but it was turned into a spiritual successor, as Kishimoto was asked by the company's higher-ups to design a more appealing art style to international audiences.

This 2012's Polygon article / interview is a fun and informative read on the matter and more:

https://www.polygon.com/2012/10/12/3495124/the-man-who-created-double-dragon

@Mario500

Here comes a new challenger (SNES port by using MSU-1 chip) 😅 😅 😅

@dartmonkey
Besides Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) for the GBA (there was even a double pack with its sequel TMNT 2: Battle Nexus), you've forgotten to add Ubisoft 's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack (2009) for the NDS to the list as well.

@StuartGipp well (or should I say shell?) played, sir! 😅

(And TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled was only available for the HD twins).

@Magrane I'm afraid TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled was only available for the XBOX 360 and PS3, not Wii. I suppose that the absence was due to the strict WiiWare file size limit (40MB).

https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles:_Turtles_in_Time_Re-Shelled

@Paulo Not really, imho. It's kinda a just thrown together and sloppy co-op online only button mash fest, albeit with some nice cel shaded graphics. Similar to their Legend of Korra game, Platinum Games fell into the Activision licensed game well here too. It's like they didn't really try with it. Gameplay is repetitive and boring. It feels like they just slapped the TMNT brand on a lazy and uninspired generic brawler and called it a day.

Hella cool article! But you seem to have forgotten the rather underwhelming Ubisoft era side-scrolling beat-em-up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack.

https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles:_Arcade_Attack

Probably this will get lost in the comments, but I'm genuinely curious to know how many there are out there with working Wii Us... I was a kind of an early adopter and my 2013 32 GB New Super Mario Bros. bundle just out of the blue got the dreaded 160-0103 error. I still can access the main hub after turning it on but everything else, including system settings, is blocked away by a black screen that says there is a problem with the system memory. Looking up online this is an unfixable Wii U issue. Some units will have it others won't.

Joy-con drifting aside (which I've got a couple and also the tearing of the circuit strip thingy responsible for the LEDs and ZL an ZR buttons which don't get enough mention imho) it's amazing how some Nintendo products have dropped in quality and durability. On one hand, my official Playtronic (Brazilian company licensed by Nintendo) NES made in Brazil which I bought in '94, my NTSC SNES from '96, my GBC from 2001 all are still up and running. (Non-Nintendo products too, the same goes for all the Tec Toy Sega stuff I have around ('91 Mega Drive, '93 Master System, '95 Sega CD, '98 Saturn). Whereas my 2008 DS lite already got screen burn-in, My 2016 New N3DS keeps randomly turning on and off and my aforementioned Wii U is a brick. Nothing lasts forever but it's such a bummer.

(Inb4 someone says that I don't take proper TLC with my stuff because I do too, ok?)

Have a great day y'all!

More like poppycock!

Being a late 80's early 90's gamer kid in Brazil meant (at least for me) having a Sega Tec Toy Master System 2 with Alex Kidd in Miracle World built in. But growing up, it amazed me how hard it tried to be an "anti-mario" of sorts. Right on the first screen, you went from top to bottom, instead of scrolling left to right, any money Alex collected could be used to purchase items, you could use different vehicles from stage 2 and on, and there was also a map, selectable power-ups, levels and environment all seemed varied... even the action-jump buttons were switched. I have fond memories of it. But I hated the "Jankenpon" trial and error. It felt so well... Janky. It always bothered me. I wondered why it couldn't just be a harmless pre-boss bonus point round thingy (remember when scores did matter?) and from there a proper fight would ensue no matter what every time. It was the biggest staple I wish they had addressed in this remake tbh.

@ShadJV Um... Actually Carol Danvers was the first Ms. Marvel ever. Later her powers (and even memories) were drained and stolen by Rogue (before becoming part of the X-men). Besides Danvers, two other characters would hold the Ms. Marvel moniker before Kamala Khan.

I'm still blue. I only have a Wii U

Just like Sonic, huh? Guess Genesis does what Nintendid.

You guys should really find a new picture for these articles.

Also, why don't they wait until the end of January for the closing?Aren't people around the world still on vacation during this time?

I went there for the first (and only time) last year and same as @dkxcalibur I got a little disappointed. Also, everything was a bit pricey imho. I was going to give the store a second chance though as I'm going to NYC again and buy at least some amiibos but it will be closed during my stay. This and Toys r'us Times Square shutting down for good make me a sad panda .

@Grumblevolcano maybe you're giving too much thought into it.

Didn't know this was a Sega Saturn game. Shame on me! Thought this was only available in arcades in Japan. Well, I've still got and play the Master System version a lot (a Game Gear port) released only in Brazil, I guess.

@Souldin Nice! I'm glad then. Have a great weekend!

@Souldin I do apologize, mate. I was just messing around. You're always so thorough and grammatically acurate in your answers/comments that I find it really amusing to read them. (Also I don't mean to offend or belittle you by calling your comments 'amusing', all right?) Cheers!

@Souldin you must be a hoot at parties...

@Aromaiden Can't you buy them separately around there? That's what I do here whenever a "junk food collection" gets my interest.

No love for Luigi. It's the same toy from the past collection (at least around here). The same goes for Peach. I don't know... I'm kinda not feeling this one. Oh, well...

@readyletsgo good suggestion so here's hoping at @Damo or @ThomasBW84 or/and others from NL staff.

And I'll keep my eyes open for the MD 4.

@readyletsgo only with scalpers at the moment, I'm afraid. But I'll let you know if anything comes up.

@readyletsgo Oh yeah!

Edit: Well, at least it was still about Nintendo as we talked about Master Syste... Oh... right.
Edit 2: This MD looks like an alarm clock!

@readyletsgo I know, right?
Thanks for the links. It was good to know we aren´t so different in terms of retro gaming availability. I believe only the one in the first link wasn´t made here in Brazil. We had a Guitar He*ahem "Guitar Idol" version. I kid you not:

And if you want to upload pics in the future go with this:
[i m g ]url of the picture on the net[/ i m g] (all of it together, no spaces)

@readyletsgo The only downside of the "new" Master Systems here is the lack of the cartridge slot. The console itself is well built and their controllers are sturdy constructed and responsive. Plus their cable length is good and slightly longer than most controllers. Too bad the last model revision killed the slot. Here's a picture if you're curious (is it the same one over there?):

@readyletsgo I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. Thanks!
See, in part, Sega never really left us - their representation here (a company called TecToy) still releases new Master System and Mega Drive console versions (or revisions, if you will). They are are official releases but there's a catch: they don´t come with a cartridge slot anymore - only games in their memory are playable (the last model has 132 in it - with some Sonic, Alex Kidd, other classics and shovelware as wordsearch games). The consoles themselves are sturdy and sort of cheap - they're sold at most $40/£25 but it's often for less than that. They're really easy to find at least where I live. I take it as a good introductory old-school console for kids or some trip down memory lane.

@FragRed These Master Systems are official releases but they don´t have a cartridge slot so they only come with games in their memory (the last model has 132 in it - some Sonic and Alex Kidd ones and other classics but also a lot of shovelware). They're good quality and sort of cheap - give or take $40/£25 each. Good as an introductory old-school console for kids, I suppose.

@FragRed I don't like those wider plans! Give my comfort zone back!

@readyletsgo Hey! I'll try to be brief, but there's a lot to cover...
Well, we'd had Nintendo officially around these parts for a while - From the middle of Snes lifespan (we even had 8-bit Nes officially released in the 90's) until N64. So no GameCube support. Nintendo came back here with Wii, problem is they left us again at the end of 2014. If I'm not wrong, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3ds was our swan song. There are still Wii Us and 3ds left in big stores for the ones who still want to join the party though.
However, new releases are a nightmare because now we can only either buy from importers (we have an ebay of sorts here called "Mercado Livre") or some small stores. Price is an issue here as the market competition is not that high. Naturally, we can import ourselves but taxes here are 60% on the final price (game+shipping fees). And from Europe is a kind of a dealbreaker because of the region lock. Our systems are the American ones. We'd better try to save for a trip overseas and buy the games/amiibos ourselves. (Unfortunately, this is not a viable option for everyone).
Finally, I do believe Ps2 is still the king around here closely followed by Xbox 360. Brazil is funny that way. We have lots of people with Ps4s and Xones but they still need time to reach the mentioned (last) last generation systems. Heck, we can still find Master Systems in stores. Not leftovers, mind you. Newly produced ones!
P.s. That wasn´t brief at all. My bad!

Meanwhile in Brazil... we don't even have the flippin' Wii U eshop! The eshop of all things! Buying Nintendo stuff (including their games) is an adventure now. A rather expensive one. And don't get me started on the Amiibos! Argh! Sorry for the rant. After all, life should be more than obsessing over games and alike.
@FragRed sorry to hear(read) about your job situation. Hope you can get a new and good one soon. Fingers crossed.

@TeeJay Yup. Paul Blart a.k.a. Kevin James. He and Sandler are long time buddies. Sandler even produced the movie. And btw Kevin James is the American president (and believe me he's the lesser of the (many) evils here. So, yeah... Let that sink in for a while.