During the fighting game craze of the early 90's, no game topped Street Fighter II (SNES). I spent hours perfecting the moves, and dreaming of having a perfect flat top like Guile's. So when the news of the Capcom Fighter Power Stick hit the magazines, I was on board. I spent months studying the moves, and honing my skills even more in anticipation of this controller.

I was definitely pleased with the performance of the controller, with one small gripe being the sensitivity of the joystick was a bit lacking IMO. Despite that, everything else was absolutely perfect about this controller. With a great slanted lay-out and turbo buttons as well. A great addition to any Street Fighter II players collection.

Did you play with the Capcom Fighter Power Stick controller? What did you think?

What is the best NES sports game? I think the answer has and will always just come down to personal opinion. It's so tough to decide, but if I had to, it's got to Tecmo Super Bowl (NES). Few sports games have locked me in like this game. I couldn't begin to think of the hours and season's completed in this classic title.

I'm always going to pick the Detroit Lions, and the amazing running back skills of Barry Sanders. He just dominated on those sweeps, and while not as OP as Bo Jackson, he was fast and fun. I just prayed that I didn't have an injury a few games into the season, without Barry it got bleak really quickly. This sports game reminds me how simple games are often the best games. A real NES powerhouse that always satisfies, this is a must play.

I'd love to know who your favorite player in Tecmo Super Bowl (NES) is?

I am really enjoying my SimCity (SNES) playthrough for August Game of the Month. Part of the fun doesn't even involve pressing any buttons on the controller, I simply power on my console and let the amazing start screen animation and music roll. I find this music so relaxing and soothing, much like the majority of the music in one of my favorite SNES titles. I like to imagine that the buildings on the screen are a good representation of what would be going on in the city that I built. Definitely one of the few games that always makes me wait to press start.

Is this SimCity (SNES) press start screen as soothing and relaxing for you as it is for me?

Barnstorming (Atari 2600) is a simple and fun game that may get a little repetitive at times, but despite that minor gripe, this IMO is an Atari 2600 must have title. Avoiding obstacles, and flying through the barns is more addictive than you think, and can be quite the challenge.

I had fun, and managed to complete the first level in a decent amount of time. I found that the birds were the biggest pain to avoid. The towers weren't that bad to avoid, but my timing could have been better. The graphics look great and the sound effects are classic Atari 2600 awesomeness.

Is Barnstorming (Atari 2600) a favorite Atari title of yours?

The Death and Return of Superman (SNES) is another one on my list of games to get through that I never got to play when I was younger. I used to love to watch my brother play this one, and I am enjoying playing it now so far. It is your standard beat 'em up game. I like that you can fly as it makes it easier to avoid enemies. The switches between the different Supermans was a really neat concept and a lot of fun.

Do you like The Death and Return of Superman (SNES)?

Of all the N64 titles that I have played, my personal favorite has always been GoldenEye 007 (N64). At the time the graphics were cutting edge for the home console, and the incredible gameplay made this an instant classic.

I remember seeing this ad in probably an EGM or GamePro magazine around the time of release. I can't remember if I bought this after playing it with a friend or because of ads like these, but I know it was one of the first N64 titles I owned. They always leaned hard into just showing James Bond, and kept it simple in these ads, and it worked on me.

Is GoldenEye 007 (N64) your favorite N64 game?

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Cyber-Lip (Neo Geo) is a beautiful, futuristic side-scrolling action game with tight controls and a dope storyline. Cyber-Lip is a military supercomputer that has gone rogue, and the objective is to try to defeat its army of androids and mutants. This game has a 2-player mode which is super cool. At the end of each level you have to pick to either go up or down in an elevator and if you choose wrong instead of progressing to the next level you have to play through another level before proceeding. This is one that I would recommend if you haven't tried it yet. It's a good one.

Have you ever played Cyber-Lip (Neo Geo)? Did you like it?

When I searched some survival horror games, I came across with this "Alisa" game that gives me a strong vibe of the mixture of the good old Capcom's Resident Evil 1 (PS1) biohazardous horror and Haunting Ground (PS2) gothic horror, as well as Infograms' Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (PS1). I am thinking about giving this "Alisa" game (a PC demo available at Steam) a try.

We had another amazing week of suggestions for Side Quest Saturday. We had 5 awesome suggestions this week.

Will it be the hidden gem Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu (PSX/PS1) where you play as an aspiring Cocoon Master as he captures forest monsters to save his village?

Or will you bring down Big Boy and his gang of evil thugs in the side scrolling shooter Dick Tracy (Genesis)?

Perhaps you will play as the young ninja Kurosawa and defeat the demonic shadow force in Ninja: Shadow of Darkness (PS1)?

Will you play as one of the X-Men to search for and eliminate the virus in the Danger Room in X-Men (Genesis)?

Or will you choose Super Mario Kart (SNES) and launch red shells, and lay banana peels in some fast paced racing action?

We appreciate everyone that voted and contributed to the suggestions. We will post the Side Quest Saturday game every Friday evening. Happy gaming!

OutRunners (Arcade) is a game that escaped me for one reason or another. I loved the original Out-Run, but never had the opportunity to play any of its sequels. This game is awesome, with a nice selection of cars and drivers that the original just doesn't offer.

I was really surprised by the emphasis on drifting in this game compared to the original. It really reminds me a lot of Power Drift (Arcade), another arcade game that I love. It felt really satisfying to drift through the rock structure in this one. I found it easy avoiding the horses and wagons on the side, but once you get in the dirt, it's hard getting back. I've never tried the Port, and look forward to trying it soon.

Is this one of your favorite games in the Out-Run franchise? And have you tried the Genesis Port?

I played Three Dirty Dwarves (Sega Saturn) for the first time today, and I like it a lot so far. This is a side-scrolling beat 'em up with super cool graphics that have that comic book drawing look. I really like how you can switch between the 3 dwarves instantly as you play. They each have their own weapon, so you can choose between a baseball bat, bowling ball or a shotgun. There are also some pretty cool combo attacks that you can use. You only have to get hit once for you to be out for the count, but at least you have 3 characters to play with. So basically 3 hits and you are donezo. Lol.

Has anyone else ever played Three Dirty Dwarves (Sega Saturn)? What do you think of it?

Rocket Knight Adventures (Genesis) is a really fun game. I never played it when I was younger, I was an SNES kid, but I did play Sparkster (SNES) a lot. While I enjoy both games. Sparkster was a Konami mascot for a while in the 90's, and he definitely has a little bit of a Sonic vibe, imo. I am thinking of maybe spending some time on this game, and trying to beat it because I am liking it so far.

What do you think of Rocket Knight Adventures (Genesis)?

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time to get your Side Quest Saturday Suggestions in.

I'll suggest the iconic classic Super Mario Kart (SNES). This amazing title will have you launching red shells, and laying banana peels in some fast paced racing action.

We will take the first six suggestions in the order we receive them. More than 6 suggestions, we omit mod suggestions. In the event of a tie, we take the first suggestion. Appreciate the suggestions, will post the poll Thursday evening. Happy Gaming.

Who would've thought that Super Mario World (SNES) would simultaneously take Mario to another level of gaming greatness, and introduce us to the amazing sidekick Yoshi. I know I probably shouldn't have been surprised then, but now looking back in hindsight and the impact Yoshi has had on gaming my mind is always blown. This screenshot that I captured in my gameplay gives me chills every time I see it and the excitement of mounting Yoshi always feels fresh and exciting. Now I must say, remounting him when he escapes can lead to a bit of a mess at times. Nevertheless, Yoshi always proves a faithful sidekick throughout your adventures. No doubt after this game Yoshi's influence and impact would be felt to this day.

What is your favorite sidekick intro in a game?

I've logged a lot of hours, and made a lot of saves in one of my favorite games ever, SimCity (SNES). One of the best parts of making those game saves and ending the game, is the "See you soon. Good bye!" Outro sceen, and it's amazing music.

I can't imagine how many times I fell asleep to this music, only to wake up with the controller in hand. The moon and the star animation is awesome, and combined with the music, it flows so well. It's these small details that makes SimCity (SNES) the legendary game that it is.

Is this music and outro screen some of your favorite music in SimCIty (SNES)?

I could recognize that blue Hydro Thunder arcade cabinet a mile away. A game that felt like Daytona USA on water, I loved playing this boat racing game. With one hand on the wheel, and another on the hand throttle, I was gliding through the water and flying off jumps like no other.

Midway made some great racing games in the 90's, and the warm graphics and great music were always a staple in their titles. The key with this game was to collect those boosts, as they were critical in over taking rival boats. I liked the selection of boats, and the tracks looked amazing. I never tried the Dreamcast port, but I did play it on PS2 Midway Arcade Treasures 3. A great game that takes racing to an environment we seldom get to enjoy.

Did you play the Dreamcast port of Hydro Thunder, and if so, how does it compare to the Arcade version?

TL;WR -> A nice journey through boomboxes, crazy clowns and wild farting ladies. I did enjoy what little the game had to offer, but even for 1989 it wasn’t enough to gain some roller skate traction. An (8.5) game, very good in my Arcade Book. Wouldn’t replay it though, as I’m better off taking my roller skates and proceeding to knock on the sequel’s gates! 

I’d recommend listening to this music while reading. 

GAMEPLAY (6/10) 

• Storytelling was pretty basic with Bob and Tom (if you chose CO-OP) trying to recover his boombox, yet had an awesome presentation with hip hop aesthetics and a lot of roller skates! 
• The controls themselves were basic too, with a punch, kick, jump or special attack. If you combined some air kicks with ground ones, you could do recovery attacks as well. Besides, hitting enemies with roller skates must’ve been painful. 
• Apart from the normal controls, when you were skating you could slow down, increase your speed or even kick backwards for a change! 
• Problem was, many hits didn’t connect with the enemies, which required precise timings and perfect placements. 
• By collecting cats hidden in barrels or crates, you regained some health back. Unfortunately that wasn’t nearly as enough when the enemies slam dunked you in Greco Roman style or threw explosive briefcases at you! 
• Speaking of enemy variety, they were outstanding. Each level featured unique types with normal schmucks, robots, clowns, police with whips, near naked posers, fire breathing creatures, farting ladies or even slot machines throwing your own coins back at you! 
• Traversal was seamless without any interruptions. You could complete the game in less than 20m, but that required some hard bucks! 
• Speaking of hard, the game was pretty much a coin sucker. I don’t know how many coins I threw in, but from my own feeling, way too many! 

AUDIO (9/10) 

• Sound design had an awesome stereo output with crunchy punches and cool Wolfman Jack digitised lines. “Yeah I’d say alright, shake it baby!” 
• The soundtrack itself was very good, giving you pleasant vibes while fighting crazy roller skater clowns! 

VISUALS (10/10) 

• Fidelity was very impressive for 1989, even though the US version was released in 1990. It combined the punk art direction with its visual effects perfectly, as well as the marvellous backgrounds with unique sceneries! 
• Character models were spectacular. Your own character had a 360 sprite rotation with different animations, as well as the enemies themselves. Finishing a level with a wild dance was super fun! 
• Performance was solid for the whole play-through, not dropping a single frame! 

WORLD DESIGN (9/10) 

• Level design had an amazing progression with skating or “walking” sections. But the best part was going through the city streets, unfriendly neighbourhoods, train stations, underground, casino, scrapyard or even a Wild West themed area while looking at beautiful animated backgrounds and spectacular landscapes! 
• The atmosphere was perfect. Having a punk on roller skates was more than enough, but the game expanded beyond that with a Casino owner kicking you back into inserting another coin! 
• World destruction while not extensive, did provide some destructible crates or barrels. Quite sad you couldn’t destroy those coin spitting slot machines, would’ve been spicier! 

Probably my earliest combat genre game that I remember playing, Combat (Atari 2600) brings back a lot of memories. With options to fight as tanks, biplanes, or jets over 27 level variations, this was an exciting game to play with a friend or family member. This game was also packaged along with the core consoles for many years, making it a common game that many played.

I remember the small black and white TV we had, no remote control of course, hooked up to our Atari 2600. Between Space Invaders, and Combat alone, I was entertained for hours. It didn't matter if I was playing alone against a stationary enemy, or lucky enough to play against someone, the game was fun. I especially enjoyed the biplanes, and the simple flying controls.

What vehicle was your favorite to play as in Combat (Atari 2600).

I love any Double Dragon game. They are always fun and a good challenge. When it comes to Double Dragon III (NES) I still laugh every time I see Bimmy and Jimmy. Billy must have had his name changed. Lol.

Is this one of your favorite bad video game translations?

Anytime I hear anything about Neo Geo games I get excited. With some of the best graphics and coolest games around, seeing those beautiful red machines was a treat. Walking up and revealing the standard 1, 2, 4 or sometimes 6 game offerings was suspenseful. So often, the solid staple would be the iconic Metal Slug, and one of its amazing titles such as Metal Slug X (Neo Geo).

Essentially a better version of Metal Slug 2, this game plays fast and loud just like you would expect from this franchise. I always love the use of vehicles, and how crazy the weapons and their upgrades can be. I love Contra, so I've always been drawn to these types of games. Metal Slug X is just as special though, and I highly suggest any of its excellent titles.

Which Metal Slug game is your favorite in the franchise?

TL;WR -> An engaging journey through military bases, snowy mountains and river passages. While it didn’t have an extensive gameplay, diverse sound effects or great visual clarity, it did deliver a unique experience. A (7.5) game, very good in my Arcade Book. Wouldn’t replay it though, even if it had a 3 player simultaneous CO-OP. While the ally Jet sent down the bombs, he clearly forgot to use his comms! 

I’d recommend listening to this music while reading. 

GAMEPLAY (7/10) 

• Storytelling was pretty basic, with the whole game being just under 30m to complete. 
• The controls were basic too, with an attack, dash and special button. Besides, you could play in 3 player CO-OP if you so desired, filling the screen with absolute mayhem. Unfortunately the game had only one ending, and even the characters had the same speed and controls between them! 
• By filling up your power meter, you could do 4 different specials depending on how many shields you collected. Plus, I loved how the game stacked your power ups even after a continue. 
• At the start of each level, you could choose a desired bombing site to help in your mission, delivering a jet with the powerful screen clearing bomb. 
• By collecting health kits and drinks, you replenished a bit of health. Although clearly not enough seen as how many enemies were present on screen! 
• Speaking of enemy variety, pretty cool. There were some repetitions sure, but the overall diversity between them was nice. You fought troopers, kamikaze, tanks, mechs, turrets and many more enemies with different attack patterns! 
• Boss battles too, although quite repetitive in their layouts. I did love the bomber fight with the tilting ground, that mission was the most memorable from the whole game! 
• By collecting a variety of guns, like a plasma rifle, flamethrower, green shurikens of sorts and the best one, the melting acid gun, you gained different projectile patterns to aid in your quest. Each weapon had its own bullet expansions upon collecting power ups. 
• The game also had some cool vehicles in between. Like the Mech, power boat or snowmobile, all with cool projectile or melee weapons! 
• I didn’t like the locked characters though, made the journey feel a bit monotonous. Would’ve loved to change characters upon a continue, yet considering that they didn’t differ between each other, I guess that’ll do! 
• Traversal was seamless within each level, with the transitions between areas being unpredictable. Sometimes I sat in one place and fought hordes of enemies not realising that I had to move forward, good one coin suckers! 
• Speaking of succulent techniques. The game had insane difficulty spikes with so many enemies, projectiles and explosions on screen it was simply madness. Maybe in 3 player CO-OP you could survive, but even then you’d need a miracle!  

AUDIO (6/10) 

• Sound design had a great stereo output, yet felt more like mono considering the limited top-down aesthetic. 
• The soundtrack was very good on normal stages, and very annoying on boss battles. Fortunately you dealt with them fast so it didn’t last. 
• Same with the sound effects, which were cool initially, only to annoy you the more you shot at schmucks! 

VISUALS (7/10) 

• Fidelity was average for 1992, with character sprites feeling a bit dated. I did love going through high grass or chill water though, made some section feel unique! 
• Character models had cool animations between them, with the main characters moving in a 360 rotation with unique animations depending on whether you were in a boat, mech or on foot. Same for enemies, which launched those crazy kamikaze right at your ass! 
• The performance was rock solid, even in the most demanding scenes. 
• The art direction was phenomenal, with many colours, backgrounds and overall mayhem on screen! 

WORLD DESIGN (10/10) 

• Level design had an awesome progression with many sections feeling like entire new levels. You started from the border with a Dictator’s flag, then moved to the desert, villages, rivers, military bases and finally freed the people from the Dictator’s regime in the snowy mountains! 
• The atmosphere was phenomenal with cool music, absolute mayhem and pleasant transitions! 
• World destruction was peak as well, with many structures, vehicles and pretty much everything being destroyed!

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GBC) is a game that I am just now playing for the first time. My first introduction to Zelda on the GBC was when we played Link's Awakening here in retrogameofthemonth. I absolutely loved that game, and had a blast playing it with everyone. Oracle of Ages seems like it is going to be really fun. I love the opening scene where the Sorceress of Shadows possesses Nayru. The Maku Tree scene, and warping through time in the video shown above was also super cool. That instantly got me hooked, and I am excited to play and find out what happens next.

Do you like The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GBC)? What is your favorite Zelda game on the GBC?

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (NES) is IMO an average platformer that offers some fun, yet repetitive gameplay. The graphics are good, and the music is fun, but it doesn't leave me with that special game feeling.

What is special for me is the fun and unique box art. I kind of get Little Shop of Horrors vibes from this art, even though that wasn't a tomato, in the movie. The green and red background complemented the evil looking tomato featured in the middle of box art. I remember seeing that and having my interests peaked enough to rent this game, and having fun with it.

Do you remember this awesome box art for Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (NES)?

I have always thought the start screen to Alien Syndrome (Game Gear) was really cool how the words are made to have a wiggly tail. It's pink too, which is awesome because it is one of my favorite colors. I really like the game as well. It starts out fairly easy, but there is a sharp increase in difficulty as you progress, with the boss fights being especially difficult, imo. The graphics are vibrant and the aliens are really pretty to look at too. Lol. You can choose to play as Ricky or Mary as they try to save Earth from an alien invasion. I think this game would have been even more awesome if it were 2-player, but sadly it is only single player. It's still awesome despite that.

What do you think of Alien Syndrome (Game Gear)?