Evolution of Gaming

I remember when video games and consoles were just that. I grew up with the Super Nintendo. I loved that system. Countless days were spent in front of that television playing games like Super Mario World, Knights of the Round, Final Fight 3, Turtles In Time. Games were much simpler back then, yet they were great as is.

I'm not talking about evolution as if it's a bad thing. It's not. In fact, it's the exact opposite. The term evolution is always, and should always, be used in a positive manner. And that's what I'm doing.

Times are so much different now. It's like night and day. Apples and oranges. The differences are mind-blowing, but they're also what make it great.

Consoles nowadays have games you can play with people all around the world--from Japan, to Italy, to Mexico. You name it. Consoles are also more than a gaming console. Consoles nowadays have things such as Skype, Netflix, ESPN, etc.

The days I grew up on are over. Never again will a system be just that, and it shouldn't be. We've come a long, long way from the days of the Atari, NES, SNES, Genesis. It needed to happen. And I for one am really glad that it did. Now the newer generation can be treated to all the nice features that come with their console, while we older gamers can still play and enjoy them.

It's a great thing called the evolution of gaming. Battlefield 4 - Xbox One Halo - Xbox One Xbox One Wireless Controller Xbox One Console - Titanfall Bundle PlayStation 4 Console Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag - PlayStation 4

Lego Batman deal (Target)

Lego Batman is a great game, and I will be doing a review of it, but that's not why I am making this blog post. I am making it because I saw a deal at Target, a deal that I just had to post about it. They have Lego Batman for sale, but it is a combo that comes with the Tim Burton Batman movie. So not only do you get a great game, but you also get a great movie too.

How cool is that?

Arcades

I love Arcades, I really do. I remember playing several different games on it--some of which include Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom, Tekken 3, X-Men, Metal Slug 1 and 4. These games were great, and still are, but what made them better was the arcade itself. Arcade cabinets often have artwork, among other things, on it to give the gamer something more, something extra. This is really nice to look at when a stage is loading.

Arcades are awesome, enough said. I have a life-long connection to arcades, something nostalgic if you will. There's just something about playing it in that environment that makes it even better. I have so many fond memories of playing arcade games with my brother, my cousin, and even by myself.

The arcade is something that I honestly feel every gamer should experience at least once in their life. An arcade experience is something else, I'm telling you. They're so much fun.

I'm glad that arcades are still alive and kicking. Even with times changing, what with Netflix, Amazon and all, it's nice to know that arcades are still as awesome as they were back.

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze

I was at Target today, and I saw something great. Something that was both nostalgic and new. I saw an ad for an upcoming DKC game. Not just any DKC game either, no. This was an ad for a new Donkey Kong Country game. Better yet: both DK and Diddy are going to be playable. If that wasn't good enough, they're going to throw in Dixie Kong (from DKC 2 and 3) into the mix. Words can't describe how happy I was. A new game with all three? Nintendo, just take my money right now.

This is fantastic. It really is. Older gamers like me can get this game and experience a new, much-needed sense of nostalgia. It's been a long time since there was a DKC game with Dixie in it.

It's also great for fans in general. You get a sense of nostalgia with all three in the mix, but you also get a new game with a side of what made the classics so great.

I'm so psyched! Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze - Nintendo Wii U

Pac-Man

One of the classics! This game is so much fun! Until you've played it for yourself, you have no idea how fun and addictive it is. The music. The ghosts. The powerups. It's all great. What makes it better? The fact that this game is so simple in design. You compare this game to modern ones, even classics like Super Mario World, and it doesn't even come close. Pac-Man is simplicity defined. That's one thing I love it.

I'm really glad I was able to experience Pac-Man for myself. It's this game, and so many others, that are simpler than modern games, that prove: you don't need breath-taking graphics to have a great game. Why? Because it's all about the gameplay. Pac-Man Party - Nintendo Wii

Gambit190 (Facebook)

Greetings to all of you. Yesterday, I had the idea of opening up my very own page. Why not, right? It's free. Facebook is huge. And I, Gambit190, want to inter-act and get the word out. Besides, I can be myself (a geek) on there with people that share the same interests.

I believe in this, my Youtube channel, and my blog.

Thanks for all the love and support. I always appreciate it.

https://www.facebook.com/Gambit190

Lego TMNT?

Now, this is just a wish of mine in regards to the Lego games. They're really well done, and I'm a huge fan. I'm also a huge, life-long fan of the TMNT--otherwise known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Think about it. A game which has voice acting, a nice, diverse cast of character, an open TMNT city as your hub, and a nice story-line. I would absolutely love a Lego TMNT game. You know what it makes this better? It's actually a pretty good possibility. Think about it: the TMNT is really popular, even to this day. They even have a Lego TMNT toy line. What's to stop them from making a video game out of it? Absolutely nothing. And I really do hope that they do this.

Who would you want in this game? My roster would be:

Leo
Mikey
Raph
Don
Master Splinter
Casey Jones
April
Shredder
The Foot
Krang
Karai
Baxter Stockman
Metalhead
Bebop
Rocksteady
Slash
Leatherhead

I'm just wondering what their next game will be. Hopefully, we Turtles fans, will get our Lego game--and done in such a great manner as they, TT, know how to do. LEGO Ninja Turtles Stealth Shell in Pursuit 79102 LEGO Ninja Turtles Kraang Lab Escape 79100 LEGO Ninja Turtles Turtle Lair Attack 79103

Playstation 4

I'm going to be honest: the PS4 is looking great. The launch titles are looking really nice. It also has something else going for it: the lack of backwards compatibility does not affect me whatsoever, and that's a good thing. Now, I don't agree with the lack of this feature for both systems, but there's not much we can do in regards to that.

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for the games that come out for the PS4. So far, it's looking like I'll be getting one eventually, and that's a good thing. I haven't bought a Playstation since the very first one.

I'm excited!

The Angry Video Game Nerd

I came across the AVGN in 2007. His screen name had me interested. Little did I know that what started off as a first viewing became many in the years to come. I became a big fan. Terrible games are something that every gamer, no matter how old or young, can relate to. We've all had at least a few bad games in our lives. James does a great channel on said games. He's very entertaining and creative.

It also allows me to see other things such as the Intellivision, which I never owned, and the games on the NES, which I never played.

I'm saying all of this as a fan, a fan that can relate to the term "shitty game."

Down below I'll post the link to the Youtube channel. He also does other video game videos where he, along with Mike, play games such as Super C and Turtles In Time.

https://www.youtube.com/user/JamesNintendoNerd

Netflix and Video Stores

Netflix is huge now, it's a beast. They are so popular and so successful that places like Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, among others, have become irrelevant. I can't remember the last time I saw a commercial for Blockbuster Video. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough? Or maybe they don't make them anymore? I honestly have no idea. I never thought it would come to this.

Back when I was a boy, I'm 25 now, Blockbuster (and stores like it) were huge. They were the craze. The idea of going all the way to a store for a movie or two might have been time consuming, but I thought it was fun. Nothing like going in, looking at the movies and holding them in your hand, and maybe even talking to a fellow gamer or movie buff.

I could see why people wouldn't like the idea, though. It's all about your own perspective.

Nowadays we live in a society that is more instant. We have Redbox for movies and games, Netflix for movies and TV shows, Gamefly for video games, and Amazon/Ebay for our shopping needs--among other places.

Honestly, I see Video Stores as a thing of the past. Nowadays there's little to no reason to go to a place like Blockbuster when you could stay home and get the same thing.

It makes sense.

The Avengers

The Avengers was a great movie that brought back my love for comics. It's a great action movie that was the ultimate payoff.

I love this movie. Aside from the acting, which I think is great, I also loved:

Hulk vs Thor. The fight was short, but it was sweet. They've battled several times over the years in several different forms of media, and it was nice to see it on the big screen.

Hulk and Thor teaming up briefly. I loved this part. Hulk and Thor made a really good team.

I loved this entire movie, and one last thing I enjoyed: the after credits scene with Thanos. It was nice to see him on the big screen. It also set up a future movie, but I don't know which movie he'll be in. Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how they handle Thanos. Marvel's The Avengers (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy + Digital Music Download)

Home Improvement

This game is insane. The thought of a game based on a TV show like this is hilarious, on paper anyway. The idea is just so strange. How can someone make a game based off of a show about a man, his tools, and his family life? What to do? Why, throw in a bunch of dinosaurs!

The story is that someone, for some odd reason, steals your tools, and it's up to you to get them back. Now you take control of Tim, no Al, and you have to fight a bunch of dinosaurs, man-eating plants, and whatever other creatures they came up with.

I would recommend this game, despite it being hard and having little to do with the show, just to be Tim and go around on a jackhammer.

Space Ace (SNES)

I prefer to do reviews on games that I actually like, but some games I just can't avoid. What I mean by that: games that troubled me when I was a child. Games that frustrated me and angered me. That's why I chose Space Ace. It's a game that, unfortunately, sucked. It could have, and should have, been a good game--had they planned it out better, evened everything out, and given the player a far better chance. That didn't happen, though.

The game is extremely frustrating. I honestly think that videos don't do this game justice when it comes to difficulty. I was a kid and I experienced every bad thing that this game had to offer. I didn't experience the later stuff because I didn't get that far. Here are some, if not all, the problems with this game:

One-hit deaths.

No continues.

Awkward jumping.

Dexter has no blaster while Dark Dexter does.

Space Maze has no map.

The second maze, if you make it that far, is even worse than the first one--as hard as that is to believe.

The game is just a massive let-down. Any hate that this game gets is warranted because of how hard the game really is. It's brutal.

Final Fight 3

Super Smash Bros.

It's been over a decade since the first one was released on the N64, so I think I should do a blog about it. Besides that, the better reason for it is because I simply love Super Smash Bros. It's a great concept, it really is. It brought together all of the juggernauts that Nintendo had at the time and had them duke it out to see which one was the best one. The fights are pretty simple. You have strikes. You damage your opponent in hopes to send him (or her) out of the screen so that you can take one of their lives away. Each fighter has their own moves: Mario has a fireball and can grab people and spin them around in an attempt to throw them out--exactly what he did to Bowser in Super Mario 64. Link has his sword, bombs, and a boomerang. Etc. The games have gotten more advanced, featuring more levels and more characters, therefore adding to the games appeal and diversity. Since then, we have seen Diddy Kong, Solid Snake, Marth, Roy, Falco, Pichu, Meta Knight, among other great characters.
All in all: the game is a lot of fun to play with your family, friends, and even by yourself. This is another one of Nintendo's many great titles, and with good reason. Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Super Nintendo vs Sega Genesis

Now, this debate has gone on for a long, long time. In fact, I still see it rear its head to this very day, and it's 2013. It's nice to see the different opinions. Some side with Nintendo. Others side with Sega. Some, like me, choose to play both--as both have different things to offer me. And as a life-long gamer, I love having the option of playing Mario or Sonic, Final Fight or Streets of Rage. You get the idea.

I can't pick one, but I respect the opinions of all gamers. When it comes to this war, there are no losers. Both systems were, and still are, great. In fact, I think they're some of the best systems ever. They still hold up exceptionally well.

Just wanted to say my thoughts on this. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it.

Thanks for the support.

3DS

The Nintendo 3DS is a very nice piece of technology. It looks great and it's portable. You could play great games like Donkey Kong Returns, Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, among others, in 3D. That, and the portable aspect (which I love), is enough for me to get one. I will buy one in the future, and I know I'm going to love it. Playing those great games on the go is going to be fantastic! I can't wait.

Nintendo, you've done it again. Nintendo 3DS XL - Blue/Black Pokémon X Animal Crossing: New Leaf The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Buy 2, Get 1 Free (Target)

Hello there, fellow gamers. I just wanted to tell you guys about a limited time deal at Target. When you buy 2 games, you get 1 for free. Now, this is very important; the cheapest one in your order, and it can't be the same game (for whatever reason), will be the free one.

Just thought I should pass this along for people that are looking to bulk up their gaming collection, and at a bargain as well.

If the Xbox One isn't backwards compatible, then I won't be getting it. I simply can't. I have too many games on the 360 that I like/love: Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Lego Batman 2, Halo 4, just to name a few.

If what I heard is true, then I just don't understand why they would do this. It puts people like me off. Why? Because I love backwards compatibility. That's one thing I liked about the ps2. It's something that they got right, IMO. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes - Xbox 360 LEGO: Marvel - Xbox 360 Halo 4 - Xbox 360 (Standard Game)

Marvel movies

I haven't seen all of the Marvel movies, but what I do know is that they tend to either lead up to The Avengers or to a sequel such as Captain America 2, or maybe even Thor 3.

Marvel is always thinking ahead, and I absolutely love that. It's genius. Why? Because it keeps people intrigued. It gets people talking--talking about what it could be about, what the title could be, etc.

I shall be looking forward to watching Thor 2. It should be great--especially from what I have heard from the message boards and a fellow co-worker.

Final Fight (SNES)

Mega Man

Mega Man 7 was my very first game with the Blue Bomber, and I loved it. I loved everything about it from the creative-looking bosses to the wonderful music, and even the nice inclusion of Bass and Treble. Since playing this game, I have played Mega Man Legends 2, Mega Man X-6, Mega Man Battle Network, and Mega Man Zero 4.

I'm really happy I took the chance with Mega Man back in early 1997. It also saddens me a bit that Mega Man doesn't get enough love from Capcom. He's a great character with great games. I'm hoping that down the line, whenever that may be, he'll get the love that he deserves.

The Death Of Superman

My cousins gave me some great presents for my birthday. In fact, I got plenty of great presents and I'm blessed. One present in particular, given to me by cousin Arturo (http://www.ebay.com/usr/at-comics), has a story that I wanted to do a blog about. It's a story that was, and I feel still is, a big deal: The Death Of Superman.

Superman was, is, and will always be one of the all-time greats. I'm not a fan of his in particular, but I do have a ton of respect for Superman. How could I not respect him? He is a good man with a ton of great powers. That, and he has decades upon decades of comics behind him. Still to this day, he's one of DC's top guns.

In the 90's there was a story about a monster, a monster so scary and powerful that he broke steel doors with his strength, killed innocent animals just because, and defeated several heroes all by himself: Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, to name a few. His name was Doomsday--a powerful new enemy that was strong, surprisingly agile, and had spikes on his skin. He was so strong that only one man, one Superhero could stand up against him: Superman.

I love this story. Why? Because it makes Doomsday look like a complete badass. There was only one Superhero that could save us, and that is what led to the showdown between Superman and Doomsday. They hit each other so hard that the buildings suffered damage. Every blow took a lot out of both Supes and Doomsday. Eventually Doomsday was killed due to the wounds, but at a seemingly high cost: The Death Of Superman. He died because his wounds were just that major. He died in the arms of Lois Lane.

I love this story, and I would honestly recommend it to anyone. The Death of Superman Superman: The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus

A-T Comics

Hey, guys. I have a link that I think will be useful. It's an ebay store that my cousin, Arturo, runs. He's a good man that cares about the customer. He has great reviews on ebay. His collection is pretty damn good and well worth a look.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/at-comics

Arkham Unhinged

I read the first Batman Arkham Unhinged book and I thought it was great. The artwork was beautiful. It was also nice to get thought bubbles from the villains as well. It helps you get into their head a little bit more, and I like that. It gives you more.

I love the first two Arkham games (haven't played Origins), and I think it's great to have comics such as these that give you some more Arkham.

I would definitely recommend volume 1. As for volume 2, I don't know. I haven't read it yet, but I did see Killer Croc on the spine, so that should be interesting. Batman: Arkham Unhinged Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 2 Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 3

Thank You

I wanted to take a moment to thank the fans. They're helping me by giving me views, comments, shares, subs, etc. Anything that can help me, basically. I really do appreciate what each and every one of you do for me, my Youtube channel, and my blog.

Later on, I plan to do Q&As on my Youtube channel. The subjects will be comics, video games, and DVDs. It should be a lot of fun for me, and I hope that it will be fun for you guys too.

Thank you so much for the love.

Spider-Man

Spider-Man (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man) was my favorite Super Hero as a kid, and he still remains one of my favorites to this very day. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he is my favorite Super Hero of all.

Why? Because I find him to be very engaging and entertaining. He has a human aspect that I can relate to, and I'm sure many other people can. In one of my earlier reviews, Spider-Man 2, I talked about his problems in the movie and how I liked they handled them. They made him someone that the audience could sympathize for. With Spider-Man, I get the cool, epic battles against The Green Goblin, Kraven The Hunter, Venom, Dr. Octopus, etc.

I love the battle of good vs evil in comics. Good guy vs bad guy. Right vs wrong. Any way you want to spin it. You get that, but you also delve into the every day life, the every day struggle of Peter Parker--from problems paying his rent, to problems at his job, to even problems with his loved ones. Spider-Man is still very popular to this very day, appearing in his own long line of comics, to even being a part of The Avengers with fellow fan favorite Wolverine.

Buy 2 Get 1 Free (Barnes and Noble)

This is a great deal from Barnes and Noble. The deal is buy any 2 Marvel/DC and get a 3rd one free. This is a good way to complete collections such as Knightfall. Or perhaps you can use it to get into a newer series such as Young Avengers, Superior Spider-Man, Justice League, Batman, or All New X-Men.

For now I will be just enjoy myself while browsing. I do know that I will get all 3 Knightfall books. It's a great way to do that, and I will be sure to do it.

I will post the link down below for all of my fellow comic fans:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/container/stores.asp?PID=42220

Donkey Kong Country 2

What can I say about one of my all-time favorite games? It's tough in a way, really. I want to form a good blog entry that effectively describe how I feel about this game. I guess I can start at the beginning.

This game started off as a risk--a risk that took place on my birthday. See, back then we didn't have the internet. Back then we either had to trust a magazine, the opinion of a friend, or our very own instinct. It's that same instinct that led to good choices and bad choices. This choice, luckily, was one of the good ones. I say good because what started off as a risk became something much greater. That risk turned into one of my all-time favorite video games: Donkey Kong Country 2.

I love this game, I really do. I'm 25 years old and I still hold it dear to my heart. I love the breath-taking graphics that were done, I believe, by Rare. Back then these graphics were revolutionary. They're still great even to this day. That's how you know they're great.

The game took a chance by doing two things: 1. A pirate theme. I thought they did it very well. It helped make it different than the first one, which brings me to my second point. 2. They did not have DK as playable. Back then, I might have been bothered by it. But now, I see clearly that DK, while great, needed to be away from the spotlight so that Diddy could shine and so that Dixie could debut as a great sidekick in her own right. She was very useful with her gliding.

The music is absolutely beautiful. I love the music in this game. The one I love the most is Stickerbrush Symphony. Man, that is one amazing track to listen to. It's so peaceful.

This game was one of my favorites, and it still is to this very day for plenty of good reasons. If you haven't played it already, then I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Final Fight

I'll be doing a review on 1, 3, and possibly 2, at a later date on Youtube--as I always do. I love doing my reviews. Why? Because it's something that I am genuinely passionate about.

These games were a lot of fun, though. I remember having a ball going around town, beating up henchmen with large pipes, a katana, and whatever else I could get my mitts on. I grew up with the SNES version, which sadly does not have Guy (my favorite character), and I believe it's only one player. Still, the game looks amazing on the Super Nintendo, it really does. This game, along with Turtles In Time, proved that you could successfully port over an Arcade game.

Final Fight 2 was alright. Guy, once again, was not in the game. He was off training somewhere. It makes sense, in a way, given that he's much stronger in the 3rd game. Still, I would have loved to play as him. Instead of Cody, who unfortunately is not in the game either, we get Maki (who is pretty good in her own right) and some dude named Carlos, who wields a sword. I don't think he was seen again nor mentioned. I could be wrong, though. The two good things about this game was the two player mode and the fact that you went around the world. I liked that.

Final Fight 3 was awesome and is my favorite hands-down. Everything that was good about the first two versions they did here: two player mode, a returning Guy (who is much stronger). They also added two new characters. My favorite is Dean. He looks like a total badass and shocks his opponents.

Our First Gaming Experience

Hey there, guys. Earlier I did a video that I wanted to do for a while now. In that video I discuss my first video-game experience. The link will be down below. I hope you guys will share your experiences with me and anyone else that will be reading it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M5WgOx_aWg

Turtles In Time

Now that I did my video review, which I hope you guys liked, I can now write my thoughts about the game and of course, the version that came out...I believe in 2009.

Turtles In Time (the original version) came out in the early 90's, I believe. The arcade version came out first. Konami made a bold move, in my opinion, to port it over to the SNES.

Not only that, but they added some really nice things. They added the Technodrome level, Bebop and Rocksteady in Skull and Crossbones, Slash as the Mini-Boss in Prehistoric Turtlesaurus, and Super Shredder as the final boss.

Their additions made a great game even better. How awesome was it to fight Super Shredder as the final boss? It really did make the fight better. Why? Because Super Shredder looks like a final boss. He's intimidating and is completely legit.

The graphics were great, and still are, but it's the gameplay that made us fans play it over and over again. I know I did.

Now we have Re-Shelled. It was a good game in its own right, but it suffers in the sense that it is, was, and will always be compared to its more successful counterpart. This new version has some nice bells and whistles like 3d graphics and voice actors (the same ones from 2k3) doing the voices of our favorite characters. But all in all, this version is just a downgrade in the long-run.

I will be doing a review of Re-Shelled. But for the time being, I just wanted to give my thoughts on this game.