You mean Metal Gear

Hello guys

Yesterday I was replaying Metal Gear Solid 4, appreciating the superb gameplay (ando not so superb story), and then I realized that despite my blogger alias, I don't talk much about metal gear here, so now's the time, right?

Well, you know you're getting old when games you played as a teenager are "old" today, that's the case of PSOne's Metal Gear Solid, this wonderful jewel of dramatic story, great characters and awesome voice acting. But that's not the game I'll talk about today. I'll talk about the beggining of everything: Metal Gear for MSX2!

Ok, first I must confess that I not played Metal Gear at the time it was released (1987), I only played it some good 20 years after, in the PS2 port (with Metal Gear 3 Subsistence) and later in a MSX2 emulator. One can think that playing an ancient game today can be a frustrating, but truth is, Metal Gear is awesome, even today!

Considered the "father" of stealth games, the gameplay had all essencial characteristics we saw in today's sequels: require strategy, tactic  and smart thinking, creative use of itens, such as the signature cardboard box... it's everything there for the "new" fans.

"I FEEL ASLEEP (sic)"

Another thing worth saying: its a hard game. along the mission infiltrating Outer Heaven, you'll die plenty and in lots of different ways, and the more you get close to the end, your faithful mentor Big Boss will start to have certains... slips of memory, codec-guiding the rookie agent Solid Snake to traps such as electrified floors (sound familiar?) and enemy ambushes.

So, you'll have to make maximum use of the various weapons and itens found along the way to sucessful infiltrate Outer heaven, avoiding enemy sentries, surveillance cameras, claymore mines... it's all there. So the game is highly reccomended, for fans or whatnot. But if you can, find a complete fan translation, or play the MGS3 susbsistence version, because the original english version has a very incomplete and sloppy translation, with errors and omissions.

Big Boss rapes the 4th wall 

Before Metal Gear Solid, there's still two alternative sequels. MSX2'S Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (the "official" one) and NES's Metal Gear 2: Snake's Revenge (devloped by a konami team without the participation of Hideo Kojima).

So, anyone of you played the old Metal gear Games? What's your opinion about them? comment!

Legendary Wings

now, I'm sure everyone here have played a shooter before
no, not first person shooters kids! I'm talking about old arcade shoot'em up shooters, top-down view! yeah, that's right, little airplanes and energy shoots all around the screen, power ups that make your weapons shot 2, 3 times more, this kind of thing.
well, this games are SO much fun for a one-shot run, trying to see how far you can get, and today I'll talk about one of my favorites: Legendary Wings, or Ares no Tsubasa (Wings of Ares) in Japan.

Well, I'm really suspect to talk about this, because I have memories to play it coop-mode with my mother, as a child, then it's overwhelming nostalgia ahahah!
But aside my personal experiences, it's a great and solid game! Released by Capcom in 1986 for arcades and later, in 1988 for the NES, the game story is is set in a distant future where an alien supercomputer named "Dark", which has been helping human civilization achieve a new state of enlightenment since ancient times, has suddenly rebelled against mankind. Two young warriors are given the Wings of Love and Courage by the God of War Ares (yeah, same greek god that screwed Kratos all over) in order to destroy Dark and ensure mankind's survival.

The game's controls consists of an eight-way joystick and two buttons which changes depending on the context. The game consists of five areas with two different playing styles: the first segment in each stage is a top-view vertical scrolling segment in the player flies across the sky, shooting at airborne enemies with their gun while dropping bombs at ground enemies, in order to reach the palace at the end of segment. When the player defeats the guardian and gains entrance to the palace, the game switches to a side-scrolling perspective, in which the player moves towards their goal on foot until reaching the boss at the end. There's also lots of bonus levels, "trap" levels where you'll have to escape, and power-ups. Playing it alone is half the fun. I reccomend to find a friend and play it co-op!

So, guys, that's it. I'll not gonna stay here long, because i'm actually sick of my stomach, just stopped by quickly to show you more nostalgia. Ah, and before I forget, Legendary Wings is available to play via Web emulator right here!

so, Cheers!

Play old games online!

hey folks

so, in yesterday's post I left a link for you guys play yo!noid online... and then I went and searched a little more for cool things like that, and came back with more interesting links:

NES emulators online:
http://nintendo8.com/ (the one I talked about yesterday)
http://www.virtualnes.com/ (this one let you change button configuration :D)
http://www.playnes.net/ (big screen)
http://www.nesplay.com/ (another nice one)

Master System emulator online:
http://mastersystem8.com/

Snes emulator online:
http://snessy.com/

the only thing you need is the Java plug-in, that your browser will ask you to click and install. very easy, really.

and if you have more reccomendatiosn, post on comments, and i'll be happy to edit the post and add it, with credits ;)

so, have fun!

YO! Noid, the return

yo, guys

some days ago, I posted about one of the classics of mine (and lots of people's) childhood, a NES plataformer called Yo! Noid, but I feel I didn't talked enough, hahaha, so, here's a little more detailed review.

Lauched in 1990, by Capcom, the game features the Noid (Domino's pizza mascot) as its main star. the gameplay consists in going through fourteen different side-scrolling levels throughout various locations of New York City (including an 8-bit rendition of Central Park) to battle his evil duplicate, Mr. Green, for the public good, and for the massive pizza reward!

As was the case with many Capcom games based on cartoon characters, Yo! Noid had detailed cartoon graphics and sound effects for its time. I remember when I first played it, I felt in love instantly, even though I didn't even know what was Domino's pizza (I'm not from USA), but the great gameplay, creative use of itens and fun visuals in general really caught me.

You are reading it, but don't know WTF I'm talking about? or you're a long-time fan of this game and now craves for some yoyo-enemy-bashing? don't fear, oh curious reader. you can play it online right here! ;)

fun facts:
-the back cover of the instruction manual included a $1 off Domino's Pizza coupon.
-Yo! Noid was actually a modified version of a game called Kamen No Ninja Hanamaru.

So, going to eat some pizza and play some NES now. see you guys next post!

Filler + Guitar

what's up guys?

so, today I'm a little out of time to post, but I'll leave you with a great Megaman X guitar cover

seriously, fans of the series should check this guy's youtube channel. LOTS of awesome covers.

cheers!

Alex Kidd

Ok, so, let's talk about Sega today, back in the day one of great players in the games market, and responsible for many good memories of people in mid-to-late twenties today!

Who is Sega's beloved symbol and mascot? Sonic the Hedgehog, right? But it was not always like this. Before the rise of the blue runner, there was a monkey boy some of you will remember fondly: Alex Kidd!

It was 1986 when Kidd's debut in the world of games was lauched: Alex Kidd in Miracle World, built in into the Master System II (without the need for a cartridge to play) was a great success. Its gameplay featured mainly sidescroll platfoming, but with aspects of strategy and roleplay.

The game was lots of fun, besides the great gameplay, the choice for buying various itens and vehicles between stages added to the experience. And, of course, there was the (in)famous jan-ken-po boss battles!

Alex Kidd was not up for competition with Nintendo's Mario, and later was dropped as a mascot in favor of Sonic, but the hours we spent punching rocks looking for secret passagens or trying to guess if the evil boss was going to put rock or scissors... they will not be forgotten anytime soon

Mario Bros. (less "Super")

hey fellas
more nintendo nostalgy today: and I ask: how many of you played Mario Bros.?
No, not SUPER Mario Bros. only "Mario Bros.".

don't know what I'm talking about? check it out:

yeah, THIS Mario Bros.

This game have a very special meaning to me, because it was the very first video game I ever played in my life, back when I was like 7 year old! the same afternoon I played some Pac Man too. and then... it was a lifepassion with the two plumbers and everything related to electronic games!

"The Original Mario Bros." cover!

The (very complex) story of this game revolves around two plumbers, Mario and Luigi, who are working in the sewers. The sewers are overrun by waves of enemies and the Mario Bros. have to defeat the enemies and get coins to receive their pay.
The game features a simple stage in which the player plays in an endless game. Enemies come from the pipes on the top and head downwards, where they may enter the pipes again to return to the top. The goal in each Phase is to defeat all enemies. This is done by jumping against the floor when enemies are walking on from below to knock them out, and then the player has to kick them away.

also, as some of you may remember, this same game was featured in Super Mario 3 as a (sort of) competitive minigame, when Mario and Luigi met on the overworld map!

so many memories right now...

Some impressive covers

hey fellas, how are you today?
well, today I'll show you some sweet guitar covers, since these are two of my greatest passions in life: guitar and video games.

let's start with MARIO - LEVEL OF SKILL: ASIAN

and a very nice folk-sounding one-man band version of Zelda's theme

another one-man band version of sonic the hedgehog's well known green hill theme:

and, for more awesome, Megaman Project: a jazz band playing metalman theme!

hope you enjoy, cheers!

Donkey Kong and.... "Jumpman"?

sooo how you guys spent your new year? so much hangover today, I bet!
I can also bet some of you spent it playing some videogame (drunk or sober, doesn't matter)...
all that matters is having fun, right?

well, but to the subject of today... I'm going to talk about a game that gave origin to two of most adored characters of all video game history... it's Donkey Kong!

Go Jumpman, save Pauline from King Donkey Kong

I'm pretty sure all of you played Donkey Kong Country on the SNES sometime in your life! or know the charming gorilla from mario kart, super smash bros or other nintendo game. Donkey Kong is a hero, right? well... not always! In fact, in the old arcade game he was the villain. (and the game was named after him)
Well, if he was the villain, I want you to tell me who was the hero, without looking to the picture above. Guessed already? that's right! It's a me Mario!
This time, Mario didn't have a name, he was called just Jumpman. and he had to save his girlfriend (familiar lady too?) Pauline from the raging kong, that throws barrels at him.
Fun fact: in 1982, Universal Studios of Hollywood sued nintendo, for similarities between Donkey and... King Kong. fair enough?
Well, needless to say, despite of problems with copyright, the game was so much of a success in the 1981 arcades, that gave origin to 2 of the most acclamed franchises of the wolrd of video games. First was Mario, and (a lot later) Donkey Kong Country!
The more you know, children...

Mario & DK today: good friends, but still rivals

and you guys? someone played the original Donkey Kong in the arcades of life? Share your experience!