In honor of the upcoming release of Mario Kart 8, I thought I’d write a blog ranking my favorite games in the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart 8 itself isn’t on the list, since I haven’t played it yet as of this writing, but I am looking forward to it. So read on to find out which Mario Kart game took first place, and which ones ate dust!
When I was a little kid in the early 80’s, I would love to go to arcades. They were some of my first experiences that shaped me as a gamer. Many of the games I played back then you can still find today if you look hard enough. These special games seemed to be in every arcade I visited, because they were so popular. Some of these include Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, Pole Position, Centipede, etc. But there were other arcade machines that I remember seeing in nearly every arcade back then, but you don’t hear so much about them now. One good example is Crazy Climber. I used to see it in nearly every arcade I went to, so it must’ve been popular back then. But you don’t see much about it now. However, in Japan, where the game originated, there have been some sequels, ports, and remakes of Crazy Climber since then, and one of them was Hyper Crazy Climber on the original PlayStation. Now you can download and play Hyper Crazy Climber on PSN thanks to MonkeyPaw Games (reviewed on PS3 here).
A (not so) long, long time ago in arcades (not so) far, far away, there was pinball. While pinball isn’t as big as it once was, Zen Studios helps keep it alive with their video pinball titles for many of today’s major game consoles. Some of these tables feature popular characters from licenses like Marvel Comics. Another one of their more well-known licenses is Star Wars, and now you can download for new tables in Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within (reviewed on Pinball FX2 for 360 here).
Spring is in full swing, and what better way to celebrate the season than with everyone’s favorite video game Mama? From the popular Cooking Mama franchise comes the sequel to Gardening Mama for 3DS. Play mini-games to earn seeds, and then grow flowers, fruits, and veggies in your garden. Give your crops to your forest friends who are running their own shops in the woods. It’s kind of like a Harvest Moon game for young kids.
My good friend Leroy loves dungeon crawling RPGs, and since he has a Vita and I don’t, here’s his take on Demon Gaze for PS Vita. Check it out!
Aside from Tetris and Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, one of my all-time favorite puzzle game series is Bust-A-Move. Heck, even my mom loves these games. It’s also known as Puzzle Bobble, and I prefer that name since the game is based on the arcade classic Bubble Bobble, so it makes more sense. But anyway, now you can download one of the classic PlayStation entries in the series published by Natsume, downloadable on PSN (reviewed on PS3 here).
I LOVED the original Half-Minute Hero. It was one of my favorite games on the PSP. Check out my review here. Now the sequel is out, and I’m a little sad because it’s for PC and I don’t have a Steam account (nor do I have time for one). But that won’t stop me from letting my friend Leroy review it! So what kind of game is Half-Minute Hero? Well, it’s an RPG you have to beat in 30 seconds! Wait, how does THAT work? Read on to find out!
Ragnarok is one of the oldest online multiplayer games out there, and it has received sequels, a cartoon, toys and other products, and many spin-offs. Ragnarok Odyssey ACE for PS3 and Vita is one of those spin-offs (reviewed on PS3 here). Create a character and send them out on quests to defeat monsters and explore new lands in this 3-D action RPG that’s similar to other titles like Phantasy Star Online and Monster Hunter.
Once upon a time in a fantasy land, there lived an evil, spiteful swamp witch. She wanted to take over the world, but she couldn’t leave her swamp home, or else she would lose her magical powers. So one day she summoned a magical creature called the Hundred Knight, who could leave her swamp and fight for her. Unfortunately for her, the Hundred Knight ended up being a cute little critter and not very fearsome. But with a little bit of her magic, the Hundred Knight could at least fight. In The Witch and the Hundred Knight for PS3, YOU get to play as the Hundred Knight and do the evil witch’s bidding. Will you extend her swamp to the four corners of the earth? Find out in this action RPG from NIS.
There is another 3DS StreetPass Meetup for the North Dallas/Plano, TX area! This one is on Saturday, May 17. Same time, same place. Click here for more info. Get some more puzzle pieces for your panels and enjoy new 3DS titles with others like Kirby Triple Deluxe and Mario Golf: World Tour!
