Castlevania Mania!

I had just celebrated my 15th birthday and I had some money to spend. So when I found out my uncle was driving into the city, I gave him $40 and I made a list of 3 NES games I wanted. Well two that I wanted, anyway. My first choice was a game that I wanted so badly I could barely stand it. It was Legend of Zelda. The only problem was that it was sold out at almost every game store around. That's where my number two choice comes in with Deadly Towers. I didn't know much about this game but I had seen some screenshots of it and it looked really cool. Now I had to come up with one more choice just in case the store didn't have either of my first two choices so I just wrote down a game I had seen in an advertisement somewhere and that game was Castlevania. I remember all day long I just kept hoping that my uncle would come back with either Zelda or Deadly Towers, and not Castlevania. But when he came home and I opened the sack, guess what game was in there. Castlevania. I was pretty dissapointed and I remember just throwing the sack on my bed and going back out with my friends on our dirt bikes until dark.

After it finally got dark, I came home and there sat that bag. My first thought was to just leave the game in the shrinkwrap and return it to the store once they got a Legend of Zelda game in. Truth is, I was bored and couldn't stand it so I tore into the game, popped it into my NES, and discovered a game that would become one of my all-time favorite games, not to mention series. I loved everything about the game from the graphics to the amazing soundtrack. Even the fact that the game was really high on the difficulty scale didn't affect my enjoyment of the game. To this day, I still drag out the original NES Castlevania game and play through it, if only to prove to myself that I can still finish it. Over the years I've bought 12 other Castlevania games, including the terrific PC Engine version of the game that's one of the best games ever made. If you've never played a Castlevania game, do yourself a huge favor and track down at least one game in the series. Just make sure it's not the horrible 3-D renditions for the Nintendo 64. Castlevania is one of the greatest video game series ever, and it's still thriving today, over 20 years later.

Nintendo Introduces Pink DS Lite

Nintendo is adding yet another color to their Japanese DS Lite lineup with the introduction of the Noble Pink DS Lite system. The Noble Pink DS Lite is set to release in Japan on July 20 to coincide with the release of their new "Touch-Generations" cooking game Shaberu! DS Oryouri Navi. It seems Nintendo is aiming this new color at female game fans, and also male game fans who are secure enough in their manhood to carry around a pink DS Lite. Look for the Noble Pink DS Lite to show up at import game retailers within the next few days for preordering. Could be the perfect gift for your girlfriend or wife.

Here's another picture of the new Noble Pink DS Lite system I came across that shows what the system looks like open. You'll notice that Nintendo is sticking with the color-on-color buttons and control pad in keeping with the single color design of the system much like we saw with the Ice Blue and Enamel Navy DS Lite systems. It's really a nice looking system and Hori already has both a Compact Pouch and Multi-Pouch case available in the pink color, so maybe that was a sign.

Ancient Artifacts - Intellivision

In 1980, Mattel introduced the Intellivision video game system to compete with the highly-popular Atari 2600 game system. Using marketing ads that featured a guy named George Plimpton pretty much openly bashing the Atari 2600 on national television, Mattel was able to actually become a serious threat to Atari's domination of the home video game market. I'm one of the few pathetic people who got an Atari 5200 instead of the Intellivision, so I had to experience the system through my best friend that lived down the street. We'd spend hours playing Advanced Dungeons & Dragons over at his house. Although my trusty Atari 5200 sported what I consider to be the worst video game controllers in history, the Intellivision is one spot over and used these awful game pads that made you press your directions on these gold discs. If it sounds insane, that's because it was, and most of the time control was sporadic at best. To add insult to injury, the action buttons on the side of the controllers were extremely difficult to press down. The Intellivision had some amazing games, but using those controllers made some of them that required pinpoint control very frustrating.

Dragonfire was one of my favorite Atari 2600 games, but the Intellivision version of the game was just so much better. Not only were the graphics a lot more detailed, the game also featured an additional threat which was an archer high atop the castle wall. I remember that this game alone made me ask my grandparents for an Intellivision, but by then they had already bought me an Atari 5200 for Christmas. Activision, another one of my favorite third party companies of this era also had a great game for the system called Worm Whomper. You got to run up and down the screen shooting the approaching worms with bug spray in order to protect your corn crops. I finally went back and bought an Intellivision a few years ago along with many of these great games and although the controllers still suck, some of the games for this system still hold up well even all these years later. If you like classic gaming from way back, pick up an Intellivision system and a few of the games. Then you'll see why Mattel managed to sell over 6 million of these systems even going up against a heavyweight like Atari. A true classic!

My Top 100 RPGs

I've gotten a lot of emails asking me about what RPGs I like and which ones I'd recommend, so I decided to put up this list. This is my own personal Top 100 RPGs. After putting this list together, I realized that there was one on here I had actually not finished, but I just popped Secret of Evermore into my Super NES and I'm on it. Take a look and see how many of these you've played and how many you still need to play. I apologize ahead of time if one of your favorite rpgs isn't on the list, but I tried to be as thorough as possible, even going so far as to go through all of my shelves here in the game room and write them down individually. Now take a deep breath, and enjoy the list!

----1. Chrono Trigger - SNES
----2. Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals - SNES
----3. Terranigma - SNES
----4. Phantasy Star IV - Genesis
----5. Final Fantasy VI - SNES
----6. Final Fantasy X - PS2
----7. Ys IV: Dawn of Ys - TG16
----8. PoPoLoCrois - PSP
----9. The Bard's Tale - Apple II
---10. Lunar Silver Star - Sega CD
---11. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - N64
---12. Popful Mail - Sega CD
---13. Dragon Quest VI - SFC
---14. Soul Blazer - SNES
---15. Legend of Dragoon - PS1
---16. Zelda II: Adventures of Link - NES
---17. Neutopia - TG16
---18. Albert Odyssey - Saturn
---19. Secret of Mana - SNES
---20. Shining Force II - Genesis
---21. Final Fantasy Tactics - PS1
---22. Ys Book I & II - TG16
---23. Fire Emblem - GBA
---24. Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past - SNES
---25. Dragon Warrior Monsters II: Tara's Adventure - GBC
---26. Star Ocean - SNES
---27. Final Fantasy VII - PS1
---28. Panzer Dragoon Saga - Saturn
---29. Magic Knight Rayearth - Saturn
---30. Vay - Sega CD
---31. Arc the Lad Collection - PS1
---32. Suikoden II - PS1
---33. Sword of Vermillion - Genesis
---34. Legend of Zelda - NES
---35. Dragon Quest III - GBC
---36. Wild Arms II - PS1
---37. Golden Sun: The Lost Age - GBA
---38. Beyond Oasis - Genesis
---39. Ultima III - Apple II
---40. Seiken Densetsu III - SFC
---41. Tactics Ogre: Knights of Lodis - GBA
---42. Final Fantasy IX - PS1
---43. Chrono Cross - PS1
---44. Tales of Phantasia - SFC
---45. Tales of Legendia - PS2
---46. Neutopia II - TG16
---47. Legend of Zelda: Windwaker - Gamecube
---48. Paper Mario - N64
---49. Shining Force III - Saturn
---50. Lufia & the Fortress of Doom - SNES
---51. Kingdom Hearts - PS2
---52. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time - DS
---53. Legend of Oasis - Game Gear
---54. Dragon Quest V - SFC
---55. Lunar Eternal Blue - Sega CD
---56. Tales of Symphonia - Gamecube
---57. Phantasy Star III - Genesis
---58. Final Fantasy I & II - GBA
---59. Illusion of Gaia - SNES
---60. Dragon Slayer - TG16
---61. Breath of Fire II - SNES
---62. Legend of Heroes II: Moonlight Witch - PSP
---63. Ogre Battle - SNES
---64. Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga - GBA
---65. Temple of Apshai Trilogy - Apple II
---66. Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap - GBA
---67. Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones - GBA
---68. Final Fantasy Tactics - PS1
---69. Phantasy Star - Sega Master System
---70. Threads of Fate - PS1
---71. Paladin's Quest - SNES
---72. Shining the Holy Ark - Saturn
---73. Dragon Quest VIII - PS2
---74. Valkyrie Profile - PS1
---75. Secret of Evermore - SNES
---76. Dragon Warrior Monsters - GBC
---77. Golden Sun - GBA
---78. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Xbox 360
---79. Wild Arms Alter Code F - PS2
---80. Earthbound - SNES
---81. Alundra - PS1
---82. Zork - Apple II
---83. Robotrek - SNES
---84. Rings of Zilfin - Apple II
---85. Bahamut Lagoon - SFC
---86. Final Fantasy V - SFC
---87. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - N64
---88. Dungeon Explorer II - TG16
---89. The 7th Saga - SNES
---90. Legacy of the Wizard - NES
---91. Lagoon - SNES
---92. Dark Cloud 2 - PS2
---93. Legend of the River King - GBC
---94. Phantasy Star II - Genesis
---95. Azure Dreams - PS1
---96. E.V.O. - SNES
---97. Kings Quest - Apple II
---98. Wild Arms - PS1
---99. Final Fantasy Legend III - GB
--100. Alundra II - PS1

Well, there they are. Of the 173 I own, these are the 100 best. And as I said up top, if your favorites didn't make the list, I'm sorry about that. Well, gotta get back to Secret of Evermore. Plus my hands are tired from typing all of that list up. : )

Forgotten Favorites - Sega CDX System

I have to say, although I was a Super Nintendo fanatic, I always loved my Sega Genesis system. There were just some outstanding games available for the system that you just couldn't get anywhere else. So when they said "Genesis does what Nintendon't," they were partially correct. I had always wanted a Sega CD system to play the Lunar games and Sonic CD, but I just never got around to buying one until one day I walked into Toys R' Us and found a brand new Sega CDX system in the clearance bin for $49.99. Needless to say, I snatched it up quickly and over the years, I've gotten way more money's worth out of it than I paid for it when I bought it that day. Not only is it compact and easy to carry with me on out-of-town trips, it also plays both Sega Genesis carts and Sega CD games. Heck, you can even use it as a portable CD player if you don't mind popping batteries into it every hour or so. I still have my Sega CDX system to this day, and it still works flawlessly. I've included my Top 10 Sega Genesis and Sega CD games below, so if you're a Genesis fan, or even if you're not, you might want to check these games out, as they're some of the best out there.

--- 1. Phantasy Star IV
--- 2. Sonic & Knuckles
--- 3. Popful Mail
--- 4. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
--- 5. Wonderboy in Monster World
--- 6. Castlevania Bloodlines
--- 7. Vay
--- 8. Sword of Vermillion
--- 9. Lunar Complete
-- 10. Mickey Mouse in Castle of Illusion

Phantasy Star IV is still what I consider to be the best Sega Genesis game money can buy, but if you're up for something a little different, with a nice side-scrolling action type experience, track down a copy of Working Design's action-rpg "Popful Mail" if you can. It's an outstanding action role-playing game with tons of voiced dialog and a great storyline as well. It might cost you around $50, but it's worth every penny of it.

Import Alert - Gurumin for PSP

Here's a game that was brought to my attention by a fellow rpg enthusiast, and after watching the trailer, I have to say that PSP platformer fans need to give this game a serious look. The game is developed and published by Falcom, who many of you may know as the creator of the Ys and Legend of Heroes rpg series. Labeled an "acrobatic drill action RPG," the game plays like a 3-D platformer for the most part. The game's look and feel is a bit on the quirky side, maybe a bit like a Klonoa, but the control and large number of drill-based special moves make the game a lot of fun. If you're a PSP owner and are looking for something new and exciting, click on the logo above to go to Falcom's official Japanese web site and then click on the movie logo to view the PSP game trailer. If you like what you see you can pre-order the title from Play-Asia as it's release date is set for June 29th. So far it looks to be a terrific title.

Legend of Heroes II - PSP Impressions

I picked up Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch today for my PSP and I have to tell you, it's a pretty solid little rpg. Most people know that I liked the first LOH game, Tear of Vermillion, but even I can admit that Moonlight Witch is better in almost every single facet of the game. The soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, and the combat system has been tweaked to move a bit smoother and faster. The story seems a bit more "meaty" and makes playing the game a tad more intersting than the last game. If you liked Legend of Heroes, you're going to love this game, and if you missed LOH the first time around, now might be a good time to pick it up. I've logged about five hours, but I'll post a full review of the game within the next day or so.

My Agonizing Pursuit of Neo Geo

In order to keep this story short, I'll summarize. I always wanted a Neo Geo system because I loved games like Samurai Shodown, Last Blade, and the Metal Slug series. I finally broke down and bought a Neo Geo AES cart system, but I wasn't terribly impressed with the joysticks, and the carts were just too expensive at $300 a pop. I finally sold it and bought a Neo Geo CD system, only to find that the load times were absolutely excruciating. That thing loaded more than U-Haul, and it also had to load in between every single stage of the game. Needless to say, it got put on ebay and about a year later the Neo Geo bug bit again and I decided to track down a Neo Geo CDZ system, as I had read that it had a double-speed cd drive in it. I mean that's got to help, right? Nope! It was a tiny bit better, but it still had painfully long load times. Do I need to tell you that the CDZ went on ebay too? I didn't think so. I knew at this point that there was nothing left to do but try to find a cheap used Neo Geo arcade cabinet or Super Gun and hope it wasn't too rediculously priced. Well it turns out most were in the neighborhood of $1000 at the time, and there was no way I had that kind of money to throw around on a cabinet that would still need a lot of work, most likely. That's when I happened to see an ad in my local newspaper of a guy selling a Japanese Neo Geo Candy arcade cabinet and that's where this story begins.

The guy wanted $200 for the cabinet, which I thought was a damn good price until I got to the guy's house and saw it. To say that this cabinet needed some work would be the understatement of the year. The cabinet had no cover door to the inside MVS part, it had no MVS board, no Jamma harness, no joysticks or buttons other than the 1 and 2 player and select buttons, no light fixture behind the marquee, the marquee holder was broken in half, the power supply was burned out so you couldn't test anything including the monitor, and it was also missing the entire Neo Geo Candy sticker on the right side. So basically I was about to buy a Neo Geo Candy shell. I almost walked away from this deal, but then I began thinking that I could pay the $200 and then just fix a little bit here and there, and someday I might actually have a nice Neo Geo arcade cabinet. After much debating, I went ahead and talked the guy down to $170, and then took my new peice of junk home. Over the course of the next 3 years, using ebay, an old Neo Geo MVS manual I got from a local Amusement Rental company, and many wiring resources I got off the net, I began putting this cabinet back together. Below is a list of everything I did to the cabinet in making it the beautiful arcade machine it is today.

--- Installed brand new HAPP arcade joysticks and switches
--- Installed brand new HAPP arcade buttons and switches
--- Installed a brand new JAMMA harness
--- Installed a working power supply and brand new fuse
--- Installed two brand new speakers
--- Rewired the speaker wiring to the new speakers
--- Installed new ballasts and tube light in the marquee slot
--- Found a Candy cabinet MVS cover on ebay
--- Replaced the right side Neo Geo Candy sticker
--- Replaced a spring in the coin slot mechanism
--- Bought a really nice used 4-slot MVS board off ebay
--- Replaced wiring to the monitor with higher grade wire
--- Just recently found a Candy coin catcher

It was a lot of work and three long years, but the results have been well worth the effort. I now have a fully-functioning Neo Geo Candy MVS cabinet and about 30 MVS carts at last count. It's also rather nice that many of the Neo Geo MVS games can be bought on ebay for between $10-$30 instead of the insane $250+ of the AES carts. The MVS cabinets may cost you an arm and a leg on your initial investment, but in the long run, it's much cheaper and a lot of fun if you like a good "fix-it-up" project! If any of you out there are considering doing one of these MVS projects, keep in mind that there are a lot of great resources on the net for putting these things together, and if you have any questions, I'll be happy to help you out.

Legend of Heroes II coming to PSP

On June 21, Namco-Bandai will release their second Legend of Heroes game for the PSP with Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch. I really enjoyed the first Legend of Heroes game, although there were quite a large number of spelling and grammatical errors to be found throughout the game, and I must admit, I'm really excited about Legend of Heroes II. The first game was a lot of fun and had a genuinely engaging storyline, and many fans of the series seem to think Moonlight Witch will be even better and more unique from a story-telling standpoint. I just got in the preview build, so I'll report back when I've had a chance to put a little more time into the game.

Features:

AI that "Picks Its Battles" - Enemies gauge your strength before attacking, and will "turn tail and run" if they sense you are stronger than they are.
Random Battles – Be Gone! See your enemies on the world map before a fight ensues.
Use the "Deadly" Meter to Your Advantage - Fill up your meter after a battle, then unleash a devastating blow on particularly tough bosses.
Easy to Pick up and Play - Battle in close combat, use weapons or call on support characters to assist with super attacks or drop off power-ups.
Deep RPG Designed for a Handheld Platform - Outside of battles or events, save at any point in the game, except for during battles and events.
Return of the "Pet" system - Keep a dog, cat, or rabbit as a pet... treat it well, and it will return the favor!
Beautiful Environments - Colorful 2D sprites inhabit a rich world with such details as lens flare from the sun, water effects, and beautiful scenery.

Legend of Heroes II utilizes the same battle system as the first game, which allows you to see your enemies instead of the random enemy encounters found in many other traditional rpgs. The look and feel of the first game is also present in this sequel which should please fans of the original. The PSP hasn't had a lot of high-quality releases over the past few months, so this could be a much-needed rpg title to get us through the rest of the summer months. Look for Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch in stores on Wednesday, June 21.

Forgotten Favorites #7 - Dracula X

Not many games will put a dent in your wallet like Dracula X for the PC Engine will. I bought this game back when it was first released in Japan for my US Turbo Duo system and it set me back $70, which I thought at the time was a little expensive. Now all these years later, I'm glad I bit the bullet and bought the game as it now goes for anywhere between $150-$200 on ebay, not to mention what it might go for if someone actually still had a brand new shrinkwrapped copy of the game. Yikes! I remember at the time being worried if the game was going to actually play on my US Turbo Duo system since the game was from Japan, but the day it came in, I popped it in my Duo and I don't think I actually saw daylight again for another 3 days.

There is just so much to love about Dracula X on the PC Engine. From the orchestrated CD-quality soundtrack, to the many cut scenes the game features, it just takes everything great about the Castlevania games before it and upgrades it for the cd format. The Turbo Duo may not have gotten many of the popular third party games of the 16-bit era, but the ones it did get were pretty damn good. Dracula X is a little on the difficult side, but the game is just so good from start to finish that any Castlevania fan owes it to themselves to find a way to play through this game, at least once. And for those of us that were smart enough to grab this game back when it was still under $70, we already know what a terrific bargain we got. : )

Coming Soon: "My Agonizing Pursuit of Neo Geo"

Forgotten Favorite #6 - Devil's Crush

I'll be the first to admit, I was never a big pinball fan. So when I first bought my Turbo Grafx-16 system, I found it odd that the first game I bought for it was Alien Crush, an alien-themed video pinball game. I got home with Alien Crush and immediately fell in love with it. So it was only natural that when I first read about the sequel, Devil's Crush, I knew I had to have it. I'll never forget how excited I was the day I went into Toys R Us and found the game. I had 3 college classes that day that were grueling because I knew once I got back home, I was going to finally get to play Devil's Crush and let me tell you, it was as great as I had expected and more.

Devil's Crush was everything Alien Crush was and more. Now instead of a two-level pinball machine, you got three levels. There was also a really spooky mood to the game that really captured the theme of the game perfectly. Devil's Crush offered a little more challenge as well, especially with the mini-games. While you could still rack up millions of points fairly easily, you had to have quicker reflexes this time around and it made the game a lot more fun to play. Whether you're a fan of video pinball games or not, you should really give one of these two outstanding pinball games a try. They're a nice change of pace from the many shooters and platformers you'll normally find loads of on the Turbo Grafx-16 system.

My Turbo Top 10

Since I've been on a Turbo Duo kick as of late, I thought now would be a golden opportunity to throw out my top ten Turbo Duo games. I currently own in the neighborhood of 70 Turbo Grafx-16/PC Engine games, and these are what I consider to be the creme of the crop. If you own a Turbo Duo, these are the games that will cause you to lose a lot of sleep. If you don't own a Turbo Duo, then these are 10 very good reasons to get one.

-----1. Lords of Thunder
-----2. Ys Book I & II
-----3. Neutopia
-----4. Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
-----5. Star Parodier
-----6. New Adventure Island
-----7. Sapphire
-----8. Air Zonk
-----9. Neutopia 2
----10. Devil's Crush

It's tough to narrow it down to only 10 games, but there you have it. And I realize that there's no Splatterhouse, Ninja Spirit, Spriggan, or Blazing Lazers on the list, and I realize those are terrific games, but that's my list and I'm sticking to it.

Forgotten Favorite #5 - New Adventure Island

I've been a huge Adventure Island fan since I got the first Adventure Island game for my NES. Over the years, I've acquired just about every version of the game in existence, including the Gameboy renditions. But out of all of these different versions, there's one that really stands out the most as being the best of the bunch and that's the Turbo Grafx-16 version of New Adventure Island. Not only is it a beautiful game visually, it's also got a terrific and upbeat soundtrack to go along with it. The area where the game really stands out above the others is in the play control. It's tight and responsive and makes playing the game a sheer joy. New Adventure Island takes a very simple platformer and weaves it into one of the most enjoyable games you're likely to run across and one that you'll keep coming back to time and time again.

The premise behind New Adventure Island is simple. You basically run, jump, shoot, and skateboard your way through the games many perilous jungle levels in search of your missing bride. What makes the game challenging is the fact that you have to collect fruit in order to gain time points which you'll need in order to finish the level under the time limit. The bosses at the end of each area are also extremely impressive from a visual standpoint, and normally require some tricky maneauvering and shooting in order to defeat them. Bonk's Adventure might be considered the definitive Turbo Grafx-16 platformer, but it's Adventure Island that really steals the show as far as I'm concerned. If you love a great platformer and are looking for something extremely fun, track down a copy of New Adventure Island and see for yourself that there are terrific platformers out there besides the Super Mario games.

The Next-Generation Console Wars - Xbox 360

Microsoft decided a long time ago that they wanted to get their Xbox 360 system out ahead of both Sony and Nintendo's new console offerings. And while they were able to accomplish this, it's difficult to tell if this strategy will prove to work more for or against them in the upcoming console race. We already know the chaos surrounding the Xbox 360 launch this past holiday season. The countless people standing in line only to be turned away as stores quickly ran through all of their available stock. In fact, many turned up at Walmart stores across the country for their midnight Xbox 360 sale on New Years Eve. So we know the system has enjoyed a solid launch, although sales as of late have dipped off, but what can Microsoft do to insure that their Xbox 360 system will remain competetive against the upcoming Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii systems?

Microsoft's main strategy seems to be built off of their efforts with the original Xbox system. Xbox Live has become a staple among Xbox owners looking to enjoy the benefits of a dedicated online gaming service. With the Xbox 360, Microsoft has stepped up the online content, which now includes not only the successful online gaming service, but also the ability to download game demos, use Xbox Live Arcade featuring many classic arcade titles like Street Fighter 2 and Contra, not to mention the ability for Xbox 360 owners to download new themes and icons for their Xbox 360 menus. Microsoft is also continuing to create more mature games that directly appeal to their core audience's age group. Microsoft knows that in order for them to continue to compete in the console market, they've got to get some outstanding exclusive content out and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a good example of them doing just that. Microsoft knows what their stengths are and they seem to be playing up to them so far.

There's no way to mention the Xbox 360 strategy and not mention the king of Xbox games and the one that is probably more anticipated than any other title. I'll give you three guesses but you should only need one. It's Halo 3. Microsoft knows this is their ace-in-the-hole and you can bet that they aren't going to let game fans forget that it's coming next year to only one console, and that's their Xbox 360. This title alone could single-handedly spark sales of the Xbox 360 system no matter when Microsoft is able to get it released. If ever there were a game that might possibly be worth the price of owning an Xbox 360 system by itself, it's Halo 3. That being said, Halo 3 is still at least a year away, so in the meantime Microsoft is going to have to keep pushing exclusive content and keep a steady stream of downloadable games coming to Xbox Live Arcade to keep the excitement level high for the Xbox 360.

Microsoft's early console launch of their Xbox 360 seems to have both good and bad points. On the good side, they've gotten their next-generation console into the hands of consumers almost a full year before Sony or Nintendo are going to be able to launch their systems. This means that many gamers who might have gone with a Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii system, but just couldn't see waiting an entire year for them to be released, went ahead and purchased an Xbox 360. The bad side of all of this is that Microsoft was forced to show their cards quite a bit earlier than either Nintendo or Sony, and that's allowed Sony and Nintendo to already know what they're going to be up against and make any adjustments that might be needed to counter what Microsoft is already doing. We've already seen both Sony and Nintendo create their own online gaming services, not to mention Nintendo's Virtual Console which mimics Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade in the way it will allow gamers to download many classic games, although we can pretty much assume that with Nintendo's mammoth back catalog of games that the Wii will likely have a much larger game selection, even from the start.

I personally think Microsoft is in a good spot because they're doing what they do best. They're giving their userbase what they want, and pushing their online gaming service which has helped make them so successful in the past. It's easy to put Microsoft at the back of the line right now simply because their thunder has come and gone and now the two new consoles are stealing a lot of the spotlight. Microsoft has been duking it out with Nintendo this past generation competing for second place behind Sony's hugely popular Playstation 2 system, and this is why I think they might have a little more trouble this generation with Nintendo's Wii system grabbing so much hype and anticipation this year. I could see Nintendo giving Sony a run for their money this generation, but I just don't have that same type of feeling about Microsoft and their Xbox 360 system and see them spending a lot of time in third place. It's going to be a great console race, and there's still a lot of twists and turns still coming before we begin to get an idea of how each system will fare against each other, but there's one thing I can say for certain. If you're a video game fan, you've got a lot to be excited about over the coming years.

The Next-Generation Console Wars - Nintendo Wii

It's no secret that Nintendo has gradually fallen more behind with each generation of their game systems since the Super Nintendo system rallied them ahead of the hot-selling Sega Genesis during the 16-bit console race. Everyone seems to have their own opinions as to why this has happened, but that's a debate for another time. The real question is, what is Nintendo going to do about it, and the answer seems to be creatively titled, the Nintendo Wii. Although there has been a lot of negative feedback regarding the name change from Revolution to Wii, if E3 was any indication, people have gotten past it and are now quite excited about the new level of gameplay that Nintendo is promising with their new upcoming console system. So how will this completely new form of game control do up against the likes of the more powerful, not to mention more expensive, Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 systems, and will the Wii vault Nintendo back into the forefront of console gaming?

Anyone at E3 that wanted a crack at actually playing the Nintendo Wii system had to stand in line for as much as six hours. In fact, the sheer length of the lines to get to the Wii broke all-time E3 records. Media persons who were lucky enough to get their hands on the Wii Remote and Nunchaku controller all seemed to be pleasantly surprised at how responsive the controller was, not to mention raving about the seemingly endless possiblities for controlling the action taking place onscreen. You have to think that this is a great sign for Nintendo. The Nintendo DS was a good window for Nintendo to see if the general gaming public would be accepting of somethign new and innovative as far as gaming goes, and judging from its success, I'd say Nintendo is heading in the right direction. It would seem that gamers are ready for something new, and Nintendo aims to deliver.

Another area where the Nintendo Wii seems to be captivating gamers and the media is with the Wii's Virtual Console function. Not only will Wii owners be able to download titles from past Nintendo systems like the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64 systems, but they'll also be able to download many of the great titles from the Sega Genesis and NEC Turbografx-16 systems as well. This is definitely going to appeal to the classic gamers and those looking for a healthy dose of gaming nostaligia. As Nintendo stated in their E3 press conference, they're looking to try to get many of their older gamers who've lost interest in gaming to come back via their new Wii system's Virtual Console as well as appeal to those who still own many of the past Nintendo systems and have them all connected in one large fire hazard of cables like myself.

At the end of the day, no one knows how the upcoming console race is going to play out, but you have to be excited if your a Nintendo fan. Nintendo hasn't made an official announcement on price or availability, but they have stated that their Wii system will retail for under $250. That's a whopping $350 cheaper than the high-end Playstation 3 and $150 cheaper than the top-tier Xbox 360. As I said above, the Playstation 3 is going to sell, but Nintendo has positioned themselves quite well for the start of the next console race and they've got a lot of buzz on their side with this new style of gaming that their Wii system will offer. I look for Nintendo to make a good-sized dent in Sony's current lead in the console market, and if I were executives at Sony, I might not be sleeping too well since the E3 expo. Because if that's any sign of what's to come when these two consoles finally go on sale to the public, Sony might still have some work to do in order to convince gamers that the Playstation 3 is all it's cracked up to be and worth the $600 price tag. Otherwise, it could be a very Mewii Christmas for many game fans this holiday season. (Sorry I just couldn't resist : )

** Tommorow - "The Next-Generation Console Wars - Microsoft Xbox 360" **

The Next-Generation Console Wars - Playstation 3

Playstation 3 - One opinion you'll here from many game fans across the world is how the Playstation 3 is just too expensive and that people won't pay that much for a video game system, no matter what it can do. Some have even gone so far as to state that the high price tag of the Playstation 3 will most likely kill Sony in the upcoming console race. After hearing all of these things being said, I felt it necessary to once again open my big mouth on the subject, as I tend to do.

The Playstation 3 will sell, although it might not sell quite as well as it would if it were a tad more affordable, but it will sell and I'll tell you why. There are a lot of people in the world that are what I call "Big Spenders." These are the people that want the newest and best, no matter what the cost. You know, the people that buy the $15,000 flat screen televisions, or the ones that throw $55,000 bucks on a new hummer. Maybe they like to have what they consider the best money can buy, or maybe they just like having something that many people just can't afford. Whatever the reason, these are some of the gamers that will show up on launch day to snap up the Playstation 3 system. They'll also be the ones you'll hear snickering at those who purchase the $500 version of the Playstation 3 system.

You also have the large Playstation fanbase to consider. After all, the Playstation name carries a lot of weight among video game players in the world, and these people aren't just going to turn their backs up on the line of systems they've grown to love over the past 10 years. There's also the many exclusive game franchises that Sony's created over the past decade. No longer is Nintendo the only game company to have their own exclusive first-party library of fan favorites.

Lastly, you have many gamers who just aren't too big on the idea of change. Some people just don't want the new playing style of the Nintendo Wii. I know it's hard to believe for some, but there are some gamers that are perfectly content with gaming the way it is, and are mainly interested in the type of stunning visual presentations the Playstation 3 is capable of. Nothing wrong with that. The $600 price tag is going to hurt sales of the Playstation 3 somewhat, but I think Sony's established a large enough user base and a strong enough reputation among gamers that come launch day, we'll see people getting in line all over again for the next Playstation system's arrival. Can you say DeJa Vu?

** Tommorow - "The Next-Generation Console Wars - Nintendo Wii **

My All-Time Favorite Games #1 - Chrono Trigger

The moment of truth is finally here. Time to crown the #1 game on my all-time favorites list. It was a close race between Chrono Trigger and Lufia 2, but I just felt like the overall storyline was a little more original and appealing in Chrono Trigger. It's tough to find something to say about Chrono Trigger that hasn't already been said many times over by hundreds of other rpg fans. It's as complete an rpg package as I think you can find on any video game system. Gorgeous visuals, the greatest video game soundtrack ever composed, and some of the most unique and memorable characters you'll find in a video game. I bet I've played through this game 25+ times over the years, and the one constant thing that comes to mind every time I play it is just how beautifully constructed the game really is from start to finish. It's one of those rpgs that once you start playing, you just don't want the experience to ever end.

It's obvious to those that play Chrono Trigger that it borrows many things from the Final Fantasy series in not only its look, but how it plays as well. The combat system is a hybrid of Square's famous Active-Time Battle system, only the developers kicked it up a notch with the Double and Triple Techs the game's combat system makes use of. This allows two or more characters to combine their attacks together in a devastating manner. This comes in really handy when fighting some of the tougher enemies in the game, especially the bosses. I think the one thing about Chrono Trigger I've always loved is that every new area you visit has its own unique look and feel to it. You never hardly see the same type of area twice in this game which makes it feel even bigger than it already is. The soundtrack is another strong point of the game, and I could sit there and listen to most of those songs all day long. If you've never played Chrono Trigger, I beg you, please track this game down in some form and give it a play through. It's as close to video game perfection as I can think of and one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences in existence. A perfect 10 in my book.

My All-Time Favorite Games #2 - Lufia II

As you are probably beginning to tell, I love a good rpg. Maybe that's why I'm such a diehard fan of the Super NES system with all of its outstanding rpgs. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals is a game that I actually missed the first time around. I already owned about 25 SNES rpgs when I walked into a pawn shop one day and saw this game sitting there. It was the very last Super NES game they had, so I took pity on the lonely cart and bought it. I honestly didn't know what to expect from the game as I'd never played a Lufia game before, but nothing could prepare me for just how outstanding this game was. You won't find too many rpgs that have that magical mix of great storyline, memorable characters, beautiful soundtrack, and rock-solid combat system in one single package that doesn't carry the Square or Enix name on it, but Natsume had a definite winner with this one. I have to tell you that this game came very close to nabbing the #1 spot on this list, and had it not been for the fact that the #1 game had just a slightly better storyline, Lufia II would have been my all-time favorite game. But #2 isn't bad either.

Lufia II was a typical turn-based rpg, but what made it special was the way the game used tricky puzzles in many of its dungeons. Not only did you have to deal with the many enemies hiding around every corner, but some of these puzzles were insanely crafty and challenging. You really had to put on your thinking cap for some of these puzzlers. The soundtrack is what probably surprised me the most. Absolutely beautiful and melodic tunes abound in this game, and go a long way towards setting the many different moods of the game. The storyline may not have been revolutionary, but it was solid enough that you began to actually care about the characters your were leading around and their quest. The combat system was simple, yet offered just enough strategy, using the IP system, to keep the many combat sessions interesting. The game placed a lot of emphasis on leveling up your characters, as well as constantly outfitting them with better weapons and armor. Offering up a good 30 hour quest, not to mention the countless hours you can spend in the Ancient Cave trying to get through all 99 floors alive, made Lufia II a package that, pound for pound, is one of the best rpg experiences money can buy. If you like an rpg that has it all, check out Lufia II.

My All-Time Favorite Games #3 - Ys Book I & II

I hadn't originally planned on including Ys Book I & II on this list, but after dragging out the Turbo Duo the other day and playing this game again, it reminded me just how great a game this really is. Although the voice acting and CD quality soundtrack are common-place in most of today's RPGs, back when this game first came out for the Turbo CD, there was really nothing else like it. I find it funny that even after nearly 15 years, this game still holds up absolutely great, even against some of the advanced RPGs found on recent consoles. Not only did you get two games for the price of one, but you also got the type of epic role-playing quest that you just couldn't get anywhere else back then. Memorable characters, a beautiful and melodic CD soundtrack, and a simple action combat system all came together in one amazing RPG package that no role-playing game fan should miss.

As I already mentioned, having real voice actors narrate many parts of the game was unheard of when this game was first released, and although this added a unique touch to the game, it was the combat system that most fans probably remember the most. There was no complicated menu system or button mashing involved, instead you merely ran your character in the enemy to cause damage. Now while this might sound overly easy, you had to be careful how you did it. You couldn't just hit an enemy head on in many cases, you had to instead hit them from the side or behind in order to inflict damage to them without getting yourself hurt in the process. This came into play even more so when you faced many of the bosses in the game, as their patterns were important, but being able to attack them without getting yourself injured was the tricky part. The quest itself, spanning two games, was enormous and fulfilling once you were able to complete it. The dungeons in the game were some of the most intricate dungeons I've personally ever seen in an action-style rpg, and it definitely made you feel a strong sense of accomplishment when you were able to come out alive. Everything about this game is just so well-done that you can't help but be in awe of it. If you can somehow get ahold of a Turbo CD or Turbo Duo system, please do yourself a favor and give this game a try. It's a classic that deserves to be played by anyone that can appreciate what an amazing experience it really is.

Forgotten Systems - Turbo Duo

I was one of those people that actually bought a Turbo Duo back when it was first released here in the US. Once I saw the Lords of Thunder promotional video, I knew right then and there that I had to have one. I still had quite a few of the Hucard games that I had owned for my TurboGrafx-16 system before it had broken, so I had a good headstart of games, not to mention the games that came bundled with the Turbo Duo. Packaged with the Turbo Duo system were several games. You got the 4-in-1 disc which contained Gate of Thunder, Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, and Bomberman, then you also got the outstanding rpg Ys Book I & II on CD. NEC kept changing the last pack-in game, but the system I bought had Ninja Spirit with it, which actually became one of my favorite hucard games. Although the system was considered too expensive for the casual gamer, you got a lot of bang for your buck when all was said and done. It's just a shame that more US gamers didn't get the chance to experience the Turbo lineup of systems and games.

The Turbo Duo would not only play the CD and Super CD games, it also played all of the TG-16 hucard games as well, giving it a fairly large library of game titles. If you were a shooter fan, you had to love the Turbo Duo. You had the pack-in game Gate of Thunder, Lords of Thunder, Parodius, Space Parodier, Blazing Lazers, and the Spriggan series, all of which were top shelf shooters. The Turbo Duo also had the ability to play what has become one of the most imported video games in history in Konami's PC Engine Castlevania game, Dracula-X. I can't wrap this up without mentioning the outstanding pinball games Alien Crush and Devil's Crush. They may have been simple in design, but they were a lot of fun to play. Most people immediately think of Bonk's Adventure when you mention the TG-16, but the truth is, there were a lot of tremendously fun games available for a system that still has a big cult following even all these years later. Here's hoping Nintendo's upcoming Wii system will bring back some of the fun of the classic Turbo Duo system with their Virtual Console function and introduce many of these amazing games to a whole new generation of gamers.