Gaming Hearts Collection 1990's Gaming, 2D gaming, Article, Electronics, Entertainment, Fun, Game, Gaming, Gaming Industry, Gaming Life, Gaming World, Nintendo, Retro Gaming, Single Player, Single Player Mode, Technology, Uncategorized, Video Games

Retro Gaming 90’s- Mario Paint: (1992)

When we think about SNES games that were both very different and unique as relates to the early 90’s Mario Paint from 1992 is a title that instantly comes to mind. For those who do know Mario Paint was basically a single-player art tool game that allowed players to engage in a variety of activities. The creation of custom stamps by utilizing pixels was something special because was something that people hardly saw in Super NES titles back in the early 90’s let alone a Mario game. Also, the endless fly swatting game with three looping levels and a final boss was one that seemed like it did not belong in a Mario game at all. But considering the fact that Mario Paint was not your typical platform title the fly swatting mini-game made players feel as if they were playing a non-Mario game and was interesting in that respect. One of the main features that Mario Paint has to offer as far as gameplay was concerned was the the music generator. For those who were very creative and were fond of composing music in some way Mario Paint has provided talented individuals to make their own songs using 16-bit sounds.

The music generator feature in Mario Paint is one that has remained popular since the early 90’s and people have often used it within the 10’s decade to remake famous songs from the past couple of decades on the internet. As popular as Mario Paint was back in the early 90’s the game never received a direct sequel for Super Nintendo, N64 it GameCube which was something that was always questionable. Some people find it bizarre that Nintendo never created another art-tool based Mario game since ’92. In fact, following the release of Mario Paint during the Summer of ’92 the game was critically acclaimed and received praise from various publications. Mario Paint was unlike anything that the world had every seen on the Super NES and it was something that was never seen on consoles like the Sega Genesis which made it so special.

Gaming Hearts Collection 1990's Gaming, 90s, 90s Gaming, Article, Electronics, Entertainment, Fun, Game, Gaming, Gaming Industry, Gaming Life, Gaming World, Single Player, Single Player Mode, Technology, Uncategorized, Video Games

Retro Gaming 90’s- Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge (1995)

When it comes down to 2D fighting games from the 90’s that are considered to be underrated one of the few titles that comes to mind is Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge which was released back in 1995. Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge was initially released in arcade centers for the CP System II before appearing on the Sega Saturn in 1996. For whatever reason Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge never appeared on the PS1 despite the console being more popular both Japan and America. For those who do not know Night Warriors: DarkStalkers Revenge was the direct sequel to the original Darkstalkers game Capcom had developed in ’94. Ironically, Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors was ported for the PS1 in ’96 despite the quality of the game being slightly inferior compared to Night Warriors: DarkStalkers Revenge. As far as popularity is concerned DarkStalkers: The Night Warriors was arguably a more well known title since it was the first entry within the entire series. In fact, Night Warriors: DarkStalkers Revenge had the same characters, ending and plot from the ’94 game. However, Night Warriors: DarkStalkers Revenge did have some new characters in addition to the likes of Morrigan Aensland, Lord Raptor, Hsien-Ko Felicia and others.

There were non-playable boss characters such as Huitzil & Pyron who were in the first DarkStalkers game that became selectable in Night Warriors: DarkStalkers Revenge. Also, the improvements made to the gameplay for DarkStalkers Revenge was a positive. When it came downtown the super meters of the characters Capcom had decided to give them both EX & ES specials. While a EX special consumed the players entire special gauge an ES special took up about a fraction of the characters meter somewhat similar to the Street Fighter Alpha series from the mid to late 90’s. Its entire possible that Night Warriors: DarkStalkers Revenge could have been way more popular than it was during ’95-’96 on the PS1. However, 2D fighting games were starting to lose their appeal in America & Japan during the mid 90’s in favor of 3D gaming. Despite, not being as popular as other 2D fighting games from the 90’s Night Warriors: DarkStalkers Revenge was still a very good fighting game that does not get talked about as much should.

Gaming Hearts Collection 1990's Gaming, 90s, 90s Gaming, Electronics, Entertainment, Fun, Game, Gaming Industry, Gaming Life, Gaming World, PlayStation, PS1, PS1 Classics, Single Player, Single Player Mode, Technology, Uncategorized, Video Games

Retro Gaming 90’s- Suikoden II: (1998)

As far as older RPG titles from the late 90’s are concerned there are various titles that instantly comes to mind to many people who were gamers during that time period. Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII which were released between ’97-’99 by Square Enix were classics that arguably overshadowed just every other RPG that appeared on the original PlayStation console back then. While the two Final Fantasy titles that we got to see in the late 90’s were best-sellers for the PS1 game system there were also some memorable gems that were overshadowed on that console as well. There were titles such as Chrono Cross, Xenogears, Star Ocean: The Second Story, Grandia and others that were all concerned to be memorable classics that were critically acclaimed. In addition, to those games Suikoden II was also considered to be top tier RPG from the late 90’s despite its sales. As far as quality was concerned Suikoden II had optimal quality in relation to 2D graphics which ironically may have affected the game’s overall sales following its initial Japanese release in December 1998. When it came down to PS1 games in relation to the mid to late 90’s more people were interested in 3D graphics while 2D gaming was seen as obsolete between ’97-’99.

However, Suikoden II was still a worth successor to its ’95 predecessor which was also developed and published by Konami and released during during that later part of that year. Not only does the plot for Suikoden II follow the events from the first game but also places emphasis on the continuous war between two nations known as Jowston and the Kingdom Of Highland despite the mutual peace agreement between both sides. The main antagonist Prince Luca who obsessed with destroying Jowston orchestrates a massacre on the city-state before him and his force return home with the main protagonist known as Riou and his ally Jowy escaping in the process. After being condemned by Highland for their treachery they both find themselves with two halves of the Rune Of The Beginning which bounds by Riou and Jowy together.

As players progress throughout the game as Riou they eventually are betrayed by Jowey who becomes a top official within the Kingdom Of Highland. While many players may have been upset with Jowy’s betray it made the story somewhat more interesting than the one from the original Suikoden game. In fact, many people agree that Suikoden II is quite possibly the best installment within the series despite the fact that it was released during a time where the popularity 2D RPG’s had briefly declined. If the Suikoden series had started sometime between ’90-’91 opposed to 1995 and it appeared on the Super NES it could have easily been way more popular than it was by the time released in America. Suikoden II was without a doubt one of the best JRPG games that Konami had produced during the 90’s. Sometimes its hard to believe that Suikoden II is over 20 years old; while are expecting a new installment within the series retro gamers would probably prefer seeing this RPG classic ported to current generation game console.

Gaming Hearts Collection 1990's Gaming, 90s, 90s Gaming, Article, Electronics, Entertainment, Fun, Game, Gaming, Gaming Industry, Gaming Life, Gaming World, Single Player, Single Player Mode, Technology, Uncategorized, Video Games

Final Fantasy VII & VIII Twin Pack confirmed for the Switch console!!!!

One of the few things that has been making headlines within the gaming world as of late involves the upcoming Switch ports of the JRPG classics Final Fantasy VII & VIII from the late 90’s. As far as big attractions are concerned both Final Fantasy VII & VIII were among two of the best selling video games for the PS1 when they were released between ’97-’99. Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII had sold close to 10 million following its release in January 1997 and was the third best selling game for the legendary PS1. The inclusion of memorable characters such Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, Sephiroth made Final Fantasy VII arguably the best entry within series with a cult following that that is still present to this day. Final Fantasy VIII was a game that was not quite as successful as its ’97 predecessor but still managed to reach at least 7 million sales while becoming the seventh best selling title for the PS1. Despite, being criticized for its complicated gameplay and quality issues with Disc 3 FFVIII was still a game that fans of the FF series are still quite fond of.

Final Fantasy VII & VIII will undoubtedly be huge attractions for the Nintendo Switch especially considering the fact that those two titles are among the biggest JRPG’s that have never appeared on a Nintendo based console. As it currently stands the multi-language Final Fantasy VII & VIII Twin Pack can currently be pre-ordered for $49.99 on Play-Asia.com. Also, it has not been confirmed on whether or not the Final Fantasy VII & VIII Twin Pack will receive a physical release released outside of Asia or in western countries like America. As far as upcoming releases are concerned with the Final Fantasy series is concerned we know for a fact that the Final Fantasy VII: Remake has been confirmed to appear in America as a PS4 exclusive while there seems to be no plans at all regarding Square Enix doing something similar with Final Fantasy VIII outside it being remastered. Hopefully, the Final Fantasy VII & VIII Twin Pack will be released in western countries like America sometime in the near future or perhaps in 2020.

Gaming Hearts Collection 90s, 90s Gaming, Electronics, Entertainment, Fun, Game, Gaming, Gaming Industry, Gaming Life, Gaming World, Single Player, Single Player Mode, Technology, Uncategorized, Video Games

Could the Sega Genesis have been successful if were released in the 00’s?

As far as retro consoles are concerned there is no secret that the Sega Genesis is considered to be legendary in the world of gaming. The Sega Genesis was initially released back in ’88 and since its release the 16-bit console has managed to reach at least 35 million units in worldwide sales. Despite, not selling as much as the Super NES console released back in 1990 it was still praised for its collection of games including the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, Street Of Rage trilogy, Phantasy Star series and many other titles that are seen as classics from the early 90’s. While the 90’s was considered to be the golden era for video games involving 2D sprites and level design 3D gaming involving RPG’s, shooters and action-adventure titles were very popular during the 00’s. With consoles such PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Wii and the PlayStation 3 it would be easy to console that the Sega Genesis would have definitely been overshadowed in the 00’s.

There were consoles such as the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 that could run 16-bit video games better than the likes of The Sega Genesis or the Super Nintendo. In fact the PS2 and the PS3 could run arcade games with ease making consoles such as the Sega Genesis and the Super NES obsolete. While the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS were both highly successful during the 00’s many would argue that titles within the Pokémon, Super Mario and Legend Of Zelda series were still very big during that decade contributing to the huge sales of both handheld consoles. If Sega decided to release a Dreamcast 2 during early to mid 00’s than its possible that could of rivaled the Nintendo GameCube in popularity since the console sold less than 22 million units worldwide. By the 00’s decade technology had evolved far beyond what it was in the late 80’s-early 90’s so its was unlikely that the Sega Genesis would had as much success during that time period than it did following its initial release.

Gaming Hearts Collection 1990's Gaming, 2D gaming, 90s, 90s Gaming, Article, Electronics, Entertainment, Fun, Game, Gaming, Gaming Industry, Gaming Life, Gaming World, Nintendo, Single Player, Single Player Mode, Technology, Uncategorized, Video Games

Upcoming Switch Games- Moon: Remix RPG Adventure: (2019)

As far as classic RPG’s from the 90’s are concerned there are many titles that instantly comes Mind such as Chrono Trigger, Secret Of Mana, Earthbound, Final Fantasy VI-VIII and others that were very popular. Most of those RPG’s were titles that the whole world got to see back in the 90’s especially since they all appeared in other opposed to being Japanese exclusives. When it comes down to JRPG exclusive market one of the many titles that never appeared outside of Japan was a game developed by Love-de-Lic and published by ASCII Entertainment known as Moon: Remix RPG Adventure from 1997. Since its release approximately 22 years ago the game has been considered to be a classic by many fans and critics for various qualities such as its soundtrack in which 30 different composers had worked on prior to its PS1 release in October ’97. The graphics and visuals for Moon: Remix RPG Adventure was pretty cool especially since it utilized 16-bit sprites with 3D backgrounds similar to that of Square Enix’s Xenogears game from 1998. In fact, a couple developers who had previously worked with Square Enix in the 90’s prior to their respective departures from the company involved in the development of Moon: Remix RPG Advance.

Video Game developers such as Akira Ueda, Kenichi Nishi and Tarō Kudou had roles in the development of popular RPG’s created by Square Enix such as Super Mario RPG which was arguably one of the best games within its genre to have appeared on the Super NES during the mid 90’s. While Moon: Remix RPG Adventure was not nearly as big as other RPG’s that appeared on the PS1 such as Final Fantasy VII which was also released in ’97 it was a game that could have arguably shine a bit more outside of Japan if it came out between ’98-’99. Lucky, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure will be headed to western countries such as America sometime between now and January 2020. An official release date for Moon: Remix RPG Adventure has yet to be confirmed and hopefully it will be not be delayed until 2020. Based on what we know Moon: Remix RPG Adventure will have a different publisher known as Onion Games opposed to the original one ASCII Entertainment. It will be interesting to see how well this JRPG classic will be received in western countries approximately 22 years following its initial release in Japan.

Gaming Hearts Collection 1990's Gaming, 1995, 2D gaming, 90s, 90s Gaming, Article, Electronics, Entertainment, Fun, Game, Gaming, Gaming Industry, Gaming Life, Gaming World, Single Player, Single Player Mode, Technology, Uncategorized, Video Games

Retro Gaming 90’s- Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story (1995)

When we think about classic JRPG’s from the 16-bit era of gaming from the early 90’s various titles instantly comes to mind for those who are retro gamers. During the early to mid 90’s memorable JRPG gems had emerged such Secret Of Mana, Seiken Densetsu 3, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound Super Mario RPG, Final Fantasy IV-VI and others were considered to be popular titles that are still talked about to this day. While a majority of the titles just mentioned eventually made it to America back in the 90’s there were titles such as Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story that remained Japanese exclusives which makes are retro gamers question why it was never released in the US. For those who do not know Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story was developed by Arc System Works and developed by Angel and was released as a SNES exclusive back in 1995. Sailor Moon: Another Story was a single-player JRPG that gave people the option of controlling any of the Sailor Scouts that they want to while leveling them up throughout the game.

This game featured the Inner Senshi characters such as Sailor Moon, Mini Moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and the Outer Senshi Sailor Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto as they attempt to defeat the main villain who is a sorceress known as Apsu from the 30th Century. As far as the plot for Sailor Moon: Another Story was concerned its was rather intriguing especially since emphasis was placed on time travel. Also, Apsu managed to assemble a group of warriors named Sin, Ishtar, Nabu, Nargel and Marduk known as the Opposito Solders who are supposed to be villainous counterparts of the Inner Senshi. In this game Apsu plans of altering the events of the past in order to make her mission of retrieving the Silver Crystal that much easier in the 30 century. In addition, to receiving new antagonists within the Sailor Moon series some the main villains from the first three story arcs reappear such as Queen Beryl, Black Lady, Mistress 9, Rubeus, Esmeraude and others who American fans were probably more familiar with by ’97-’98. In fact, Sailor Moon: Another Story was released in late ’95 the same year that the fourth season of the series known as Super S first aired.

As far as the game itself is concerned Sailor Moon: Another Story has nice graphics, impressive level designs along with mini-puzzle games and artificial intelligence that would force players to develop creative strategies on how to defeat their opponents. Each character had their signature attacks from the manga/television series along with HP (health points) and rechargeable EP (energy points) before battling various monsters and bosses throughout the game. Sailor Moon: Another Story also had interesting dialogue between characters along with multiple endings depending on what level players complete it on. While its unclear on how successful Sailor Moon: Another Story was in Japan in relation to sales many people often wonder successful this game would have been in America between ’95-96. Considering how popular the Sailor Moon series was during the mid 90’s after appearing on Fox Kids and Toonami this JRPG could have ended becoming an attraction on the PS1 considering that fact that the Super NES was starting to become old by 1995. Some fans would argue that the story for this game was arguably better than the Sailor Moon: Super S television series and deserved a non-canon movie release. Either, way Bishoujo Sailor Moon: Another Story is considered to be an underrated JRPG from the mid 90’s and is possibly the best game from the series in general.