Forgotten Favorites – Sonic the Hedgehog

There have been very few games in my long history of gaming that I’ve gotten as excited about as the original Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis console. With every new piece of material I read about or screenshot I saw in the game magazines, I wanted the game even more. In fact, Sonic is the main reason I kept my Genesis console after I got the Super Nintendo system. I just had to play this game. 

The game used speed in a way that no platformer had used it before, and the game offered up a unique and intense platforming experience that you just couldn’t play on any of the competing game consoles. And although there were four other Sonic the Hedgehog releases on the Sega Genesis console, it’s still this original that remains special to me. I’ll never forget the first time I played the game and every time I drag it out to play it on my JVC X’Eye console, it always feels as fresh as it ever did. If you’ve never played the game, do whatever it takes to do so and if it’s been awhile, maybe it’s time you play through the game again. It’s still one of the greatest games to come out of the 16-bit era, and gaming in general for that matter.

Hori Real Arcade Pro EX-SE

Having owned these two Japanese arcade cabinets for awhile, I’ve gotten quite used to using a joystick to play my shooters again. So when I bought my Japanese Xbox 360 console last year, I began thinking about the prospect of investing in a joystick controller for it since it would primarily be used for import shooters. The original Hori Real Arcade Pro EX stick was the one I decided to buy and while I loved its quality build, I’d gotten so used to using a Seimitsu joystick for my shooters, I found it tough to switch to the Sanwa JLF stick used in the HRAP EX stick. 

I finally decided to sell my HRAP EX and try to get my hands on the Hori Real Arcade Pro EX-SE (special edition) that featured a Seimitsu LS-32 joystick and Seimitsu buttons. Unfortunately, I had no idea this particular joystick was so difficult to come by, not to mention brutally expensive. I was about to find out, however.

After searching everywhere I could find for this stick for the better part of two months, I finally decided to use one of the import bidding services called Rinkya. Since most sellers on Yahoo Auction Japan won’t sell or ship to those outside of Japan, you basically pay these companies a fee ($40 in my case) to bid on the item for you. Then the seller ships the item to Rinkya and you then pay them to ship it to you. So what exactly does that mean cost-wise. It means if you want something badly enough, you’re going to have to pay an arm and a leg for it. And that I did. So was it worth it?

Let it be known, this stick is big and heavy. This is no small item. Luckily, that actually plays into its favor overall. As you’d expect, the Seimitsu LS-32 stick works like a dream when it comes to shooters. I’ve put this thing through its paces on Deathsmiles, Trigger Heart Exelica, R-Type Dimensions, Ikaruga, and Dodonpachi Daioujou and it’s performed flawlessly. About the only complaint with it I have is that I’ve never been a big fan of the Seimitsu buttons. As great as the Seimitsu sticks are for shooters, the buttons I’ve always found a tad on the stiff side. Needless to say, I wasted little time in popping this thing open and changing out the buttons with the softer Sanwa OSBF-30 buttons I love so much. Now it’s truly perfect. 

If you’re looking for a Seimitsu stick for your Xbox 360, this is about your only hope unless you feel comfortable modding your HRAP EX or SFIV stick. And even that takes some work. But when you compare the enormous price tag and severe lack of availability this EX-SE stick carries, it might be worth it to try. But if you have the means, there isn’t a better shooter joystick on the market for the Xbox 360 than this elite piece of gaming hardware. Consider it the Ferrari of console joysticks. (RATING: 9.5/10)

Gearing up for E3 2009

Well it’s almost that time of year again. The big show in the big city. Everybody’s spent the last month speculating as to what they think is going to come out of the show from the various big guns, but in reality, we still know very little and won’t until the show begins. 

Working at Nintendo Life means that our focus is on what Nintendo is planning to bring out at the show, kicking off with their E3 Press Conference. Luckily everyone with a computer can watch the conference in all its glory to find out what we can look forward to over the next year in gaming. 

As per every year, I’ll toss out my meaningless (and usually wrong) guesses on what a few of the big announcements from the three gaming giants might be. So without further ado, here we go.

NINTENDO: Obviously Nintendo will be pushing their new Wii Motion Plus peripheral and the games that go along with, but I think they’ve got a few surprises up their sleeve as well. I think one of the big announcements will be a Virtual Console service for their new DSi system. With such a mammoth back catalog of Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance titles, there’s got to be a way for Nintendo to make these classics available to DSi owners. I’m also going out on a limb and speculating that we will finally see the new Kid Icarus game Nintendo fans have long been waiting for. This game’s just gotta be coming…right? 

SONY: Sony’s been talking about having a huge year in 2009 since the year kicked off, so they’ve got to have some big news coming at E3. While many are speculating that they’ll be showing off a motion-style controller of their own, I’m betting they’re going to be pushing the games this year. God of War 3 is a given, but I gotta believe that a new marquee title from Naughty Dog has got to be in the works. Here’s hoping they finally announce a Playstation 3 Sly Cooper game as well, although I wouldn’t hold my breath for that one. 

MICROSOFT: Right now all anyone can talk about is this new motion-camera peripheral that MS is developing to compete with Nintendo’s Wii console. I’m sure this thing will garner some major attention, but much like Sony, I think MS has some big name titles up their sleeve and E3 is generally where they lay them out for the first time. I’m betting that Rare have something cooking, and I’m hoping it’s a Kameo sequel. It’s been awhile since we’ve heard any news or rumors about this inevitable sequel, so I’m hoping this is the year we finally find out. I’m also going to go out on a limb and say they’ll announce the other Treasure arcade shooter Radiant Silvergun is coming to Xbox Live Arcade. 

Well there you have it, My off-the-wall picks for what we might see at E3. I guess now all we can do is wait and find out for ourselves. It should be fun no matter what games are announced.

Forgotten Favorites – Ghouls & Ghosts

Being such an enormous fan of the NES console, my main focus going into the 16-bit generation was Nintendo’s Super NES console. But the more I read about the Sega Genesis console, the more intrigued I became, especially knowing that it was going to be available long before the Super Nintendo console would be. But it wasn’t until I saw screenshots of Ghouls & Ghosts that I knew I absolutely had to have a Sega Genesis. 

I loved Ghosts & Goblins, both at the arcade and on my NES system, so getting this new sequel was pretty much a given. And as fate would have it, Ghouls & Ghosts marked the first game purchase I made for my shiny new Sega Genesis system. Sure the game is brutally difficult, but it’s just so damn much fun that you can’t put it down. For anyone out there who hasn’t played this wonderful game, do yourself a favor and track it down. You might end up tossing a few controllers in frustration, but it’s well worth it in the end.

My WayForward Interview on Nintendo Life

I was lucky enough to get to talk to Matt Bozon, Adam Tierney, and Sean Velasco of WayForward the other day and they were nice enough to take part in an interview for Nintendo Life. It’s a hefty interview at a whopping 13 MS Word pages in length, and I also got my hands on some really cool photos from their headquarters in Valencia, CA. Click on the picture of their HQ above to check out the interview. Don’t forget, it’s a two-part interview.

A little Sega Genesis/Mega Drive love…

I’ve received quite a few emails from people wanting me to do some 16-bit material, so for the next week, I’m going to be putting together some Sega Genesis/Mega Drive stuff. I’ve got some cool stuff on tap, so check back in the evenings each day this week to see it all.

What happened to the old blog?

Since I’ve gotten an enormous amount of emails regarding the old blog, I thought it might be better to go ahead and let everyone know what happened. I did not back up my old blog archives, rather choosing to allow the archives to reside on my web site hosting service. So when these files were lost by mistake, they were gone for good. I was quite upset at this loss, but in reality, I had no one to blame by myself for not backing them up in the first place. I originally planned to not do another blog after this catastrophe, but after some readers emailed me asking if I would be willing to do another blog, I changed my mind. 

I realize many of you want the old articles back and while I wish I could bring them back, I can’t. I hope you guys will enjoy the new blog and I thank everyone for visiting.

Klonoa (Wii) Released Early!

For those of you who aren’t aware, Namco-Bandai released their Klonoa remake for the Nintendo Wii console a few days early. If you were lucky enough to stroll into your local Gamestop store on Sunday, you likely found out the game was already being sold. I got mine on Monday morning and I’ve been playing it ever since. I’ll be reviewing the game for Nintendo Life later this week. 

If you haven’t picked this amazing game up yet, what are you waiting for? I consider this to be the most underrated platformer ever. It was amazing on the Playstation system and it’s just as amazing, if not more so, on the Nintendo Wii. I’ll link to my review on Nintendo Life when it goes live later on in the week. Check back then.

Get this game…now!

It’s not very often that I get all wound up about a current generation game. Anyone who reads the blog knows that I spend 90% of my time talking about retro game stuff, so the mere fact that you see a brand new title gracing a post, you know it must be something great.

The original Excite Truck game that launched with the Nintendo Wii console was a fun game to be sure. It featured that over-the-top racing action and high-flying jumps that showed off the motion controls of the Wii to perfection. Well now comes the sequel Excitebots, and this game takes everything that was fun about Excite Truck and cranks it up about 10 notches. This game is an absolute blast to play from start to finish and there’s plenty of unlockables to keep you coming back for more.

If you want to see just how much I truly love the game, you can click on the box art or screenshot below to surf on over to my review of the game on Nintendo Life. I think it perfectly sums up my feelings about this amazing Nintendo Wii release.

Hori Real Arcade Pro EX-SE

The shooter stick of champions!

Ever since I first bought my Japanese Xbox 360 console, I’ve been aching to pick up a good arcade stick for it. While playing Otomedius Gorgeous and Deathsmiles is okay using the Xbox 360 controller, there’s just nothing quite like an arcade stick to make the experience all more perfect. 

I thought about picking up one of the new Hori Deathsmiles sticks, but the actual joystick used in it is a Sanwa JFL. Now while this is a fantastic joystick, I still prefer the Seimitsu LS-32 stick when it comes to shmups. I searched long and hard for the Hori Real Arcade Pro EX-SE stick, which was a special edition version of the HRAP EX and includes a Seimitsu LS-32 joystick and Seimitsu arcade buttons on it. The only problem is that this stick is ungodly scarce and ridiculously expensive. 

After putting it off for the past two months, I finally found one of these EX-SE sticks on Yahoo Japan Auctions. I had to go through a third-party company in order to bid on the Japanese auction, but it was well worth the extra $40 it cost to do so. The stick should be here in about a week and I’ll have a full review of the stick upon its arrival. And yes, I promise to put the stick through the ringer with Deathsmiles and Raiden IV before I review it.