Category: Retro Review

So the other day, walking down memory lane, I covered Hey You Pikachu and decided today why not cover an unusual Pokemon game that actually works. Again, much like Hey You Pikachu, this game was a cool concept: go on expeditions through various locales taking pictures of the native Pokemon that inhabit the region. It was a cool concept done surprisingly well. The camera was fluid and the expeditions were pretty fun; I remember a volcanic area full of fire Pokemon which were some of my favorites at the time. An unexpected bonus was how much fun it was playing with a friend, seeing who could photo bomb more Pokemon and who could get the cooler shots. Violet and I had a ton of fun doing this as kids. I feel if replicated today, the modern game market would abuse the hell out of this game, adding who knows how many DLC packages and micro transactions which makes me sad a bit. In the end, it’s a simple, wholesome game I recommend for Pokemon fans or families with younger kids. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

I can’t lie, until randomly at my job that isn’t the blog, I forgot this game pretty much existed. Once I recalled it, I had to think to a time way back to when there were only 151 Pokemon and Pokemon: The First Movie was THE movie in my school and news of Pokemon 2000 was the equivalent of Star Wars hype. But, I digress… Hey You Pikachu was a game for the Nintendo 64 with a lot of ambition. Requiring a special microphone attachment for the N64 controller, you talked to Pikachu and had him to command and essentially lived your own little Pokemon fantasy. As far as I’m aware of, there was no battling, so there goes a huge chunk of that fantasy. I have to be 100% honest, I’ve never seen this game in person actually really work. Talking to Pikachu became ultra frustrating super quickly because the controller itself was nearly useless and the entire game was trying to talk. When you’d get Pikachu to follow your instructions it was so cool, but then enjoy the 15-20 minutes it took for his next command to register. I’ve seen people pitch hissy fits and whip there controllers over this game. Simply put. I can’t recommend this game to anyone. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Did you guys know bandicoots were real animals? No, I was as shocked as you probably are. This is a actual bandicoot.

Adorable, right? Anyway let’s talk about Crash Bandicoot, one of PlayStation’s most beloved mascots.

Experimented on by the nefarious Dr Neo Cortex, Crash escapes and goes about his adventure through forests, ancient ruins, and the lair of Cortex himself. Crash Bandicoot is a perfect example of an old school platformer, easy to learn but hard as hell to master. I spent entire days stuck on levels, holding my breath when the levels started getting crazy. While Crash can fall from a an insane height, without the help of the Aku-Aku masks a single hit instantly kills you which adds a lot of tension, combined with the fact you have a limited number of lives. While the game kicks your ass pretty hard, it is fair which I appreciated. Collecting 100 Wumpa fruits grants you a extra life; the game grants you Aku-Aku masks if you die too many times so you can take an extra hit or two. Graphically, the game looks damn good on PS4 and the controls are fluid as ever. If you ever need an old school throwback game, the first Crash Bandicoot game as part of the N Sane Trilogy is well worth the play through. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

I may not be a hardcore fighting game fan but damn I loved me some classic Smash Bros. On Nintendo 64 I first encountered this classic which brought such iconic Nintendo characters together like Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Kirby, Yoshi, Star Fox, Samus, and Pikachu to battle each other in classic settings from there respective games. Besides fighting one another they also faced new threats like Metal-Mario, Giant Donkey Kong – which required two other fighters to help take down, as well whole teams of Yoshis,  Kirbys, and Polygons all culminating in the ultimate fight against the Master Hand. Besides your powers, you have a series of cool weapons at your disposal like Poke balls, the Star Wand, Mario’s hammer and even the Star from Mario Kart 64. Unlike most fighting games, depleting your health doesn’t kill you; the more damage you take, the easier it is to get smashed off the map which makes for some intense fights, especially between friends. Honestly Smash Bros 64 is my favorite fighting game ever ( I’m untouchable with Pikachu). The maps, the characters, the weapons, and music are ingrained in my memory long after my childhood and my N64. I seriously recommend this game, especially with a friend, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.