sdelfin

I'm in the never group. I wasn't doing much gaming when the system first came out. Then the 3D effect was unpleasant for me when I tried it in a store, which made it even less compelling. There were some games that did interest me, though I can't remember what they were, aside from the Sega Ages stuff. I did contemplate getting one of the various 2DS models at certain points. I liked the concept of those, even that weird first slab model.

It's interesting to note, and easy to forget, that Super Mario USA was released in Japan in 1992. I think you could make a good case for either one. The simplicity of the Western box art works as cover art. Of course, it could have been anything and would have been massively successful. As far as the art goes, I do prefer the Japanese cover. The pink doesn't bother me, but the amount of space taken by the border and the title vs. actual art takes away from it. Still, I voted for Japan, but it was fairly close for me. I should say, I like the Yume Kojou Doki Doki Panic cover the most here.

Sadly, Dark Void Zero is no longer available on Steam.

@bransby No. They're different games and not related directly. Obviously, Metal Warriors was designed to feel similar to this game. In fact they were developed by different companies. Aside from the similarities of the games, some of the confusion comes from Konami publishing both of them, despite not developing either game.

@Key19 the game is already on Steam and for a lower price than the GBA ROM, so as far as broadening the appeal, that's covered. And I agree with that. I find it annoying when new games that appeal to me aren't made available on modern platforms. I think some developers do this for a few reasons. I think some just enjoy porting their games and the challenge of it. But there's also extra publicity that comes with making these games for old platforms as it helps their games get discovered as opposed to being so much harder to stand out on Steam. And there are some people out there who are die-hard enthusiasts of the real hardware and will pay higher prices. Some of the modern Neo Geo stuff is really expensive, for example.

@Captain-N Thanks. That's where I would have guessed that I heard that before. He sure did a particularly fantastic job on those videos about Mario 3 and 4.

Mario 3 was both a hugely important game, but also a massive development undertaking. It's not a surprise that for Mario 4 they would pick up from there and the prototype maps would resemble the prior game at an early stage of development. It was a good starting point and probably would have worked fine. It's interesting to see how they started, but also how the game evolved. It may have been covered somewhere, but there was probably a conscious decision during development to try to make the maps look different from SMB3 to avoid some criticism.

She seems nice! But I voted for the western cover. In fact, I think the artist did a nice job on that, especially with the facial expressions. I love the evil pickle slice. He looks like the ringleader.

Japan by a mile! While Japan may be cluttered, the art style and dynamism more than counteract that. The NA version emulates the Japanese art style, but the shading doesn't look right. The composition doesn't really work for me. And while it's supposed to be dynamic in concept, it has all the energy of Mega Man testing out a motorcycle in a showroom. It's not bad on its own, or as bad as some of the early Mega Man covers, but it's also quite forgettable.

I was very excited for Fusion way back in 2002 and it didn't disappoint. I appreciated the game's design being more focused and action oriented as that is more to my taste than a heavier focus on exploration in these sorts of games. But I also understand how and why others would prefer a different balance. Not only did I appreciate that, despite the lower-resolution of the GBA, I ended up liking the graphical style of it more than Super Metroid and Metroid 2. The Samus sprite is really well done and I like the new stance they used here and on Zero Mission. Not that Super looks bad, but the GBA games appeal to me more here.

Funny. I just dug out the GBA sequel last night to sample it for the first time in a while. I played the GBA version before the Mega Drive/Genesis version, and even the GBA version sat for years before I got around to it. It was a crazy time right after I got it. The original took me a few tries to finally get what all the fuss was about, but I finally got it and agree it's a great one.

I never felt compelled to get a 3DS, but I can appreciate the role it played and importance of it at that time. The GBA is probably the platform that had a similar role for me. I was so happy to go back to the style of games of the 16-bit era with some modern adjustments and I was at an age where I could really dive into it and put together a high quality library.

I picked Japan for having a stronger illustration of Link and being more dynamic. I agree with the people who had criticism for the layout of the western version. I get what they were going for, but I don't think the execution is ideal. The dog head pointing straight down is a bit odd. I've noticed with Zelda games, people seem to like the minimal covers. Some might consider it tradition. I don't agree and tend to prefer the Japanese covers as a result.

As for the game, I'll just say that I got annoyed at the pacing of it and it just felt like a chore to me. I liked Wind Waker a lot and considered it the second best Gamecube game, at least that I played. But with Twilight Princess, I wasn't having much fun by the end.

Sometimes, empty space can work well, but I don't think this is one of those times. For me, all that unused space doesn't really add anything of value. So in both cases there is a character that is covered by logos. However, in the western version, it's less obvious that the dragon is there under the logos while the eagle is very obviously obscured by the title logo on the Japanese cover. The western cover is my pick.

I think both are very good, which is refreshing to say. The western cover is a bit cramped, especially with the big logo, but it's a good use of space under those circumstances. The Japanese cover's layout is its weakness, with the logos shoved to the left, but the strength of the artwork more than makes up for it. Both covers have cool poses for Samus, but I really love the background for the Japanese cover with very good use of shadow giving it that Metroid feeling. Japan is my pick here, but it was a strong effort on both covers.

I took the test and, as expected, am not color blind. I've always wondered how that condition affected gaming, both retro and modern. Good to see that Prime offers that option as it seems like a good idea, especially if it's not too difficult to implement. It's a much smaller thing, but I hate screen shake and excessive flashing, and I always appreciate when games include toggles for those.

Based on what's presented here, my favorites are Super Metroid, Metroid 2(GB), Prime, and Dread. It's no coincidence those look like the most mechanical suits as that is my preference here. Fusion's suit looks more like a skin of sorts, which is fine in concept, but not as cool to my eye. I'd probably put the Metroid 2 and Super Metroid suits up top. That they're drawn is a plus for me.

Good cases made here for various systems....except for N64. I'm not a fan. But more seriously, definitely quality games on SNES and GameCube. I think the Cube benefits from a bit of a higher rate of output. Two Metroid Prime games helps its case. I wasn't fond of Mario Sunshine or Zelda Twilight Princess though.

But I had to go with the GBA. It has the Mario Advance games, Mario Kart, several F-Zero, two great Metroids, Wario's games, Zelda in both a classic and a new form, Pokemon, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Mario Golf, Fire Emblem, and probably several more of note. Game Boy Advance is definitely a top contender if not far and away the winner of this category.

Some good stuff here among the games I know, and I'll have to look up a few. I've never been keen on the Metal Gear Solid titles in 3D. The GBC game is more my style, though it's still a bit overly verbose, a bad habit carried over from the main series. But it's good. I never had Wario Land, but I got to play it a lot in 1995 and loved it. I went back to it a year or so ago and had a great time again. One GB game not mentioned here that really surprised me with its quality was Bionic Commando, a rather extensive remake of the NES game. I think the GB version may be the better game. I prefer the visual style as well. Both versions are a good time. I would have loved having the GB version in my library back in the day.

You knocked out a bunch of my favorites by leaving off the Mega Man Zero games(all four are great, the first being a bit rough around the edges) and Castlevania, though Aria is head and shoulders above the other two in my opinion. Gunstar Super Heroes really surprised me how fun it was, especially since it felt so strange compared to other games. Not as good, but still good, was Metal Slug Advance. Good inclusion with Double Dragon Advance. I finally got to play that one a few years ago and it is an excellent beat-em-up and a great enhancement to the Double Dragon gameplay while retaining the feel.

As for Ninja Five-0(Ninja Cop is a better name, imo), I was very lucky to pay attention to the reviews when it came out. It also helped still holding Hudson in high regard so it was on my radar. Anyway, the reviews were good so I made a note of it and bought it a few weeks later. Apparently, I was one of only a few who did. I had a feeling that I needed to get it sooner rather than later if I wanted to have it. And it was a very good game, regardless of its collectability now. Some of the swinging sections get tricky and frustrating later in the game, but it's a good experience and one of my favorites.

Due to a combination of timing, and preference for the horizontal form factor, I never had a GBA SP. I picked up my first original GBA shortly after launch. You had to buy a bundle in those days, but that worm light came in handy a while later. I did buy a second original model GBA many years later. I also bought a GBA Micro a few months after that came out. I got it used for a pretty good deal used. From what I remember, the seller was a parent and their kid didn't use it much so I got it for much less than retail and it was in great condition. I loved the Micro. The size and shape was never a problem for me, but I can see how that would be a problem for others. As for the SP, picking one up always seemed pointless ever since if it wasn't the backlit version, so I never bothered.

I had to think about this one a bit because both are good. I voted for the western cover in the end. I prefer the heroic pose of Samus and the proper backround. For me the lack of a background hurts the dynamic pose of the Japanese cover. I also didn't think the visor reticle adds anything of value, and it also doesn't make sense. Samus is using the visor, not me. But that could work as a concept, but I don't think it's effective here.

Metroid Prime was the reason I got the GameCube and was easily my favorite game on the system. For me, the original controls were perfect and felt natural within a few minutes of playing. Whenever new Metroid Prime came up as a hypothetical, whether Prime 4 or remasters, I would say I wanted to see Nintendo provide proper control options to cover everyone. Sadly, Nintendo has a history of taking options away so it was not a foregone conclusion. I absolutely hated the motion controls in Prime 3 and Trilogy. Adding them, however, was not the problem. Taking the old controls away was. But, credit to Nintendo for finally providing options. As the first two games were designed with a gamepad in mind, I would not expect playing that way to be problematic. Anyway, good to see this turned out well and that they restored the traditional controls.

I remember when the Game Boy was new and checking out the coverage of those early games in Nintendo Power. The one that stuck with me most was Gargoyle's Quest and was one of the main reasons I wanted a Game Boy. It was really hard for me at first too and I wondered if maybe I would regret it, but it did play well and I kept going back to it. It was one of my favorites on the system. Another favorite was Metroid 2. I hadn't played anything quite like it and it had me glued to my Game Boy for a while. I had no anticipation for it, but a school friend of mine got it and told me I needed to get it, so I did.

I'm not really fond of any of these, but the NA one is my favorite. The Europe cover's composition is quite boring to me with the wide shot. It's not dynamic in any way. The NA cover doesn't have much going on, but the bullet hole ties it all together. Plus, you can at least see what the characters look like.

@Erigen I don't know what video you saw, but there are plenty of crashes and those aren't going anywhere.

As someone who enjoys this kind of racing, this is absolutely the right decision. There are several safety considerations involved. Plus, it's not the kind of move any sanctioning body would want to allow to continue as an option because, at tracks where this would be feasible, drivers would basically have no choice but to all ride the wall on the last lap, which would look really bad, just to ensure that no one can come along and pass at 70+ mph faster. It would not work at every track, of course. It was an amazing move and should be celebrated, but it's also the kind of thing that should only happen once. Definitely the right call.

I'm more familiar with the Genesis version of this, but I liked it very much. I actually found some of the Mode 7-like effects in the arcade game to be unpleasant(background rotation is the issue), but it does play well. So for me, despite the cutbacks, the Genesis version is preferable, but both versions play very well and it's good to see this released. Namco's shooters are definitely underrated in my opinion.

I think the pose on the Japanese cover looks a bit puzzling if you aren't already familiar with it, so I think the other pose works better. The NA cover is busy, but not too busy in my opinion. I also like the extra color the NA cover provides, so that's my vote. But I thought there was something to like with all of them.

Muramasa always did seem interesting to me, but I didn't want to play it with the Wii's controls, and I was put off by the Vita and its memory cards, so it would be nice to have it on more current platforms. A PC version would be nice!

Regarding last week, "...but what do we know?". Indeed!

I voted Japan. I kind of like the art for both of these, but the NA version is crushed by the logos. The giant Virtual Boy logo ruins any chance it had to compete. Nintendo of America went crazy in those days with logos, borders, and side bars on their boxes.

Apparently, Christopher Belmont is supposed to be an older protagonist. He's got one more big, heroic moment in him or something. I actually like the premise. I just don't think they did a great job in the depiction. He looks sick to me, or like he's one of the main bosses in the game. Aside from that, the composition of the Japanese cover is really good. The western cover is also good, though Belmont looks like he's based on Conan the Barbarian or like he's out of a Golden Axe game. But I think the cover works better overall and gets my vote. I do like the scenery in the background. I have to say the logos on the box are annoying and redundant. The game needs everyone to know it was licensed by Nintendo, received the Nintendo seal of quality(a result of being licensed, which is good that we know about), and is an official Game Boy game pak, because we couldn't be sure it was official despite being licensed by Nintendo. It definitely clutters up the box art, something Nintendo was going to get very good at doing on a regular basis.

I love that they mentioned open-world and crafting systems, because I just don't find those appealing anymore now that the novelty has worn off. Of course that's just a matter of taste and those things are fine. I just like simpler experiences now that are designed as games rather than worlds. I guess I appreciate working within tighter limitations. I also enjoy replaying games. In fact, Shinobi 3 is a game I replay often. For me, there's a certain feeling with those old games. They're more task oriented and it feels like I'm doing more in less time while in large 3D games, it feels like it takes hours to get any satisfaction. Again, that's just my experience.

I stumbled upon the early videos of Moonrider that Joymasher put up all the way back in 2018, so I've been eager to see how this would turn out. I wasn't aware of the change in direction during development which is interesting to hear about. I can imagine that such a shift in design can cause issues.

@Beefcakeyamato I remember coming across Windjammers in 2012 or 2013 and it was already popular among the people who were familiar with it. But it has definitely picked up steam with the retro trend and various releases and revivals, so it's definitely more popular thanks to that exposure.

Western cover, easily. That one has pretty nice composition and concept. The Japanese one is weird. The pose for Samus is good, but that background is not good. Why have the title on the background, mostly obscured at that, while having the title logo just below Samus? At that point, a solid color for the background seems like it would be an improvement. You could even find something to put over the empty space in that case.

I'm kind of in between, and it depends on the platform. It's why I prefer PC gaming, and specifically DRM-free games whenever possible. In that case, I do own the game without physical media. I do like the way Steam has operated up to this point, though, so I do use them when GOG doesn't have something.

On the flip side, when it comes to moves and shows, I don't use streaming services or digital purchases. I have stuck with DVD and blu ray because I've already run into too many issues with distribution and I'd rather have the discs. But physical has downsides too, like when something is only available in limited numbers or for a limited time. Last summer, I was planning to buy an old Japanese show, and it sold out and went out of print right as I was about to buy it, and it was only available for maybe four weeks. I think the license was abruptly pulled. Can't win them all, but that's where I prefer physical, but for games, it's digital for me on PC.

I play mostly retro stuff, which tend to be shorter experiences, especially with modern conveniences. As I discover more games to play, some of the games I have played yearly have slipped to two or three. But I still find I go back to classic beat-em-ups. I've found myself playing the various classic 2D Mario games every two years for about the last decade, with an extra session thrown in. I've played Ninja Warriors on SNES just about every year for the past six or so years. That is one of my top SNES games. And two games that have remained in my annual rotation, if not a few times a year are Shatterhand on NES, and Shinobi 3 on the Mega Drive/Genesis. I just love those two games.

I hadn't seen this when this feature was first posted, but I bumped it up to the top of the queue. I picked it up on DVD a couple of years back so I was planning to get to it eventually, but this article got me excited. And I ended up really liking it. It seemed pretty strong as game adaptations go. The worst thing that comes to mind, as is typical with fighting game anime, is that some people will be disappointed that certain characters aren't featured more, but I think they did a good job creating a narrative around the game.

I second the earlier sentiment, "the red one is way better." And I don't even like the red one. But I also like the grey one even less. I suppose it's appropriate as I don't really like this series. The Game Boy Color one might be okay.

At the time of my vote, Japan was at 89 percent, which frankly is too low! I do commend the artist for the US version on how he or she captured the prince's jump, but that's about it for that. I don't know what they were thinking with that layout. The European version suffers from unfortunate cropping. It makes me wonder why the western regions went to horizontal boxes while Japan used vertical as that made it so much more difficult to use the original box art. And in this case, the original box art is quite stunning, from the layout to the art itself. Stylistically, it won't work for everyone. I know the distinct Castlevania artwork from the Symphony of the Night era didn't resonate with me at first, but I grew to appreciate it over time. This box is quite cool.

I've been looking forward to Moonrider since 2018, believe it or not. I stumbled onto early videos of it while seeking info on Blazing Chrome. Being interested in it that early probably earns me a few useless internet points. There are a few things I want to know about before buying, so I look forward to the reviews in several weeks. I'm sure it will be good.

I'm a big fan of beat-em-up games and have played many. I do not tire of the ones I like and can even play the same ones over and over and get the same enjoyment(something like Battle Circuit, to provide an example). Apparently many developers now are fans too and I'm glad to see that. I understand why some find these boring, and that's fine. No one genre is for everyone. I'm far less an RPG guy than many others, with some exceptions. Beat-em-ups are about nice visuals, fun moves and combos, and most importantly, enemy management. For someone like me, good beat-em-ups make for excellent one-player experiences too. Again, these games aren't for everyone and no type of game is. And most games can be boiled down to move to point X and hit buttons along the way. It's the managing of the waves of enemies that is so engaging to me.

I saw and heard some things about River City Girls that gave me concerns when it came out, so I wanted to look into it and wait for a sale to try it. It's tough to tell if it is the sort of game that would suit my tastes.

Western cover easily. I think the blue background looks better, though the Japanese cover image I've seen elsewhere had better color saturation than this one. But I also prefer the western layout as you can actually see most of the vehicle, which is covered up on the Japanese one. The extra characters in the corner don't really add anything interesting either.

Toon Link makes sense when it's based on the cel-shaded visual style from Wind Waker. And that label refers to cel animation. Is "Toon Link" perfect when other versions of Link can be considered like cartoons? Probably not. But then those only vaguely resemble cat eyes.

I like the glitch in the video. It looks like a fireball attack. They can call it a Headouken!

Well, this announcement came out of nowhere. Good to see it. I've been checking in on development of this since I found out about it in, I think, 2018. Back then, it definitely was giving me Shinobi 3 vibes, which is a good thing. I see various other influences as well. I'm very curious to see how this turned out as it has looked very good even early on. I also hope there are more options, such as to reduce screen shake. As Cyber Shadow has been brought up, oddly enough, I finally purchased that one yesterday, but I haven't been able to sit down to try it yet.

I like the European cover the most. I don't like the depiction of John Morris on the NA cover, though the monsters are cool. The Japan "Vampire Killer" logo doesn't look right to me. It looks unfinished. I also like how the European cover is slightly zoomed out and you can see more bats in the upper-right section. I think it adds to the image as opposed to the way the Japanese version cuts them off.

Phenandra Drifts was great. There's something about snow areas in games. You get to appreciate how picturesque it is without dealing with the cold or having to clear any snow. I always just considered Glacier One as part of Phenandra, but since it's separate here, I voted for it. That section was so memorable and well done. I loved the contrast with the outside area. The design of the pirate facility was brilliant. I loved the visual design with how metallic everything looked and the music when the action picked up was perfect. It felt like Samus was in real danger and vastly outnumbered, yet I also loved how it made it clear how superior Samus was on an individual level.

NA for me and it's not even close. Europe's cover is too tight in the framing that it doesn't work. The key art for Japan is lifeless. I never liked the border and logo art for Japanese Sonic either.

I had no plans to buy a Gamecube, or any of the consoles of that generation, at the time. I was quite happy with my GBA and was eagerly awaiting Metroid Fusion. Sometimes, game reviews get carried away with the hype, but when I was reading the reviews for Metroid Prime, I could tell it was a game I needed to play. Did it live up to all the hype for me? Absolutely. And it wasn't just that it was really good. I absolutely loved the scanning in the game and the controls, which felt almost perfectly tuned to my mind. Those two things were issues for some. So as far as I'm concerned, easily the best Gamecube game.