https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNhHOc7Q8lA

-Kurt L.

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     The legendary Doom series had practically invented the first-person shooter back in the day. It wasn't the first game to do it, but it was definitely the best of its time, and most revolutionary. From its creepy setting, to the claustrophobic corridors, to advanced weaponry at your disposal, to the incredibly monsters - both hauntingly original and bizarre - Doom was an instant classic. The Nintendo 64 got its own chance to host the acclaimed series, and did so in 1997 with Doom 64.

     This is one of the better iterations of Doom out there. First off, it boasts an impressive 32 levels, 7 of which are hidden. The story is the same, a lone soldier, John Doe, is trapped on the alien moons of Mars, and must traverse alone through the treachery that lies ahead. The gameplay and the atmosphere is where this game really shines, and the level design. The graphics are also top-notch, generating some of the clearest, crisp visuals the N64 had to offer. The only hitch with the games presentation is that it is dark - too dark! I would suggest, because getting started, to turn that brightness all the way up in the Options section of the menu. Once the brightness is maxed out, the game will be perfectly fine, unless you prefer playing in such darkness, then by all means. In any case, the visuals are great!

     The gameplay remains largely unchanged from the previous Doom games, but why fix what isn't broken? It's that great first-person shooter experience that you come to expect with Doom. This game does not disappoint in that department. You have some truly awesome weapons in your arsenal, from the rip-roaring chainsaw, to the double-barreled shotgun (my personal favorite in the game), to the cool plasma rifle, to the monstrous BFG-9000.

     The atmosphere is haunting, and one of the strongest aspects of the game. There isn't much in terms of music here, but that's ok considering how much attention there seems to be in terms of ambient sound. You'll often hear groans, gurgles, and other bizarre effects coming from all around you, and it can be quite jarring - in a good way. Also, hearing the stomping footsteps of a Hell Knight, Barons of Hell is scary enough...but the scariest of all is the Cyberdemon. Indeed, one of the most terrifying enemies you'll ever encounter in a video game, and it still makes me shiver to this day - in a good way, of course!

     The level design is also quite clever. You'll be pitted in various labryinths, often with glimpses of a hellish looking sky, only adding to the atmosphere. The character designs of the various demons you will encounter are all quite grotesque, and are very well-detailed - they all convey horror.

     Doom 64 is fun because it harkens back to the good old days of the original Doom games. It is a creepy horror show filled with all the nuances of a truly scary game. It also remains as one of the best Doom titles ever made. I would highly recommend Doom 64 to any fan of the horror, first-person shooter genre.

-Kurt L.

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     This is indeed one of the better NES out there, and I think, at least in comparison to Super Mario, or Mega Man, Vice: Project Doom is largely unknown to the general gaming public nowadays. I guess it is just one of those respectable games of the past that has basically stayed there - at least I certainly don't hear about this game anymore, nor is it available for the Wii's Virtual Console, so that it would be available for a new generation. I argue that it should be, because it is an undisputed NES classic. It was a game that certainly added a significant amount of depth to the vast NES arsenal of games, as it stood out amongst the best.

     You assume the role of Officer Hart, and your mission is to take down an evil corporation called BEDA, who are apparently helping out an alien race. Most of the levels in the game are of the side-scrolling blend, but there are a few, including the opening level, that are over-head driving missions a la Spy Hunter. They are nice little diversions that add variety to the game, and do not detract from the experience. In between levels, the story unfolds via cutscenes - a rarity in games of this era. The cutscenes are entertaining and gritty in nature; they look great and the graphics are pushed to the max.

     The gameplay itself is a lot of fun with a lot of variety. In the side-scrolling stages (which comprise the majority of the game), you run and jump through various, nicely detailed stages, battling an interesting yet unusual array of enemies. The best is that you have three different choices of weapons - a whip, a pistol, and grenades. You may be using the whip most of the time because it of course never runs out of ammo - but the pistol is cool despite its fairly short range, and the grenades are quite empowering during boss battles. I like transitioning between all three, as they each are quick and responsive, and are each nicely balanced, complimenting each other. The choice in weaponry can make for some nice strategy as you traverse the stages - it's really awesome stuff.

     All of these different elements make for a classic game - Vice: Project Doom is just that. It offers and accomplishes so much, that it is a surprise that this game isn't particularly popular today. This game should be resurrected on the Wii's Virtual Console so that a new generation of gamers can experience this amazing title. It wasn't a trailblazer, but it certainly had the credentials to be one. If you could hunt down a cartridge of it somewhere, then I would suggest getting it. It's one of the best NES games out there.

-Kurt L.

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     There is no denying the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and everything it has done for FPS genre. With great graphics, story elements, and a killer multiplayer mode, its no wonder it has become a staple of Next Gen gaming. When news of Modern Warfare 2 hit, well needless to say gamers around the world went through the roof, myself including. Call of Duty has been a staple in all of my gaming rotations for years, and being a proud member of the Modern Warfare multiplayer community, I was psyched to get my hands on a copy of the sequel. So, did Modern Warfare 2 live up to our expectations?

     I am happy to report, that yes, Modern Warfare 2 brought the proverbial A game. Well, at least for the most part, but we'll get into that in a bit. In true Call of Duty fashion, Modern Warfare 2 has all the elements of the franchise we've come to love. There is a story driven campaign mode which jumps between the perspectives of numerous characters, an extensive multiplayer mode, an all new Spec Ops mode, and some of the best looking graphics offered on the PC, Ps3, and Xbox 360 platforms. This makes for plenty of gunplay, and gamers will undoubtedly be spending hours of their lives playing Modern Warfare 2.

     Most players will jump right into the game via the campaign mode, which continues on with the story from Modern Warfare 2. I won't go into too much detail over the main plot, but the world is in a sad state of affairs. The United States and Russia are at war, and things are getting messy not only on the foreign front but the home front as well. That's right, the US has been invaded. While playing as the Army Ranger, Pvt. James Ramirez, you'll be fighting the war in our own backyard while making headway to the White House. During the other portions of the game, you will assume the role of Task Force 141 member, "Roach" under the command of Captain "Soap" McTavish from Modern Warfare 1. Roach's plot bring the players on the more traditional Call of Duty path, by trekking around the world and fighting in exotic locations. Overall, the campaign mode is filled with intense action worthy of the Call of Duty brand, but unfortunately is where the game takes a hit. For starters, Modern Warfare 2's plot is incredibly unrealistic. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but at times it seems like every clichéd action movie scenario plays out at one time or another. What truly great moments the campaign mode has, seems overshadowed by the lack of creativity, but there are some really awesome moments none the less. To make matters worse the campaign mode is very short, even by Call of Duty standards. In my experience, playing on the Hardened difficulty setting, I was able to complete the game in just about 4 hours first time through. Now take into consideration I am very experienced when it comes to playing Call of Duty, so your mileage my vary from mine. However, that still shouldn't excuse such a short campaign. Fortunately, improvements to the game's mechanics do make for a fun gaming experience. No longer will players be stuck firing at countless waves of respawning enemies until players advances forward, and the artificial intelligence is top notch as to be expected. Your fellow soldiers AI is worthy of their real life counter parts, and add a depth to the game that wasn't expected. The do their part in the battle, and are good to have around as their input actually has value. When they call out enemy locations, or warnings, heed their words. Enemies are tough this time around, and use the environment to their advantage. It isn't uncommon to see snipers trying to pick you off from 3^rd story windows, or trying to flank your position. Upon completing the campaign, players will unlock the all new Spec Ops mode.

     Spec Ops mode is a welcome addition to the Modern Warfare franchise. Spec Ops isn't just a simple mini game, but a full section of the game with its own unique sets of challenges. Spec Ops mode is down right fun to play, and there are plenty of scenarios to work through. These scenarios vary from completing a basic training mode, to evading enemy detection, or sniping waves of oncoming enemies just to name a few. Spec Ops can be played alone, or with friends. Although Spec Ops functions fine as a solo player experience there is no doubt that it will truly shine when having a friend back you up. There are many of hours of intense action in Spec Ops to be had, not to mention each scenario has tons of replay value.

     Last but not least, we come to the multiplayer mode. This is where the heart of Modern Warfare 2 is held, as undoubtedly this is where most fans of the franchise will be investing the majority of their time. Anyone who has ever played Call of Duty online knows what to expect from Modern Warfare 2. There are numerous game modes, including team death matches, free for alls, search and destroy, the list just goes on and on. As players progress through the online mode, they will level up, obtain custom class creations, which are all staples of previous Call of Duty installments. However, the biggest change comes in the form of how customizable Modern Warfare 2 online really is. As you progress through the new online mode, players will still have to obtain new weapons, and perks, but now will also be rewarded call signs and Emblems. These new Call signs and emblems are your new signature in the Modern Warfare universe. Every time you make a kill, or so something important like draw first blood in a match, your call sign and emblems are displayed with your name. These call signs and emblems are completely customizable, and are unlocked as you complete challenges and objectives while playing the game. Although they don't do anything other than look cool, they set each player apart as an individual which ultimately adds to the overall online experience. Players are no longer stuck between picking a long gun and hand gun combination. There are plenty of new weapon combos to fit each gamer's play style. For example, one player may prefer using a UMP45 sub machine gun and have their secondary weapon be a shotgun. Or a sniper my back up his long range assault with a machine pistol incase things start to get too close for comfort. Even kill streak rewards have become customizable, which causes players to never know what's coming next, just like on a real battle field. One area of Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer mode I did find lacking was the map designs. They are by no means bad, but their design feels much more constricting in terms of game play compared to other Call of Duty installments. Players seem to follow the same routines within these maps, whether it be sniping on cliff sides, camping out near stair ways, or simply using grenade launchers to clear out underground bunkers. The map designs have forced these predictable events, being maps are either too open, or too enclosed. Regardless of this flaw, Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer continues to set the bar on what a FPS online mode should be.

     When it is all said and done, Modern Warfare 2 is an outstanding game. There are no two ways about it, if you like Call of Duty you are going to love Modern Warfare 2. Despite coming up short in a few areas, its flaws are minor at best. Anyone who loves first person shooters needs to get their hands on a copy of this game. It looks and plays great no matter what platform it comes on. Modern Warfare 2 was easily one of the best releases of 2009.

Written by RB

Over and Out!

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     Mega Man is one of gamings oldest and most prolific of franchises with a slew of games for generations of varying consoles and handhelds. Over the course of the 20+ years Mega Man has been in the business, he has surely shared his triumphs as well as his tribulations. Mega Man had a glorious run on the NES for six classic titles. He had a new revamped look on the SNES and made a string of successful games there, and has sort of transformed over the years with various spinoffs until it finally returned to the basics (and its best) of forms in a decade with Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10. With the original 8-bit Mega Man and the awesome retroness of Mega Man 10 bookending the franchise (for now), there was and still is an entire 3D era of gaming so prevelent in the industry. There was indeed a few 3D games in the Mega Man franchise, and like I said - this series had its ups and downs - and Mega Man 64, was a downer.

     It was basically a port of the Playstation game Mega Man Legends, but Mega Man 64 was released in 2001, a whole three years after Legends for PS1. It just seems odd that Nintendo would release this game, not only so late in the life cycle of the N64, but in the midst of the new era of the Playstation 2 and the newer, cutting edge systems. With the release of such a archaic game like Mega Man 64, it certainly made the N64 seem stodgy - until Paper Mario came out a month later in 2001, becoming of the systems last games, but also one of its best, but I digress.

     Mega Man 64 apparently, from what I've read, has some better visuals than Mega Man Legends, so with that being said, I would not want to see what Legends looks like, as the graphics in Mega Man 64 are blurry at best. Screenshots of this game make it look enticing, but the reality is this game looks bad, and its more shameful considering how late in the N64 life cycle this was released.

     For many games out there, you can overcome some poor visuals if the gameplay itself is strong, and that is another disappointing area. The gameplay is simply unforgettable and boring, and the controls are weak. What's worse is the pacing of the game - it's slow and sluggish. It boasts some RPG elements and dialogue sequences, but they drag down the experience greatly, making the game more of a chore to play than it is. I think if these parts of the games were either shortened or dropped all together, you might have a passable, mediocre, and even playable game here; ultimately though, the game suffers from its terrible pacing. I feel like when I was playing this game, I invested so much time to get from what seemed to be Point A to Point B, but it felt as if nothing was accomplished! I kept thinking, "what's the hold up!" I wanted the game to move along, and it just took what felt like forever.

     If you can look past many of the broken elements of this game, you might actually enjoy it - somewhat. It's not the worst game in the world, but it is pretty forgettable. Mega Man 64 is in one word - disappointment. The Mega Man franchise deserved a better treatment when it came to the Nintendo 64, or for any 3D system at the time for that matter. This game did not provide the fun and wholly enjoyable experience its 2D predecessors had provided for so many years prior. The best way to solve your Mega Man 64 woes are to go back and play some of the classic NES and SNES Mega Man games.

-Kurt L.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCQKyAXx-NY

-Kurt L.

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     Just as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) revolutionized the console gaming market, Game Boy did the same for handhelds. Prior to the release of this new phenom in 1989, the handheld market was limited to those Game & Watch games; Nintendo changed all that with the Game Boy. It was like a miniature NES, and although its graphics and sound were surely inferior to its larger counterpart, it still made "gaming on the go" possible. By today's standards, the GameBoy is rather large and bulky, but then, it was a marvel. It's flagship game was Super Mario Land, and just like the original Super Mario Bros. before it, Mario Land ushered in a new era of gaming.

     Super Mario Land plays a lot like the aforementioned Super Mario Bros. It is that classic side-scrolling fare with its unique brand of supreme gameplay and memorable characters. However, unlike SMB, Mario Land offers up some different challenges and new faces. Yes, you'll see such classic enemies as goombas and koopa troopas, but, this time, once you stomp on a koopa troopa, there shells explode after a few seconds - an interesting twist! When you are Fire Mario, your fireballs richochet off the walls rather than bounce along the ground like in other Mario games. Also, you are not out to save Princess Toadstool, but rather, Princess Daisy. Additionally, there are new enemies to face as well, including stone faced Easter Island-like statues and lions - making for a pretty darn diverse group of foes.

     This game is defintiely one of GameBoy's best games, but isn't without its own little flaws. The gameplay, while for the most part is tight, can often be a little unresponsive. Sometimes there is too much "give" when Mario runs, and if too close to the edge, you will plummet to your demise - so, be careful to time your jumps just right when leaping from one platform to the other. This minor issue doesn't plague the gameplay, but only hampers it on seldom occaissions; essentially, the control is very good, but just not as flawless as Super Mario Bros. was.

     The music in this game is just wonderful. The tunes are endlessly catchy, and you'll find yourself humming them for years to come (I know I do!). Combine that with some solid 8-bit monochrome graphics, and this game is a total winner. If you really want this game to shine though, I would suggest playing it on a Super GameBoy peripherial for the SNES, or a GameBoy Player (for Nintendo Gamecube), and you'll see a big difference.

     In any case, Super Mario Land is a Game Boy classic. Like I said, it's one of the handheld's best games, and arguably its own memorable. If you can track down a copy of this gem, I'd say go for it, because you will not be disappointed. How could you be? It's Super Mario!

-Kurt L.

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     Created very late in the life cycle of the Super Nintendo, Kirby's Dream Land 3 may be fairly unknown to the mainstream public - at least, I would think so. By 1997, the Nintendo 64 was in full swing, armed with a plethora of terrific games like Super Mario 64 and Goldeneye as examples, and the aging SNES was reduced to a few annual sports titles until it was finally discontinued. The SNES got its great swan song a year earlier with Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, which turned out to be its best game as well. So, it seems a little odd, as Nintendo would release Kirby's Dream Land 3, so late in time.

     To be fair, it's a decent game, a serviceable one, but unfortunately not a memorable one. As a longtime fan of Kirby games, from the pink puff's first foray onto GameBoy Kirby's Dream Land, to the epic NES game Kirby's Adventure, to the very best of the bunch - Kirby Super Star for the SNES. Clearly, Kirby games have enjoyed plenty of success, but Dream Land 3 falls flat. It doesn't deviate that much from the traditional and familiar formula of the series, but its biggest difference I'd say is in its graphics and gameplay. As for the former, the visuals are very impressive - they have a light, pleasant, very hand-drawn sort of look (more so than the previous games in the series), however, they aren't the best in the series; either way, they still look nice.

     The gameplay is also different, but in a bad way - and this is where the game ultimately loses its punch and replayability. It is remarkably slow. How so? The controls are generally unresponsive, and the action just doesn't seem to move. It's as if the game is operating on only 75% of its power - things just simply drag. It's very disconcerting considering how quick and energetic the previous Kirby games were.

     One saving grace for the game is its formula. The Kirby formula of traversing through nicely ordained stages, sucking up enemies, and absorbing their various powers, is still a blast. Also, Kirby can now ride various types of forest animals that aid him throughout levels - it's a nice touch to the standard Kirby formula. However, like I said, the sluggish gameplay drags down the experience.

     In the end, Kirby's Dream Land 3 is just a bit forgettable. It's not terrible, but it's not great either. It sort of exists in video game purgatory, and while it will certainly provide some enjoyable moments, the overall experience is marred and hindered by strangely slow gameplay. I only reccomend it if you can look past its issues. In any case, I say stick to Kirby Super Star.

-Kurt L.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6l_dincuaw

-Kurt L.

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     Without question, I'm a huge fan of the Super Mario Bros and nearly every game associated with the princess saving plumbers. Needless to say, my collection of Mario Bros games has grown quite a bit over the years. I've even been known to buy gaming systems specifically to get my hands on a new addition to the franchise. This was the case with Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for Gameboy Advance.

     Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is an RPG very similar to that of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Superstar Saga is a very story driven game, character leveling, and turn based fight sequences. Yet there are some additional features that keep the game play feeling fresh, while at the same time keeping true to key elements of the Mario Bros franchise.

     Superstar Saga begins with the Mario Bros going about their business in their Mushroom Kingdom home, when Toad comes busting onto the scene with news of Princess Peach being stuck in yet another predicament. Since the Princess can't seem to keep herself out of trouble, the always brave Mario and his reluctantly brave brother Luigi are off to the castle to see what all the fuss is about. And wouldn't you know who is there...Bowser!!! Yeah, big surprise right? Anyway, Mario and Bowser exchange their blows, and after Bowser admits defeat the real problem presents itself when the Princess tries to speak. As Princess Peach was awaiting an ambassador from the Beanbean Kingdom, a bizarre villain named Cackletta has stolen Princess Peach's pure voice, and now it has been replaced with a more "explosive" vocabulary which detonates every time she opens her mouth. With Bowser's plans to kidnap Peach once again foiled by the Mario Bros, and the Princess's new extreme dialect, Bowser decides that he will allow Mario to tag along with him as they go off to the Beanbean Kingdom to get Peach's voice back...so he can later kidnap her once again. Luigi is dragged along into the adventure by force, and the Mario Bros are off to the Beanbean Kingdom with their passports in hand. As you might have guessed, things don't go exactly as planed. From there, Mario Bros mischief ensues.

     Superstar Saga's game mechanics revolve around the use of both Mario Bros simultaneously. Mario & Luigi are always side by side, one in front of the other. Where one brother goes, the other is right behind. Jumping and using special abilities are broken down into the A button for Mario, and the B button for Luigi. So, if you are trying to jump over an obsticle with Mario, you must also push B to activate Luigi's jump so you can continue on your path. Failing to do so will stop the leading brother's advance in his tracks until the other can catch up. For the most part, maneuvering around the maps and keeping the brothers in tune with each other is a pretty simple task. I doubt it will cause much of a hang up for anyone, although the game's slightly over head view does result in some complications as pathways, and obstacles may not be clearly defined as they blend into the flat background at times. On occasion, in some locations I personally even walked off a ledge by mistake, and would have to jump my way back up to where I need to be. This is a minor flaw, but an annoying one none the less. On a better note, unlike many RPGs Superstar Saga has no random battle sequences. As players move throughout the game, any threats are clearly displayed moving around, and can easily be avoided if the player desires to do so. This also works when entering combat, as Superstar Saga allows the player to make the first strike by jumping or using one of the other abilities on the enemy. This will cause the enemy to be stunned upon entering the fight, on top of dealing out some damage right off the bat which is a nice touch. Combat, as I mentioned before is turned based. However, there is a twist. Anyone who as ever played Mario RPG, or even Paper Mario knows that hitting the attack button at the right time will do a boost in damage, and can also defend against incoming attacks. That premise continues on in Superstar Saga, and works great to keep players involved in an otherwise mundane and uninspired turn based process. Like when roaming around the environment, Mario and Luigi are again controlled by A and B specifically, and their enemies will give a brief hint on who their next attack will be against. With a keen eye, and good sense of timing, its is not impossible to make it through even some of the toughest of fights without taking any damage whatsoever. However if one of the Bros becomes unconscious its up to the remaining brother to either bring them back with a 1Up, or defend them by piggybacking them and jumping to avoid incoming danger. Mario and Luigi can also use Brother Points which allows the bros to do a double team attack, which when times perfectly can have devastating results. After a fight is over, experience is rewarded and the Mario Bros will level up individually. Each brother will be rewarded some points into their stats, and the player will be allowed to pick one of these stats to give a little boost giving Mario and Luigi an edge over one another in certain areas. If you are looking for a bit more traditional Mario Bros action, the Original Mario Bros is packaged together with Superstar Saga cartridge. Obviously I will not go into detail about that particular game, we all know it, and it is what it is about. The fact that is there, is a plus. I mean...who doesn't like a free game?

     Sound quality is decent for a hand held system. Musical themes are generally lighthearted, and really aren't bad although after awhile I did find them to get a bit momentous. There is also a bit of voice work mixed into the game, although they're used more as sound effects. Players will read all of the actual dialog, and say Mario and Luigi speaking tidbits of Italian (if you can call it that) as punctuation. They're not consistently use, so don't become annoying which if they were used more could easily have been a problem.

     One area Superstar Saga truly shined was with the nostalgia factor. Like many Mario Bros games, Superstar Saga plays off of previous Mario Bros titles. So, we see many familiar faces, and all of them have their place in this new adventure. Characters are treated with a certain respect, all though Superstar Saga doesn't take itself seriously in the least bit. There is a constant humor, and it simply just feels right as another great Mario Bros game, if that makes any sense. Any fan of Mario and Luigi, and enjoy playing RPGs would get a kick out of Superstar Saga. It is a genuinely fun game, full of memorable moments, and is easily my favorite title released for the Gameboy Advance.

Written by RB

Over and Out!

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