Tag Archives: NES

Featured, Metal Jesus Likes

Graphical tricks in classic video games – Your questions answered!

Video Leave a comment

Here’s a list of graphically impressive retro games—with a side of snark and nostalgia:

🎮 1. Donkey Kong Country (SNES, 1994)

“Rendered so hard, your SNES needed a juice box after.”
Rare flexed its silicon muscles with pre-rendered 3D sprites that looked like someone stuffed a Silicon Graphics workstation into a banana.

🕹 2. R-Type (Arcade, 1987)

“Scrolling left to right never looked so aggressively biomechanical.”
This game made you question whether Giger was moonlighting as a sprite artist. Also: lasers. So many lasers.

🦑 3. Ecco the Dolphin (Genesis, 1992)

“Because nothing says cutting-edge like an emotionally haunted dolphin.”
Wave effects, lighting, parallax scrolling—and existential dread? Ecco had it all.

🕯 4. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1, 1997)

“Come for the vampire hunting, stay for the unnecessarily fancy capes.”
2D never looked so lush. Every hallway looked like Dracula’s interior decorator went to town with a velvet fetish.

🚀 5. Star Fox (SNES, 1993)

“Polygons so sharp they could cut your lunchables.”
The FX chip said “screw pixels” and gave us wireframe dreams rendered in what felt like 4 FPS, but we loved every choppy second.

🏙 6. Shadow of the Beast (Amiga, 1989)

“The graphics were so good, nobody noticed the game was impossible.”
16 layers of parallax scrolling because someone clearly had something to prove.

🌈 7. Chrono Trigger (SNES, 1995)

“Time travel, techy wizardry, and sprites with more expression than most actors.”
Akira Toriyama’s art came to life like a pixelated anime fever dream, and the backgrounds were works of art.

👾 8. Metal Slug (Neo Geo, 1996)

“Beautifully animated chaos. It’s like Looney Tunes joined the army.”
Every explosion was lovingly hand-drawn by someone who really wanted you to enjoy blowing stuff up.

💀 9. Doom (PC, 1993)

“Yes, it ran on a potato. Yes, it still slapped.”
Those pseudo-3D corridors and pixelated demons were revolutionary. Also, 90s kids’ first intro to heavy metal and Hell.

👁️‍🗨️ 10. Out of This World / Another World (Amiga/SNES, 1991)

“When minimalist polygons punched you right in the feels.”
Rotoscoped animation and cinematic presentation that made you think, “Am I playing a game, or watching a French art film about loneliness?”

Want a ranking based on how hard they flexed their consoles? Or ones Claude might enjoy watching with you in a few years (minus the demon hordes)?

Metal Jesus Likes

Ranking and Reviewing Mindscape NES games

Video Leave a comment

JohnRiggs – Mindscape published many games that people have heard of, some ported from computer, some ported from other companies. Heres a look at all 20 games from Mindscape for NES.

Mindscape—the gaming company that was like that one friend who almost made it big but kept tripping over their own shoelaces.

Founded in the early ’80s, Mindscape tried its hand at everything: educational games, adventure games, simulation games—basically, if there was a genre, they threw something at it to see if it would stick. Sometimes, they struck gold (The Chessmaster, Prince of Persia ports), and other times, well… let’s just say they had a talent for making games that made you wonder, “Who asked for this?”

By the ‘90s, they had their hands in everything from DOS classics to weird licensed tie-ins (The Terminator, Mario Teaches Typing—yes, that was them). But as the gaming industry grew into a high-stakes blockbuster business, Mindscape, bless their hearts, kept plugging away with a mix of hits, misses, and “Wait, they made that?”

In the 2000s, they did what many game companies do: get passed around like a hot potato in a series of acquisitions before fading into the gaming history books. Today, they live on in the memories of ‘90s kids who remember booting up Reader Rabbit or getting inexplicably frustrated at Madeline games.

RIP, Mindscape—you were weird, and we kind of loved you for it.

Metal Jesus Likes

DF Retro: History of Sunsoft – Batman And Beyond – An Incredible Legacy… And A New Beginning

Video Leave a comment

Sunsoft, a Japanese video game developer and publisher, has produced a number of memorable titles over the years. Here are five of the top Sunsoft video games that have left a lasting impact on gamers:

1. Blaster Master (1988): This action-adventure platformer for the NES is renowned for its blend of side-scrolling and top-down gameplay, challenging levels, and memorable soundtrack. Players control a character named Jason who pilots a tank-like vehicle called SOPHIA to rescue his pet frog and save the world from mutants.

2. Batman: The Video Game (1989): Based on Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film, this NES game is praised for its tight controls, challenging gameplay, and excellent use of the Batman license. Players take on the role of Batman, navigating through Gotham City to defeat the Joker and his henchmen.

3. Journey to Silius (1990): Originally intended to be a game based on the Terminator film, this NES title transformed into a futuristic run-and-gun platformer. It features a strong soundtrack, challenging gameplay, and impressive graphics for its time, as players fight through hordes of robots to avenge the protagonist’s father’s death.

4. Fester’s Quest (1989): This quirky top-down action game for the NES stars Uncle Fester from The Addams Family. Players must navigate a maze-like city, battling aliens to save the world. Despite its difficulty, the game is remembered for its unique premise and engaging gameplay. And… let’s be honest, the game wasn’t great.

5. Aero the Acro-Bat (1993): A platformer for the SNES and Genesis, this game features a bat named Aero who performs acrobatic feats to thwart an evil industrialist. Its colorful graphics, creative level design, and fun mechanics make it a standout title from Sunsoft’s 16-bit era.

These games showcase Sunsoft’s ability to create diverse and memorable gaming experiences across various genres and platforms.

Metal Jesus Likes

Ninten-Drawer – The Ultimate NES Fix! – Adam Koralik

Video Leave a comment

Adam reviews the Ninten-Drawer, a replacement for the original 72 pin connector on the NES. What does it do? Basically makes the system work every time, and even disables the region locking.

Ah, the original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) – the 8-bit wonder that turned living rooms into pixelated playgrounds and made “blowing on cartridges” a recognized form of technical troubleshooting. Released in the mid-80s, this gray box of joy brought us countless hours of jumping plumbers, princess-saving, and more pixelated ducks than anyone knew what to do with. With its rectangular controllers designed to fit perfectly into the hands of a young gamer or serve as a medieval torture device for adults, the NES redefined our understanding of entertainment.

Every game started with the suspenseful moment of inserting the cartridge and praying it would work without the dreaded flicker of a glitched screen. When faced with technical difficulties, the ritualistic blowing into the cartridge – a move endorsed by no one and yet practiced by everyone – often seemed to summon gaming miracles.  In the era of the NES, every pixel was precious, every game was a challenge, and every player was a hero in their own 8-bit saga.

Recent Pickups

Modding a Nintendo Famicom (Japanese version of the NES “Nintendo Entertainment System”)

Video Leave a comment

YouTuber Kari has an original Japanese Famicom with NTSC-J RF output and she wants to connect it to a PAL TV.  Join her as she updates a  composite mod on an original Famicom “Family Computer” video game console to work with her TVs, and to have a much clearer picture.

The Nintendo Famicom, short for Family Computer, is a landmark in gaming history, released by Nintendo in Japan in 1983. It revolutionized the home entertainment landscape, introducing millions to the joys of video gaming. The Famicom’s design was sleek and compact, featuring a distinctive red and white color scheme that became iconic. Its controllers were hardwired into the console, a departure from the detachable controllers of previous systems, and featured a simple yet effective directional pad and two action buttons, setting the standard for future game controllers. The console’s architecture was built around an 8-bit CPU, with support for colorful graphics and rich sound, allowing for immersive gaming experiences that captivated players of all ages.

One of the Famicom’s most significant contributions to gaming was its vast library of games, which included classics like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid, among others. These games not only pushed the boundaries of what was possible in gaming at the time but also laid the foundation for many of the franchises and genres that continue to thrive today. The Famicom’s success extended beyond Japan when it was rebranded as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for international markets. Its influence on the gaming industry cannot be overstated, as it helped revive the video game market after the crash of 1983 and established Nintendo as a dominant force in the industry for decades to come.

Metal Jesus Likes

I drove 1,200 miles to get this #nintendo game

Video Leave a comment

The NES complete game collection hunt continues… 1,120 miles away from home, i got the honor to go hunt with @JohnRiggs and @MetalJesusRocks. can I finish the Hole collection in this trip?

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) revolutionized gaming when it launched in 1985, birthing an era of iconic titles that shaped the industry. Across its lifespan, a formidable library of approximately 700 licensed games was released, showcasing the diverse creativity of developers worldwide. From timeless classics like “Super Mario Bros.,” “The Legend of Zelda,” and “Metroid,” to lesser-known gems such as “Bubble Bobble” and “Kid Icarus,” the NES catalog boasted a rich tapestry of genres, captivating players with its imaginative gameplay and pixelated charm. This extensive array of titles not only laid the foundation for Nintendo’s dominance in the console market but also cemented the NES as a cultural phenomenon, leaving an indelible mark on gaming history.

Metal Jesus Likes

I Beat Every Single 2D Mario Game…

Video Leave a comment

Josie Woah completes every 2D Mario game in anticipation of Super Mario Wonder on Switch.

The first three Super Mario games—Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3—were pivotal in shaping the landscape of video gaming on the original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) for several reasons. Firstly, Super Mario Bros., released in 1985, revolutionized the platformer genre by introducing tight controls, imaginative level design, and a memorable protagonist in Mario. It set the standard for side-scrolling action games, establishing many conventions still used in the genre today. Its accessible yet challenging gameplay appealed to players of all ages and skill levels, helping to popularize gaming as a mainstream form of entertainment and cementing Nintendo’s position as a dominant force in the industry.

Following the success of the original Super Mario Bros., its sequels—Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3—further solidified Mario’s status as a cultural icon and Nintendo’s flagship franchise. Super Mario Bros. 2 introduced innovative gameplay mechanics, such as the ability to play as multiple characters with unique abilities, and showcased Nintendo’s willingness to experiment with new ideas. Meanwhile, Super Mario Bros. 3 pushed the NES hardware to its limits with its expansive world map, diverse environments, and plethora of power-ups and secrets, offering players an even deeper and more immersive gaming experience. These games not only helped drive sales of the NES console but also fostered a sense of community and shared experiences among players, laying the foundation for the enduring legacy of the Super Mario series and its impact on the gaming industry as a whole.

Metal Jesus Likes

Building a new NES in 2022: Introducing the Super 8 Bit NES board!

Video Leave a comment

Thanks to PCBway for sponsoring this video! https://www.pcbway.com/ The Super 8 Bit is a project that allows you to build a NES and Famicom console from scratch, using almost 100% new parts. Unlike the original NES and Famicom, the Super 8 Bit was designed for RGB in mind, so it can be paired with the NESRGB to deliver fantastic results! On this week’s Fix it Friday we will build one from the ground up and go through all of it’s awesome features!