16-Bit Gems

Roo finishes off EarthBound-a-palooza with a thorough review of the game itself. By examining the story, writing, graphics, music (good God, the music), and all the other little touches that make EarthBound great, hopefully you'll feel compelled to give this king of the overlooked games a playthrough - whether it's your 1st or your 101st time.

In this episode, we not only take on an underappreciated game, we take on one from an underappreciated console... that's meta. Roo warms up with a history of the TurboGrafx-16, which spawned innovative firsts in gaming - like the TurbGrafx-CD and TurboExpress. Then he goes on to review Ninja Spirit, a classic arcade port that isn't afraid to smack you around a little. You know, like in the good old days of gaming.

In this episode, Roo takes on not just an underappreciated game, but one that's outright maligned. But is all the bad press this game has gotten just a misunderstanding? Perhaps all the public needs is the right info and a guiding hand to see the merits of Star Trek: TNG for SNES (Future's Past) and Genesis/Mega Drive (Echoes from the Past).

The first American release in the popular Japanese "Goemon" series, Legend of the Mystical Ninja was an early entry in the Super Nintendo's lineup that unfortunately was ignored by many kids of the day. But those that looked past its strange qualities were rewarded with one of the best games of the 16-bit era. With anime, manga, and para para dancing all the rage now, perhaps the West is ready to give this gem another shot.

To wrap up our first anniversary, we have the most requested game to review from our fans. The sequel to Illusion of Gaia - Terranigma. The very definition of a hidden gem, this game never even saw a North American release. So how does it stack up to the forebear? Roo breaks it down in this special 15th episode of 16-Bit Gems.

Roo explores one of the best run & gun games ever made - and one that didn't originally make it to America - with Alien Soldier. This game has it all: Tons of bosses, great weapons, a cyborg chicken... In fact, you could call the game not just a gem, but a "treasure". Yuk yuk yuk, thanks folks, we'll be here all week. Try the veal!

There have been many great Castlevania games over the years, but would you believe that one of the best hasn't been available to the West until very recently? Roo takes up the mantle of perhaps the greatest action-oriented Castlevania game in order to show everyone what they've been missing. Throw out your FMV games, plug in your CD peripheral, and get ready to explore the checkered past of Rondo of Blood!

In a title that could be named: "America: The Video Game", Roo finds a historical strategy game that winds up being one of the very best that this sadly limited genre had to offer on 16-bit consoles. It's Patriots. It's Redcoats. It's prudently maintaining your gunpowder supplies while you write gazettes to maintain the support of the people. It's Liberty or Death! PLEASE NOTE: Many jokes made at Great Britain's expense were with tongue firmly planted in cheek. We here at CotGW would never mean to offend those limey bastards.

Vikings, time travel, and rocking out. It's your standard video game plot from the early 90's - but Blizzard Entertainment went the extra mile in bringing these elements together to create one of the first ever example of the puzzle platformer. And in doing so, gave a hint of their masterpieces to come. So join in for a look at Blizzard's early past in The Lost Vikings, a game released on... just about everything.