GamerSushi Asks: Franchises that Tanked?

Sonic the Hedgehog

Is there no greater pain than watching a franchise fall from grace and into the gutters where only the video game slime lives? I’d submit that for a series’ greatest fans, there probably isn’t.

On the subject of great franchises that have sadly lost their way, GamePro has put together a list of The Greatest Franchise Nosedives in the industry. It’s a funny yet sad look on the titans of old that, for one reason or another, tumbled down to earth after seeing great success. While there are a few on there that are givens (Sonic, anyone?), there are also some that I hadn’t considered in a while simply because of how irrelevant they’ve become in recent years.

In terms of other franchises that I’d like to see find their way back to prominence, I would have to say that I think Starfox is due for a comeback sometime in the near future. And while I don’t think Final Fantasy is in the hole as of yet (XIII was a good time, if flawed), I do want to see them find the same sweet spot they used to last decade.

What do you guys think? What franchises have really tanked in your opinion, and which do you hope can make a comeback? Go!

Source – GamePro

Top Six: Anthony’s All-Time Favorite Games

I am now 30 years old, the alleged average age of video game players. I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember, dating back to the Atari, arcade games at the mall, the NES all the way to the PS3. I’ve seen a lot in my time. I’ve played a lot. Some only once. Some more times than I would care to admit. My loyalties have shifted from Nintendo to Sony to my current state as a free agent gamer who tries to avoid fanboy wars. I play games because I love them. And the following is a list of the games I love the most.

This isn’t meant to be a greatest of all time list or most influential list or anything silly like that. These are my favorite games, the ones that I want to play over and over again, even at the expense of playing the newest games on the market. Simply put, these are the games that constantly call out to me, like Jacob Marley to Scrooge: “Play me again, Anthony! Play me again!”

Enjoy your glimpse into my gaming soul: Continue reading Top Six: Anthony’s All-Time Favorite Games

Great Moments in Video Game Music: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – Dracula’s Castle

Not every song has to be an epic piece of music in order to qualify as great music. Sometimes just kick-ass background music that plays while you explore the depths of an evil vampire lord’s lair is enough. If you have ever played Symphony of the Night (and any so-called hardcore gamer had better), then this tune is ingrained in your mind forever.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qh_uhV0ta0[/youtube]

GamerSushi Asks: Chicken Soup for the Gamer’s Soul

dr_mario2We all get sick and have to miss work or class or other obligations. Sometimes we get so sick that we can barely lift our heads off the pillow. Sometimes it’s merely a stomach virus and when not giving birth to food babies, we manage to find time for games. And sometimes, we don’t care and play through the pain anyway. After all, the world needs saving!

I remember in high school, I was taking summer classes to lighten my load for my senior year. I came down with a horrible case of mono. Awesome. Not only was I nursing a broken heart due to a certain girl, but I got to lay in bed all day and not be able to move! Seriously, I had to crawl to the kitchen the first few days just to get some cereal. But it wasn’t all bad because that summer, I played two of my favorite games ever for the very first time.
Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Chicken Soup for the Gamer’s Soul

Top 10 Downloadable Games

When I finally hooked my PS3 up to the InterGoogle, the first thing I did was jump on the PSN Store. I had heard about some great games and I was really looking forward to seeing what they had to offer. Downloadable games are a cheap way to get quality games, not to mention old classics and new, experimental games that would never see a retail release. So here are the Top 10 games you can get on the PSN Store, XBox Live Arcade and the Virtual Console. I have included classics, exclusives and multi-console releases.
Continue reading Top 10 Downloadable Games