Category: Classics

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite Legend of Zelda Scenes?

If you are a true gamer at all, you probably have played a Legend of Zelda game. Having played and finished all of them but one (Spirit Tracks), I consider Zelda to be one of my favorite series of all time. The story is simplistic, though occasionally it can surprise you, but the real draw is the gameplay, which is nothing short of sublime.

However, that isn’t to say that the franchise has not had its share of memorable moments and I think the list on LegendZelda.net is worthy of notice. Although, to be honest, my favorite scene, shown in the above picture, is of Link delivering the death blow to Ganondorf in the most brutal way possible in The Wind Waker. It’s an enduring image that I will never forget.

What do you think of the list? Is there a scene you feel was omitted or undeserving of a spot? What would you have added to the list?

Source: LegendZelda.net

Beyond Good and Evil HD in 2011, Produces Joy

Beyond Good and Evil

Listen. You guys are going to have to bear with me for a second: Beyond Good and Evil was one of my favorite games of last generation, which I’ve said more times than I can possibly recount. And Ubisoft has just announced that an HD remake of the game is coming in 2011 to PSN and XBLA. Not only is this just an up-converted version of the game, but the character models and textures are being tweaked for the better, so it looks its best when running at 1080p.

Really, beyond just typing “squeeeee” like a lunatic over and over, all I can say is that this news changed my day. Is that a little melodramatic? Possibly. What I know is that Beyond Good and Evil had an excellent story, awesome characters, Zelda-like mechanics and some great design behind it. While there’s no word on a date or a price yet, we do know that this is coming as a downloadable title, so I honestly wouldn’t expect anything extravagant in terms of cost.

So… am I the only person excited about this? Ridicule me or join in on the enthusiasm.

Source – IGN UK

Things We Need More of in Gaming

Inspired by yesterday’s post about gaming pet peeves, I’ve been trying to turn that painbow into a rainbow (hooray for Leet World references) and put a positive spin on it. What are some great things I’ve loved about games that are missing nowadays? In an age where all genres are gradually being narrowed into the same thing and folks like me are getting shooter-overload, you’d be surprised at how much good has gone lost from those lovable pieces of old.

Over the last few months, I’ve done and experienced things in games that reminded me of the way things used to be. With titles like Limbo, Guardian of Light, and yes, even Halo: Reach, I was hit with time transportation beams and sent back to remember things that I had not thought about in years. I guess you can say it was like getting an itch scratched that I didn’t even know I had. And once it happened, it felt damn good.

So, here are things we need more of in gaming.
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Hello Nintendo 3DS, Don’t You Look Nice

Nintendo 3DS

At E3 this year, Nintendo first unveiled its new and often rumored 3DS. The newest upgrade to the DS, as its name points out, brings the third dimension to handheld gaming, in a rather genius way that doesn’t require you to wear the goofy glasses. Ever since this announcement dropped, I’ve been excited to see some final pricing info, particularly with the revelation that so many old favorites such as MGS3 and Ocarina of Time were going to be coming along with it.

Well, that day has finally arrived, as the big N dished out all of the good stuff at its 2010 Nintendo Conference last night. Not only do we have some pricing and release info, but cool stuff about the 3DS’s features, as well as a trailer for its games. Hit the jump to check it out!
Continue reading Hello Nintendo 3DS, Don’t You Look Nice

GamerSushi Asks: Bringing the Classics Online?

Mario Kart 64In our modern day of tubes, webs and whatever hamsters that ferret the packets of data across the Internet, online gaming has risen to a peak like never before. This is obvious to say in a sentence, but really, when you think about how different things were just 5 or 6 years ago, it’s actually staggering. For instance: Halo 2 was the first major online console FPS. That was released in 2004. YouTube was just a fledgling site then. You get the picture.

Anyway, in thinking about the way the gaming world has transformed as well as contemplating some old gaming favorites, I was struck by the notion of bringing the classics online. For me, it wasn’t until I started playing games online that I realized what a small fish I was in a huge pond in terms of skill. For every green shell I could connect at Mario Kart 64, there were probably millions that could run circles around me, and so forth. My skills in Goldeneye were only surpassed by my brother in our circle, but I wonder what kind of challenges he would have faced out there.

So, in continuing with that thought, what gaming classics and favorites would you choose to infuse with co-operative or competitive online play? Go!

GamerSushi Asks: HD Remakes?

Metal Gear Solid 3

If there’s anything that the HD console generation has brought us, it’s the tantalizing promise of HD remakes of some of our old favorites. Inspired by this new (and hopefully spreading) trend, GamesRadar put together a wish list of 13 Playstation 2 HD remakes. I have to say, just thinking about that kind of thing gets my engines going. As one of the best consoles we’ve had, the idea of seeing Jak and Daxter, Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid restored and remastered for HD would be more than a bit incredible.

Ideally, we could spread that around a little bit to older developers and consoles, but that’s a bit more of a stretch than upgrading things from the PS2, no doubt. I’d love an HD Super Mario 64 (if Nintendo could get in on the HD game), as well as Link to the Past and some of the older Final Fantasy games. What would be on your wishlist for an HD remake? Go!

Source – GamesRadar

Mario Celebrates 25 Years of Stomping Goombas

There are a few times when I feel older than my years, despite the fact that I am only 23. One example is that children born when Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came out are now teenagers. The other is that, 25 years ago today, Super Mario Bros. graced the Nintendo Entertainment System and changed the way we viewed home entertainment. What started that day in 1985 was just the beginning of a life long journey for Nintendo from a small playing card company to the video game giant it is today. Mario has been through a lot of changes in his life time, and Nintendo has cooked up a video to celebrate.

Watching that video brings a smile to my face as it makes me remember all the great times I’ve had playing Mario games over the years. Although Nintendo doesn’t really click with my anymore, there’s no denying that they were a powerful force in my childhood, and probably ruined my willingness to engage in physical activity for the rest of my life. Do you guys have any memories about the plumber? Any game you remember more fondly than the others? What do you hope to see from Mario in the next 25 years?

PlayStation Celebrates 15th Anniversary and Dreamcast Its 11th

On this day, 15 years ago, the gaming world was forever changed when a company best known for their stereos stepped into the wild fray that is the video game console business. On 9/9/95. Sony released the PlayStation, or PS1, as we all know it now. Many people, myself included, didn’t give it much of a chance, but eventually, with a ton of stellar titles, namely Final Fantasy VII, they managed to overtake Nintendo and change the course of gaming history. They also killed Sega, but that was going to happen anyway.

Personally, the Final Fantasy games, namely Tactics and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night were my highlights. I missed out on a lot of other big games, but I have since corrected that oversight.

Also, speaking of Sega, today is the 11th anniversary of the Dreamcast, Sega’s swan song. This console was pretty much the harbinger of things to come, but it harbinged (New word, tell your friends) far too early and gamers weren’t ready for its particular brand of goodness until Microsoft refined it with the Xbox 360.

So what are your fondest memories of the PS1 or Dreamcast? Any games you still want to play or wish you had played?

GamerSushi Asks: What Are Your “S” Games?

One of the things that the GamerSushi staff likes to debate in lengthy e-mail threads and occasionally on podcasts is the difference between an “A” rated game and an “S” rated game, based on the qualifications laid out in our grade chart. As some of you know, our review system underwent a major overhaul last year, where we tried to spread out our grades a little more. So often, review sites fail to distinguish between great games and classic games.

For me, an “S” game isn’t just a great “A” game that you love. It’s something a little more than that. One of my favorite games of this generation is Resident Evil 5, and I wouldn’t distinguish it with that remarkable rating because I feel like it lacks that intangible quality that stamps it as one of the greats.

Ideally, there are only a handful of games that reach that mark every generation. For this gen I would say Portal, Call of Duty 4 and Uncharted 2 easily fall into that category. I would also say Red Dead Redemption, but that’s another issue altogether. For last gen I would say Shadow of the Colossus and Metal Gear Solid 3 are the top two that come to mind, though there are definitely many others (side argument: did last gen have the most “S” games?).

Anyway, as we are taking another look at our review system as some new changes (hint: get excited) are in the works here at GamerSushi, I wanted to ask what you think gives a game that special something, that quality that makes it stand out from the pack. In addition, what games this generation would you give an “S” to, and can you remember any from last gen? Go!