Who doesn’t love Mario, and every one would love to have a portal gun, so coming eventuall is Mari0. Mari0 is a  Super Mario Bros. esq game that involves a portal gun. I stumbled across it today and it looks pretty cool.

While surfing the net I found a fun little video of Mari0. At first glance it looks like just a video but then upon reading the description I found that it is an actual game being developed. The game is not a mod and is going to be free. It will also offer map editor and map packs through in game download. There will be portal type puzzles in the levels as well.

I always love to see unique games from smaller companies. From the video the game seems like it would be a good time. The levels look well designed and the gameplay appears smooth. I know I will be downloading Mari0 when it releases.

You would think that just about everything had been thought of for the old arcade games. It turns out that there are always new surprises on the horizon with this Arcade game meets go-kart combo.

If you remember playing those racing games such as Out Run in all of their archaic glory, you thought that it must be like driving a real car, as it was the closest to the real thing you’d ever come. Now that you drive real cars and know that most of the same joy is not there, you wish that things could at least be more entertaining visually. The OutRun project takes real-time roads and turns them into 8bit video game visuals.

It does seem a bit silly to go from real life to fake back to real life, but this brings up a lot of new opportunities and avenues for gaming. Not to mention that it can branch out into other fields as well as the following video describes.

When I think back to the first games that I ever played, three come to mind. Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt were most certainly the first two. Tetris would be the third. I can still remember the day that we picked it up out of a bargain bin in Toys R’ Us. So naturally, I feel some sort of strong connection to the game.

It’s hard to show your love for a game that consists of nothing more than a few oddly-shaped blocks. They don’t make the most interesting characters to depict. However, the thing that makes them seem boring is also the very thing that makes them easy to imitate. Take, for instance, these simply sticky notes.

This one block of sticky notes is broken up into 8 different, smaller pads. Almost anyone can pick out the fact that these are the very same shape as the blocks in Tetris. You’ll have to have small handwriting to make good use of these pieces of paper. Though you could always leave long notes and force the person to arrange the different blocks together to decode the message. Something tells me this is going to be the best $10 I ever spent.

Ever wanted to play your classic SNES games while on the go? Now you can. How so, you make ask? Simple! Hyperkin has come out with a new hand held device they like to call, “SupaBoy”.

The most interesting part of this little hand held game-boy wanna-be is the fact that it keeps to legal terms. Rather than using downloads or emulators, the player gets to put the actual old SNES cartridge in the top of the hand-held gaming system. To add in a little more retro goodness, take note also of the two old controller plug ins right beneath the built in buttons.

For a simple 79.99$, it sounds pretty worth it to me. I’d love to re-live the good days of old school Zelda and Mario while waiting for the bus to pick me up. Want to order one for yourself? Check it out here.

For any gamer out there who has ever delved into the world of Dungeons and Dragons or played any tabletop gaming, then this image is already speaking to you while you’re ROFLing. This is a modern gamer interpretation of the old-style character alignment chart. This image has been surfacing up around the net, but this one was found via Reddit.

Thank you internet.

Source

Arcades aren’t what they used to be, what with consoles being so readily available to everyone. Back in the 90′s, this wasn’t the case so much. Games like Final Fight, TMNT and X-Men ate many of my quarters during these times. The most frustrating part is that with many of the arcade games of these times, you never really got closure. Yes, Final Fight had a great port to the SNES, and TMNT had a really crappy port as well. However, until now, X-Men has remained untouched. Yes, I said until now.

Konami has decided that it is high time that the mighty Marvel team has their shot at the XBL Arcade and PSN. What they didn’t decide is to actually give us solid details past that. What I want to know is whether we can actually get full six-player co-op action going on again. That would be epic.

Source

I had the great opportunity to download the Scott Pilgrim VS The World game on Xbox Live yesterday. I must have put literally over six hours into the game, and decided to give you readers a special review from yours truly. Simply put, this game is effing awesome.

Scott Pilgrim takes you back to the days of old school 8-bit and 16-bit beat-em-ups. I have always been a fan of the genre, with favorites like River City Ransom, Streets of Rage, and more. However one of the coolest things about this game is the fact that it has fun twists and interactive gameplay that make this a must-have download for fans of Scott Pilgrim and the genre itself.

From the beginning you can choose from four characters – Scott, Ramona, Stills, and Kim. Each character has their own unique abilities and stats, which is a plus. For the purpose of the review, and because he is awesome, I chose Scott. He has the ability to perform a spin kick and call upon Knives (his ex) for assistance when in a tight spot. The game stays true to the comic and movie alike, referencing pop culture and touching on younger lifestyles throughout the game.

Combat is obviously what the game is focused on, and it makes the game that much more amazing. One of the twists the game brings to the genre is the ability to gain new moves as your selected character levels up. This brings an RPG-esque feel to the game and makes you want to fight over and over again through the levels to unlock new moves. There are seven levels to kick through, and each level is packed full of enemies to whip. All of the levels are accessible from an 8-bit Mario-style map of Toronto. Each level has its own specific look and feel, and brings an artistic edge to the game. The enemies of these levels are each strange in their own way, from giant flying piggy banks to paparazzi and guys dressed up in dinosaur costumes.

The levels also feature a monetary shopping system. While defeating enemies, you collect money which can be used on accessories, food items to restore HP, and snacks to take with you on the road.

At the end of each level is a boss, which just so happens to be one of Ramona’s evil exes. Boss battles are surely epic and can be considered levels in and of themselves. All of the bosses, with the exception of the first, Matthew Pattel, make appearances in each of their respective levels. It takes a sense of cunning and wit to battle these bosses, and to not have to see a continue screen during the fight which takes you back to the world map.

Now the only aspects of the game that are cause for complaints are few and far between. First of all there is no online play, which a lot of players are cross about. I, for one, understand why the online play is not an option because the developers of the game, Ubisoft, wanted to keep as true to the arcade/SNES style of gaming as possible. Secondly, there is no option for another player to just press start and jump into the game, as in the previous titles mentioned in the genre. This is a small issue for me because I am so used to this being a feature, and even in the other mentioned titles it existed. In order to play through with a friend you have to go to the main menu, which is a big problem if you need help in the middle of a level.

Also, I found the game a bit glitchy. I downloaded it on my Xbox 360 and experienced the frames skipping as well as the music. On one of the levels, facing the ninja ex, I somehow got stuck in a scene. I could not move forward or backward, and had to quit to the map and start the whole level over again. These happenings have been rare, but they do happen.

Aside from these few things the game is pretty epic. The game is extremely fun to play.The game also features a great soundtrack by the chiptune band Anamanguchi. The music alone is worth the 800 Microsoft point price tag. The soundtrack to this game has to be one of the absolute best I have ever heard – even the pause menu has awesome music! The music fits every level in every aspect, and you will love it. I know I do, because I find myself playing the game to listen to the level music!

Scott Pilgrim VS The World is a game that is most definitely meant to be played with friends. The game can be extremely difficult on its own. I found myself grinding through previous levels a lot just to level up and gain money to purchase accessories to raise my stats – which is definitely a priority in this game. Scott Pilgrim is pretty much awesome, but he is no superhero. The game presents a perfect display of power balance between characters and enemies. I found myself a bit overwhelmed at times, and also cursing at the screen – out loud. All of this and I still could not stop playing. This is definitely proof to Scott Pilgrim’s sheer manly awesomeness and its amazing soundtrack.

In the end I have to say that Scott Pilgrim VS The World is as inspiring as it is enjoyable. It tells the story of two people in love through one super heroic, nerdy roller coaster ride. The soundtrack kept me enthused and even as I am writing this, I am listening to Anamanaguchi because they are that amazing. The game brings a sense of nostalgia and harmony to your heart that is unlike anything else existing out there right now. This game really takes it home for long time gamers and retro-junkies alike. Keeping true to the old style, the game delivers on a perfect expectation of its genre, and although online play is not an option it stays true to its roots. I definitely would recommend this game to all, and I encourage you to go pick it up right now.

What are you doing still reading this? Go now!

Looking for that perfect gift for mother’s day? You’re just in luck! Christofle, most well known for their silverware, is releasing this lovely Space Invader charm to the masses. This lovely….accessory(?) can spruce up any keyring or purse! Find a nice chain and it can even make a lovely necklace! Theres no better way to say “I love you Mom” than by giving her vintage video game jewelery.

Hitting the US in late April, this beautiful piece of silver craftsmanship can be yours (or your mom’s) for a cool $130 big ones!

Source

Perfect Dark and I have a history together. You see, this was my LIFE while I was in middle school. Sitting on my friend’s water bed (why don’t they make those anymore?) playing 4 player split screen, those were the days. Of course when I heard it was coming to 360 Arcade, I counted down the days. I thought, “Finally! This could be awesome online. Those middle school friends of mine are getting further and further away so XBOX Live multi should help!” Well, I was right. The multi is amazingly fun, from the awkward running to the ability to play a whole game without finding a damn gun.

First off, the 4 player split screen is still in and now you can play online with matchmaking. Although I found sometimes you might have to wait a while to find other players, the nostalgia is worth it. You can play co-op and counter-op just like the old days or play classics like King of the Hill on one of the 4 Goldeneye Maps included.

Gameplay-wise, the controls are a little wanky. The precision of the controls seems a bit awkward because the game is not meant for the 360 controller. Often times I got a little sick from moving around. I must say though, the developers knew their crowd based on their controller settings. You can choose to play the classic settings, Spartan settings, or Duty Calls settings. I prefer the Duty Calls settings. It just feels right after the sleepless nights I spent on Modern Warfare 2.

As far as the graphics go, the game looks gorgeous (or at least as good as an N64 game can look in HD). The picture is crisp and the music adds to the overall experience.  All in all, for 800 MS points, this game is a worthy investment for the nostalgia factor alone, not to mention its a cheap FPS to play with your friends. Needless to say, I’ll be playing this for a while.

Like many of you, I grew up on the NES, SNES and Sega Genesis. Much of my childhood was spent playing these three consoles, and there are times that I think about dusting them off to relive the good old days. The only problem is that of the three, only my SNES is still in working order. I’ve considered trying to find an old NES and Genesis that are still in good working order, but when you’re talking about consoles that are upwards of 20 years old, they’re still going to give out eventually. No, what I need is one of these FC3 Plus systems from Yobo.

This awesome piece of hardware combines the three greatest consoles from my childhood into one generic-looking plastic shell. Sure, it doesn’t look like much, but remember kids, it’s whats on the inside that counts. This thing could look like complete garbage and I wouldn’t care, because it’ll let me play games from my NES, SNES and Genesis collections. You get two fairly generic controllers (no, you can’t plug in the original ones) and a light gun for use with the NES. Much like the original Nintendo Zapper, this isn’t going to work with LCD and Plasma TVs, so don’t be too surprised.

The biggest issue I have with this console is its availability. I can’t seem to find anywhere to order one, and the Yobo site will only sell them to me if I’m a retailer. They’re already popping up on eBay, so that’s one option. I’ve seen a couple of Famicom clones down at my local Game X Change, so maybe I’ll check with them about getting one.

Source