When it comes to vintage gaming, there are a few games that stand out in my mind. Whether it is because they're outstanding examples of what early video games could be, strong sentimental value, or even a combination of both, I take great joy in looking back at some classics for review purposes. This couldn't be truer than with the SNES smash hit, Super Mario World.

     I remember when I got my first taste of the new Super Mario adventure, and the SNES's flag ship. I was a young nerd at the time, and was on a shopping trip with my parents to our local mall. Being ridiculously bored as we wondered from store to store, something caught my eye. It was a display, nay, a saving grace...like a beacon of hope was Nintendo's brand new Super Nintendo Entertainment System just waiting for anyone to walk up and try it out. I couldn't resist, and the game was obviously the focus of this review, Super Mario World. Upon playing it, I was blown away. With its beautiful graphics, great musical themes, and Mario's spinning jumps I was hooked. Needless to say, I knew what I was getting for Christmas that year.

     Anyway, that's enough reminiscing for now. Its time to get down to business, and discuss how revolutionary Super Mario World really is. Being that Super Mario World was packaged with the SNES, for many of us who owned the system it was our first game for it. In its hay day, Super Mario World was the perfect game to highlight what the new SNES could do. Featuring better 16bit graphics, sounds, and a freakishly new looking controller with 4 action buttons (A,B,X, and Y) and two bumper buttons, allowed major advancements to be made to the beloved Super Mario Bros franchise.

     This time around, Mario and Luigi's epic adventure to rescue the Princess Toadstool from the clutches of Bowser takes them deeper into the Super Mario universe. For the first time, Super Mario World brings players away from the Mushroom Kingdom and puts them into a place called Dinosaur Land...and no The Super Mario Bros aren't trapped in Jurassic Park. Many of the typical Bowser Baddies return in Super Mario World like the goombas and Koopalings who are Bowser's little brat children that originally were featured in Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES. We are also introduced to a brand new character that would go on to have his own success on the Nintendo platforms. Being that Dinosaur Land is home to many types of creatures, Mario and Luigi are able to make a new friend in that lovable green dinosaur, Yoshi. After finding Yoshi, the Mario Bros could ride him throughout each level (except for boss castles), and Yoshi could eat almost anything that gets in their way. Similar to the power ups that would grant Mario and Luigi special abilities, Yoshi too could gain new skills by eating different colored Koopa shells. As for the rest of the game play, it is what you would expect from the Super Mario Bros. Players will jump from platform to platform, while collecting coins and power ups as they progress through each level. Thanks to the new 16bit graphic generator, there are plenty of new and unique challenges in Super Mario World. For example, new players to the game can play through each level and progress straight to the end of the game to face Bowser. But for those who have really put their time into Super Mario World will know about the many different secret level exits that makes the game much longer than it would first appear. No matter how you play Super Mario World, there is a level of difficulty suitable for everyone.

     Since its release in 1991 Super Mario World has gone on to sell over 20 million copies making it one of the best selling games of all time. Many of the game's legendary moments have become some of the iconic images associated with the Super Nintendo itself. Despite being a familiar story of a gigantic evil snapping turtle and its offspring kidnapping a Princess leaving two plumbers to save the day, Super Mario World remains a timeless classic. It has seen countless re-releases for Nintendo's Gameboy Advanced, and more recently is being offered over the Wii virtual console. No matter the system, it is a game that must be added to any collection. It is pure clean fun, and anyone can enjoy it.

Written by RB

Over and Out

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     Many changes were made for the new version of the highly competitive MGO. For starters, graphics and game mechanics have been upgraded to fully utilize what the power house of a system, the Sony Playstation 3, can do. It goes without saying that level designs are much larger, and have much more detail than their Ps2 counter parts. At the start of each match, players will also be able to pick their own musical themes that are unlocked from progressing through the main story of MGS4: Guns of the Patriots. There are a wide variety of themes to choose from, varying from musical scores from the early NES Metal Gear games right through to boss themes featured in the main story of MGS4. Although there is something for everyone to like, there is also the option of keeping the music turned off which is allows the player to keep their hearing honed into their surroundings. Having the music turned off is especially effective when trying to make sure an enemy isn't sneaking up behind you, or listening for near by fire fights while trying to find a better vantage point. There are also more match types including, death match, team death match, Stealth missions, base bombings, and capture missions just to name a few. During certain match types, certain players will be randomly selected to play as one of the legendary characters from the franchise. Those without buying the expansions will be able to play a Solid Snake only, but with the expansions the character lists include Raiden, Meryl, Johnny, Vamp, Mai Ling, and Liquid. These characters have their own unique set of abilities, and are better than your typical PMC.

     Perhaps the biggest change to MGO is the ability to create your own PMC character. Upon completing the lengthy application process to create your game account, each player is given one character slot for free in which they will create their new in game personality. If you want more than one character, you'll have to pay almost 7 bucks for another character slot. Players will be able to select their face from a pretty mediocre list of predetermined looks. Non-expansion players are limited to only male characters, so if you are a female Metal Gear fan you'll have to plop down some extra cash to make a female avatar. Character voices are also customizable, but after they've been selected voices and faces are permanent and can't be changed. The coolest part of having your own character is easily the gear selection. Upon creating a new character, gear selection is basic and the player is limited to only a few selections. However by playing and earning reward points, players can buy new gear which is all completely customizable. With a little work, each character can obtain their own unique look to match their gamer's personality.

     Being that the main hero of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, Solid Snake is a legendary solider who has devoted years of his life training his skills, don't expect your PMC to be able to do everything that Old Snake can do. Each player will be able to select a maximum of four skills to begin with, and there are a large variety of skills to choose from. They vary from assault rifles, handguns, shotguns, blades, CQC, and numerous passive SOP (Sons of the Patriots) skills. There are many more, and each player will be able to develop and hone their own play style. These skills are advanced by utilizing your selected talents in combat, but as they advance they will take up more of your maximum four slots. A maxed out assault rifle mastery will take up three of those four slots. Although you can swap out your skills at anytime before entering a match, it is important to find out what works best for you, and remember you'll have to sacrifice skills that don't fit into your play style.

     Despite all of its advancements, the new MGO isn't without its flaws. Although a highly addictive multiplayer mode, the game is designed with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots options to remain intact. This means some players will have Auto-Aim activated. Although this is highly frowned upon in the MGO community, there is no stopping some from using it and gaining an unfair advantage. Joining into matches can also be a slow, and agonizing process as the game's Auto-matchmaking mode only allows you to play with other competitors close to your same level and skill caps. Although the auto-matchmaking works incredibly well at putting you with people around your own capabilities, it is flawed in the fact that if there is no one around your level playing at that time you are stuck in prolonged wait times. One unforeseen problem with the auto-matchmaking is one that comes into play with any online game, and it is unfortunately the human element. Being that one is forced to play with the same levels, people will frequently re-encounter many of the same players as they progress around the same rate. This can be a great thing, allowing people to make friend in the gaming community, but if you are continually grouped with other players you dislike can be a major turn off to an other wise outstanding gaming experience. Although the human element is something that shouldn't be held against the game itself, it is something anyone looking to branch out into the online realm should be aware of. Metal Gear Online can be a cheater's paradise, and there are plenty of hidden glitches that people can take advantage of. 

     Overall, Metal Gear Online is one of the most rewarding online gaming experiences on the Sony Playstation 3. The fact that it comes packaged for free with easily the best game on the system makes it all the better. Although MGO isn't perfect, I think anyone who has played it will agree that it is highly addictive. Its has earned a devote following for a reason, and should be played at least once to anyone who owns Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

Written by RB

Over and Out

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     In 1990, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade game was release for the NES under the title The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Arcade Game. Now even though there were some distinct changes made to the NES port, like some new boss battles and slightly duller graphics, TMNT 2: The Arcade game easily held its own to become one of the best titles released for the Nintendo Entertainment System platform. In the early 90s, no young boy disliked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and for the gaming youths at the time the Arcade game was eons easier than the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game featured on the same system. That's not to say TMNT 2: The Arcade Game doesn't have its own challenges.

     Being that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is as its title claims, an Arcade game, the game mechanics are pretty simple. Fight and kick your way through each level...and that's it. There is no Mario style platforming, and no puzzle solving. Each level design is beautifully rendered with their own set of traps, but for the most part all you have to do is survive wave after wave of foot clan, and make them pay for kidnapping April O'Neil. This more forward approach to the Turtles was a welcome change, and felt more like the Cartoon than the original NES Turtles game. But, being it is an NES game the Turtles don't have a ton of variety to their move set. They'll walk, jump, use their weapons to attack, and by pressing A and B together will do a stronger special attack. Although the action is fun, the constant button mashing can get a bit repetitive being that TMNT 2: The Arcade Game is actually pretty lengthy. Players could easily dedicate a couple of hours to the game, and the game's lasting appeal speaks for itself. Many years after the games release, it still remains a staple for vintage players and can be enjoyed by all ages. Xbox Live has also released a version of the Arcade classic that features the original boss battles, and the return of the 4 player Co-op (online and local), but despite a valiant attempt fails to capture the essence of the original.

     The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are by no means strangers in the gaming universe, and TMNT2: The Arcade Game had some of the most iconic images that come to mind when thinking of the NES platform. Although the graphics were superior for its Arcade system counterpart, the NES port featured some of the best looking graphics and music that can be found on the system. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Arcade Game has earned its title as a classic, and will remain a favorite as long as vintage gaming exists.

Written by RB

Over and Out

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     While this new iteration of the classic side-scrolling Mario platformer has been updated, it certainly does not abandon what made it great originally. The levels are rather familiar, which is a good thing - grass lands, water stages, castles, ice worlds, desserts, forests, and the fire and brimstone of Bowser's world. The levels are beautifully detailed and really showcase the capabilities for the DS. It practically looks like what a side-scroller would be if it were made for the Nintendo 64 - needless to say, these handheld systems really have come a long way from the days of the 8-bit monochrome Gameboy.

     This game harkens back to the days of the original Super Mario Bros. (1985) for the NES. It has a lot of the same controls, which are impeccable, and some of the same powerups - like fire power for instance. However, there are also many new innovations like the Tiny Mushroom that transforms Mario into an itty-bitty version of himself and can run across water and go into equally small pipes. The coolest power up is the Mega Mushroom which transforms Mario into a giant, encompassing almost half of the entire screen, and he can mash anything in his path until the power wears off, but it is a thrilling few moments while it does last. It is definitely one of most refreshing innovations in recent years - indeed, a welcome one.

     Of course, with all DS games, there is the use of the dual screens, and in New Super Mario Bros., the bottom touch-screen is not heavily implemented, but is functional enough. It is primarily used for selecting worlds, and it shows a basic map while playing in any given level, and you are also able to store a backup powerup down there, and when necessary, give it a tap and use that stored power. It comes in rather handy, and the bottom screen isn't over-used by any stretch - the focus of the action is the top screen.

     A quick word about the bottom-screen once again: there are also a number of mini-games packaged within the cartridge that are fun little diversions that are very stylus friendly! They are definitely worth checking out as well.

     The challenge level in this game is similar to any other Mario game, where it gradually builds as the game progresses, but never becomes insurmountable. I will say that Level 8 is fairly challenging though, and while the concensus seems that the Wii iteration of New Super Mario Bros. is very hard, I have found it to be quite the contrary - the DS game poses more of a challenge.

     What I wasn't too fond of was that two of the games eight worlds are only attainable through secret paths in each of their respective preceding levels. Level 4 is only reachable through a secret in Level 3, and Level 7 is found by way of a secret in Level 6. This is the first time, in my recollection, that two of any Mario games worlds are so secretive. Through my first playthrough of the game, I never knew of the secret paths and ended up playing a game that was only six worlds long - still a lengthy adventure - but I was missing out on some signficiant Mario time without Levels 4 and 7. Fortunately, I was able to find out the way to get those levels, and they were great, but that shouldn't have been done in the first place. I felt it was an odd choice, though, I suppose it provides incentive for further playthroughs - which it clearly did. In any case, the game has tremendous replayability anyway because it is such a fine example of great Mario gaming.

     In the end, New Super Mario Bros. is one of the best games for the Nintendo DS. It has essentially all of the winning elements of a classic Mario game, and indeed deserves a place among the immensely popular and successful franchise. It brings many new things to the table, and also serves up many classic concepts as well. What I like is that this game marked the triumphant return of the side-scrolling Mario platformer to the 21st century, and set the stage with its new 2D/3Dish format that recalls and embraces the past while confidently beckoning the future. This is a game to be played and played again.

-Kurt L.

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     Now lets get something straight right out of the gate here, I've never been a huge fan of The Sims. But, over the last decade since The Sims originally debuted it is almost impossible for someone not to have tinkered around with the anti-climatic simulation in some shape or form. With that said, I put my reservations about the franchise aside and picked up a copy of The Sims 3. Upon playing the newest addition of the Sims universe, I found myself quite surprised at how different The Sims 3 actually is while it still maintains all of the elements that made the game famous.

     Players will begin by creating their virtual counter part with a ton of new customizable options. With a more detailed face creator, each person will be able to successfully render themselves in the Sims 3, although the process is very time consuming. There are also a large variety of clothing options which they too can be customized by selecting different colors, and patterns. One of the more interesting points of creating your Sim is the return of traits from the Sims 2, however there are a ton of more traits to choose from like making your Sim heroic, a kleptomaniac, the perfect lover, you get the idea. There's something for everyone. The player can even decided what their Sims' favorite color is, music style, and what their life goals will be. All these elements make the Sims 3 much more personal than previous Sims games. As time goes on, your Sims will also age, your children will grow up, and eventually all Sims will pass on. However the original starting characteristics like appearance, and traits will be passed down as the family tree grows.

     After the character creations process is over and done with, players will be able to move into or build the house of their dreams...with the allotted cash allowed for starting a new game. As you would expect, this process is no different than any other Sims out on the market. You'll pick the décor you find suitable and arrange it just so, or you can stick with the preexisting furniture that comes when buying the house. By this point for an action fan like myself, the excitement is abounding. Anyway, after getting your Sim settled in to their new surroundings it time to get them a job. The Sims 3 offers a few new ways to find work, which ties into the biggest change to the franchise overall. Purists of the franchise can still check their news papers or log onto a computer to get their Sim off the unemployment line, or those who are feeling more adventurous can take their Sim for a little stroll around the open town in which they live. That's right, players are no longer confined to the household and don't have to pay for a Hot Date expansion to have a night on the town. At any time, your Sims can freely move about their larger surroundings to find a job, catch a movie, or stop in at a café for a quick lunch with no loading time. This open ended environment gives new freedom to your Sims and with their free will often go out to explore on their own. One doesn't have to do much, and the artificial intelligence takes over. Just sitting back and watch your sims go through their daily lives on their own can actually be pretty entertaining. But, with these new strides in the franchise there are still the same dull moments. For numerous hours at a time, your Sim will be off to work or school depending on their age. As with the other games, there isn't a ton to do while your sim is making some cash. Sure you can decide whether to talk to co-workers or slack off, but for those few hours your stuck looking at the outside of a building...YAWN.

     When it was all said and done, the Sims 3 is a great step forward for the franchise. Undoubtedly as time goes on, this game will attract more and more people and in turn there will be another onslaught of expansions for fans to buy. Although this game isn't exactly the perfect game, it was still enjoyable for even skeptics. It is easily one of the better Sims games on the market.

Written by RB

Over and Out

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     Over the course of gaming history there have been a lot of Sonic games and here is yet another. Don't let my opening sentence mislead you however, as this is indeed one of the good ones! Sonic R is one of the more unique racing games released in the 3D era. Released for the Sega Saturn console in 1997, Sonic R was a racing game that did not rely on vehicles - oh no! - these characters certainly did not need them! Why would Sonic the Hedgehog, the Blue Blur, need a car if he could run faster on foot? And that is precisely what you race with - their feet. Now, not every single character is blessed with such lotus feet as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles for example, but other series characters like Dr. Robotnik and Amy Rose use their own respective vehicles. In any case, I think the fact that Sega chose not to have cars for it's main three characters, as well as a few others, was a great idea. It truly emphasizes the concept of speed which they are so well-known for.

     There is also a surprising amount of depth in this game, as the characters (including the unlockable ones) each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Some characters are slower than others, some are faster, some can hover over water areas while others sink, some have boost abilities, so there are definitely advantages and disadvantages to each character chosen which is a plus. In addition to the character depth, the levels in which you race are varied very nicely as well. There are only about five tracks to choose from, which isn't many, but they are all special in their own ways. The tracks really feel like they belong in a Sonic game, meaning they certainly stay true to the franchise.

     Being that this game was released in 1997, the Saturn was becoming a very much embattled system as the Nintendo 64 and Sony Playstation were dominating the market. The Saturn would be discontinued in 1999 to make room for the more refined and graphically impressive Dreamcast, but here with Sonic R, the 32-bit graphics are pushed to their limits and really show off their strength. Sonic R's visuals are lively and colorful, filled with vivid 3D environments with no pop-ins or glitches. The characters are also finely rendered, and the action moves smoothly. It is in my opinion the best looking Saturn game, and is the pinnacle of its graphical strengths.

     It features many familiar racing game modes like Grand Prix, Time Trials, and a multi-player, so there isn't anything too out of the ordinary on here, but that's fine, because it is this simplicity and the high production values that makes Sonic R a winner. It is very enjoyable, and certainly takes a unique twist on the racing formula. Another thing to its credit is that it really utilizes and represents the Sonic franchise in a positive fashion, and that is a good thing for Sonic fans as the Hedgehog has been thrusted into so many other types of games out of his comfort zone.

     The only thing that I don't understand is that why Sonic oriented racing games that followed Sonic R have Sonic and friends using vehicles? He clearly doesn't need them, and I think it only would detract from the appeal otherwise. Sonic R got it right, no dependance on vehicles, just pure unadulterated speed by way of running, which is what Sonic is best at. This game may be hard to track down since the Saturn is discontinued, but it is worth the hunt. However, it is also available on the PC (though that was made in 1998), but the easiest way to attain this game is through getting the Sonic Gems Collection for either the Playstation 2 or the Nintendo Gamecube as it is one of the featured games on that compilation.

     Pick up and play Sonic R, because if you are a Sonic fan, or a racing game fan, you won't be disappointed. It is definitely one of the best spin-offs of the lengthy Sonic franchise.

-Kurt L.

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     It didn't take long for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to become one of the best titles offered for the Microsoft Xbox. With its great choice based game play, and unforgettable plot, KOTOR was nothing short of a legendary RPG. Needless to say, when Bioware announced that there would be a sequel to the smash hit, the proverbial bar was set pretty high. Fortunately, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords lives up to its predecessor's legacy but by no means surpasses it.

     Taking place 5 years after the events that took place in Knights of the old Republic, the Sith Lords tells the tale of a new Jedi Knight that served as a commander during the Mandalorian Wars, and was consequentially lost his (or her) connection with the force. If that wasn't bad enough, our new Jedi Knight was exiled from the order upon returning to face the council's punishment...ouch. Anyway, the Exile begins the path of drifting through the Galaxy until his ship is attacked by Sith, and he meets up with his new Mentor in the ways of the force.

     Unlike the original Knights of the Old Republic, players will start off wielding the force shortly after their first level up which is a welcome change of pace. Veterans of Knights of the Old Republic will feel quite comfortable jumping into this new adventure, as the majority of the game mechanics are virtually unchanged. Control schemes, combat, skill and force upgrades remain the same, but this time around players can equip ranged and melee weapons and switch between the two at command. This is a huge improvement that keeps game play moving, as players will no longer have to pause and search through a slew of weapons to find the right tool for the job. However, like the original KOTOR, once the player receives their light saber....odds are that's the only weapon they'll be using. Another huge improvement to Knights of the Old Republic 2 is the level cap has been completely removed. This allows players to become as powerful as they choose, and for those looking to put a good amount of time in one could actually master all the in game force powers although it is doubtful anyone would really want to considering the sheer size of the task.

     Being that the Sith Lords is a game revolving around the aspect of choice between the Light and Dark sides of the force, players will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the very concept that made KOTOR famous. The choices the players make throughout the game, have a stronger impact on the galaxy and are much more rewarding than in the original. It isn't very often where a player taking the path of the dark side can use a Jedi mind trick to convince an unlucky alien to give them all their money, then jump off a cliff. Anyway, I digress. Perhaps the biggest change to Knights of the Old Republic 2 is the ability to impact not only your force alignment, but the alignment of your team members as well. Through conversing with your team members, and having them see your actions (whether they be light or dark), their alignment will begin to shift. If the teammate you are trying to influence is on the light side, and you are traveling the path of a true Jedi, your resolve will echo through them and they will look to you for knowledge and guidance. However, if you are a Sith and that same teammate disagrees with your actions, it will become much harder for you to bring them to the dark side...that's not to say it can't be done by corrupting through making them question their own believes in some seedy conversations. Whether your alignment is light or dark, the overall experience is much more rewarding.

     The Sith Lord's story is an excellent one, although doesn't quite live up to the legendary story from Knights of the Old Republic. Depending on your alignment in Knights of the Old Republic, your actions will affect major parts of the plot in the Sith Lords such as if Revan became the Jedi's savior or if he left the galaxy in ruin. This is a good concept that gives continuity to the series, but doesn't answer many of the questions that were presented in Knights of the Old Republic 1. The voice acting in the Sith Lords isn't exactly of the same caliber as the original as well. Some performances are excellent, while other just come up short. Despite the feeling that everyone was indeed trying their best, some of the voice talent's emotional transitions just come up flat. Given that, The Sith Lords plot and voice acting still exceed many of the games that were released around the same time.

     If you are a fan of the series or never played Knights of the Old Republic before, The Sith Lord still has a lot to offer. With the same great game mechanics, and pretty good story, Knights of the Old Republic 2 is still one of the best titles offered on the Xbox. True it doesn't quite live up to its predecessor, but its still one heck of a good game.

Written by RB

Over and Out

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     Laser Invasion is a game that has contributed nothing truly positive to the industry. It's not that every game out there needs to be a gem to be a worthy contributor, but every video game, in one way or another, for the most part, has something to offer. More often than not I feel that a game from the past has some sort of legacy it leaves behind in your mind, as a fond memory of your childhood - be it a great game like Super Mario Bros. or a mediocre one like The Mafat Conspiracy, just to use them as examples. If that was one of your hobbies growing up, then you have some sort of recollection of that game. I wonder what sort of memories gamers have of Laser Invasion. It's a game I did not own back in the day, but do now, and frankly, it has nothing to offer and will be one I am sure I will soon forget about.

     Perhaps it's not fair to judge the game as I am because I didn't own it back in 1991, though I own it now in 2010, but it is my duty as a critic to review these sort of things for what they are, and were - depending on what I am reviewing. In a nutshell Laser Invasion is a poor game with many rediculous and outrageous elements surrounding it. First off, it is a blatant copy of the game Top Gun for the NES, and I am shocked that the fine company of Konami, with its impressive library of historic games, would rehash an already broken game play mechanic and pass it off as entirely new product.

     It plays almost identically to that of Top Gun, where you fly a plane and shoot down enemy aircraft from the view of the plane's cockpit. Sure, the graphics are much better, but that's it. And even with that said, the graphics aren't great. They have some nice nuaces, but overall, the look is rather bland and uninspired. Especially when flying of course, which is where you'll spend the majority of the game - up in the sky - and it is just boring and repitative. Another annoying aspect is that one shot kills. That's not a gripe that it is too hard, but, if the controls weren't so substandard, it wouldn't be that big of an issue. The aiming reticle moves fairly slowly, and you are quickly overwhelmed by enemy ships, leading to an equally quick demise - it stinks.

     There are many different ways to play this game, which is something to its credit; you can use the NES controller, but it's slow to react. You could also use the NES Zapper (aka the Light Gun), which is alright. But the most rediculous peripheral that this game was known for was the Laserscope. It was this incredibly cheesy pair of headphones with a mouthpiece that you would wear during gameplay to simulate the idea of being a fighter pilot in real-time action. You shout out something into the mouthpiece to fire your plane's weaponry, and there you go, another gadget to play games with. Personally, I have not tried this Laserscope, but it simply looks embarrassing. Sure, kids might get a kick out of using it, but, that is something only a kid in 1991 can remember, and cherish as a memory.

     Essentially, Laser Invasion was a knock-off and a reboot of the frustrating Top Gun game, and was a fad of the times. It remains as a time capsule of the year of which it was made, but leaves nothing indelible and memorable on and for the industry, aside from having the silly Laserscope peripheral attached to its identity. It's the kind of game that aged very poorly, and I'm sure if I had owned it back in 1991, I would have been a ltitle more friendly toward it here in my review, but, owning it today, it offers up nothing, and I love vintage games. If anything, Laser Invasion is a relic, and a shell of its former self, one that will surely fade into obscurity.

-Kurt L.

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     There have been a ton of first-person shooters made over the course of modern video game history. Some are revolutionary: Doom, Duke Nukem, and Wolfenstein 3D. Some are legendary: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Goldenye 007. Some are respectable entries in the genre: Turok and Quake. And then there are some forgettable ones - and the one in particular I shall discuss is Hexen. Ever heard of it? Probably not. If you played the Nintendo 64, the Playstation, or the PC back in the late 1990s, you may remember it amongst the slew of other FPS's to be released around that time. There are reasons that many gamers today won't remember Hexen, and those who do, don't remember it as fondly as they did then.

     I remember renting this game back in the day and really enjoying its atmosphere. I liked it enough that I eventually landed a copy of it on the cheap. It was similar to Doom 64 in many ways because it had a very hellish and creepy feel throughout. It also had its own unique visual style, with its moody looking Church-like structures, the bizarre looking skies, eerie portals, and some really unusual looking creatures. What the game did well was its presentation - it was very convincing it was it was trying to do. It conveyed an outer-world like experience, hosted by a cast of demons and monsters. Even the games instruction manual seems convinced this game takes place unto its own universe. The music and sound effects were often quite effective, and that only enhanced its weird atmosphere.

     A game though isn't necessarily good just because it conveys an interesting atmosphere. Hexen, at least the version for the Nintendo 64, suffered some terribly blurry visuals, and fairly slow gameplay. Perhaps though, the most disappointing part of this game is its heavily pixelated graphics which looked decent in 1997, but look horrendous now. Of course, it's natural for games to evolve over time, but even for 1997, it wasn't a looker.

     To Hexen's credit though, it did offer the player some really dynamic choices. You were presented with three different classes of characters - the Warrior, Cleric, or Mage. Each character has their own unique style of attacks, and that is actually pretty impressive for such an old game. I usually pick the Cleric since he has a pretty wicked mace-ball attack, and he is also the most balanced among the three. The Warrior is the slowest, with the shortest range, but of course is the most powerful. As for the Mage, he has the magic, but is apparently the weakest. It provides some replay value for the player, but it is a shame that the game itself wasn't particularly captivating.

     I often found Hexen quite confusing, and it has something of a learning curve to figure out, but, it isn't a terrible game. It's forgettable, but, it does have some things of merit as well. Personally, I don't intensely dislike it, nor do I love it. It's passable, but could have been better, and ultimately more memorable. Perhaps I'll someday play it for the Sony Playstation - which I've heard is the better port of the game - but as for the N64 version, it's alright.

     In the end Hexen has essentially been hexed from the mainstream and relegated to video game obscurity. If you are interested in this game, you may get a cheap thrill out of it, but, it won't last. There were and are far better first-person shooters out there.

-Kurt L.

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     One of the defining video games of this generation, Doom, where a lone soldier, John Doe, is isolated on the distant moons of Mars, pitted against a cast of some vile demons and alien creatures, ultimately fighting for his survival, began on the PC back in 1993. It was one of the most cutting edge games of its time and is indeed a true classic. It was also ported to many different home consoles as well in the years to follow, for instance, on the ill-fated Atari Jaguar, the Sega Saturn, the horrid Sega 32X, 3DO, and Sony's Playstation to name a few. Though, the ported version I have decided to discuss here is the 1995 release for Super Nintendo. Unfortunately, like many of the other versions of this game, this port did not live up to the groundbreaking PC original.

     With its stark blood-red cartridge, Doom for the SNES really stands out in your collection, it surely does in mine - it is the only one that is not the tradtional gray color. I like the gutsy color of red (no pun intended) for the cartridge because it seems to emphasize and embrace a certain no-holds barred attitude in an attempt to be tougher than any game out there on the market. Well, sure, that was the case for the PC game, but that game was able to look macho in a floppy disk format! This SNES port pales to the original with its incredibly blurry and unrefined looking graphics. It's also marred with some terribly slow controls, but, in comparison to some of the other iterations of the game, it isn't entirely bad either.

     For the Atari Jaguar version, the graphics are far superior (as I suppose the Jaguar was a more powerful system, with its apparent 64-bit capabilities), but there was no music! How could such a thing exist?! Doom was not only known for its kick-butt gameplay, but its awesome, and thrilling music reminscient of vintage Metallica. In fact, listen to the music on the first level of Doom for the SNES, or the PC version, and you'll swear it is "Master of Puppets" by Metallica, it's pretty darn cool. Anyway, take a look at the 32X version of the game, it also had some decent graphics, but, the music was astrosis. It was a totally distorted and dissonant mess of a soundtrack, inducing some major cringes. Before I go on, I must quickly note that my information about the Jaguar and 32X versions comes from watching the Angry Video Game Nerd's videos about them, so thankyou Nerd!

     So after seeing those other two odd ports of the game, it makes the SNES one not nearly as poor as it may be. In fact, the SNES game has a really powerful riveting version of the iconic music, and its a real treat to listen to. If you can look past the weak graphics and the sluggish gameplay, Doom for the Super NES is alright, but nothing stellar. It is a functional, serviceable version of what is at the core, a great game, but unfortunately reduced on Nintendo's super console.

     I would stick with the PC version, and there are so many other ways to play the original Doom these days, that it sort of makes these inferior ports obsolete. However, the SNES iteration has a great take on the soundtrack, and it is still Doom, so it is very familar, albeit a lesser game. In the end, it is something nice to add to your collection, and with its cool red cartirdge, it will surely stand out.

-Kurt L.

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