Street Fighter 30th Anniversary collection to be released on consoles!

Name: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection

Consoles: Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Steam

Date of Release: May 2018

Excitement 'O' meter: 7.5/10

So, it looks like Capcom are really cranking out the collection games this year doesn't it! In one of my last blog posts I talked about the Mega Man X collection which is to be released on various current generation consoles in the summer; which I'm very much looking forward to by the way! But it seems Capcom is already working on another collection which is due once again to be released on current generation consoles even sooner than the X collection. Arguably Capcom's most famous series, Street Fighter! Celebrating 30 years of the franchise.

I am however going to say something which will, umm, for a lack of a better word probably make people a bit angry....well a certain community of people anyway. I don't mean to create an argument it's just how I really feel and think about the game thus far. So please bare that in mind. To cut the point, I'm just unsure about this collection and how much its content is going to keep the average gamer content. Let me explain.

So any gamer worth their salt knows what is contained within a Street Fighter game, it did perfect the genre after all. For those of you a bit unsure let me remind you. The Street Fighter games are one on one tournament fighting games, the same premise which are seen in games such as Mortal Kombat and Soul Caliber (If anyone is still playing that franchise these days). Back in the 90s thanks to Street Fighter 2, fighting games were all the rage thanks to its intricate combo system, graphics and memorable character roster; not to mention their move sets too! Going back to my point then, if the Street Fighter series is so good why I am talking about this collection (which contains 12 full games by the way) potentially dissatisfying some gamers? Well this is due to the games which are actually contained on the list. You see, Capcom didn't just release one version of Street Fighter 2. In fact they kept updating the game which included new features such as new characters or more balanced move sets for the fighters. This resulted in Street Fighter 2 getting released about five different times, maybe more as I can't quite recall how many versions were actually released back in the day.

Herein lies the potential problem for this game then: most of the games on the collection are updated releases of the same game. The full games on the collection are as follows:

• Street Fighter
• Street Fighter 2
• Street Fighter 2: Champion Edition
• Street Fighter 2: Hyper Fighting
• Super Street Fighter 2
• Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo
• Street Fighter Alpha
• Street Fighter Alpha 2
• Street Fighter Alpha 3
• Street Fighter 3
• Street Fighter 3: 2nd Impact
• Street Fighter 3: Third Strike

As you can see there are a fair few versions of Street Fighter 2 included on the collection. Now, If you're a big Street Fighter fan and never managed to play the various versions before, this collection will be a god send! And yes, I too am very much looking forward to the collection as I've never really had chance to play all the various games, especially in upscaled HD graphics which they're sure to be. It even includes an online mode where you can battle various other players over your favourite version which is a fantastic edition.

What about the average gamer though? Will this collection satisfy them? Well first of all it goes without saying you need to be a fan of one on one fighters. Secondly, will the average gamer be happy that the majority of the games are re-releases of the same game? Some players might even struggle to spot the differences between the various versions as some just simply increase the speed of gameplay and a few minor move tweaks to certain characters. Plus, as I mentioned before, the game is a one on one fighting game. Now I don't mean to tread on anyone's toes, and I don't mean to insult the tournament fighter community as I know it is a huge and well respected one, but some gamers maybe put off due to the genre of the game as the nature of the games don't really change in each playthrough and title. Each game consists of fighting one on one with another opponent, something which to the average gamer may start to get tedious within an hour or so. The core mechanics don't really change with each game either. Sure, the game may feel a little faster and the fighters may have new moves which they can utilise and be newcomers themselves, but at the end of the day each game has the same one on one fighter premise.



I don't mean to slate this collection though, far from it. Put it this way: I will be getting the collection for my Switch for sure. And if you are a tournament fighting fan or a Street Fighter one then this game is sure to an amazing treat and one hell of a history lesson for you. The game even includes a digital museum and soundtrack which you can listen to in game! Any Street Fighter fan will tell you how great the music is in this franchise and its brilliant to see Capcom acknowledge it here. So yes, If you enjoy Street Fighter and are curious about the various versions you've never played before like myself, then this collection is perfect for you. For the average gamer though, I'm not too sure. You need to ask yourself do you like tournament fighting games and are you happy shelling out money for various versions of the same game? If you're unsure better wait until the collection drops in price before buying at top price. If you're willing to take the plunge though, you will find some of the most finest video games created, in addition to some of the titles available on the collection which essentially pioneered and practically invented a new genre.  

My Top 5 Favourite Pokemon Who Have the Best Second Stages in Their Evolution. (Gen 1)

Wow! That title was certainly a mouthful... But please don't be put off! So I've been playing a lot of Pokemon Firered and Leafgreen as of late and it got me thinking of Pokemon who have three stages of evolution and how the Pokemon in the middle of the evolution cycle, i.e. the second Pokemon in the cycle doesn't usually get much love. People either prefer the first Pokemon in the cycle or the last, never usually the one in between.

So! I've decided to make a list on my personal top 5 Pokemon who have the best second stages in their evolution. The rules are the Pokemon must be from generation one (Red and Blue) and the Pokemon in question must have more than two forms of evolution. For example, I couldn't suggest someone like Sandslash as he only has two forms of evolution: the first being Sandshrew and then Sandslash himself. I also cannot include any Pokemon who originally had two forms of evolution but due to later games have three or more. For example I couldn't pick Pikachu even though he has three forms of evolution (Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu) because Pichu came along in generation 2. So without further ado, here we go!

Number 5: Dragonair

Evolution cycle: Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite

Number 4: Kadabra

Evolution cycle: Abra, Kadabra, Alakazam

I don't know about you but when I eat my cereal I find one spoon is just enough. Two spoons are too many and none at all is not enough. Kadabra seems to agree with my logic too! As this spoon-wielding Pokemon seems to find one spoon enough, unlike his next evolutionary brother Alakazam who needs two spoons! Pathetic! Just kidding. But in all seriousness Kadabra has got to be my favourite Pokemon out of the three Psychic types. Back in the days of my serious Pokemon playing days I would always be on the hunt for an Abra just because he was a Psychic type and they were very over-powered back in generation one. I always found Abra a little under-powered though; plus he was a bitch to catch as the only move a wild Abra knows is teleport!! So annoying. Anyway, I spent a lot of time with Kadabra as I tried to evolve my Abra as quick as I could and could only evolve Kadabra by trading him with another player; something I never really did or was that keen on. I know! One of the major selling points of the game and I didn't care for it, go figure! So because I was essentially stuck with Kadabra the majority of the time I really grew a bond with him and really appreciated him as a Pokemon. I also preferred his design to the other two Pokemon in his evolution group. He had a mystic and powerful look about him as opposed to Abra who looked like he was forever asleep and Alakazam who looked like an old mystical guru. Kadabra looked powerful but youthful; not perfect yet, in other words. which are the kind of characters I'm always drawn too as I can usually relate to them a bit more.

The first one on the list then is Dragonair. I always thought Dratini and Dragonair always looked very unique in the world of Pokemon and I always admired their designs. I never quite understood Dragonite though. How do two long snake-like Pokemon transform into the much more cartoon form of Dragonite?? Never understood that one. I've always preferred Dragonair out of all the three dragons though. Back in generation one there were very few dragon types making Dragonair a very rare Pokemon and a big advantage to trainers who had one in their possession. As mentioned earlier, Dragoniar (and Dratini) both have serpent-like designs. The dark blue crossed with the ice white colouring of the dragon makes it look very striking, it almost looks like a water or ice type Pokemon. However it is only a dragon, which is a great type to battle with especially during generation one. 

Number 3: Haunter

Evolution cycle: Gastly, Haunter, Gengar

In truth, I've always liked all of these Pokemon. I seem to have a bit of a fascination with ghosts and all things creepy so ghost Pokemon were always going to go down well with me. I prefer Haunter out of all of the evolution stages though as he seems to represent a depiction of a ghost the most in my opinion. Similar to Kadabra and psychic type Pokemon, Haunter is of course a ghost type Pokemon giving him a great advantage over most other types, especially in the generation one era just like Phychic types. The only moves which were effective to ghosts at the time were psychic type moves in addition ghost pokemon were immune to all normal type moves. So yeah, they were quite a force back when Pokemon first debuted. Regardless of his abilities and strengths though, which admittedly did help me regarding favouring this Pokemon, I've always loved the design of Haunter: his dark purple combined with his sharp glaring stare and sinister smile always made me want him in my Poke' party! In the anime he also has a mischievous attitude too; always trying to scare and haunt others whilst having a laugh about it. This made me love the Pokemon even further! Haunter has always been one of my very favourites and continues to be. There have been other ghost Pokemon created by the creative people at Nintendo and Game Freak, but none hold a chilling candle to Haunter.

Number 2: Pidgeotto

Evolution cycle: Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot

Without a doubt the best bird trio in the Poke'verse. From the start players get to know Pidgey almost immediately as young trainers come across the bird from the start of Route 1 and then in a myriad of other places across Kanto. So when they finally evolve Pidgey into Pidgeotto they know the Pokemon pretty well. I think one of the main reasons I love Pidgeotto so much though is down to the anime series. As far as my memory serves, Ash seemed to have a Pidgeotto for quite a while in the series and used to use him on numerous occasions; Pidgeotto seemed to get a lot of screen time anyway! I sort of grew an attachment to the bird through watching the show. Pidgeotto, in my opinion, had a better design than the other two birds especially compared to Pidgeot, who I do really admire as a Pokemon but just thought he was that little bit too large. Pidgeotto just has the brilliant 'pird of prey' look; combined with his long feathers (at least I think they're feathers) which flow from the top of his head to his lower neck, Pidgeotto is just the buisness. And when all is said and done his stats are pretty strong too compared to the other wild Pokemon you'll encounter straight away: Rattata. Even when Rattata evolves into Raticate, Pidgeotto's stats are still shining strong against it. Plus its a big bird vs a big rat, who do you think's going to win in that situation? It's a no-brainer.

Number 1: Charmeleon

Evolution cycle: Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard

Wow! Shots fired, eh? I'm sure quite a few people will disagree with this particular Pokemon! Let alone it being my number one favourite. Ever since securing him as a Pokemon card all of those years ago back in 1998, Charmeleon has always been one of my favourite Pokemon. Most people tend to pick Charizard as their favourite Pokemon out of these three, in fact a lot of people would choose Charizard as their very favourite Pokemon out of all of them, period. You've probably noticed by reading this blog but one of the big reasons I favour a certain Pokemon is due to its design. In fact, if the design is uninspiring, unoriginal or just down-right bad then it's very likely I won't care for that particular creature. Charmeleon just looks awesome! His dark red colour combined with his stronger body and size makes him look like a formidable creature. He almost looks like a flaming dinosaur which is just plain awesome in addition to having more guile than his evolutionary brother as Charizard is quite large. His personality matches his look as Charmeleon tends to be quite fiery, arrogant and cocky. He's a very confident character which adds to his cool factor. His also quite strong both in his attack and spc attack making him the creature of choice for an all-out offensive strategy. For me personally Charmeleon is definitely one of the best designed Pokemon; I love all of the Pokemon in this particular evolution group actually! Each one is greatly designed and are strong, reliable fire Pokemon to use.

Thanks for reading my latest blog post everyone! Please let me know what your top 5 second evolution Pokemon are by either commenting or sending me a message via my email: craig1.0@outlook.com

Cheers all!

Stephensonite.

What's Next For Sonic The Hedgehog?

Sonic, Sonic, Sonic... Does anyone actually remember the time when this spiky blue speedster was on top of his game? Believe it or not all you younger readers, there was indeed a time when Sonic The Hedgehog was a name which was synonymous with quality and excitement. During the early 90's gamers could hardly wait for his next adventure; his games literally sold gaming consoles. Without Sonic Sega would probably not exist at all today and they certainly wouldn't of been able to compete with Mario and co. in the 90's. But this particular post isn't about the hedgehog's history, but rather his future.

Sonic has been going through considerable trouble round about the time the infamous title Sonic The Hedgehog (or Sonic 06 as it's more widely recognised as) on Xbox 360 and PS3. Since then he seems to have been stuck in a creative rut. His latest 'main' game from Sonic Team was of course Sonic Forces which wasn't the worst game or Sonic title ever, but was still a disappointment in many people's eyes. What does Sonic need to do next in order to get back on top? Can he get back on top or have there just been too many disappointing titles and thus has doomed him to star in sub-par games for the rest of time? Well, hopefully not. I obviously don't hold all or any of the answers to bring Sonic back from the brink, but hopefully I can offer my own sight regarding what I would do to help him get back to 'quality status' again, just like how gamers and critics view Super Mario titles still to this day.

1. Time for a new gameplay style

Lets start with the most important thing when determining whether or not a game will be deemed great: the gameplay. Sonic Team have been using the 'Sonic Rush' boost style gameplay in main 3D titles since Sonic Unleashed...well unleashed! Way back in 2008 for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Using some very complicated maths, we can come to the conclusion that this was practically 9 years ago now! I have to admit, I've enjoyed the 'boost' formula the series has gone with. It was good regarding differentiating and transitioning from the Sonic Adventure style seen in his Dreamcast days. But it turns out playing the same gameplay style for nearly 10 years gets stale. What I'm trying to say is, Sega will find it hard to make a truly impressive Sonic title if they continue with this now ageing formula. Gamers and fans want, and I think, are ready for something new to truly engross them in a Sonic title again. They did try tweaking the formula in 2012 with Sonic Lost World on Wii U, but it wasn't quite the golden comeback fans were waiting for. I have to say though, I was quite shocked when Sonic Team still opted to use the boost gameplay in Sonic Forces, especially seeing as though it took a few years to develop. As for gameplay style Sega should addopt, I'm not so sure as I'm not a game designer! But hopefully it would involve a little more control over Sonic rather than pressing one button to do all the work for you; in addition to waiting for scripted events in a level such as loop the loops where a player can literally put their controller down and let the computer do all the work for them. Whatever Sega decide to go with it needs to be new and exciting in order to get Sonic back on track again.

2. Spend time creating the new Sonic game

The average Sonic game is created between one to two years. It's time for the money hungry fat cats at Sega to realise to create a truly spectacular game more time is needed. Take for example Mario (Sorry Sonic but it needs to be said). A mainline 3D Mario platformer seems to take about five years or more to create. Yes, I know Nintendo have other Mario games in between these titles to keep Mario in the spotlight and to keep the cash flowing which in turn goes toward the next major Mario title, and yes I know Nintendo as a company they have a larger wallet than the developers at Sega and thus can afford to wait a few years to perfect their next Mario adventure. But Sega must see reason. Do they really expect Sonic Team to create a masterpiece worthy of his status in the 90's within just one year? No, it's not going to happen. They need to go back to the drawing board, sit down, and meet with the major players at the company and Sonic Team and SLOWLY discuss to find a way out of this hole they seemed to have got themselves into. If they keep up with the plan they currently have going then eventually, and it will happen, they will tarnish his reputation completely and he'll become another forgotten animal mascot.

3. Change Sonic's attitude/personality

Sonic has always had an attitude, even before he had the ability to speak on the Mega Drive. These days though his attitude and the words that come out of his mouth tend to irritate fans rather than marvel at him. His current voice actor in the Sonic titles seem to suit him okay but I believe his overall personality could do with a bit of a tweak. In fact Sonic could benefit from not opening his mouth as often and just stick to kicking ass. These days gamers tend to ridicule him by putting on a winy voice and saying his catch phrases such as 'gotta go fast!' or 'you're too slow!' His personality at the moment is more cheesy rather than one who exerts coolness (if that's even a word?). Sonic is capable of demonstrating a more cool, almost stubborn attitude as he manage to that during the 90's. I think if Sonic Team could bring back those characteristics again then it may persuade others who are not the biggest hedgehog fans to give him chance as this what helped give him life-long dedicated fans in the first place: his no nonsense attitude and cool demeanour. 

4. No more half-assed sidekicks

You know all the 'half-assed' sidekicks I'm on about! The Chips and the Big the Cats of the Sonic universe. At one point it seemed that was Sega's solution to creating a new Sonic title: create a new hugely annoying character to go along side Sonic's new adventure and the game will sell... Sega and Sonic Team, we have more than enough sidekicks in the Sonic World now and we don't need anymore, please. Instead of creating new annoying characters and shoving a backstory in just for the sake of it, why don't you do something like creating a game early on in Sonic's timeline such as when he met Tails for the first time or his first encounter with Eggman. Perhaps going back into Sonic's past could rekindle people's interest with the Blue Blur once more.

Thanks for reading this post guys and girls! I very much appreciate it. Of course it isn't all doom and gloom for Sonic since titles such as Sonic Mania have released! And, in that sense, I think there is a bright future regarding the 2D Sonic titles if they're anything like Sonic Mania. This post was obviously focusing on the 'main 3D Sonic blockbusters (well supposed to be blockbusters anyway.) I would love to know your take on Sonic's future! Do you think Sonic needs different changes to propel him back to the top, or is he doing just fine in your eyes? I would honestly love to know!   

A Look at the New TMNT Designs

Hey all!

So, about a week or so ago I came across a piece of news stating there'll be a new TMNT cartoon series on Nickelodeon called Rise Of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Great! I thought to myself, it's always nice to see amazing cartoon franchises from childhood being kept alive in the modern day. Then I took a look at what the turtles will look like. Not since the designs of Sonic Boom have I cringed so heavily.

Where do I even start with this... For starters, the turtles all look very, well, sharp and pointy. They each look quite thin and wiry too.  The masks on Raph and Donnie's heads look like shower caps too. Oh, and speaking of Raphael, he wields Tonfas now instead of his trademark Sais... have fun with that one, internet! In fact all the turtles seem to be wielding either a different weapon or are a variation of their classic weapons they've always wielded. Donnie seems to be using some sort of wizard's staff instead of his ninja bo stick; Leo is seen wielding a giant katana/broadsword weird combo instead of his twin katanas; and Mikey's looks like he is equipped with some sort of whip with a spiky yo yo on the end (yes, honestly). And the less said about Splinter the better! He looks the worst of the lot!

 Now granted I have only seen one piece of early art for this new series and you never know things might change as we got more info as time passes. But at the moment they seem to be taking a very weird direction with this new series. Yes, I get that as time moves on series and characters have to evolve with it; some more than others. And yes, the producers probably have intentionally given them more radical designs and weapons to make them stand out from the rest of the TMNT series which have come before it. But all of these new changes at once can really put off devoted fans of the series. I know I'm not the target audience for this series and it's for kids, but again, enough children saw the two recent movies which came out at cinemas and got used to their backstory, origins, weapons and design and now it's all being changed (well aside from the backstory as I don't know which direction they'll take with that). Perhaps I am being a little biased because I did grow up with the original 80's TMNT series. However, that doesn't change the way how I personally feel about the designs and the weapon changes the turtles are given. Who knows though, perhaps this will be the ultimate cartoon series the heroes in a half shell deserve; we'll have to wait and see.

Please let me know how you guys feel on the matter too, I'd really love to know! Is this radical change good or bad?

My Retro Gaming Merch #2: Mario & Link Japanese collectable figures

Name of Merch:  Super Mario & Link Collectable figures

     Purchased From: Unknown small gaming store in                                        Paris (France)

                        Price: 15 Euros each

Without harping on about it too much, as anyone who's read some of my last blog posts will know I went to Paris for a few days last week. Even though most of the trip was full of all things Disney, I still found time to have a look around a gaming shop - and a retro-orientated gaming shop at that! Result. There were a load of items in there which took my fancy from SNES and N64 bibles (all in French though, sadly) to low cost Amibos, with some going for the equivalent of around £8.00! I allowed myself a 15 Euro limit though and my girlfriend very kindly said she'd give me a gift up to 15 Euros too. I did buy her some Minnie Mouse ears before though! So in the end I went for these two NES themed collectors figures.

The figures I spotted were actually outside of their packaging in a glass display case. There were three which I spotted and all NES themed: the two you see here from Super Mario Bros. and Legend Of Zelda respectively, and also a Tanooki suited Mario from the amazingly popular game Super Mario Bros. 3. As you can see I went with the 'Super Mario' one and the Link figure. It was bloody hard to choose though! Seriously, we must have been in that shop for at least 45 minutes trying to choose what to buy! I was very close to buying an Amibo and figure, but in the end I figured I would never be able to collect every single Amibo and these figures did look amazing in addition to being something I had never seen before.

It's obvious due to its packaging that the figures were originally from, or at least manufactured in Japan. On the Link figure it even says 'Hyrule Fantasy' which was the Japanese name for the original Zelda game for the NES. (Not sure if that's still the case now or did Nintendo change it to Legend of Zelda for later games in the series like the rest of the world? I wonder.) It would of been nice to get them out of their packaging and to show their detail a bit more, but sadly as most people know tearing the box open greatly decreases the value in the product so I had to leave them in their boxes for the pics I uploaded. What you can see from the photos though is that the detail very much captures the look of both characters as they were depicted in their NES days; right down to Mario's inverted red overalls to Link's very, um.. Christian shield. Not sure if the figures were made during the NES era or whether they were made later, but regardless of this particular fact the figures still very much show off the vintage detail of both characters. Both characters are mounted on stands too, so you would be able to stand them up without them getting toppled over.  Whoever designed these figures did an amazing job in my opinion. It's just a shame there weren't more characters to choose from! Although, if there were, that might of presented me with a greater problem and thus I would have never left the shop to see Notre Dame...

One more thing before I sign off. Whilst in the shop trying to make a choice, I saw a boy of about 8 to 10 years old. The boy put my faith back in humanity that day when he bought a Game Boy Colour for himself along with a copy of Pokemon Silver. Just goes to show the appeal that the Game Boy still has many years later with a different generation of kids bought up with tablets and smart phones. Man, I feel old! But it did put a smile on my face. Hope that kid manages to catch 'em all and feels what I felt playing that game for the first time.

Mickey Mania SNES Review

So I've just come back from Disneyland Paris. It was fantastic and awesome! Even if it was a bit cold too. Anyway, whilst travelling to Mickey Mouse Land I was playing some retro (shock!) Disney games on the way which I never had the chance to play before. One of the games I played which has received quite well was Mickey Mania for the SNES. I've mentioned this in my top 5 Disney games blog, but it did seem Disney had contracts with multiple companies until they eventually had their own game development studio. Mickey Mania was actually developed by Sony of all companies. So what did I make of this particular adventure starring the main Disney mouse (and trust me, there were quite a few in the 90s) well let's read on and find out!

It's a 2D platformer, as you'd expect from a mascot character starring in a video game in the 90s, and you play as the mouse himself. I have to admit the main reason I decided to try this particular Mickey game over others was the fact that the levels take place in various famous shorts starring the mouse over his incredible career; from the first level which sees Mickey platforming through the black and white docks of  his first short of Steamboat Willie right up to his most recent short and story at the time, The Prince and The Pauper. I haven't seen all of the shorts which Mickey stars in throughout the game, but the shorts I have watched seemed to have been nailed in the game; the presentation looks ace and captures the feel of the short very well. The first level of Steamboat Willie especially looks fantastic and is a great introduction to the game. The level itself is in monochrome and even contains other  characters found in the classic animation such as retro Mickey himself in his trademark pose of whistling on the  boat, to Mickey's arch nemesis, Pete! Pete is of course complete in his monochrome attire just like the retro Mickey. The game has done a fantastic job of converting the famous episode of the mouse into video game form.

Mickey also controls very well too, which is essential to the foundation to a solid platformer. Mickey feels pretty light and has quite a high jump, but at the same time is responsive and handles the way you'd expect. The animation on the mouse looks great too; in fact combining the way Mickey moves and the sublime art and presentation within the game it would of been one of the best looking platformers back in the day of the SNES. Levels not only look the part but play well and are differentiated well too. No one level feels the same. Different gameplay mechanics are brought into the various levels to keep them from getting stale. For example fast moving sections which require the player to react fast (similar to the mine cart stages in Donkey Kong Country). Nothing too mind-blowing for the time, its all mechanics which have been used in past 2D platformers but they do help keep the player invested in Mickey's quest. Even though the game looks like a cute cartoon starring one of the most child-friendly mascots of all time, don't be fooled. The game is pretty difficult. You'll find yourself dying quite a bit until eventually you learn the level and its obstacles. The game never feels unfair though, as I mentioned earlier control is tight and the levels aren't really full of bad mechanics such as tons of bottomless pits or one hit kill scenarios. Usually, when Mickey loses a life it is down to the player.

So yeah! I was glad I gave this particular Mickey game a go because it turned out to be a very good one. There were quite a few Mickey games scattered across the SNES and Mega Drive library back in the day. It was great to find a great game starring the famous mouse and I would happily play it again. Castle of Illusion, which is often cited as the one of the mouse's best works, still plays that little bit better (especially the remake), but for me this would definitely be my second choice of Mickey game to play right now. 

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Mega Man X Collection for Current Gen Consoles Announced!

So. It's finally happened! Capcom have finally made the decision to create a Mega Man X collection!! YES! YES! YES! Forgive me as the news as made me a little excited. I'm actually surprised its taken them this long to dedicate a collection to the X series as there have been multiple collections for the original Mega Man series over the years. And yes, I am aware of the X collection which was released for PS2, Gamecube and I believe Xbox some years ago now in the states but us over here in jolly old Britain and the rest of Europe never received such a collection, which was... annoying to say the least. I have to admit I'm really not the biggest ordinary Mega Man fan (you know the ordinary series which was released on the NES etc.) but I love the X series. In my opinion, the X series outshines the ordinary series in every way; but that's a discussion for a different time! If you've never played the series before then this collection will be a perfect introduction for you! If you have, and you've enjoyed it, then it goes without saying this will be a game definitely worth picking up for sure!

Game: Mega Man X Collection

Release date: Summer 2018 (Worldwide)

System: Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC

Predicted review score from critics: 8/10

Predicted score from myself: 9/10

What does the collection include then? Well according to various credible sources including Kotaku, the collection will include all of the Mega Man X games in the series. That's one through eight for those of you unsure how many Capcom cranked out back in the day. Starting with the first game which first came out to great praise from critics and gamers alike on the SNES back in 1993, right up until the eighth instalment which debuted in 2004 on the PS2! The series really did cover some gaming ground! As expected the game will be out for all of the current gen consoles including the Switch which means portable X action on the go! Apart from that we're not sure what else will be included with it. Maybe Capcom will include content such as early art work or concepts, maybe online leaderboards from speed runs etc. But as of yet that is all speculation.

I for one though am very much looking forward to this title. As I mentioned early, It's a collection which Capcom should of brought out a while ago now and it's a collection I've wanted for a while. But hey! Better late than never! The games themselves are very rare and expensive and most people haven't even played all of them, including myself. Some of them may not have hit the heights the original did back on the SNES but I'm still curious to play them in HD on my Switch and on the go!

Let me know what you guys and gals think by dropping me a message at: craig1.0@outlook.com 

Are you looking forward to this collection or are the only games worth playing in the franchise are the first 3? I would love to know!

Cheers everyone!

Stephensonite.

My Retro Gaming Merch #1: SNES Keyring

Name of Merch: SNES Keyring

Purchased from: HMV (UK)

Price: £3.00

So my latest little piece of merchandise which I bought the other day whilst taking a look in HMV was a flexible rubbery SNES keyring. My girlfriend actually spotted a gameboy one which she loved. But immediately after I spotted a PlayStation keyring followed by a SNES controller one which was the one I knew I wanted!

I know this piece of particular merchandise is nothing special, but I  actually did need a keyring as I wanted to replace the one on my car keys as it was a generic keyring stating the model of my car and the price I bought it for. Having the SNES keyring on my keys now though has brought a little more personality to my car! So yeah! As I said before, the keyring is made of a flexible rubbery material and feels of pretty good quality. The miniature keyring looks just like the multicoloured SNES controller all of us PAL region players grew up with. Its obviously just a keyring at the end of the day though and isn't any merchandise worth bragging too much about. However it does make a nice little addition to a bland set of keys, and if you're in need of a keyring these retro gaming keyrings do the job nicely; not to mention they're not too pricey either. I picked mine up from HMV but I'm sure there are many other stores which supply them.

Top 5 Disney Video Games

Number 5: Monsters Inc Scare Island

Console: PS1, PC, PS2

Year of release: 2001

Developer: Disney Interactive

The number five spot goes to a fairly unique 3D platformer. The game is also unique in another way in that it isn't just a simple copy and paste job from film to game in the sense that the game doesn't really follow the plot of Pixar's masterpiece movie.

The game takes place on a training facility for Monsters Inc new recruits.You play as either Mike or Sulley as they travel around the island and train themselves to be top scarers ready for their new careers at Monsters Inc. They do this by traditional 3D platforming whilst collecting pots of coloured ooze in order to scare the robotic children known as 'Nerves' which are essential for completing the level. Each are coloured coded, with blue coloured Nerves being the easiest to scare and red representing the toughest kids. The challenge in later levels is actually reaching the Nerves scattered about the level. Some can only be accessed when a certain other sub-objective is complete and some move with pace around a specific portion of a level. The objective of scaring the Nerves gives the game a unique feel. Most 3D platformers tend to follow the tried and tested Mario 64 method of clearing a specific objective and then grabbing the important item which follows. Scare Island's Nerve-scaring based objective combined with less of a focus on collectables seems to differentiate the game from other platformers of the time.

The gameplay and presentation is pretty solid too. Mike and Sulley have different abilities to each other and feel like they should. Mike is the more agile of the monsters but weaker, while Sulley is the slower of the two but can pack a punch. The graphics are pretty good for the time too, especially for the PS2 port. Mike does look a darker shade of green compared to his colour in the movie and Sulley does look a bit jagged in the PS1 version, but overall the graphics are solid. The music is also fantastic and diverse; the city levels especially stand out with the Jazz band in full force. The levels in the game are challenging and different to each other, no one level feels copied. In between levels are also races against the film's main antagonist, Randall, breaking up the 3D platforming even further. Scare Island is a fantastic 3D platformer keeping all the charm of the movie whilst adding something new in terms of the plot and mechanics of the game, earning it the number 5 spot on my list.

Number 4: Toy Story

Console: Sega Megadrive

Year of release: 1996

Developer: Travellers Tales

I'd like to start this particular section by stating if you've never seen the film this game is based on then I do feel immensely sorry for you. The film itself was a complete success when it came out back in 1996; amazing considering it was Disney's/Pixar's first foray in creating a computer animated film. Of course due to its over-whelming success, a video game was bound to follow.

Toy Story the game follows the traditions of late 80's and early 90's video games and is a 2D platformer. What makes Toy Story stand out from other 2D platformers however were the graphics and the fact the game made you feel just like...well, a toy! Lets start with the graphics then. Travellers Tales went for a computer animated look, mimicking what Rare managed to achieve with Donkey Kong Country in 1994. The graphical style very much suited the game though as the goal was to make it look like its older and more popular brother: the film. The graphics looked stunning for the time and each of the lovable characters from the film seem to flow smoothly and look just like their movie counterparts within the game. The gameplay itself was mostly a 2D platformer. But the game stood out from other generic 2D platformers as it included a variety of gameplay styles: from a top-down racer, to a first person 3D style perspective. It really did give the game variety and make it memorable from other simple cut and paste 2D platformers which were rampant during the time.

The game did a fantastic job of making the player feel like a toy and followed the movie's plot, only deviating from it when it could provide the player with a better gameplay experience. You take control as Woody, the cowboy... (you all know who Woody is, why am I bothering to explain it?) As he traverses across various locations looking for and keeping up with his rival counterpart, everyone's favourite space ranger, Buzz Lightyear! Most of the films famous locations are present and correct in the game: from Andy's Room full of recognisable lovable toys from the film, to Pizza Planet, Sid's Room and even the neighbourhood! Each of the locations feel large and are faithfully recreated. Each level has various objectives to complete too keeping them fresh and unique such as helping the toys back into their designated places in Andy's room or dodging spilt greasy burgers and stale fries as you navigate the gigantic arcade of Pizza Planet; being a toy has never felt so fun and adventurous. The game may not of had the breakthrough success the film managed, but it remains a solid film adaptation (not an easy feat) with critics and gamers alike. I personally had the game for the Megadrive and without a doubt was one of my favourite games for the system.

Number 3: Quackshot

Console: Sega Megadrive

Year of release: 1991

Developer: Sega

So it seems Disney had multiple fingers in multiple pies back in the 80's and 90's. Before they had their own gaming division, Disney Interactive, they had to rely on other developers to create their games for them. While most gamers are aware of their winning partnership with Capcom, most people tend not to forget the games they made with Nintendo rival, Sega. One of the first games Sega created to celebrate their exciting new partnership with the Mickey Mouse Company (literally), was a game called Quackshot starring, lets face it, the best of the original Disney mascots: Donald Duck!

The game itself has an Indiana Jones flavour to it as Donald literally don's an Indy-type outfit and sets out for a quest for the Great Duck Treasure! His quest takes him all over the world and locations, including Donald's home city of Duckburg, to Dracula's Castle in Transylvania and then to the South Pole. It keeps the game feeling fresh as the levels are so diverse taking place in a fictional universe (Duckburg), to real life countries and sites (Egypt). The gameplay is also on the strange side of 2D platformers. Donald is armed with a revolver-type weapon and collects various 'ammo' which he can use to overcome obstacles and defeat enemies with, playing at times like a side-scrolling shoot 'em up. I put the word ammo in quotation marks because the 'ammo' Donald uses, is well, different to say the least. Along the way Donald collects such ammo as various plungers which stun and stick to enemies and walls allowing the angry duck to scale and hold onto them in order to reach new and hidden areas; popcorn ammo which fires in a shotgun spread dealing great damage to enemies in close proximity; and bubblegum ammo which deals damage to enemies as well as breaking certain walls found in Dracula's Castle.

The game not only stands out due to the weapons and ammo Donald can use, but also because the game features multiple dungeons Donald needs to conquer in order to find stronger clues as to where the treasure is found which in turn allows him to traverse more areas of the map. At first only 3 places are open for exploration (Duckburg, Mexico and Translyvania), but that becomes more as Donald conquers the dungeons and challenges ahead of him in these areas. It really does feel accomplishing when you see brand new areas of the map open up to you. Particularly after tackling that bloody confusing great palace in Maharajah! All in all though, Quackshot is a brilliant video game in general and definitely one of Disney's best in my opinion. The only drawback I can think of is the game is quite lengthy and there is no way to save it. But hey, such were the problems back in the good ol' days of cartridge gaming. If you have or are planning to pick up a Mega Drive be sure to grab this game as its one of the best and unique platformers for the system!

Number 2: Aladdin

Console: Super Nintendo

Year of release: 1993

Developer: Capcom

When someone mentions Aladdin the video game they're usually talking about the one which Disney partnered with Virgin Interactive for (another developer Disney sided with!) the Mega Drive. But not me! I was aware of both games growing up. In fact it was due to the video games which made me so attracted to the movie; although there's no denying the movie is amazing in its own right. But for me personally there's no competition between the two versions: the SNES version was and always has been my favourite by quite a distance.

Capcom was no stranger at creating 2D Disney platformers at this point as they had been doing it since the NES days before Disney had their own Interactive division. At this point Capcom had it down to a science. Like most movie games it follows the film pretty faithfully. But its the overall control and presentation which was so charming. Aladdin may not have a sword in this version, but he's much more agile compared to the Mega Drive counterpart. Aladdin can hold onto ledges, sprint, flip like a trained acrobat and even glide using a rag! Aladdin always seemed like a semi-pro parkour artist in the movie and in the SNES version he seems to show of these skills here. The game may not be the most unique 2D platformer in the world, but it is certainly a very strong one. In addition to tight controls Aladdin is able to collect gems, standard platforming stuff, right? But instead of simply awarding Aladdin with an extra life when he has collected 100 gems, he's instead rewarded with an extra heart or hit point giving the game a sense of progression and strength as you journey throughout your adventure. Extra lives and credits can still be earned but only through participating in mini-games with the genie.

Presentation as mentioned before is fantastic. Aladdin visits the majority of the main locations from the movie and they all look spot on. Who can forget seeing the Sultan's palace in all its glory when Aladdin is jumping from the rooftops high above Agrabah? Or the music which first greets you as you start the first level of the markets of Agrabah? It may not be a familiar tune from the film but the original music score in this game is fantastic! The game is also a fairly simple platformer to get to grips with and complete, which could be seen as a negative point to some. But for me it seems to add replayability. Whenever I dust off my old SNES this is definitely one of the carts I dig out and play to completion. It's also worth noting that the cart does have a password system too, but as I said, one could complete the game within an hour or two. The SNES version may not have the fancy animated graphics which the Mega Drive game was blessed with as the game was animated by animators from the movie, and it may not feature as many hit songs from the film. But, the game for me personally has the best level design, control and overall presentation. This isn't just my 2nd favourite Disney game of all time, but would be in my top 5 SNES games of all time.

Number 1: Toy Story 2

Console: PS1, N64

Year of release: 2000

Developer: Travellers Tales

My number 1 Disney video game goes to the amazingly excellent Toy Story 2 for the PS1 and the N64. Although I've heard negative things about the N64 port, the version I had growing up was the Playstation one. It may be a 3D platformer, which during the late 90's and early 2000s were drowning with them, but Toy Story 2 is a 3D platformer which stands out and is one of the best platformers to grace Sony's debut console.

In the first Toy Story game you took control of Woody, in this game however you get to take control as the other main protagonist, Buzz Lightyear! Complete with all his gadgets and abilities; no more measly pull string whip for you Mr. Gamer! The fun of the game is taking control of Buzz as he uses his gadgets to find his now cowboy buddy, Woody. Buzz is able to utilise his laser, wings and feet as weapons. It gives the player options as to how Buzz can overcome enemies and obstacles. Buzz can even obtain more power-ups throughout his adventure adding even more to the space ranger's arsenal. From rocket boots to a higher-powered automatic firing green laser! It makes you wonder how players were happy to accept Woody's weak single attack in the last game!

All of the main locations from the film are present and correct in this version. From the wonder of exploring the rooms of Andy's house in 3D, from taking to the dark flooded back alleys of... actually, where does Toy Story take place? I actually have no idea! But anyway, the main point I'm trying to make is the fact there are so many different environments for Buzz to explore and all make the player feel like the vulnerable toy he is. Each level has 5 objectives or 5 pizza tokes for Buzz to complete/find. They are all the same type of objective on each level (collecting 50 coins, finding a set amount of items, finding a hidden pizza token etc.) but each level offers a differentiated way of fulfilling these objectives and combined with the difference of the level's environments makes fulfilling the objectives never getting too stale. The music is also fantastic and is full with a mixture of different genres, from grand orchestral scores, to jazz, to country and western. Each track compliments the level perfectly and adds to the atmosphere in addition to the overall presentation of the game; which again, is superb!

There are of course many, many games available for the PS1 but Toy Story 2 really does stand out as a competent and strong platformer. Buzz feels weighted and feels like he should, memorable characters are found throughout the game to aid Buzz in awarding him with Pizza Tokens, the challenge is just right opening the game to both younger children and older more experienced gamers and just... so much more. Too much to write in this list. Perhaps I'll do a more in-depth review of the game some day. But until then guys and girls all you need to know is Toy Story 2 is a fantastic 3D platformer and one of, if not the best for the system and certainly earns that number 1 spot on my list. If you have a PS1 you need to pick it up and play it even if you're not a Toy Story or Disney fan. It stands out as a solid 3D Platformer in its own right and you owe it to yourself to play it.




Thank you all for reading through my first blog post everyone! Please let me know your top Disney games by dropping me a message through: craig1.0@outlook.com
I realise this is my first blog post so if you do have any improvements or subjects you think of which I can cover next please drop me a message! After writing this blog post I feel I'm ready for my trip to Disneyland Paris in a few days time! And who knows, perhaps I'll post a blog about my little trip complete with photos and a few videos.

Thanks once again, everyone!


Stephensonite.

What my new blogs are all about!

Hey there all you lovely readers! I’m Stephensonite! Pleasure to meet you all and welcome to my all new blog posts! My blogs will be covering a wide range of retro subjects, but mostly it’ll be focused on gaming (both retro and modern, but mostly retro).

So what sort of things will I be covering? Well, quite a lot since you asked! But a taster of some of things will be:

• ·         Retro & latest gaming reviews
• ·         Info about retro gaming collecting (latest offers on rare retro games and where to get them from, pictures & info about my own gaming merch, history of rare games and more!)
• ·         Top 10s on various topics
• ·         Posts on retro TV shows and movies
• ·         History & background on various gaming subjects (Companies, characters and games).
• ·         Some of my own personal blogs linked into the subjects above

So there you go guys and gals, there’s just some of the stuff I’m going to cover throughout my blogging journey. Hopefully all you lovely people will enjoy what I post, but if you do have any suggestions I look forward to hearing them. To give you a taster of what my next post will be about, it’s Disney! I’m actually off to Disneyland Paris soon and the excitement of my upcoming trip has rekindled my enjoyment of all things Disney, especially the video games. So be sure to watch this space for my next Disney-themed blog post!

Cheers everyone!

Stephensonite (Craig).