Category: Reflections
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This Day in Gaming History: May 11th, 1995 – The Sega Saturn Receives a Surprise Launch
By Michael Mygind Twenty years ago today on May 11th, 1995, Sega released the Sega Saturn in North America. With an original launch date of September 5, 1995, just one week before Sony’s home console debut with the Playstation, Sega’s then president, Tom Kalinske, made a bold move at the 1995 E3 expo. In an…
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Super Smash Bros (Wii U.) – Mewtwo Impressions
For fighting games, I usually prefer speed over strength as the focus of my characters. It’s all about the fast, frenetic movement of pinpointing your shots and timing them perfectly. Sure it sacrifices power, but with speed a character can whittle away at the opponent until they’re weak. Once the opponent is weak and vulnerable,…
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Gaming in Translation (Part 1/3) – Impressions of Japan
By Michael Mygind This past March, my wife and I were able to make a trip that I’ve wanted to make since I was little: Japan, the land of the rising sun, Mount Fuji and culture that is still intact. Despite this being a video gaming blog, I feel it would be a serious injustice…
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Levels of Hell – Rusty Bucket Bay (“Banjo-Kazooie”)
By Marshall Garvey Welcome to the second installment of Levels of Hell, the article series where we delve into the most hated, excruciatingly difficult stages in video game history! The first installment had me spewing acid over the Raid on Sullust from Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, the thought of which still makes me boil…
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Old, but New: The Success of TellTale and Interactive Storytelling
It goes without saying TellTale Games has been on a roll over the last few years that won’t be ending anytime soon. From The Walking Dead Season 1 and 2, The Wolf Among Us, Back to the Future and Tales from the Borderlands, each game focuses on providing a thrilling narrative experience with simple gameplay. TellTale’s formula…
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A Lost Link to the Past
By Patrick Johnson As I was reading an article last night about why Link went to go find Navi in Majora’s Mask, I found myself diving into something really complex and just a wee bit confusing with the Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask timeline. At the end of Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda sends Link back to…
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Song of the Day: “Friends in My Heart” by Yoko Shimomura
In lied of my Hall of Fame review of Kingdom Hearts (2002), here’s one of my favorite songs from the game by the amazing composer Yoko Shimomura: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyUiL032WRA