#Depicting: Famicom Controller I

[gaminghardwareingames]

Nintendo Badge Arcade - part 3

So I spent three hours working on this exact project and when I asked a discord to try and see if anyone knew any of the last ones that would be tedious to find, I got sent this link xD

Wariofan63 - Absolutely amazing work, as someone who knows what it's like! Thank you so much for documenting this stuff! You're incredible :D

Nintendo Games in the Badge Arcade

Now if you know me, you know that I absolutely love Nintendo games and the one thing I love more than that is a Nintendo game about Nintendo games! Today I’m going to talk about Nintendo Badge Arcade, the free-to-play app you can download for your 3DS. The main draw of the game is that you play crane games to win badges that you can use to decorate your 3DS Home Menu with.

A good chuck of these badges are legacy Nintendo platforms and tagging along with them are tiny pixelated game cartridges. It can be hard to make out, but every single one of them is based on legitimate cartridge art (cart art)!

A couple years ago, I spent some time tracking down what each badge is a minituarized verison of and had a lot of fun doing it, so I made a guide of which games you can adorn your 3DS with.

Oh yeah, one thing to note here is that everything in this set of badges is based on the Japanese designs of the cartridges, so most might not look familiar to how you remember them. 

Alright, are you ready? Let’s begin with some easy stuff, the Game & Watch games!

Now you’re playing with power! It’s the Famicom (NES) games! You’ll notice we got some cameos from R.O.B. as well as the controller with the bone-shaped controller.

Now for what was the most difficult part for me, the Famicom Disk System games! Unfortunately all of these are Japan-only, so if you were hoping to decorate your 3DS with Zelda 2, I got some bad news or you.

This is going to get a little long so I’ll put the rest under the cut.

Keep reading

[archoneddzs15]

Super Famicom - Akumajo Dracula (Super Castlevania IV)

Title: Akumajo Dracula / 悪魔城ドラキュラ

Developer/Publisher: Konami

Release date: 31 October 1991

Catalogue Code: SHVC-AD

Genre: Platform Action

In this day and age, the name Konami doesn’t always mean quality since they have now gone the way of many game companies by whoring out their IPs to other developers but back in the 16-bit days of the Super Famicom, the name Konami meant quality. You really knew that you were getting something great just as you knew if you saw the name Acclaim / LJN on a game that you were getting something completely awful.

These days Akumajo Dracula or Super Castlevania 4 as it was known in English is still a fantastic game 33 years (now 2024) after it was first released however some gameplay points may have been glossed over back in the day but are inexcusable these days. The main one is that you can’t jump while on staircases. This is so annoying resulting in death many a time. Another very annoying point is that you can’t jump on to stairs. You just fall right through them! What’s with that that? There’s no logic at all behind that type of thinking. Then there’s the way you are knocked back when hit along with re-spawning enemies. It is possible to be knocked back into another enemy and then another. Again, this results in death. But that’s enough of the annoying points. Let’s talk about how great this game was and still is even now.

Graphically the game isn’t actually that good. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s quite messy BUT the effects used in this game and the actual art direction are wonderful. I’ll never forget the first time I walked in what can only be described as a rotating tunnel from a side on view. It was truly a revolutionary moment in gaming. It had never been done before and even now it still impresses. The gameplay even though it has the annoying aspects listed above is still so tight. Every jump you make and every enemy you take out is done because of your skill. There are no real cheap shots in this game if you really play well. Most of the time you die because of a lack of skill.

The audio is something else. I don’t care what anyone says, out of the entire Akumajo Dracula series this has the best music hands down. Sure, other games have great music too, but none have the amount of quality tracks as this game.  Every single piece of music is an aural delight. You’d swear that someone had hidden grand piano and orchestra inside of your Super Famicom.

Akumajo Dracula was directed by Masahiro Ueno (credited in the game as Jun Furano since Konami did not allow the use of real names at the time), who was also the main programmer. His first 16-bit game, Ueno's team possibly started development on it during 1989. Ueno liked the original Akumajo Dracula for the Famicom (NES) the most and wanted to make a pure action game that was similar to it. Many features in Akumajo Dracula were introduced to make it a less frustrating game for players, such as giving them more control over Simon when he walks upstairs, although it still needs a lot of work. Ueno also worked on both the Japanese and English versions of the game, with the latter featuring some instances of censorship. He was asked to alter the color palette in the English version to remove some depictions of blood in stage eight plus the title screen is also missing the dripping blood.

[maguro13-2]

The Dark Picture REPAINT ~ Origins of the Ink Demon : Operation Drawcia Pt.17 ~

*Before meeting with Inky and Eruka*

"In the aftermath of Macro-Land..."

[Menu (Mega Collection) by Hideaki Kobayashi]

Andy : Hey, Sami. You finally know how to use a camera before.

Max : Yeah, we're glad that all of that war stuff have been pushing us daisies!

Sami : Yeah, I got it all under control, I mean...this is the war stuff back with the Famicom Wars, don't get me started with the The Hybrid Front.

Andy : Actually, The Hybrid Front...I wouldn't recall that as the Hybrid Front Wars.

Sami : Oh really? Tell that to Mr. Mario and his trustworthy rival company, they got something for smash to handle out, I heard that Ike is depicted as the future smash fighter.

Max : Really? That's cool of you.

Eagle : Andy. About what about four years ago, I just wanted to say that I ever doubted you, all wars are not necessarily can be a real battlefield. Glad that we're spending time in the peaceful life of a new era, right here in the Real World. Even without the COs, can any of us make a single truce.

Sami : [To Eagle] Why should I? I'm just glad that you certainly aware of this, Eagle. I've decided that I am making moves that we're planning to retire ourselves as the trio of Orange Star and go on vacation.

Eagle : Right. I'm glad that everything worked out in the end. So you want to go get some ice cream or maybe even gelato, it's on the house.

Sami : Well...I could go for a treat...if only we made a promise.

Eagle : Promise is a promise.

Max : Hey, guys! Look like what I found?

Andy : Max, where did you get that?

Max : I found under the sand, it looks like somebody left that black material thingy and I don't what was lying on the beach, maybe everyone can have a beach party ourselves since this is the only beach party we ever have to make peace for all factions and of course, bringing a new era.

Andy : Oh a Black Material, but I don't remember that Black Material that you are holding. I think that ball-looking thing you're holding, is actually made of Ink of something.

Eagle : Black Material? What Black Material?

Andy : Yeah, what is it then?

Max : I don't know, but what I do know is that I found a weird symbol with a skull for a face of uhh, Death I think.

*The Black Material has a skull in the center*

Sami : Uhh, guys? I think you might wanna put that down.

*Bob-Omb noises*

Eagle : [in so-motion] SAMI! GET DOWN!

*The Black Material reveals to be a Bomber*

Andy : [In slo-motion] IS THAT A BOMBER FROM KIRBY'S!?

Max : [In slo-motion] HOLY FU-

*DBZ SFX : Loud Explosions*

[Elise's Tears by TAI-HEY]

Sonja : Huh?

Lash : What was that?!

*Orange Star group runs up*

Nell : Oh no! Andy! Max!

Eagle : Who puts a Bomber buried in the sand just to get us killed!? Are you alright, Sami?

Sami : *moaning* Eh? Oh my Gosh...what just happened? Andy! Max! What happened! Andy, Max!

Andy : (dying) You should've know that this was gonna happen...Ughhh!

Sami : *crying* ...Andy...Max...No... don't leave me...

*looks up into the sky*

Sami : NOOOOOOOOO!!!

*scene changes*

*rain falling+thunder booming*

Sami: Guys. We've been like this together. Always in the wars, but why on earth did you guys have to die like this?

Eagle : Sami...

Lash : Who would've thought that a bomber was inside the sand the entire time. Someone must've implanted as a trap to wipe us all out. I feel bad about you and your friends, they were such good comrades and all this stuff that wasn't related by us or the Black Hole Faction.

Nell : Don't fret with sadness, Sami. May the Grim Reaper rest upon their souls. Rest easy heroes.

Sonja : I hope they'll make their selves to a better place.

Sami : Yes, everyone. I know. From now on Eagle, we make promises, Ok? Promise is a promise.

*puts fist on Eagle's chest*

Sami : It's an oath to Heart. As a soldier, as a fighter, we are destined to make corrections on our wrong doings of who faces your truest enemies and i a comrade to those, never turn on their backs. I swear that if anyone happens to my comrades, they'll pay.

Eagle : Heh. A promise is a promise, don't believe a guy who is trustworthy on all of it.

Sami : If I was, then all of this will be over.

Eagle : I like that in woman who appreciates a man to kick their asses.

Sami : Don't get too cocky.

Eagle : Same to you. Lookout!

*Thunderclap*

[The Strongest Robot in History by Yutaka Minobe]

Lash : Oh perfect. Just in the Nick of time.

Sami : Huh? Where did that thunder coming from?

Kracko Jr. : You think that all of that sunshine had to go waste. Too bad that your shine will be in perpetual darkness and lots of thunder, rain, and lightning.

Sami : What the...?!

Eagle : Is that the one-eyed cloud monster?

Sami : Kracko the cloudy enemy.

Kracko : So you're that girl of the Special Forces of Orange Star, it's too bad that you're one of the comrades that have been wiped by one of Paint Roller's bombers!

Sami : What did you say?

Kracko : You heard me. It was that paint rolling guy that Kirby fought against around 10 years ago.

Sami: My comrades were killed by Paint Roller.

Kracko : You were one of the victims of the attack that we planned as well. I see, guess this is going to give you a fair reasoning.

Sami : Hey, you best watch your back! If you and your art buddies are repsonsible for the death of my comrades, I will make you regret!

Kracko : Same to you. I best be going now.

Sami : Yeah, you wish.

Kracko : And oh, there's one more thing you can do for yourself and I know how you are going to do with it.

Sami : Ehh? What's that?

Kracko : RRRAAAAGHHH! DAAAAAAH!!!

*THUNDER CRASHING+Electrip Zapping*

Sami : *yelling in pain*

Eagle : Sami!

Kracko : Consider that done as a warning from Drawcia Family!

*THUNDER BOOMING*

Kracko : By the time is done, I shall make Drawcia the understanding to make the DWMA fall once more! The time has come for the resolution of the ultimate dream! *leaves dream*

Eagle : You one eyed devil!

*GUNFIRE+sizzling*

Eagle : Tch! *puts gun down* Lousy creature.

Lash : Oh God! Sami's knocked out by that one-eyed creature's electric strikes. Good think that she's barely to survive.

Eagle : Sami! Speak to me! Sami!

*later*

Sami : (moaning) What happened? Was I knocked out by a powerful storm?

Nell : Sami! Thank goodness you're alright. Special Forces had to take you, but they were all wiped out by the monsters made out of paint or graffiti that is the Icky paint-like goop.

Sami : So I was knocked out by a creature made from a witch's magic? Did something happened to me? Where am I? What sort of place is this? A...Andy!

Andy : You're gladly alright. You're in the room carried by Doctor Mario.

Sami : Mario, a Doctor? I don't believe, but I can't remember anything what happened? Andy, did you do this for me?

Eagle : Actually, that was me. I had to carry you all the way to recover you during recuperation. But you were in a coma about two years ago. Both your comrades asked me to look out for you, but you did a great job on surviving that blow.

Sami : Did anyone think that I really died? Hope not. If so, maybe I considered to be a ghost to the ruins of the wars. Maybe that will refresh of who I am. I should be ready enough to be getting back on my feet. Doctor says that I only helped soldier to fight against the minorities of all means necessary. The wars, the conflicts, the shock, can I remember anything from it? Who am I?

Eagle : Just a woman that can kick my ass any time.

Sami : Eagle. I have something for you to ask.

*stomach growling*

Sami : Would you take me for a bite to eat.

*later*

Sami : Can't believe it guys. It's been two years since our defeat with Black Hole, I guess all of that war stuff made us realize who we really are, despite the downfall of Black Hole leader turning the tables, who''s going to the be the king of all wars? Or perhaps the God of War knows it all. So it seems that resigned my self as a war hero.

Eagle : Come...You're going to experience everything that the real world has to offer. But in the Multiverse, there might be some people that knows about war and strategies. But this is a time for us to shine.

[Training by Masamichi Amano]

"What I realized before I was unconscious for around two years, my thought is that what's like to be a hero in the multiverse all means necessary, maybe it was the God of War that makes wars so eager and strategic, but now I understand the hardships of a hero."

"Me and my comrades, Andy and Marx, I was a commander of the Special Forces, we became a trio and faced many battles, but I had been doing my training days, my excellencies in combat, and my leadership in strategies. But partaking in the real world, help me prove to make myself a hero. Understanding any love or romance, but what does it have to take more than shots to be fired?

"day after day, heroes or villains struggle between conflict after conflict, but what's missing from them was a piece of a heart. A heart that is needed to be filled, but I have the heart to make us the heroes that we are."

Andy : Come on, Sami! You can do it! We can finally reach the top!

Max : Don't give in, Sami!

Sami : *panting* Guys...I'm almost there. I can finally reach the top, but I'm getting exhausted from all of this training. I mustn't...*about to fall off* Woah!

*GRAB*

Sami : ...Huh?

Eagle : Congrats on making it to the top.

Andy : Phew! I'm exhausted! Hey, Max. Hand over that cannister!

Sami : (lies down and is covered in sweat) *panting* That...was pretty tough. I've finally made it...I am ready for action.

Eagle : *reach out his hand* Hmph.

Sami : Mhm. *takes Eagle's hand*

*Despite our conflicts and the hardships, it's best that we have a common distance about our hardships with love, and to carry on to those that has a heart to be filled with love."

"I bet that the only answer is...Love can be bloom on a battlefield*

*At the shooting range*

*sounds of gunfiring*

Andy : Wow. Talk about max shooting, this guy's got guts.

Max : This one's good. He's a natural.

Sami : Wow. I never seen him like that, so skillful.

Eagle : Oi, Orange girl. You're next.

Sami : Count me in.

*the two fist hi-fives while taking turns*

Eagle : I wanna see this through.

Sami : Alright. Here goes nothing.

Andy : I can't wait to see what's cooking for her.

Max : She has the brawns for being commander of the special forces. She's one tough cookie.

Sami : Hmph! *goes at Gunpoint*

*BUZZER RINGING+GUNFIRING*

Sami : Ngh!? No! *Gunfire*

Duck Hunt Dog : Haha! You missed!

*Gunfiring+Man Grunt+Thud*

Duck Hunt Dog : *gasped in horror* Oh no!

Andy : Sami! What the heck was that!?

Max : You okay!? You stopped there for a moment!?

Sami : *gun shaking+sighs with relief* I was so close.

Eagle : What's the matter, Commander? Why are you hesitating? Do you have a problem?

Sami : Well, not to mention, i was going at with the shooting targets, but it's just that when I had the chance that I had an oversight of fear and I look at a human's face, I thought that the commander of Black Hole would be something else, but is he...?

[Target by Masamichi Amano]

Eagle : Hmph. It doesn't matter what you see things or you fear from the enemies, why does Black Hole Commander thinks that he is machine or even human? If he was, he would be a machine and to think that he is human, oversight, we confront our demons that are the fear of humanity and that is oversight from beyond the darkness within our sight.

Sami : Yes.

Eagle : But just to remind you, you have the valor to bring down your enemies, make them your own, but they are no longer who you trust and they will cower in fear of their defeats. So aim well and let your opponent rests. (he helps Sami to shoot by holding her hand) Once you strike the enemy down, show them much fear, show them much courage that you have the will of a hero, but I'm the man who will ever sought of another and make the enemies admit their yieldings.

Sami : (giggles) Thanks, Eagle.

Flak : Hmmm...*snickers while scratches his crotch* The perfect target.

Andy : Alright, guys. Let's head back to camp. It's worth doing the camp dishes for the week.

Max & Sami : Right!

Lash : You there. That's right, Special Forces Commander...Sami. I believe that Commander Strumm would like to have a word with you in the office, please report to Nintendo HQ.

Sami : Ah...? Eagle...

*cuts to the office *

*Strumm has his riding crop*

Strumm : Well, Well, Well. Look who finally showed up this time.

Sami : I am Sami, Commander of the Special Forces of Orange Star. What seems to be the problem with my shooting?

Strumm : So...Commander Sami, was it?

Sami : *nods* That's me.

Strumm : You had some troubles with the shooting range, but I heard that you fairly did it once after you completed your trainings with Orange Star after the Beach Party OVERLORD.

Sami : Right! I will do my best to continue my status as commander of the Special Forces, I will do my best for Orange Star and keep trying on my strategies!

Strumm : Excellent choice. [To Hawke and Lash] You two...Keep an eye out on that Green Earth Soldier.

Lash : Yes sir.

Hawke : With pleasure. *both walks out the door*

Strumm : [To Andy's clone] And to you, my great clone of Orange Star's Andy. Keep the door locked, we needed her to talk in privacy.

Andy Clone : Yes sir. *locks door*

Strumm : So now, you are the first to witness the powers of of a soldier of a superior, but I'm willing to make sure that everything multiverse stays when an order from the greatness of the many gods of Wars, so I'm giving you full demonstration whether you're hero or villain, that's what we do in the world of Wars, and you're suggesting that is your destiny to be a hero that will respsond "Yes" or "No" in command! Understand, orange grunt? *pushes Sami back*

Sami : Ah! Eh...*stands front and center* Y-Yes sir!

Strumm : Good, and one more thing about it. In the army or in command...It's "Sir Yes sir" or "Ma'am, or yes Ma'am" in command!

Sami : ...Sir! Yes sir!

Strumm : What a fascinating runner. I happened to be with that in a woman's way saying "Yes sir". Now that's the way of a soldier.

Sami : No it's not...

*Door banging*

Eagle : Hey, Commander of Black Hole. This is Eagle of Green Earth.

[Law of the Shadow Army by Masamichi Amano]

Sami : ...E..Eagle?

Andy Clone : Shall I have her restrained, Commander?

Strumm : Affirmative.

*changes to Sami being tied by Andy Clone*

Andy Clone : There all tied up for you.

Sami : Please...Not like this. This is so humiliating. Itai!

Strumm : So do you please on bringing loyalty to your comrades or even bring a taste of your defeat?

*cuts to Eagle*

Eagle : Hey, what's going on here? I want to meet Sami to make sure she's okay.

Hawke : No can do.

Eagle : Out of my way. (hears through the door)

Sami : S...Sir no Sir!

Strumm : What? What was that!? You ungrateful wretch! You would dare object the orders of a commanding officer!?

*Sounds of whipping*

Sami : Ah! Ah! That hurts! Please! Stop! Please...

Eagle : Sami? What is the commander doing to her?

Sami : Itai! Itai! Yamete kudasai!

*scene cuts back to Sami*

Sami : *grunting* Oi...Yamete!

*WHIP*

Sami : AH!...Listen here, Commander! I'm not doing such things for your schemes, but this is not the way of a soldier, I beg of you, this is the way of a human can do for their selves! Just give me and my faction orders on the battlefield! Just stay out of this.

Strumm : *growls* Cocky little freak!

*later at night*

Andy : Man, that chocolate chip gave me such trouble, I hope we saved room for dessert.

Max : Don't sweat it, the food looks absolutely delicious.

Andy : *notices Sami* Sami...Where have you been all night?

Sami : Don't talk, I'm just going to get some rest. That's fine by me, I will save room for dessert later.

Max : [To Andy] I wonder what's going with her problem?

*cuts to Sami lying in bed with her arms behind her head*

"Since Humans, Witches, and Demons aren't alike this, However...It's meaningless that villains have take away the dignity of others for their own selfish desires and making them what they were told to do for the meaningless of greed and power that is not the way of a hero, villain, or a soldier. But if that's what they wanted, then I suggest that being a hero is not always that easy to subdue to their own feelings. How pitiful that a human has their own selfish ways for what purpose do I offend myself from all their troubles."

Sami : [feels upset] Damn idiots.

Eagle : ...If this is war what they wanted I'll give them the full meaning of war. Right into their own bloody hell.

*scene changes*

Andy : Let's face it Max. Sami feels look worried after what happened at the beach. Ever since we found that Bomber enemy from Kirby's, we still don't know what happened to her after a huge bolt of lighting from that cloud monster knocked her unconscious.

Max : I figured it out that we can manage ourselves to this point, we are copies since our original selves have died after the Bomber exploded us on purpose. Feels like that we haven't seen a fight one day with propaganda.

Andy : So you'll think that we'll Tell Ike in person about his future predictions in Smash? Let's all hope that we're never making it to Smash, since those predictions of us would be smash asisst trophies, that is ever going to be listed in the failure of sakurai's book.

Nell : Guys. I have a secret to tell you, one of our COs have been infected with a weirdly disease and I believe there's Ink coming from the bodies of the troops.

Andy : What infection from the troops.

Nell : Believe it or not, Sami is worried about being commander to the Special Forces and I realize that you were all copies to the originals that died, since the beach party incident. If so...Then I suggested that Black Hole Commander Strumm is not himself, but rather be a copy of to the original that died...*coughs out violently*

Max : Nell! Nell what's wrong!? Are you feeling sick!? Do you need some water? Here take this cannister!

Nell : *gags* No...! Get...Get away! There's something in my body!

Andy : What's wrong, Nell!?

Nell : *holds herself in pain* The infection, the Ink, the Blood, It's inside me! There's something coming out of me! Andy, Help me!

Eagle : Guys! What the hell are you doing!? Get away from her now!

Andy : Why!?

Nell : *pukes out*

Andy : Ew! Gross! Is this Ink Subtance that the Bomber Enemy we found on the beach?

Max : That's the same substance that killed us!

Nell : *body cracking+growls like a demon*

Andy : Woah! Nell!

*GUN COCKS*

Eagle : Sorry. But the Nell I know isn't here anymore, and she's just a copy of the original "you". Lightning Strike!

*ELECTRIC ZAPPING+GUNSHOT*

~ Mission 16 : Hardships of a Commander ~

[postgamecontent]

The RPGs of the Super NES Classic #3: Secret of Mana

Original Release Date: August 6, 1993

Original Hardware: Nintendo Super Famicom

Developer/Publisher: Square Enix

Nintendo's 16-bit hardware had a lot of great action-RPGs, but perhaps none were as significant as Square's Secret of Mana. This was particularly the case in the West, where Japanese action-RPGs hadn't caught on quite as they had in Japan. The action-RPG label has always been a fuzzy one, with most of the games in the genre leaning pretty hard on one part of the label or the other. For many a player in the West, however, Secret of Mana was one of the first such games out of Japan that felt like it could satisfy both RPG fans and action game fans in equal measures. It also got considerable promotional support from Nintendo, which surely helped the game find its way into the hands of many young players. Adding to its legend is the fact that Square was never really able to make another game in the series that had the same appeal. With no rights issues holding it back, it's easy to see why Secret of Mana was chosen to carry the action-RPG flag for the Super NES Classic.

This is the first follow-up to Seiken Densetsu, otherwise known as Final Fantasy Adventure, Mystic Quest, Sword of Mana, and Adventures of Mana in its various forms. Secret of Mana is somewhat infamous for its tumultuous development, most notably its late shift from being a Super NES CD-ROM game to having to fit on just a regular cartridge. Apparently, a great deal had to be cut from the game and as a result, the final product feels a bit disjointed and buggy at times. Of course, this shift was only necessary due to Nintendo deciding not to pursue their plans for a CD-ROM add-on. While you obviously won't hear any official word about it, I've heard rumors to the effect that the debacle around Secret of Mana was one of the reasons why Square jumped ship from their previous Nintendo-exclusive status. Still, in spite of all that, Secret of Mana is a really enjoyable game, with a unique feel all of its own.

Or perhaps I should say "because of all of that"? I think I've mentioned before on this site that I believe the reason why Secret of Mana is the crowd-pleaser that it is comes down to those required cuts. Series creator Koichi Ishii is a developer along the lines of his former co-worker Akitoshi Kawazu. He favors ambitious ideas and doesn't seem all that interested in being tied down by the conventions of the genres he works in. Like with Kawazu, this has resulted in most of Ishii's works being love-or-hate affairs. He's even had his name attached to some genuine clunkers. His most widely-appreciated game is Secret of Mana. I can't imagine it's a coincidence that it's also the game where he had the least amount of freedom to pursue his ambitions.

Thanks to those restrictions, Secret of Mana ended up being not much more complicated than the Game Boy game that spawned the series. It's a much bigger game, and the presentation obviously blows its Game Boy predecessor away, but the weird and woolly sub-systems that would come to characterize the Mana brand are in short supply here. You can move around and attack with your weapon, charge up for a stronger attack, and cast magic or use items from a menu. Most of the weapons have a secondary use for navigating the world, and each weapon levels up individually as you vanquish foes with it. Magic similarly becomes more powerful the more times you use it. This probably sounds a lot like the much-maligned Final Fantasy 2, but the system isn't quite as broken here. Unfortunately, you'll probably still want to sink some time into grinding levels, particularly for magic spells. One nice point is that the weapons actually change form as you level them up. You only need to get each weapon type once.

One big change is that rather than playing as one character with a rotating guest controlled by the computer, you'll end up with a permanent three-character party. You can only control one of them at a time, of course, while a fairly stupid AI controls the other two. If you happen to have a couple of friends, a couple of extra controllers, and a SNES multitap, you can swap out that silly AI for some real humans. Square did this sort of thing from time to time in the 16-bit era, and while I'm not sure they really thought of it as more than a fun extra, it ended up being a major point in Secret of Mana's favor. People with multitaps were few and far between, but you could at least enjoy the two-player mode even if you didn't have one or know someone who had one. For its time, Secret of Mana was one of the best multiplayer RPGs you could find. The Super NES Classic unfortunately preserves that "missing third player" experience, but it's still a good time.

Truth be told, though, I think the game is a little too long and leisurely to play through completely with other players. Pulling your friend in for a boss fight is a good time, but it's not quite the same joyride when you're just parking yourself outside of a town, casting magic to raise levels. If you were a kid with a brother or sister who maintained a similar schedule to yours and liked playing this kind of game, then you were set. Otherwise, it's a fun thing to do now and then but you'll be thankful that it's basically drop in and drop out. I remember the first time I beat the game, I did it with a friend controlling the Sprite. In hindsight, that was definitely the easiest way to tackle that tricky situation. The computer AI really isn't up to doing what needs to be done in that particular fight.

There are a lot of weird moments in Secret of Mana that help lend it its flavor. I've written elsewhere before about the bizarre out-of-nowhere appearance of Santa Claus partway through the game, and while that's about as strange as the game gets, there's nevertheless a lot of instances of similarly unexpected gags and references. I remember finding out from a magazine that the possessed books that populated one dungeon had a small chance of flipping open to a naked woman and being shocked that Nintendo didn't force that to be removed from the English version. There are a couple of mysterious faces carved into the world map that don't have any explanation. Then there's the Ancient City, which flips your whole image of the game's setting upside-down. You go to the Moon, you travel by cannons, and you visit an island that sits on the back of a giant turtle. It's all very quirky, if a little scatter-shot in its tone.

The game on the whole is just as patchy as its eccentricities. It does a lot of things well. The variety of locales lends the game the feeling of a true adventure. The selection of weapons gives you some interesting combat options, and it's really satisfying when you land a solid blow on an enemy and thwack them into oblivion. The story may not flow well but it's interesting enough in the moment. At the same time, there are definitely areas that feel like they needed more thought. Having the player charge up an attack only serves to lengthen combat artificially, and when that attack misses because of the dubious collision detection, it's quite frustrating. The translation was done in a hurry and it shows. The game is very terse, and there's little room for proper characterization. The computer AI isn't up to snuff in many situations, which can be frustrating. There are bugs a-plenty, and there are plenty of places where you can feel the editing scissors in action.

Happily, the good parts of the game handily outweigh the minor annoyances. I don't find Secret of Mana nearly as interesting as some of Koichi Ishii's other games, but it's probably the easiest game of his to enjoy. I keep hoping to find another layer to the game whenever I come back to it, but it genuinely just is what it is. I thought I might find a new angle this time, having finally played Legend of Mana. All the context which that really provides, however, is to underline the rather obvious fact that Secret of Mana wasn't so much finished as it was buttoned up. Frankly, it's something of a miracle the game turned out as well as it did. Almost as unlikely as Square's seeming inability to satisfy players in the same way again, I suppose.

This was a game that I actually picked up around its original release date. I can't remember what exactly pushed me into it beyond being a general fan of Square by that point. I remember enjoying the Nintendo Power coverage of the game, and I recall that one issue came with a poster of the gorgeous cover art depicting the Mana Tree. That poster was hanging on the wall of my bedroom for quite a while, and I still think it's a great piece of art. The game's art design is excellent overall. The sprites are extremely expressive, with great attention paid to the enemies especially. The backgrounds are nicely detailed and always fit the intended atmosphere nicely. It's lush and verdant when it wants to be, cold and mechanical when it needs to be, and just all-around nice to look at.  

The music is also superb. You have to believe this was one of the areas that took the biggest hit from the shift from CD to cartridge, but I can scarcely imagine how it could have been better aside from being played back at a higher quality. Composer Hiroki Kikuta's soundtrack has a very different feel from other Square games of the period, with a certain organic quality to it that almost perfectly matches the game. Even small things like the whale sound that plays when you power on the game help make this game sound different. The tunes shift from breezy to oppressive depending on the situation, but all of them are good at doing what they need to.

Above all, I think it's fascinating that Secret of Mana has been able to hang on to its legendary status over the years. Unlike contemporaries like Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, or Earthbound, Secret of Mana doesn't transcend its genre in any meaningful way. It's just a really fun game, one that Square has been decent about keeping in circulation for old fans to enjoy again and new players to discover for the first time. While none of Square's follow-ups have managed to capture a similar level of success, the company seems to understand that this game in particular is a favorite classic. The game has been re-released on the Wii Virtual Console, smartphones, as part of a Japan-only collection on the Nintendo Switch, and of course as part of the Super NES Classic Edition line-up. Secret of Mana is also getting a full remake that is due early in 2018.

As the sole representative of its genre on the Super NES Classic, Secret of Mana serves its purpose quite well. It's also one of the better multiplayer games in the package, albeit one that requires a fair bit of patience. It's unfortunate that Nintendo couldn't find a way to include the three-player mode, but I suppose it would be a lot of trouble to implement for just one game. Whether you go solo or with a friend, Secret of Mana is certainly worth playing again. Square hasn't managed to top its wide appeal with another Mana game in nearly 25 years, and it may well be another quarter of a century before they do.

Previous: Super Mario RPG

Next: Earthbound

If you enjoyed reading this article and can’t wait to get more, consider subscribing to the Post Game Content Patreon. Just $1/month gets you early access to articles like this one, exclusive extra posts, and my undying thanks.

[kirbydevpostarchive]

HAL Laboratory

イシダ HAL_Laboratory

09/07/2016 1:50 PM

Kirby: Planet Robobot Ask-a-thon - Round 3 

Satoshi Ishida from HAL Laboratory here. It's time to begin round 3 of the Kirby: Planet Robobot Ask-a-thon! Mr Kumazaki, please take it away!

クマザキ

09/07/2016 1:52 PM

Thank you, it's nice to be back again. I think today will be the last of our Q&A sessions. And we'll be discussing some topics for the die-hard fans this time!

イシダ

09/07/2016 1:53 PM

OK, here's question number one: Some copy abilities from the previous game aren't present in the new one. How did you decide which abilities would make it into the game?

クマザキ

09/07/2016 1:55 PM

In the past 5 or 6 years, we've gained over 10 new abilities so we're always struggling to balance out the old and new ones. We were also restricted by development time and hardware limitations. But even from the perspective of game balance, once you go over 25 copy abilities, you start to see an effect on the frequency of each ability per stage and on the balancing for the new Robobot elements. Even with the limited number of abilities that made the cut, the command inputs make up for it with a wide variety of actions so it isn't such a problem.

イシダ

09/07/2016 1:57 PM

You'd think having more copy abilities would be more fun, but it actually seems like a lot of hard work. Now then, I wonder if you could tell us about these track names that people have been wondering so much about!

クマザキ

09/07/2016 2:05 PM

Alright, let me address them in order of their numbers in the Jukebox. [Literal translations of the Japanese titles follow:] 

006　Venturing into the Mechanized World  021　Bountiful Star 029　VS. The Wicked Company 033　Dried-up Sea 

 Most of the questions are concerned with the first half. 029 is a personal favorite of mine! Next, here are the tracks that really heat things up as you approach the climax of the story. [Again, these are literal translations of the Japanese titles.]

083　L86 086　Crazy Rolling in Money 091　VS. Star Dream 092　 Fatal Error 093　Intermezzo Without a Leader 094　First Cry of a Newborn Star 095　Vagrant Counting Song of Retrospection 

I put a lot of effort into these particular final boss themes. Here's a small piece of trivia for you: for track 094, I wanted a voice that sounded like a baby's cry, but somewhat different and inhuman. What you're actually hearing are the meows of my pet cat. The sound of the weathervane during battle in track 095 comes from chickens that a member of the sound team keeps at home.

イシダ

09/07/2016 2:07 PM

That came from chickens?! That's quite a source of inspiration. Alright, the next question is related to previous titles: Kabula and Landia both feature in Planet Robobot, but Heavy Lobster doesn't show up, even though it's a machine. Why is that?

クマザキ

09/07/2016 2:08 PM

We got a lot of questions about Heavy Lobster. It's nice to add some flavor from Kirby Super Star (Kirby's Fun Pak in Europe) but we always have to think about which enemies from the previous games we want to include while considering the game balance. In this case, we settled on using Kabula because it fits the shooting sequences well and because it's a mechanical boss. As for Landia, a 4-player co-op medieval-style RPG minigame wouldn't be the same without a dragon now, would it?

イシダ

09/07/2016 2:10 PM

While we're on the topic of character appearance, King Dedede hardly featured at all this time. The Dedede Clones did make an appearance, though. Why did you decide upon using clones and not a modified version of the character like Mecha Knight?

クマザキ

09/07/2016 2:11 PM

We wanted a lot of characters to feature, and I think that main characters like King Dedede and Meta Knight are finally starting to gain some recognition. We felt that for players who've played several games in the series, reusing King Dedede in the same way was becoming a little bland, so we worked in the clone angle to work alongside new characters like Susie and Taranza and fit in with the direction the series is going.

イシダ

09/07/2016 2:14 PM

Now for a question about the main character Meta Knight - specifically, about the color of his eyes. In the moment that Mecha Knight+'s mask cracks, the player gets a glimpse of Meta Knight's eyes, which appear to be yellow. Were they always this way? I was sure they were white before...

クマザキ

09/07/2016 2:16 PM

That's quite a thing to spot. In Kirby's Adventure on the Famicom (NES), Meta Knight's eyes are indeed white. At that time, there was a limit to the number of colors you could use, so I think that white was chosen because it stood out more.  They were also white in Kirby Super Star (EU: Kirby's Fun Pak), but when we created the 3D model for this game, giving him white eyes somehow didn't feel right. And besides, his eyes have always shone with a yellow glow from behind his mask. We were worried about how old-school fans might react to this, but for the purposes of the design, we settled on yellow eyes.

イシダ

09/07/2016 2:18 PM

I'd like to group the next three questions together. No. 1: Did you increase the overall difficulty level for this game? No. 2: There seem to be a lot more cinematic effects this time. Was this deliberate? No. 3: The opening movie sequence was a lot shorter this time round. Why is that?

クマザキ

09/07/2016 2:20 PM

All right, I'll explain. Regarding the difficulty, I think that you should still be able to complete the main game with relative ease (easy enough for a developer's 4-year-old daughter to defeat the bosses in levels 1-3). But for the modes that are unlocked after completing Story Mode, we cranked the difficulty right up and challenged players to try and give it their best shot. Next, we used movie-like camera angles to reinforce the sci-fi theme. And during boss fights, we utilized pauses and moments of foreboding to give players with less experience in the action genre more time to orient themselves. And as for the opening movie, the reason why it's so short is because last time we depicted key items and daily life in great detail. We decided to forego that this time because players are already familiar with those kinds of stage-setting scenes from the rest of the series. We instead chose to leap straight into the moment of the disaster.

イシダ

09/07/2016 2:22 PM

And now for the final question, which concerns Kirby's partners, the Robobots. A Robobot weeps tears at the end - can we take this to mean that it has become sentient? And will Kirby ever meet one again?

クマザキ

09/07/2016 2:23 PM

What you saw was coolant leaking from the Robobot's eyes. This scene, depicting a tender-hearted Robobot, stands in direct contrast to Star Dream, who wanted to erase the hearts of the people trying to control it. Each Robobot that Kirby controlled was different from the last, but whenever Kirby was registered as a pilot in one, the memory data would be linked and carried over, and that continued till the very end. As for whether they'll meet again, I'll leave that up to how passionate the fans are for such a reunion.

イシダ

09/07/2016 2:25 PM

What exactly happened to the Robobot after that? I'm curious to know myself. But now, after three rounds of questions, our Kirby: Planet Robobot Ask-a-thon draws to a close. Many thanks to everyone who stuck with us this far!

クマザキ

09/07/2016 2:26 PM

A big thank you from me as well, and I do hope we'll meet again some time!

[attract-mode-collective]

It’s Still (Pixelated) Hot Dog Legs Season

Fall should officially be in full swing by now, yet here in NYC (and many other parts of the US), it still feels like summer. Which I’m not thrilled about, though at the very least, I don’t feel so bad for sharing the above (by Robert Penney) so late into September.

On that note, time for a way overdue game culture round up! It’s been a while, and a LOT been going on. And not to be a downer, but the chaotic weather has been in the news, obviously.

Here’s a pic from Gamer Geek Nation on Facebook, who shared the aftermath of the Hurricane Harvey, along with: “… This is a time when we collectors need to remind ourselves that ultimately, this is just stuff, and our lives are more important. And make sure your collection is insured properly.”

Elsewhere in the world, the Tokyo Game Show just wrapped up, and not to repeat the obvious, but yes… the biggest, most exciting news was the Sonic X Hooters collab…

Though the one between Hello Kitty and Game Center CX is far, far better (photo courtesy of Kotaku)…

You also have this comically large Rockman doll, which apparently was available on Amazon but is now out of stock…

Though I mostly wished I had been there to pick up some primo looking attire, like this Mega Drive track jacket that miki800 gave the heads up on before show time (there was also a Dreamcast hoodie that I personally don’t think looks as nice, hence why I’m skipping it)…

I also really like this Pac-Man shirt…

This Galaga shirt as well…

Also taking place in Japan was an exhibition held by the JARGA (Japan Retro Game Association); miki800 was there and captured some interesting bits of hardware, with the highlight being (IMHO) this Mega Drive clone that resembles a perfect mix of the model 1 MD and the original Wondermega…

There’s no preview of the music yet, though may as well share the recently unveiled cover to the third (and final) installment of 8 BIT MUSIC POWER…

Meanwhile, according to Original Sound Version, Mitch Murder has released yet another soundtrack to another game that never existed. In this it didn’t come out for the Mega CD and doesn’t involve mecha…

Remember that Jet Set Radio figure I showed a while ago? Well, it's finally available for pre-order! Alas, it's not cheap, at least over at Big Bad Toy Store...

BTW, videogamesdensetsu shares with us what Beat looks like, sans-cel shading…

Sticking with VCD for a tad bit; here’s what Pulseman looked originally looked like, and he sure was cute!

Whereas NiGHTS looked goofier… as well as more menacing….

Am confident most people will not give a rat’s ass about seeing hand drawn Virtua Racing track designs, but as a massive fan of the series, oh man, oh man, oh man...

Two never before seen Saturn prototypes that must be: “[taken] with a grain of salt!”

Apparently Looney Tunes X The Matrix was actually a thing? Somehow this does not surprise me…

The work of Hideaki Kodama was recently highlighted, which was also recently auctioned; I wonder how much this painting of various PC Engine hardware went for?

Yet another Kickstarter mention? Yup. And this one is Jed Henry's third crowdfunding campaign: this particular variant of the Ukiyo-e Heroes concentrates on boss battles, with perhaps my fave piece being his depiction from The Breath of the Wild...

Am particularly fond of this image from the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary art book that grease-howard spotted, of old Chun Li chumming it up with her younger self...

Any and all BoJack Horseman fans out there may want to pick up this piece by Jude Buffum...

legendofnes reminds of that time Batman visited New Donk City…

It's just a bunch of cyber kids, all just hanging around, by sanigo...

Speaking of the gang, here we have the kids from Persona 5, by @aranciart…

Apparently, if Jedah (from Darkstalkers) ran a juice stand, it wouldn’t be the best, according to dreaminerryday…

The individual who runs SPLENDID LAND describes SLN-003 Gacha Man as a: "vendor robot who dispenses toys. even he doesn’t know what’s inside the capsules, so he always gets excited to find out"...

Meanwhile, here’s official artwork of Mario and Peach, courtesy of the thevideogameartarchive’s catalogue of the Mario Golf N64 manual; am pretty sure I’ve seen images of Mario looking distressed, though never to this degree…

The above is something Super Mario Broth would normally deliver, and speaking of, may as well share some recent faves on that end! Like these photos from a promotional campaign with a Japanese sports drink when promoting Mario Sports Superstars…

Instructions found on the arcade cabinet for Vs. Super Mario Bros (which I remember so distinctly, and fondly)…

From some Japanese video guide for the same game (am assuming the home Famicom version this time)…

A greeting card (am assuming a Valentine’s)...

Mario without his hat, as he appears in a Game Boy controller test cart that Nintendo service reps used to calibrate buttons on a the handheld…

And he we have a shortcut in SMB3 that I had no idea existed, and it’s a safe bet that most don’t either: “In Super Mario Bros. 3, the rock between the path to the first fortress in World 4 and the Spade Panel can be destroyed with a Hammer item, allowing the player to bypass the fortress. There is no obvious indication that this rock is destructible, as it is surrounded by decorative rocks. In fact, many guides for Super Mario Bros. 3 do not mention this shortcut.”

As for Super Mario Broth’s counterpart, Sonic the Hedgeblog has seen plenty of action as well… largely pinpointing all the obscure references found in Sonic Mania, So head over for that if that sounds like fun to you! Otherwise, there’s also the Mario Bros having a Sonic Panic…

A reminder of how Sonic looked at one point as he was being prepped for the Dreamcast; it would appear that at a certain point, in Sonic Adventure, he was going to look a lot more realistic…

And this issue with EGM featuring a sneak preview of Sonic 2 is the very first video game magazine that I ever picked up!

Meanwhile, oldgamemags recently posted a page from an issue of GamePro, circa 2000, on a peripheral that allowed the Game Boy to play mp3s. Am sharing it cuz I really want a GB-looking mp3 player…

So someone on Twitter (who has since protected his account, so I’ll have to refer to nintendolife they snagged the pic before it was locked down) cracked open a electrocardiogram measurement instrument and found... a GBA? It’s theorized: “perhaps earlier revisions of the unit had different screens, and once the supply chain dried up MiE was forced to source the next best thing?”

vice-s-assistant sez: "OK Guys, I’m ready to hack."

According to bunney: "i was working at a convention arcade this weekend and some guy cosplaying ryu was playing street fighter with a blunt in his mouth"...

Can anyone tell what's being played here? At the very least, it's a nice shot (via rekall)...

Much like Arcade Crusade, I have no idea what’s going on, and I agree that whatever it is, it looks intense...

If you’ve ever wanted an artist’s rendering of the Raspberry Pi, then look no further than the work of retronator…

rasec-wizzlbang states: “those square cross sections of the human skin layers you always see in biology books but as like, a minecraft block”…

Courtesy of Arcade Crusade once again comes a very tender moment…

Is it just me or does this promo image for Food Fight sure does look like a Norman Rockwell painting? As seen on thedoteaters...

Here we have a flyer for a really old SNK arcade game (we’re talking really old; almost a decade before the Neo Geo was a thing) that looks like it was made with today’s sensibilities, doesn’t it?

Also via obscurevideogames is a moment of pathos from Hacchake Ayayo-san 4 - Sexy Olympics - Ayayo’s Live Affection. It’s… pretty obscure alright…

Yup, that's Hieronymus Bosch-styled Tetris all right (via freeindiega.me)...

crashcarnival presents: "true facts of the Ice Age"...

Hey, it’s the Ninja Turtles playing Pong (via rewind01)…

Behold, Fighters Megamix version 2017 (via lonelyfrontier)…

Yup, that is definitely a Chu Chu Rocket skirt  (via radicalhelmet)...

For those who have ever wondered what their Sonic character’s political leanings are, in relation to the rest of the crew (and can’t be bothered to sift through DeviantArt; via erratticusfinch)…

Face to face (via futureisfailed)…

It’s been out for a while, though it’s not too late to pick up this Xenogears tribute zine, right?

Just a friendly reminder of how bat-sh*t insane Sin & Punishment is (via n64thstreet)...

Zimmerit.moe has everything you need to know about a game by Square involving mecha that you’ve probably never heard of. And no, am not talking about Thexder; it’s even more obscure than that (am talking about Cruise Chaser Blassty BTW/FYI)...

Meanwhile, Michael “Kayin” O’Reilly discusses the “Barrel Distortion” look that emulators use to recreate the look of playing something on a CRT display and why it’s total crap…

And… that’s  it! You’ve made it to the end! Enjoy a cool, refreshing drink with Pac-Man (on the behalf of arcade-crusade)...

Don’t forget: Attract Mode is now on Medium! There you can subscribe to keep up to date, as well as enjoy some “best of” content you might have missed the first time around, plus be spared of the technical issues that’s starting to overtake Tumblr.

[askroahmmythril]

Reference List for amiibo Fighter Names (Set 6)

56) Marth : PrizedHero - If memory serves, this was kind of a shared suggestion from friends who were playing Fire Emblem Heroes.  Again, Fire Emblem is not exactly my area of expertise, so given some visual references to work with, I went for it, depicting Marth as a high rarity unit for the gacha system of the game.  I added more capsule machine elements to it to make it a bit more stylized.  Also the idea of Marth popping out of a capsule amuses me.

57) Corrin : Dovahkiin - Pretty solidly a Skyrim reference, Corrin here is the Dragonborn.  GIven what little I know about the actual character of Corrin, the idea worked in my mind.  I wanted to have him charging some Alteration magic just because I really liked how unique the hand effect looked in the game.  Drawing Corrin’s armor was a pain in the tail, that much I remember o.o;

58) Fox : Wildestyle - This one is a reference to Zootopia.  It pretty quickly became one of my favorite Disney movies, so putting Fox in Zootopia worked in my mind.  Of all things for visual references, the scenery came largely from the main menu of the DVD.  I filled it out with a few different characters from the movie, Nick and Judy of course, the business lemmings just because they were easy to fill space with, and Clawhauser because he was a personal favorite character.  And of course I gave Fox a pawpcicle and a Disney phone

59) Ryu : Umeshoryu - This one was a suggestion from Neo, a reference to Daigo Umehara, a skilled player of fighting games.  The Umeshoryu is a technique named as a combination of his name and Ryu’s Shoryuken.  Essentially it’s a perfectly timed uppercut type move that has to be timed just right, or else you’re highly open to punishment.  I had to look up visual references of him, and found images of a unique way he holds controllers, so I tried to replicate that with Ryu.  Which drawing hands is already difficult.  So trying to mimic such a precise sort of positioning of fingers, that was a thing.

60) Mii Brawler : UrbanChamp - A reference to an old NES game, Urban Champion.  Essentially it was a very basic fighting game where you used high and low punches to try to push your opponent off their side of the screen, while dodging flower pots being thrown out windows.

61) Bayonetta (Player 2) : Let’sDance - A combo reference to Bayo’s final dance number at the end of the first game, and Dance Dance Revolution.  Surprisingly, I was actually pretty into DDR for awhile.  The overall scenery is supposed to be a fountain in a park-like area you find as you walk through Vigrid.  I just remember really liking how that area looks.  I was looking over DDR titles and went with 3rd MIX as a title to parody by instead calling it 3rd CLIMAX.

62) R.O.B. (Famicom) : ¥AMATOBOT - Given the Famicom was the Japanese variant of the NES, I wanted to go with some Japanese style to this one.  For the background, I largely took inspiration from the background mural of E. Honda’s stage from Street Fighter 2.  I replaced the banner though with the Japanese writing for Nintendo (I’m honestly not 100% sure which style of writing that is, as I know there are a lot of different names for different styles of characters).  R.O.B.’s pose is a reference to Auto’s pose on his CD Database image from Mega Man & Bass.

63) Mega Man (Gold) : DLN-C3PO - A Star Wars reference because, let’s be honest, he’s a solidly gold colored robot, so it made sense to me.  The DLN references the serial numbers of robots created by Dr. Light, standing for Doctor Light Number.  I debated using Eddie for the R2-D2 stand-in, but in the end, a Met worked much better in my mind, having the more dome shape with its hard hat.  The background was largely taken from Tomahawk Man’s stage, but with a second sun added to reference the desert planet Tatooine.

64) Young Link : 72HourHero - A reference to the game Half Minute Hero, which I’ve always wanted to try out, but never had access to it.  It seemed like a fun concept.  Young Link however is the 72 Hour Hero since that’s how long he has in Majora’s Mask.  The woman with the hourglass is Half Minute Hero’s Goddess of Time, who takes your money to reset the clock for you in each stage.  Skull Kid and the Moon are of course Majora’s Mask references.  I wanted to fill more of the negative space, but didn’t really have any ideas there.  As for Young Link, I accidentally gave him the wrong sword, as I forgot what his sword in Melee looked like.  He’s thus based at least a bit more on his Hyrule Warriors appearance, as that’s what was more familiar to me at the time.

65) Roy : RegionLock - The idea here was that Roy was the only character to not get his game localized outside of Japan.  Honestly, I’m not sure if this is still true or not?  I know there are fan translations, but not sure about OFFICIAL localizations.  The Japanese writing on the nameplate simply says “REGION LOCK” repeatedly, though I’m not 100% sure I have the correct writing for what was intended there?  Question of how much can I trust Google Translate I’m afraid.  As such might be something that needs updating as well.  The other characters shown here are others that didn’t get official translations of their games outside of Japan : Hikari and Donbe from Shin Onigashima, Takamaru from Mysterious Murasame Castle, and Lip from Panel de Pon.  Again, unsure if any of these actually did get official translations eventually, maybe via Virtual Console or NES / SNES Online or such?

66) Snake : Orange Box - One of the most standard cardboard boxes Snake tends to use for cover is simply labeled “The Orange.”  So... the Orange Box.  Which was also the name of a bundle of games released by Valve, made up of Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2, and Portal.  Thus we have Snake in a Portal test chamber with a Turret aiming through a portal, Gordon Freeman’s crowbar sitting on a desk along with the intel briefcase from Team Fortress 2.  I emulated the Valve logo, but instead wrote Kojima, referencing Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series.

67) Wolf : Tankjacker - The overall style of this one is meant to emulate cover art for a Grand Theft Auto game, the joke being that this is how Wolf ended up with his Landmaster in Brawl, just going in and stealing one.  Alas, this reference is outdated since he no longer has it in Ultimate.... but honestly I love the reference too much so I’ll probably keep this idea.  We will have to update his outfit though of course, as this one is still based on his Brawl design.

[attract-mode-collective]

CASE SHOTSHOT STAGE4, aka THUNDERBOX’s Summer Collection 2017

… But first: Toco Toco’s season finale (I wasn’t aware that there was one in the first place) is here, and the subject is the man responsible for perhaps my favorite video game of all time? And maybe yours as well? It’s Tetsuya Mizuguchi…

Alas, the focus is squarely on the most recent iteration of Rez (aka my fave game). Was hoping it would touch upon his earlier work, in particular, Sega Rally. Older games are oh so briefly mentioned, with the role of audio being the primary emphasis. And even though it’s not a music game… holy sh*t does Sega Rally have an AMAZING soundtrack.

BTW, I’ve got game music on my mind because… will explain later! Also, the gifs above are courtesy of Prosthetic Knowledge, cuz they make them far better than I ever could.

Anyhow, it’s been a while since the last game culture round-up, hasn’t it? So long in fact that… there’s a new THUNDERBOX lookbook to, well, take a look at. Which actually just came out, so this particular round-up ain’t that overdue…

Whereas the HuCard was the hottest fashion accessory of last spring, summer will see this rather nifty take on the Sega Saturn Lightning Brain design (also, RIP 1CC shirts)…

There’s also a really nifty shirt, a collab with INC NOXXX SCREAMING…

… plus a single Famicom cart holder/wallet…

Along with LEBLANC GIRL, either on a shirt…

… or as a pin…

Back to INC NOXXX SCREAMING, real name Yozi Shimoda, who’s been grabbing my attention more and more as of late. Was going to share his latest shirt in the next Instagram dump, but no point in waiting right?

Sticking with fashion for just a tiny bit more; it’s been over three years, but the King of Games has finally updated their YouTube channel, and they now have a trailer?

Which video game-centric footwear do you prefer? These sneakers, based upon Sonic’s (via miki800)…

… Or these sneakers, based upon the Super Nintendo, one that’s also running NBA Jam (via FreakerSNEAKS)…

As you may have heard, a new Super Famicom cart is going to be released later this year. Am talking about Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman Zero, originally released 20 years ago for the Satellaview.

Now, something that’s getting far less attention is how the same publisher, Columbus Circle, is also releasing a new Famicom game called Heiankyo Alien around that time as well (via tvgame)…

In other news, there’s a manga based upon Daigo Umehara, which you may or may not have heard about. Anyhow, UDON Entertainment has just revealed that it’s become translated and published in the West…

Here we have a nice little piece from José Salot, one that’s simply entitled: “Gamer Room”; I really want that poster that’s on the wall, of the Famicom karts…

And a somewhat similar scene, except it’s a girl playing games while in bed, and that girl also happens to be Sailor Moon (via sixteen-bit)…

Check out these photos of a strategy guide, for that Godzilla game that came on a Dreamcast VMU, which I want to say pre-dated the release of the console itself (could be wrong, but am pretty certain; via jimpluff)…

And on a related note, here are some pics from a shmup supplement that accompanied an issue of Famitsu, way back in 1990 (via videogamesdensetsu)…

On another related note; which bonkers shmup flyer do you prefer? This one for Darius (via shmups)…

… or this one for Space Bomber (via obscurevideogames)…

It’s Mario and Bowser, adorning a nuclear command bunker, taken by NPR originally, that suppermariobroth recently re-posted it (if you want to catch glimpses of some of the other oddball Mario artwork that exists alongside, then watch this video)…

And on that note, time once again to see some of the more interesting discoveries and observations that the Broth has made as of late. Including the actual note for the coin sound effect in the Mario games that Nintendo filed a trademark for only last year…

This question posed in a strategy guide back in 1987…

This “extremely rare official artwork of Mario holding up a Super Koopa” from a pog…

This image of a Thwomp on a moped from a Mario Party…

This curious depiction of Donkey Kong from an ad for the GBA port of DKC…

This photo of a goofy looking Mario with a Korean boy that looked just like me when I was his age…

This photo of a scarier looking Mario with Wil Wheaton and his younger brother; apparently it was from a tournament where the Star Trek TNG star had the highest score among all the celebrity guests…

And this fascinating bit of intel…

“In one particular piece of official art for Super Mario Odyssey, Mario’s hair is rendered in great detail. Zooming in to the part above his ear, we can see what appears to be a single gray hair. This seems to be deliberate, as analysis of the image reveals that this is not a transparency issue, but that the hair is indeed colored a lighter color than the rest. Due to the image being released in a lossless format by Nintendo, this also could not be a compression artifact.”

BTW, I completely forget where I got the following. I may have blocked it out of my memory to be honest…

Gizmodo recently ran an interesting piece about an astronomy student who strapped a Game Boy Camera to the end of a 179-year-old telescope to take pictures of the moon…

Meanwhile, The Verge recently ran a story on Shawn Wasabi, that musician with a MIDI controller that has 24 arcade buttons, whom Eric and later myself wrote about over two years ago.

Though it reminded me that I hadn’t checked his YouTube channel in a while and totally missed the following, posted on this past Valentine’s Day. So if you haven’t seen it before either…

Sticking with musicians for just a bit; here we have a guy who plays music with a Famicom on his head, playing a game with a Famicom that’s on a table…

Isn’t this Tron movie poster from Japan the raddest or what? (via gaijira)

You Mortal Kombatants get off my lawn (via horrorsoflife)…

meldowiseau asks: “from Mortal Kombat Advance’s credits; does that imply they spent a fraction of their budget on a new coffee machine?”

vice-s-assistant notes: “Oh shit’s its Robert From King of Fighters’ bank password“…

Let’s say hello to the cast of Primal Rage, shall we? (via thewaragainstgiygas)…

And let’s check out what Josh’s top 3 games are, shall we? (via xxx.hypnosis.party)

Is this image from a TED talk for real? (via smart-elec)

Whereas as I know for a fact that this isn’t some piece of Gex fan art, it’s an official image, from the cover of Gex 3 on the N64…

Please enjoy this rundown of assorted Pac-Man clone covers, courtesy of vgjunk, with perhaps my favorite one being…

It’s funny how the Game Boy was essentially the video game equivalent to the Walkman, which someone would clone and make it resemble a Game Boy (and which Nintendo would officially sanction, according to nintendroid)…

And speaking of music, by someone who goes by Motocross Saito…

Oh, so at the very top I mentioned that I had game music on my mind… game music by Treasure to be exact. And that’s because, earlier this evening, I was a guest on the Video Game Grooves podcast! Where I was asked to talk about the just released Gunstar Heroes record by Data Discs. Alas, I didn’t get a chance to touch upon the music of Guardian Heroes, but at least I have this super cool gif by kyn…

And finally, why yes someone has modded fidget spinners into Grand Theft Auto V, did you even need to ask?

Don’t forget: Attract Mode is now on Medium! There you can subscribe to keep up to date, as well as enjoy some “best of” content you might have missed the first time around, plus be spared of the technical issues that’s starting to overtake Tumblr.