There have been few greater puzzlements on the NES than Taboo: The Sixth Sense.

One one hand, this was perhaps one of the first genuine “casual” games on the NES, as it dealt withdealing virtual tarot cards to divine fortunes.

On the other hand, it was one of the few NES games to deliver frontal nudity and images of Satan.

Bear in mind that this was before the ESRB, and Nintendo had its own self-censoring policies with dealt with profanity, religious imagery, and extreme violence. But it wasn’t perfect. Rambo said “Damn”. Crosses still snuck into a few games. One game would be healivy censored while another slipped pastt he radar. And then there was this title:

Rare developed this title, while my hometown’s Tradewest published this game. A game so “evil” that it came wrapped in a black cloth pouch, yet could be stored the same way as you would Top Gun or Balloon Fight. Curiously, the game promoted itself as being a “Time Machine”, though Doc Brown or the TARDIS never make an appearance. Yet this game exists, and I couldn’t tell you why.

If there are any “good” points to the game is that the Read the rest of this entry

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since the North American release of the 3DS. I could go on and retouch on the history of the device, the initial drought of games, the price drop, etc., but that’s all be covered before.

What I would like to focus on is Year 1 to Year 2, the changes that have come with the 3DS, and my overall thoughts on the system.

Everyone has their own ideas and opinions on how one of their favorite companies should be run. Whether it’s games released, critiques on decisions made, or just an overall attitude. It’s part of being a fan (or fanboy). For me, the 3DS represents everything I love about Nintendo the company. There’s a real sense of fun around the system that I felt the Wii was lacking. The Wii’s attitude was to tell you have much fun you are having and the numerous smiles it will put on your face. You can’t tell someone how to be happy. You have to find ways to make it happen.

The 3DS focuses on a few things that create those happy smiles: The resurrection of beloved titles Read the rest of this entry

I finally caved and got New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS a few weeks back. I had so many other games on my plate that this game took a backseat, which is surprising because I’m usually right on board for a Mario game. Especially a 2D one.

But there’s something… hard to describe in regards to my feelings on the New Super Mario Bros. series. I liked the DS one as “old was new” and it was the first real Mario side-scroller since Super Mario World.

The Wii one was alright, and I’ll admit I was excited for the novelty of four players at once, though I REALLY wanted this for the character selection:

Nintendo makes a fortune off of nostalgia and “tried and true”. I’ll never understand the yellow and blue Toad thing.

And the Wii U game is certainly very colorful and pretty, but since the initial “wow” factor of the original game, and ultimately culminating with the 3DS title, I’ve reached one conclusion:

The New Super Mario Bros. series are my least favorite adventures of the famed Italian plumber.

Don’t get me wrong: The game is fun, and it plays heavily off of Super Mario Bros. 3 nostalgia Read the rest of this entry

I’m getting a little better on the whole posting thing. I don’t know what it is with me and this year. I barely have any time to write anything these days, much less on here.

But I have been busy on Twitter, of all things. I’m usually not the biggest Twitter enthusiast, but it just seems better to post bite-size chunks right now.

But I have been gaming again, which is good.

Let’s see, I’ve picked up a few games: Sonic Generations and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for Xbox 360, Epic Mickey 2 for Wii, Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion for 3DS, and took advantage of the Fall Steam sale, where I raked in a few Lucasarts point and click titles, Binding of Isaac, realMyst, and a few more. Again, where to find the time….

(Here’s my Steam profile, by the way, in case you wish to add me.)

Gaming interest wise, I’ve been on a Sega kick of late. It seems like Sega is getting back to embracing its roots again, which is refreshing. I loved the Master System, Genesis, and Dreamcast, and looking back, they really did provide some innovative content that Nintendo never did. That’s Read the rest of this entry

Tonight, I got to see a preview of Wreck-It Ralph in 3D.

If you want the short of it, it’s now one of my “Top 10″ Disney animated films.

The long of it, however, is best explained for a number of reasons. And you can start with the poster:

Basically, this is Toy Story for video games. What happens when the arcade closes for the night?

This movie has a TON of cameos, making Captain N: The Game Master look pale by comparison. You can spot dozens of games in the 30 year time progression of the arcade, from Star Wars to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to a virtual “Who’s Who” of classics. That’s nothing to say of the cameos of characters running around in “Game Central Station”. These two scenes alone are going to cause a lot of frame by frame scanning when it comes to home video. One cameo moment actually shocked me how “true to character” they were. I won’t reveal anything, but there are a few delightful nods. Surprisingly, however, is how devoid of Nintendo this movie is. Yes, Bowser is in there, and there are two other nods, but Nintendo was Read the rest of this entry

Don’t feel too horribly bad if you missed out on the Kid Icarus: Uprising AR Card event at certain Gamestops possibly in your area.

I almost didn’t hear of it myself, if Joystiq hadn’t stepped in.

The event wasn’t the most publicized thing in the world, but sure enough, at least two Gamestops within a few miles (and not my usual ones) were holding events to get new, free cards. Considering how hard the cards are to get under normal circumstances, I couldn’t resist.

It wasn’t an epic event, but it was nice to talk shop with a Nintendo rep, and it’s good to seeing Nintendo being active (if discreet), about continued promotion of the game.

Now, here’s where the “Aw, nuts” part of missing out can be somewhat alleviated in case you missed out.

1.) There is another event with all new cards (confirmed) on May 12.

2.) I have two (maybe three) extra packs to give away to my readers.

How do you get your hands on one, you ask? Fairly easy, but there is a little work involved. In the comments section, I want you to come up with an idea. I’d like to do a collaborative piece or two Read the rest of this entry