The Neo Geo Pocket Color, released in August of 1999 and made by SNK, makers of the (incredibly expensive) Neo Geo systems and arcade cabinets, was a great little handheld — one of the last dedicated to 2D gaming. Made of a smooth, sometimes see-through, sometimes multicolored plastic resistant to finger smudges and damage, it felt great to hold. Battery power lasted so long they rarely needed replacement and huge, backlit 16-bit color screen was a relief to see after over a decade of the Game Boy’s muddy display. There were only two face buttons on it but my god, man, the tactile feedback! They had a joyful spring to them. And the joystick!
The king of “I did it first,” the Nintendo 64, is one of the most innovative consoles ever manufactured, having set many of the standards we now see today. It was the first console to support four players out the box. It was the first to introduce analog controls. Force feedback? We have the N64 to thank. It’s truly under-appreciated, and for all of its innovations, it should be hailed as the greatest console of all time. The N64 also had a number of great games. Yes, many of them were first-party gold, but don’t let that fool you; a number of third-party developers supported the console with excellent games. With the rise of the Virtual Console players can now experience some of the games they might have missed. Complied here are the ten greatest N64 games. The list is subject to opinion and debate, but without a doubt these are one of the most solid games on the console.
People love Final Fantasy, and if there’s anything people love more than Final Fanatsy, it’s arguing about Final Fantasy. Who’s the best villain? What’s the best piece of music? Where’s the best place to dry clean my replica Squall jacket? Too many arguments, too much to fight over. And, of course, every discussion about Square’s flagship RPG series devolves into “Which game in the series is the best?” Well, that’s easy. There are five of them, and you can find out which ones they are right now, right here.
Once again, indie efforts (Battleheart, Danmaku Unlimited) led the 2D charge, but a handful of high-profile releases (Mortal Kombat, The King of Fighters XIII) brought 2D games to a wide number of people across a variety of devices. So if you love 2D games, check out our picks for the best 2D games of the modern era.
We live in a politically correct society where we’re all created equal, inclusiveness is the new cool, and we all bleed the same red blood–but it wasn’t always that way. Turning back the hands of time in both the real and gaming worlds reveal universes filled with ideas that aren’t exactly the most P.C. and sometimes outright offensive. From misogyny to outright racist imagery, video games have walked the dark side when portraying certain groups. Here are a few of the more memorable politically incorrect moments in 2D games.
Video game music may have started life as simple bleeps and bloops, but as arcade uprights and home consoles gained more audio muscle, the basic sounds evolved into complex compositions. The natural extension of that growth was the addition of lyrics. Granted, many video game songs aren’t very memorable, but there are a handful that stood out from the pack due to their ability to move, make people laugh, or simply kick ass.
What scares you the most when it comes to video games? Tim Torres picks video gaming’s most frightening moments. They encompass darkness, monsters, ghosts and … water! Water? Check out this Halloween-themed X-List for ghoulish scenarios. Are you ready for some digital spooks? Yessssssssssssssss.
Vampires are taking over. They’re dominating TV (True Blood, Vampire Diaries), the box office (Let Me In, Vampires Suck) and taking a serious bite out of pop culture (I refuse to name Stephanie Meyer’s crapfest – even though it did introduce me to Florence and the Machine). Still, the video game industry was ahead of the curve on this blood-sucking trend. Here are the five best vampires in video game history.
In honor of Halloween, we’re taking a blood-soaked look at the best zombie games ever made. To make this list, the games had to feature a true zombie story involving infection, drama, violence, gore, and you know, actual zombies. You can’t play the role of a zombie, and you can’t fight “zombie-esque” creatures. No “Stubbs the Zombie” or “Dead Space” in this list. Now, grab your baseball bats and chainsaws!
Young’uns gather around and listen up: Survival horror and fright-based games did not see their beginnings with Resident Evil. Zombies, vampires, werewolves, hosts, demons, and supernatural serial killers have been part of the gaming landscape long before Biohazard hit the Japanse PlayStation. Let’s take a trip back in time to check out the most memorable old school horror games.
