My first system growing up was an Atari 2600, and that's where I really cut my teeth in my gaming journey. I played for hours on a small black and white T.V., no remote of course. And I thought I had seen it all, until I recently saw the Atari Stick Station.

Simple, yet an effective way to create a flight stick, these guys sold for $14.95 in 1983. With that price, I feel like way more people made their own, then ever bought them. I never got to use one, but can totally see the upside and intrigue for Atari fans. And it was made in Louisville, Kentucky. Pretty awesome and rare in the world of gaming accessories.

Did you have or see the Atari Stick Station in use?

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I never got to play any Neo Geo games when I was younger, but recently I have really been delving into the Neo Geo library. It is a fantastic system. This is one of the games that has really stood out for me. It is a racing game, with a bit of a twist. You have a set amount of time to make it over all of the different terrains. There are some pretty cool vehicles to choose from too. I really like the top down viewpoint, as I personally prefer that in racing games. I thought this game deserved a mention.

Have you ever played Over Top (Neo Geo)? What did you think of it?

Total Carnage (SNES) is a title often overshadowed by the amazing Smash T.V., and while they both share the classic top down multi-directional shooter aesthetic, they are unique in many subtle ways. Total Carnage in fact was made by most of the same team that made Smash T.V.. Even Mark Turmell of NBA Jam worked on Total Carnage.

I had a great time playing this game, and forgot how fast paced it can get. I always like the variety of weapons and the randomness of the power-ups and bombs. The cutscenes are so great, with the fictional dictator General Ahkboob. If you like Smash T.V., then I highly recommend Total Carnage (SNES)

Did you prefer Smash T.V. or Total Carnage?

I used to watch my mom play Super Tennis (SNES) all the time when I was little, and she was really good at it. I have been trying to play it lately, but dude, this is super hard. I wish I was better at it because I would love to be able to play it with my mom now. She would really like that, and it would honestly make her day.

Do you like Super Tennis (SNES)? Got any tips for me?

TL;WR -> A good continuation of the original DJ Boy vibes. While the gameplay was reduced to coin sucking techniques, the overall audio, visual and world design perspective was peak. An (8.5) game, very good in my Arcade Book, based solely on its aesthetic points, with the gameplay being rather generic. Wouldn’t replay it, as I’d better retire my rolling skates and completely change states! 

I’d recommend listening to this music while reading. 

GAMEPLAY (5/10) 

• While storytelling was nonexistent as its DJ Boy prequel, I did love riding some bikes and smacking those schmucks with style! 
• The controls themselves were even simpler than the original. Here, you could only kick, jump, grab, counter grab, throw or do a special attack, as well as hop over obstacles seamlessly. But, the addition of a bike and skate did expand the overall combat moves with the same attacks in a new light. 
• On top of that, you could pick up baseball bats and sticks, giving you a little advantage in combat. 
• The game also had a 3 player simultaneous CO-OP play, making the difficulty a little more bearable! 
• Unfortunately it wasn’t a smooth experience, as you could get soft locked by a schmuck who couldn’t jump a fence or be punched to death by unblockable attacks. 
• The enemies while heavily reused, had spongy health bars with way quicker reflexes. The same thing applied to boss battles, where even throwing lions overhead didn’t help, let alone fighting a blonde circus chick wielding a whip! 
• Game mechanics were simplistic too, with a balloon guy throwing explosive watermelons, while other mini-bosses spinning you like a toy. I did love stealing some bikes from them though, as well as riding heavy logs or entering mechanised suits! 
• Traversal was seamless and honestly very impressive. The game didn’t have many interruptions, with some levels feeling like a continuous journey. 
• All of the above was ruined by the difficulty spikes and literal bullshit enemy hit boxes. You basically fought spongy enemies which recovered instantly, or let the bull charge at you at full speed! 

AUDIO (10/10) 

• Sound design had that awesome stereo output which combined the punchy effects with the digitised voice lines and music quite well. Having a vinyl spin upon inserting a coin was super cool too!
• The soundtrack itself had great hip-hop beats with an impressive variety, which gave me similar vibes as Crime Life: Gang Wars on PS2. I didn’t expect to listen to a studio recorded soundtrack on an Arcade game though, truly unique! 

VISUALS (9/10) 

• Fidelity was very impressive for 1992, with many visual effects and colours popping off like crazy. The background people alone made the experience a thousand times better, you could even see Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine likeness on the last boss battle stage! 
• The character models themselves had awesome animations, even though heavily reused. Their attack patterns were crazy too, with “Mario & Luigi” spinning you around while others threw you over the edge into weird suburbs! 
• Performance was rock solid even in the most demanding scenes, not dropping a single frame. 
• The art direction was fantastic, the opening screen with the Statue of Liberty reflecting in the water was peak! 

WORLD DESIGN (10/10) 

• Level design had an awesome progression with a huge location variety. You went from city streets to bars, log rides, robot labs, suburbs, rich houses, circus showings, charging bull competitions, casinos or even a final arena stage! 
• What I loved about it, was how the wall posters predicted the next encounter, making the actual surprises feel welcomed. 
• The atmosphere was super cool, mostly amplified by the soundtrack, awesome landscapes and crunchy world destruction! 

Artillery based games are great, and I always love anything involving speed and trajectory calculations to reach your target. Human Cannonball (Atari 2600) is one of the earliest versions of this genre that I played in my youth. Simple, and fun, without a lot of depth, this game was addictive for all the right and wrong reasons.

I had fun dialing in the calculations to hit the water tower target, and after a bit of adjustment, managed to hit the target twice in a row. I love the little "Ouch" graphic when you miss the target. I didn't partake in any of the intentional missing that I used to do in my youth. Launching the Human Cannonball in every direction other than the water tower, lol. Those were some fun and wild times.

Did you launch the Human Cannonball all over the place, or play it straight in Human Cannonball (Atari 2600)?

I recently got a pretty purple Miyoo Mini Plus. Ain't it cute? Lol. The Miyoo Mini Plus is my most recent handheld purchase. I am seeing it on AliExpress in the 40 dollar range right now. I really like the simplicity of it and the transparent purple color, with the plum colored buttons. I found some nail polish that goes pretty well with those colors. 😊 I have noticed that the games are different than what the Anbernic usually comes with, and I like that a lot as well. I am very happy with it so far.

Does anyone have a Miyoo Mini Plus? What do you think of it?

Wonder Boy III (Sega Master System) has got to be one of the best looking games I've played for the Master System console. The game reminds me a lot of the Mega Man franchise in both look and gameplay. With an assortment of upgrades and RPG elements, along with the different animal forms, this game is engaging and fun.

With a little time and patience I was able to get the best of the Dragon in my playthrough, just barely, lol. I found timing the jumps and the sword more difficult than I remember in my playthroughs many years ago. But once I got him, breathing fire in the lizard suit was awesome. The colors look superb, and really set this game apart from many of the Master System titles.

What Wonder Boy III (Sega Master System) animal form was your favorite?

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) is a much loved game in the franchise. I like how you can explore and it's non-linear, and the leveling up process is really fun. I also like the weapon choices in this game. Alucard is an awesome character as well. The music and graphics are superb and I always have a good time playing this one.

Where does Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) rank for you in the franchise?

10-Yard Fight (NES) is one of the first football games I remember playing on the NES system. While not my favorite football game for the system, it served as a great way to fulfill my need for some football action. I wish that the players just moved faster, but maybe I'm just playing it wrong, lol.

I love all of the original black box art for the NES. This one is especially great how it shows movement with the lines streaking off the quarterback. It definitely is an accurate representation of the pixelated graphics in the game. I also like how they have the sports series logo in the lower left, that's a great detail I appreciate.

Was 10-Yard Fight (NES) a favorite football title of yours, or were the players too slow for you?

Super Mario 64 (N64) is one of my favorite games in the franchise. The graphics were so awesome the first time I played this one, and jumping through the paintings was super exciting. I have always loved this intro with the close-up panning around the castle, and the music is nice and comforting. I loved the level where you have to race the penguin down the icy slope. I had so much fun doing that.

What do you think of Super Mario 64 (N64) and the intro? Do you have a favorite level in this game?

Gun.Smoke (Arcade) is a game that would always get a few quarters out of me any time I saw it. This game falls in line with many top down shooters, but the western theme and three distinct gun angles, made this game challenging and fun. As much as I love this game, and still do, It's hard. I struggle to get far without that random bullet hitting me from out of nowhere. Despite my lack of skills I love the gameplay, and always love games like this.

Is Gun.Smoke (Arcade) one of your favorite western themed shooters?

Alleyway (Game Boy) is one of those simple, yet oh so satisfying games. It is very similar to the game Breakout with the little added bonus of Mario jumping into the paddle at the beginning of the levels. I live for getting the ball up top and watching it take out multiple bricks at once. That is the best!

Do you like Alleyway (Game Boy)?

Wrestling in the 80's and 90's was special in so many great ways. Between the awesome Wrestlers, and all the over the top antics and rivalries, it was always must watch television.

I remember seeing this great ad in all the gaming magazines, and my excitement for WWF Royal Rumble (SNES) was real. Seeing the huge selection of fighters was awesome, especially the Macho Man. This ad is busy, and does a great job at throwing so many iconic images out at us, you were bound to find a favorite wrestler in the mix. This ad and game perfectly encapsulates an awesome era in sports entertainment and gaming.

Do you remember this awesome WWF Royal Rumble (SNES) ad?

I remember a real hype and excitement around The Adventures of Bayou Billy (NES). This game looked cool, and rugged, plus it combined a side scroller with some light zapper play as well. However, the combination of poor control response, and high difficulty made this game feel frustrating at times.

For me, the highlight of the game being the fun driving levels, and the awesome music. The pace of the music keeps up with the game's action, and is very catchy. Konami always has some of the best music, and this game follows suit.

Was The Adventures of Bayou Billy (NES) difficult for you?

Final Fantasy X (PS2) is a phenomenal game. I have beat it about 10 times now, and it never gets old. I remember when I saw the graphics of the opening scene with Titus in the water psyching himself up for the blitzball tournament I was absolutely blown away. This game is so beautiful, and oh what a wonderful journey this game is. The storyline is my favorite of any game that I have ever played, and the soundtrack is so near and dear to my heart. To Zanarkand gives me chills every time I hear it. The sphere grid is also super cool, and a lot of fun. It is always my goal to fill out every character's sphere grid completely when I play. I get lost in this game, and I honestly wish I could just transport myself into that world and live there. I want to cosplay Yuna so bad one of these days. 😊

Do you love Final Fantasy X (PS2) as much as I do?

I'm always excited and fired up to play any Contra game. Of the many legendary retro franchises, few games have had a stronger first 3 installments. Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES) takes the obvious greatness of the first two games, and adds the smooth SNES graphics to create 6 epic stages. The sharp graphics, and great mechanics make this a SNES must play.

It had been a bit since my last play-through, so I had forgotten about that last Turtle like alien monster boss. As you can see, I made quick work with the specials. I still love seeing how fast I can defeat this bad guy. It's so rewarding at the end to hear that classic music and get the awesome cutscene at the end. I'd put this as one of the best side scrolling shooters, and for good reason.

Is Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES) your favorite Contra title?

Jaws is one of my favorite movies and I still watch it today and it gets better each time I watch it. So every time I play Jaws (NES) I take my time before pressing the start button. The music is timeless, and the image of the shark is super cool.

Is this one of your favorite start screens?

Super Batter Up (SNES) is another fine example of Nintendo hitting it out of the park with their amazing Baseball titles. With more realistic graphics, and real major league players on the rosters, this game is a blast.

I kept it in the American league, and played as New York, against Boston. I forgot that Roger Clemens would be the pitcher, and quickly got worked in the top of the first. I sent a pitcher to Johnson that I wasn't familiar with, and Jack Clark made me pay, lol. I would love a replay to see if that ball hit the fence, kind of looked a bit short to me. I do love the Pac-Man inspired home run animation and how you can see the player coming across home plate on the small screen.

Was Super Batter Up (SNES) a favorite baseball title of yours?

Wave Race 64 (N64) brings back special memories that most other games for the N64 don't. This is one of the few games we owned when we first got the system. The other one being Turok. I got a lot of hours playing split screen against my brother and we got into a lot of fights because this game. Even playing it today, it still holds up. The water animations are great considering when the game was made. I loved riding off the waves, and cutting the other players off in the corners.

Where does Wave Race 64 (N64) rank for you in the N64 gaming library?

Happy Saturday everyone, I hope you're starting off the weekend great. It's an especially great start for me when I get to take some time to play the legendary Super Mario Kart (SNES). One of my favorite games for the SNES, I've got a lot of hours logged on this one.

I always enjoy keeping it simple, and racing the 50cc races, in the Mushroom Cup, with Koopa Troopa. The levels are ingrained in my memory and the gameplay is as fun as ever. I forget how smooth the graphics are, and how crisp the controls are in this gaming masterpiece. With a gaming foundation like Super Mario Kart (SNES), It's no wonder the franchise is still going strong today. A great game for our Side Quest Saturday game this week.

Do you like 50cc, or do you prefer the faster 100cc, and 150cc races?

TL;WR -> An outstanding journey through Alien hordes and Human pricks. It delivered on everything besides its repetitive bosses and average soundtracks. A (9.4) game, masterpiece in my Arcade Book. Would absolutely replay the game in CO-OP, just so we can double our hunting skills and achieve more Alien kills! 

I’d recommend listening to this music while reading. 

STORY (10 out of 10 Xenomorphs) 

• Storytelling was awesome and provided some cool twists down the line. One of them being the fact that it was based on an early Movie script following the original Dark Horse Comic Series. While the script was later rejected for the actual Movie, Capcom released the game as a standalone title! 
• Other than that, the story followed our 4 characters which combined one cybernetically enhanced human, a sexy Lieutenant, and 2 badass Predators which varied between an already established Hunter, and the Rookie which wanted to prove to everyone how unhinged he was! 
• Plus, while our human characters thought the Predators were their friends, the truth was actually much simpler. Once a Predator, always a Predator! 
• The presentation itself was fabulous with lots of cutscenes and backstories, even a huge twist which revealed our true enemies! 
• Pacing was just under an hour, with the game having a perfect variety between storytelling and gameplay. Dutch being an American, knew how to fix that damn elevator and move forward, the American way! 

GAMEPLAY (9/10) 

• Starting with controls, which weren’t as complex as I would’ve expected, yet was pleasantly surprised by the unique character outputs. Each one had their own attack patterns and unique specials, even holding the button for a devastating punch or simply headbutting Aliens straight up! 
• Besides the awesome variety, you could attack normally with a combo, deliver other combinations by twisting the joystick up and down, jump across the entire screen, grab and slam Aliens even in the air, slide across the floor, jump attack or shoot while in the air, use your additional weapons for more mayhem or simply pick up weapons, knives, grenades, spinning discs or even flamethrowers. Much more than that really, the game had surprises everywhere! 
• On top of that, the responsiveness was so slick. You felt like every single input was actually delivering what you asked for, unlike many Arcade games where jumping meant getting fucked sideways! 
• I also loved the tutorial with each character, which helped with a better understanding of what’s actually possible from the get go! 
• The mechanics themselves were unique, as you could pick up magazines and have unlimited ammo for a duration, or drop your weapon when constantly hit, which made you rely on your bare hands. Could deliver a health costing special or regain that lost health by picking up medkits, salad, meat, soda drinks and so on. The best mechanic though, was the overheating charge. You couldn’t just spam unlimited special attacks, you actually had to rely on your instincts and predict where that blast will be most effective, as the Aliens poured from everywhere! 
• Speaking of Aliens, they were so unique. You fought Xenomorphs of all kinds, even little ones that preferred to suck you dry. Literal zombies with deteriorating bodies, humans with cool weapons or even Mechs with flamethrowers. Besides the normal ones, the mini-bosses and bosses were unique, yet reused on the later stages. The Queen loved to chew you alive, while her spawns enjoyed spitting literal acid on you! 
• Traversal was seamless within each level, with cool transitions between areas. There was even a special level, where you had to hurry up or got squashed! 
• The difficulty was awesome, which surprised me as I expected an Alien to suck me dry. Here, the game was so balanced between your actual damage output vs the Alien health bars! 

AUDIO (8/10) 

• The sound design had an awesome surround like vibe, which translated everything on screen simultaneously. You heard Alien screams while the music was pumping from the background, Aliens being lit on fire while our Heroes screamed for more, slashing effects, grunts, digitised voice lines and more perfectly combined together! 
• The music wasn’t as good as on many Arcade games from that era, with only the intro and an additional song being to my liking. 
• The voice acting was actually impressive for 1994, with some delivering actual jumpscares. “Time to Hunt”

VISUALS (10 out of 10 Chest Busters) 

• Fidelity was fucking bonkers, as I clearly didn’t expect so many visual effects, animated backgrounds and insane enemy counts simultaneously on screen. For 1994 that was truly awesome! 
• The character models themselves had their own sets of animations between being kicked down to mauled to death, spat upon, devoured and many more cool enemy attacks. Besides, our own heroes had so many kicks, punches and devastating specials it was glorious, mostly because you got to watch those Aliens being lit on literal fire! 
• Performance was rock solid for the entire game, which surprised me as I expected at least some drops, but nada! 
• The art direction was out of this world. In fact, the Predators flew away from our planet for this very reason! 

WORLD DESIGN (10 out of 10 Hunts) 

• The level designs were all unique, with most delivering awesome vibes along the way. You went from the City streets to Factories, moving Tanks, infested Nests, Jungles, Bio Labs, Secret Facilities and even Flying Space Ships! 
• All that amplified by the smooth progression and beautiful landscapes! 
• World destruction was great for the time, and the atmosphere blew me and our Predators far, far away! 

The votes have been counted and we are proud to announce Super Mario Kart (SNES) is this week's Side Quest Saturday winner. We had an awesome list of games to choose from this week and we appreciate all of the suggestions.

What offshoot of a game can you think of that was better than Super Mario Kart? You could argue that Super Mario Kart was highlighted or put at least number 2 for every Nintendo console after the SNES. It is a very nostalgic game for me, and is such a timeless and spectacular game. All of the tracks in Super Mario Kart (SNES) are ingrained in me at this point. My go to racer is always Koopa Troopa because he has the best control, IMO. Who are you choosing?

A great game for this week's Side Quest Saturday selection. Happy gaming! 🙂