Retro Sunday!

Hello all! Today you get a new weekly feature at pretty much the only good blog on the internet. That’s right, it’s Retro Sunday! One of my favorite Sunday activities is to play an old-school game of some kind. Let’s begin!

As you know, the Mario universe took a strange turn in 1988. That was the release of Super Mario Bros. 2. This game was entirely different than its predecessor. There were all-new enemies and bosses, you could pick veggies (and other things) out of the ground and throw them at enemies, and each player had different abilities. You could play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, or Princess Toadstool. Mario was an all-around character, Luigi could jump super-high, Toad could run and pick veggies faster than anyone, and Peach could float for a short time. The levels all had a sort of Middle Eastern feel to them.

An odd mix, to be sure, but it certainly works. It’s a fantastic game that has since had a huge impact on the Mario universe. After all, this game saw the invention of the now-popular Shy Guy, among other characters.

For those who don’t know, SMB2 didn’t actually start as a Mario game. It was called Doki Doki Panic, and it was about an Arabian family of four, each with different abilities. When Nintendo of America decided not to sell the real Super Mario Bros. 2 (because it was insanely hard, also known here in the USA as the lost levels), they picked up Doki Doki Panic and changed the characters to Mario ones and sold it. The game achieved great success and has since been re-released in various forms.

I like the game so much because you can play as Toad, pretty much the best video game character of all time! Plus, he’s the fastest runner and veggie-picker of them all (although he can’t jump very high).

So, if you don’t have the game, go power up the Wii and download it. It’s only $5 and it’s completely worth it! Or if you have a GBA or NES or SNES, you could find Mario Advance or the original cartridge or Super Mario All-Stars and play it that way, too! Either way, it’s as great a game now as it was when it was released, and is still a joy to play. In fact, I think I’ll go play it right now. Enjoy!

-benjamines

EDIT: I just beat the entire game. I didn't use any Warp Zones, either. Took me a couple of hours or so. Also, I had H4 lives left. You read that right. I think that translates into about 174. So yeah. Fun times!

Not that long, maybe!!

Greetings, friends! I know that it has been a very long time since my last post, and that the last few months have seen very few posts, but I am thinking about fixing that problem… at least until something more shiny and new catches my fancy. In the meantime, watch for updates on new games, new systems, and new news. Plus, don’t forget old games, old systems, and fun features like Terrible Turdsday and Mondownloaday! See you right here, dangit!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: WarioWare D.I.Y. (NDS) , Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (NDS), Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (NDS)

What the crap?!

Nintendo did this morning what it always does: it blew my mind!

Last night around midnight, they announced a new system: the Nintendo 3DS! That's a tentative title, but it may very well stick, for good reason. Here are the known specs thus far:

• 3D without glasses
• Gamecube-level graphics
• Around 4" screens
• Rumble
• Joystick
• No gap between screens
• Everything else the DSi has

3D?! I know! Apparently, the screens have similar technology to what upcoming 3D TVs will have: you can see things in 3D without using glasses. I'm not real clear on how it works, but it sounds exciting!

The system will sport the new Intel Tegra processor, which can handle much sweeter graphics than any portable seen before.

And that's about all we know so far! When I first read the news this morning, I was a little baffled, but the more I think about it, the more I want it! If it were any company besides Nintendo, I would be skeptical, but we're talking about the greatest video game company in the world here!

There will be more information at E3 (mid-May), so until then, we'll just have to imagine the awesomeness. They say it will release sometime between now (not happening) and a year from now. My guess is November.

Anyways, I'm gonna go back and lapse into my Nintendo-coma and dream of the future! Bye now!

-benjamines

Now Playing: Sam & Max Season One (Wii), Lunar Knights (NDS), Perfect Dark (X360)

Thanks, Indeed!

Good day, friends.  This cold November evening, I would like to treat you to a warm and touching retrospective on the many reasons I am thankful to be a gamer.  Make yourself a nice cup of hot cider, grab a cookie, and let’s celebrate our most joyous moments.

I am thankful for Nintendo.  They have given me the best games, the most lovable characters, and some of the best times of my entire life.  Their attention to detail and ability to create fun video games without the need to make them violent or gross is unsurpassed.  The premises of their games would sound silly on paper (let’s make a game where you control an Italian plumber who stomps on turtles and walking mushrooms), but they add the necessary magic to make them unforgettable.  Nintendo, I’m thankful for you.

I’m thankful for Mario.  I just started New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and I must say that it is an impressive feat.  The game itself is fantastic.  It looks great, it plays great, it is great.  But that’s not even the most impressive thing.  Nintendo has taken a 25-year-old franchise, kept the same basic gameplay elements, added some new powers and new characters, and thrown in a few retro themes for good measure.  The result is a game that’s just as magical for new players as the original was for us on Christmas Day of 1987.  Mario is the sincere definition of excellent gaming.  Mario, I’m thankful for you.

I’m thankful for the internet.  And not in the reasons you might be thinking.  You see, when I was young, my siblings and I would spend long hours during the holidays playing games for as long as our parents would allow (and then some).  These days, it is much more difficult to get together, much less have time to play games.  The internet has provided a conduit whereby we can still play games during the holidays, even if we’re not in the same geographic location.  This year, we may not even be in the same state, but we will still be playing the same track on Mariokart.  Internet, I’m thankful for you.

I’m thankful for the DS.  It has provided me with consistently fun games since day one.  Nowhere else can you help Professor Layton solve intricate puzzles, or break down witnesses with Phoenix Wright, or save the day with the Elite Beat Agents.  Its portability makes it playable at any moment, and its connectability makes it easy to play with friends.  Wherever I am, (school, work, home, in the car, on the can), it is there with me.  DS, I am thankful for you.

I’m thankful for the Wii.  My love for the Wii grows with each new game.  I played Wii Sports until my arms hurt.  I played Smash Bros. until my thumbs bled.  Tonight, I will play New Super Mario Bros. Wii until I’m too tired to stay awake.  Its codename, Revolution, was an understatement.  The Wii has quite literally changed the face of video gaming forever.  Motion control is the wave of the future.  Who would have thought 10 years ago that games like Wii Fit and Wii Sports would be some of the most popular games of all time?  Wii, I am thankful for you.

I’m thankful for past systems.  My love of Nintendo is far-reaching.  I have adored every console they have ever made, including the severely underrated Virtual Boy.  Kirby Air Ride for GameCube has been the bane of my college homework.  Metroid Zero Mission for GBA is still my favorite Metroid game of all time.  The original Smash Bros. for N64 consumed nearly the entirety of my free time in high school.  Mario Golf for Game Boy Color was with me on every school bus ride for years.  Super Mariokart and Looney Tunes B-Ball for SNES are still some of the best multiplayer games that have ever been made.  Wario Land for Virtual Boy is a fantastic 3-D adventure.  Mario Land 2 for Game Boy is, even today, a near-perfect platformer by any standard.  And of course, Super Mario Bros. for NES, a game which took me months to beat the first time, and about 10 minutes nowadays, is still one of my favorite games to revisit now and again.  Past systems, I’m thankful for you.

I’m thankful for friends who played with me.  I am fortunate to be married to someone who loves to play almost as much as I do, and supports my gaming habits.  Before marriage, I was (usually) blessed with roommates who were willing to play, too, even if they got beat a lot of the time.  My siblings have always been happy to Smash it up or play a few rounds of Perfect Dark.  My best friends have always been happy to take a few swings in Mario Golf.  Friends, you see, make gaming that much better.  With the few exceptions of fantastic single-player adventures, playing with friends is almost always a lot more fun.  Friends, I am thankful for you.

And most importantly…

I’m thankful I’m not a Sony gamer.  There are few things I am more thankful of than this.  Honestly, why would you even own a system that does not have Mario, Zelda, Kirby, F-Zero, or Metroid games?  You can’t play Mariokart on a Playstation.  You can’t play Ocarina of Time on a PSP.  And I’m thoroughly convinced you can’t be happy with a system whose creators believe you will buy even if it doesn’t have any good games.  And trust me: it doesn’t.  This is a free country, and I’m thankful for that.  People can buy whatever they want.  But if I ever bought a PS3, I think I’d kill myself.

-benjamines

Currently Playing: New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Scribblenauts, TMNT Smash-Up!

What in the shredded wheat?

What's this? A new post? Yeah, right!

So, here's the poop: There are some cool new games coming out.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: This one is actually already out. And it looks amazing! I cannot wait for to play it! It's like the DS one, but you can play with four-players simultaneously. Plus, the best part is, you can play as Toad! Woo-hoo! Sounds great and I can't wait. Thanksgiving break is the perfect time play the heck out of this game.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks: This one looks fun, too. It's like Phantom Hourglass, but instead of a ship, you control a train. Sounds amazing! It'll be all-stylus controlled like last time, but I think it will be ok. Besides, you can shoot animals with a train cannon. All aboard for me!

Super Monkey Ball Step and Roll: A new Monkey Ball for Wii! And you can use the Balance Board! Granted, it's probably really hard to control and monkey in a ball by tilting the world via a weight-sensor based peripheral, but I still can't wait. It comes out early next year.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Finally, a new Ace Attorney game! This time, you control Miles Edgeworth, the Prosecutor with an attitude. The game is focused more on the investigation than the trials, but it still looks like good fun. Can't wait!

Ok, so that's all I can think of right now. Plus, I have to go eat lunch. It's cold out, so soup I shall eat. Away!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Scribblenauts (NDS), TMNT Smash-Up (Wii), Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (NDS)

Exciting Robots that do Tricks while Racing!

The Excite series is one that, in my opinion, has always been treated with very high quality. The original Excitebike was extremely fun, quite challenging, and a great 2-player game. Excitebike 64 was easily one of the best games of the N64 era, with a level editor, crazy minigames, and 4-player action. The launch of the Wii saw Excite Truck, which changed bikes to trucks, but kept the exciting high-octane action of the previous versions. And now, a mere 2.5 years later, we have yet another great Excite game: ExciteBots: Trick Racing.

ExciteBots is an interesting game. Instead of racing bikes or trucks, you race various robots shaped like small animals or insects. For example, you can be a tree frog, a ladybug, or my personal favorite, a bat. The controls are basically the same as Excite Truck: you turn the Wii Remote like a steering wheel to drive. This makes it harder and easier at the same time. While almost everyone is already used to steering to drive something, the controls are very accurate, so for some areas, you have to be extremely precise in your movements. But that’s not a bad thing.

You may start the game and feel that it’s essentially ExciteTruck with new vehicles, but it’s much more than that. You see, ExciteBots is a video game that knows it’s a video game. What I mean is that it never tries to be something that could be done in real life. Granted that ExciteTruck was never exactly physics-accurate, but at least it had real trucks with 4 wheels and such. ExciteBots doesn’t care that you can drive a giant centipede over a hill, grab a red bar with a mechanical arm, spin around it while gaining speed, launch off of it at insane speeds, and then do a 1080 before you hit the ground again.

Sounds insane, but really, that’s the whole appeal. You see, the Wii Excite games work a little different than normal racing games. Rather than win, you have to have enough Stars at the end of the race to unlock the next one, so technically you could lose the race, but still move on. Strange, but it can be fun, especially considering some of the things you do in the race. For example, pick up an item block and a set of bowling pins will appear ahead of you. You get one star for each one you knock down. Another one might be a giant football in the middle of the road. Kick it through the uprights for a field goal (3 stars, of course). And don’t forget my favorite: Find a piece of bread. If you get it, a sandwich fixing appears further ahead. Get all the pieces together and get a Super Sandwich! Seriously! How can you not own a game that lets you get a Super Sandwich?

There are also plenty of mini-games to keep you entertained. You can play an entire game of bowling, kick soccer balls into goals, hit clowns in the face with pies, go fishing (all while driving, of course)… it’s just plain crazy. There’s even a Poker Race. You start with a set of cards, and you can exchange them for other cards if you can find them on the track. Get more points for better hands! Plus, you can send replays to friends and award them some of your stars if they can beat your score. Or, play local multiplayer, of course.

Excitebots is a crazy game, to be sure. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s a very fun game, almost as much for single player as it is for multiplayer. It’s also a little easier to unlock everything that the last one (which is nice). Plus, it’s only $40 new (probably less, now), so it’s definitely worth buying. Get out there! Race! NOW!

Pros:

• Insane and crazy racing
• Hilarious and awesome bonuses and minigames
• Very affordable and very fun

Cons:

• Some of the motion controls are a little repetitive at times

This game has earned a Blatantly Biased:

Mondownloaday!

Hello, all you friendly peoples! What do you mean it’s been three weeks since the last update?! YOU’RE CRAZY!!

So, from this day forward, I have decided to make Monday a special day. After all, Monday is the day that new downloads are available for WiiWare, Virtual Console, and DSiWare. It’s Mondownloaday! So, what do we have this week?…

VIRTUAL CONSOLE

Super Star Wars (SNES) – 800 Wii Points

Risk your life as a Jedi Knight. Join Luke, Han and Chewbacca in their fierce war against the Evil Empire. Battle treacherous aliens. Pilot two vehicles in high-speed, first-person 3-D sequences. Rip through the desert in Luke’s landspeeder. Clash with aliens in the Mos Eisley Cantina. Blast menacing boss monsters and Imperial stormtroopers. Attack TIE fighters in the trenches of the Death Star. Fight your way through the wastelands of Tatooine to the hostile streets of Mos Eisley and beyond. Grab your blaster, strap on your lightsaber and take on the fight for galactic freedom.

WiiWARE

NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits – 1,000 Wii Points

Experience the awesome story of Nyx, an enigmatic winged girl who must descend from heaven in search of her missing friend, Icarus. Fly over the ruins of ancient Greece and avoid falling into blazing sands or perishing in the claws of cruel harpies and hydras. You will need the help of Zeus and other benevolent gods from Olympus to summon their powers. They will let you cast rays, modify the scenery and control winds as you wish. By making your own wrist movements and pointing to the game screen, you will be able to achieve these and many other feats. Fly, aim and shoot using your Wii Remote controller. Play with a friend and maximize your abilities: While one controls Nyx, the other will control the powers from the gods.

Rock n’ Roll Climber – 800 Wii Points

Prepare to “rock out” like never before in Rock N’ Roll Climber. Climb rocks using the innovative control scheme, which has you controlling your character’s movement using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers. If you want an even more immersive experience, optional support for the Wii Balance Board is also available. Make your way up an array of courses, ranging from the Pop level’s indoor rock wall to the Heavy Metal level’s waterfalls (watch out for those moss-covered rocks – they’re slick). In addition to the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel upon reaching the top, you might just be rewarded with your own guitar.

DSiWARE

Brain Age Express: Arts and Letters – 800 DSi Points

This edition of the popular Brain Age series offers players a mix of new and familiar exercises, all with an artistic focus. Test your spelling in Word Attack, enjoy literary classics in Reading Aloud and tune your musical skills in Piano Player. A new Themes mode challenges you in drawing, photography and voice acting and lets you share your creativity with friends and family. And if you need a break, the always-enjoyable Virus Buster makes its return. Prepare for another round of training your brain in minutes a day.

So, there you have it. A buncha games that you probably won’t buy. Or, if you don’t have a Wii or DSi, games you definitely won’t buy. Unless you’re using someone else’s system… and they have a bunch of Nintendo points already loaded… and you buy these games for them… to surprise them… or spite them. Just whatever.

And by the way, the games are available at 10am Mountain Time every Monday, so get outside and play some games that are on the TV!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Sonic Unleashed (Wii), The Legendary Starfy (NDS), Boom Blox Bash Party (Wii)

Awesome Video Games A-Z, pt. 5

Holy crap! I totally forgot that I never published this last post! I’m sure you’ve all been on the edges of your respective seats, waiting for the madness to end! Well, truth be told, school has been insane lately, so yeah. But there’s still hope! Only a couple more weeks until the semester is over, and then I’ll have to think of some other excuse not to write.

In any case, here we are at the last part of the A-Z game list thingy. Should be easy to decide since these last letters don’t have many games to choose from. So, here we go!

V! This one is an interesting one. I don’t many V games, but the few I do have are pretty good. And after a short deliberation, I’ve decided that the winner is Volleyball (NES). Just volleyball. Yup. It’s a game I got at KMart a long time when they used to sell repackaged used games. It doesn’t work very well, so you have to blow on the cartridge to be able to play. But it’s a pretty fun game. Kinda hard. But fun. You can be USA. Or Japan. Or BRA(zil). You can spike the ball. Just like real volleyball. And you can set it. Bump it. Whatever you want. It’s your game. Just make sure to win. Also, you can play 2-player, which is awesome. Oh, and it’s available on Virtual Console. So yeah. Um… go play it? Now?

Runner-Up: Viewtiful Joe (GCN)

W! Ok, this one was hard. Mostly because there are a bunch of Wario and Wii labeled games. But I have a winner. It starts with W. Its name is Worms 2 (PC). The worms games are very fun. It’s a turn-based artillery-style game. You take turns firing rockets, grenades, or exploding sheep at each other. You have to judge the trajectory and power of the weapon to be able to do well. But, there are plenty of weapons that don’t need a lot of skill. Like the Super Sheep, easily one of the best weapons of the video game world. It’s a flying sheep that you can control. So make it fly to your opponent and make them explode. Awesome. The game is exceptional is every way and is certainly worthy of this honor. It was my favorite game of all time before Kirby 64 came around. So it’s super-awesome. This one may be hard to come by nowadays, but if you can find Worms World Party, that can be a reasonable substitute. Either way, it’s totally worth it. Play it! Now!

Runner-Up: Worms World Party (PC)

X! This is a funny letter. It’s always used for extreme things. And exceptional things. And xylophones. But on this blog, it almost always means X-Men. Now, I’m no comic nerd, so I don’t have much X-Men stuff. But X-Men Mutant Apocalypse (SNES) is a great game. You play as Wolverine, Cyclops, Beast, Gambit, and the slutty Psylocke. Each character has some levels that only they can complete, and there are levels where you can choose any of the characters to complete it. It’s a cool concept, but it’s also a great game. The controls are great, the powers are fun, and of course, it’s just plain cool to see Beast and Wolverine beat the crap out of people. I mean, it’s not a perfect game (it’s insanely hard at times), but it’s a fun diversion. It’s not available on Virtual Console, but it’s probably not too hard to find in used game stores. So, if you’re an X-Men fan, you need this game. If you’re not, then… I don’t care. Whatever.

Runner-Up: XIII (GCN)

Y! All four of my Y games have to do with Yoshi, but Yoshi’s Island isn’t one of them, since its official title is Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. So I’ll go with the next best thing: Yoshi’s Island DS. It’s a direct sequel to the first Yoshi’s Island, only this time, you have two screens to work with. Plus, there are more babies than just Mario & Luigi. That’s right, baby Peach and baby DK join in the fun this time. For those who don’t know, Yoshi’s Island games are fun! You play as Yoshi, and the objective is to get the babies to the end without letting them get captured. If Yoshi gets hit, the baby he’s carrying floats around in a bubble for a short time and if you don’t pop that bubble and get him back, the evil Toadies come and steal him away. Then they eat him. Just kidding! They don’t eat baby. That’d be gross. Anyways, the game is really cool. If you liked the first Yoshi’s Island and you have a DS (which by now, should be about 97% of the world), you need to play this game. Play! Now! Go!

Runner-Up: Yoshi’s Story (N64)

Z! So, after four previous posts and some insanely long gaps, the end is finally here. That’s right, we’ve reached the end of the alphabet! So without further ado, the best Z game: Zack & Wiki: The Quest for Barbaro’s Treasure. This is an adventure/puzzle game sort of like Zelda but not really. The game is very puzzle intensive, so I guess you could call it some kind of a Zelda/Professor Layton halfsy. But these aren’t just simple push-blocks-over-a-switch puzzles. These are insanely inventive and fairly difficult ones. In fact, if you go here, you can play a flash demo of the first level of the game! This will let you see how cool it is. This game may be difficult to find, but I would recommend it to everyone. It didn’t sell well, either, so I wouldn’t expect a sequel, so I would double recommend it. Plus, I think it’s awesome, which should be a recommendation in and of itself. So there you go. Three reasons to pick it up. I don’t need to tell you what to do next.

But I will. Go buy it now!

Runner-Up: Zoo Keeper (NDS)

So there you go. All done now. Now, you just need to wait another 300 years for a new post! How awesome is that?!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Boom Blox Bash Party, Excitebots Trick Racing, Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii)

An Update! Hark! An update!

Hello, all you beautiful people!  Just a quick update here.  I just started a Twitter account.  So now you can know what games I’m playing.  Truly, this is what technology was invented for.

My username is @blatant_bias.  Enjoy!

-benjamines

Awesome Games A-Z, pt. 4

Ok, well, I was just gonna shirk my responsabilities and not post anything, but then I decided that I better. Cause you’re lucky!!

P! Alright, so moving right along… Some might predict a Pokemon game here. And while Pokemon is a cool idea, it’s not my favorite thing in the world. But Mario games are one of my favorite things in the world. And one of the best ideas in the history of Mario games was Paper Mario. It sounds weird, and it kind of is. You play as Mario, but he’s made of paper. So, when you want to turn around, he literally flips over. But all the backgrounds and worlds are in 3-D. So basically, it all adds up to a really cool art style. And it’s not your standard Mario game. It’s an RPG. So, you get experience points, add members to your party, and go on a huge and grand adventure to once again save the princess from Bowser. It’s a brilliant game, and easily one of the best games available for the N64, or for any Nintendo system for that matter. It’s funny, it’s imaginative, it’s exciting, and most importantly, it’s fun! If you don’t own this game, then you’re in luck! You can download it right now for Virtual Console. And for $10, it’s truly an amazing deal. Go buy it! Now!

Runner-Up: Professor Layton and the Curious Village (NDS)

Q! This one is easy. I only have 1 game that starts with Q. Its name is Quantum of Solace, based on the 007 movie. But I haven’t played it yet. I should play it sometime.

Runner-Up: Quincy Douglas’ Underground Railroad Adventure (Commodore 64)

R! Anyone who knows me knows that I love me some racing games. Especially ones that are unrealistic, and where you can explode. F-Zero is a good example of this. But there are other great racing games, like the one here where they actually made a stunt track with the express purpose of letting you wreck your car for points. Naturally, I’m talking about Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA. It’s simply a fantastic game. You pick one of many cars, color it how you want, and then go out for a race. And, if you’re like me, you’ll really enjoy the stunt track. It’s filled with ramps and bumps and giant butts (once you play it , you’ll understand). Plus, you can play tag! Seriously! One person starts as it, and you have to ram the other car to tag them. If someone wrecks, they become it. It’s pretty hard, but it’s super-fun. Unfortunately, this game is not yet available for the Virtual Console. Maybe it will be someday. If not, come to my house and we’ll play it.

Runner-Up: Rhythm Heaven (NDS)

S! This was a hard one. After all, most major Mario games start with Super. Plus, many SNES games also begin with Super. Plus, don’t get forget Sonic, Starfox, San Francisco Rush… but in the end, the winner is Super Mario Bros. It is probably the most important video game of all time. After all, it basically saved the ailing video game industry of the early 80s. Plus, it spawned countless other games and series that we all know and love. Mario is the most recognizable and influential video game character of time, and will more than likely continue to be so for a very long time. Super Mario Bros. is an amazing game, even now. The controls are tight, the difficulty is perfect, the enemies and many and varied, the level design is inspired… I could go on forever. We’ve all played this game and know how freaking amazing it is. If you don’t currently own a copy, shell out the $5 for a Virtual Console copy and enjoy it forever. I know I will.

Runner-Up: Super Smash Bros. (N64)

T! Thankfully, I don’t have to try so hard to decide on this one. As we all know, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles starts with T. And if you don’t know how awesome TMNT: The Arcade Game is, this it’s time for you to find out. It’s a fantastic side-scrolling beat-em-up featuring everyone’s favorite amphibians. It’s a simple, but extremely effective formula, and one that is difficult to copy. You pick your favorite turtle (Mikey, of course) and you run around beating the crap out of foot soldiers and other enemies (but mostly foot soldiers). Once you clear the enemies in an area, you can move on. At the end of most of the levels is a boss, such as Baxter Stockman (as the fly), or General Kragg (the rock guy). Plus, it has coop multiplayer, which works really well, and is the main reason the game is so fun. The game is not yet available for Virtual Console, but when it comes, get it and play it. So, go grab a Raphael and beat some foot ninjas up!

Runner-Up: Tetris DS (NDS)

U! So since there was no Q game, I’ll fit U in right here. And since U is an uncommon letter (especially for Video Game titles), this choice is easy. I have 2 U games. One gets the top spot. The other gets runner-up. So yeah. The better one is Ultimate Mortal Kombat for the DS. It’s like Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but ported to the DS, with added WiFi functionality. I like UMK3 because you can play as Raiden (who was strangely missing from the original MK3). Also, the game comes with Puzzle Kombat, which is a Kirby’s Avalanche-type match-2-colors-to-break-them puzzle game. And in the background, the players beat each other up based on who gets better combos. Kinda cool. This was one of those games that I always wanted, but waited until it went on sale. I think it was $10. Well worth it. I’m not gonna say go buy it, because not everyone is a Mortal Kombat fan. So, go play Mortal Kombat until you like it. Ready? Ok, now go buy it.

Runner-Up: Urban Champion (NES)

So, there you are. Awesome games. And, if you’re really lucky (and you just might be this time), then I’ll post the last entry sometime in the next century. Honest.

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (NDS), Soul Bubbles (NDS), Excitebots: Trick Racing