16-Bit Gems

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda, Roo tackles perhaps the rarest set of Zelda games out there (and no, the CD-i ones don't count - ever). Released on the Nintendo Satellaview in the 90's and broadcast via satellite, BS Legend of Zelda & BS Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets were big hits in Japan... but are they worth a look today? Find out in this episode, along with a retrospective of the Satellaview system thrown in at no extra charge!

It's amazing that it took Roo until April 1st to review this - one of his favorite games for the NES. North & South is a strategic action platformer about the Civil War that was created by a French company and based off of a Belgian comic. What's so strange about that? You'd have to be quite the fool to pass up this unheralded classic from the 8-bit era.

Let's face it - Square dominated the RPG market in the 16-Bit era. However, their long shadow covered up several gems from little-known developers that deserve to see the light of day. In this case, that gem is Lufia II, the sequel that's actually a prequel and perfected gameplay mechanics of the day in order to create a game that was more than the sum of its parts. Not many have played it - but most who did became Lufia fans for life.

Ah, seaQuest. Wait, didn't we do this one? About the sci-fi show from the 90's with the large ship, boy genius, and opening monologe that... oh SEAquest! Right, that old game that most people didn't know existed and the rest derided. Well behind that deep blue exterior lies the heart of a solid entry in the world of sci-fi TV franchise liscensed video games. See for yourself in this episode on seaQuest DSV.

What did the developers of Pokemon make before there was Pokemon? Games about mad scientists who impregnated artifical cyberspace life forms in order to create unholy abominations of electricity and matter... obviously. Luckily, this unlikely plot for a game belongs to a great 2D platformer by the name of Pulseman. A (mostly) Japanese exclusive, the West finally has a chance to sample this classic.

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Clan of the Gray Wolf, Roo completes the Gaia trilogy by taking on the game that started it all - Soul Blazer. One of Quintet's earliest titles, this game set up the action RPG style that was used to such brilliance in Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma. So settle in for an examination of the cornerstone of one of the best "series" the Super Nintendo had to offer.

We all know what we're in for when we play an Adventure Island game: Puzzles, swords, magic, and... downthrusts? No, Super Adventure Island 2 may not be the game you'd expect, but it's so much more. Join Roo as he shows off his favorite game in this storied series, as well as its surprising pedigree. Zelda 2: The adventure of Link anyone?

This Konami arcade classic was once ported to both the Super Nintendo and Genesis. But how well did they stack up to the original? And which one took quite a departure from its initial version? Roo examines each in this rootin'-tootin' episode.

Believe it or not, there were survival horror games before Resident Evil. Not many... but still. Clock Tower for the Super Nintendo was one of the pioneers of the genre, bringing creepy atmosphere, a chilling plot, and homicidal children all together in full 2-dimensional glory. Find out why everyone should give this overlooked gem a chance this Halloween.