My Smash for Switch Wish List

Hiya guys and gals! So as of late I've been hearing about various people from various websites start to mention, probably Nintendo's most popular franchise, Super Smash Bros which is due to be released on Ninty's newest console the Nintendo Switch. While it sure won't be released anytime soon, that hasn't stopped fans and gamers from talking about all sorts of aspects about the game, from potential new characters they'd like to see having a scrap to brand new modes of play. So that made me think of what I would like to see released in the new Smash. So here we go! A wish list regarding what I would like to see in the next Smash Bros game! In no particular order by the way.

A new Subspace emissary type mode

Lets face it, the last Smash Bros game which was released for the Wii U felt a bit of an empty single player experience due to the fact there wasn't an adventure mode which was present in the last two Smash games. And to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with the Subspace Emissary mode which featured in Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii. What I would love to see would be a fleshed out adventure mode containing levels from the Nintendo universe. The Subspace Emissary lacked due to the fact the levels were mostly comprised of generic levels: a zoo, a generic spaceship, generic grassy plains etc. Granted, there were one or two levels inspired by the Ninty universe, but these could of been better and were very few and far between. Wouldn't it be great to control Link throughout the Mushroom Kingdom or have Mario exploring the dark depths of Brinstar? It would be fantastic to have a woven storyline incorporating all of the various gaming characters the Smash franchise seems to include these days; the possibilities are all there for a captivating and entertaining story for a great single player, or heck, even multiplayer experience. In order for the next Smash game to be truly great I do believe it needs a great adventure mode again; another board game type mode like last time is just not good enough.

Customiseable move sets

I believe the time has come where players are able to choose from a range of moves they wish their favourite Smash fighter to have. For example, someone like Link makes the use of his bow when pressing the B button and nothing else, but what about if you could select something else in its place? How about a charge up hammer strike? With the use of the Megaton Hammer link could charge up his strike and then release to deal the damage! Or how about instead of pushing down and B to make Link reach for a bomb, he could instead reach inside his...um...inventory to pull out a random weapon which he could wield for a certain time before it broke (just like in Breath of the Wild). How about someone like Mario? Instead of pressing right and B on the controller to swish his cape, what about if instead it made him throw Cappy? Or how about changing his B move from using a fire flower to throwing out a question block, hitting that question block and then using one of the many power ups the plumber has used throughout the years? My ideas for moves for various characters could go on and on but I have to end it at some point! You get the idea though. I know creating an array of moves for all the characters would take time and effort regarding balancing the characters (not making them too over or under powered), but I feel it would be a great addition to the franchise and no one Character would feel the same. Even if you all were using Samus they would feel that bit different due to the moves the player has selected for her.

Better online play

The online play for the previous Smash title wasn't bad by any means but it could of been better. Nintendo has never been one for leading the way when it comes to online play but it would make Smash a sensational game if the online mode was given proper care and attention. Imagine having ranked modes under various rules and circumstances; from professional ranked matches which take place on Final Destination type stages to ranked matches for special rules such as giant smash or tiny smash. Nintendo could also host tournaments where the victor earns a certain reward the higher they climb up the tournament ladder. They could even host certain new event matches each week which players could partake in and even download them to the Switch in order to play them at a later date; the online possibilities with this game are many and I think it's time Nintendo started to exploit them.

Signing up more third party characters

To give credit to Nintendo I already think they have been hitting this particular objective, what with the likes of Sonic, Mega Man, Ryu and even popular characters such as Cloud from Final Fantasy VII! A game which wasn't even released for a Nintendo console! Most players expected to see him as a playable fighter in the PS3 game Playstation AllStars Battle Royale, but it seemed Nintendo had the last laugh signing him up as a playable fighter for their Smash franchise instead. It really is fantastic to see all of these iconic characters do battle with each other in familiar historic gaming arenas with the timeless music to fight along side it; it is an area Nintendo has done well and needs to continue to do so. There will always be multiple characters which fans will love to see in the next Smash instalment and Nintendo needs to continue to sign up as many famous gaming faces as they can as this will entice more gamers to play the game and the Smash community to grow.

Console Wars (Blake J Harris) book review

For this particular blog post I'd thought I'd do something a little different and review a book! Shock! Don't worry though, I haven't lost my head completely as the book is still about video games; the famous console battle between Nintendo and Sega to be precise. So is it a book worth picking up and reading on those spare moments you're not glued to your console screens? Let's find out shall we?

So as mentioned previously, the book is all about the events which happened in the late 80's leading up to the mid to late 90's; the famous battle between gaming powerhouse Nintendo and the cool newcomer, Sega. It ultimately tells the tale in great detail from various key people involved in 'the war', not just employees/employers of Nintendo & Sega but people from various companies and backgrounds who were involved in this important piece of gaming history. However, most of the story, and yes that's how how the book is set up, part novel and part factual history book, takes the Sega perspective of events as the 'main character' (if you want to call it that)Tom Kalinske, who became president of Sega Of America during this key point.

Console Wars definitely manages to differentiate itself from other history/factual written works as the majority of it is written as a story as previously mentioned. Harris went on dozens of interviews and trips to question the key players in order to gain the information they had and to understand what went on from their prospective. He then used the information he obtained to weave it altogether into a story. The book essentially tells the story of how Tom Kalinske became president of Sega of America (SOA) and how he lead the way in transforming the company into one of the most famous names associated with video games. The book spans across several years covering key events such as the creation of Sonic The Hedgehog, Sega's overtaking of Nintendo in terms of sales and market-share and the launch of the Saturn and its downfall plus more! The book isn't all about Tom Kalinske's and Sega's journey though. The book flips back and forward to multiple people who were instrumental during this time, such as Minoru Arakawa, Howard Lincoln and the rest of the Nintendo of America team to Olaf Olaffsson and his pioneering efforts to bring Sony on board into the video game market and ultimately go on to create the Playstation. There are so many first source stories and information contained in this book that even the most dedicated video game fans and historians will learn something new.

So that's what the book contains but is it any good? Does it translate well into a story? Are all the various viewpoints from different people make it too hard to read? Well I'm happy to report the book is very good. In fact I own quite a few gaming history books and I would say this one is my favourite precisely because it is told as a story rather than a generic historic documentary. And even though Harris flips back and forth between various people's viewpoints in the story, it still doesn't feel chaotic or hard to follow; it just feels like a story book with multiple characters helping to tell the same story. The book contains so much inside information that a gaming fan, especially one who loves either Nintendo or Sega.. or both, will very enjoy. The book goes in depth about some of the great and curious aspects of gaming such as how the employees of SOA had to battle against the employees of Sega of Japan  (SOJ) to create Sonic in the way he is known today, or the details of how Sega nearly patterned with Sony following Nintendo's rejection but ultimately just missed out or why Sega decided to use aggressive advertising; it's all here! It is a fantastic book filled with all the facts and events which Sega put in place to challenge Nintendo and how they did it.

In conclusion then, the book is a definite must have for any retro gaming fan or any gaming historian really. The book is laid out so well and documents the various events in so much detail that, for me personally, It is my favourite piece video game history documentation. The way it is written as a story just adds that extra flourish. If you've ever been interested in the great battle between Nintendo vs Sega then this book is a must have for your shelf!

Final score: 9/10

My Gaming Birthday Memories

Hi all! So, I thought I'd write a blog post a little bit more personal today seeing as though its the month of my birthday. During March, particularly on my actual birthday, it tends to make me very nostalgic which usually results in me playing as many retro games as I can within the day. I've been very lucky during the many birthdays I've had other the years as I've received multiple games and even one or two consoles over the years. So I'd thought that maybe I'd share a few of my very favourite memories with you guys and girls! There have been multiple games which have made an impact on me personally due to the memories which surround it in addition to the game itself being quality. For example, I have a few games which I always play at Christmas due to the original impact that game gave me at that time of year. I'm sure it's the same with a lot of you. So without further delay, let me share with you some of my personal best birthday gaming memories!

25/3/05 (16th birthday) - Sonic Mega Collection Plus

2005 was a time before retro games and re-release collections were a big thing. These days most companies have released a collection or two based on their popular characters and properties. One such collection I received for my 16th birthday was Sonic Mega Collection Plus for my original Xbox from my brother. Till this day this collection remains as one of my very favourites due to the amount of classic games included on the disk. It introduced me to so many of the classics which made Sonic the icon he is, particularly the Game Gear games. It was fantastic to have so many great games on one disk staring my absolute favourite character! Once I got this game I couldn't stop playing it for months! I remember having a football party on the weekend of my birthday and before the party I invited a bunch of mates down and we just played the various levels together on a bunch of the Sonic titles; it was great fun and we were very much all high on Coca Cola and chocolate to top the day off. God knows how we managed to play footy afterwards. Whenever I bring the landmine (the Xbox) down from my attic, this game is always a sure-fire thing I play. This was a particular good birthday memory for me as it was such a great collection, which as I said earlier was a bit more rare back then, and it starred my favourite character and so many great games in addition to bonus features such as art and entire issues of the Sonic The Hedgehog Archie comic series which I would read. It really was, and still is a great title to pick up if you're a Sonic fan.

25/3/98 (9th birthday) - Owning my own SNES

This one of my strongest nostalgic gaming memories for sure. I remember when I was younger than 9 seeing the SNES every now and again at gatherings or parties around my older cousins' houses; just seeing mind you, not playing. Me and my younger brother were usually the on-lookers as we were the younger children of the family. Every now and again we would get a few golden minutes on Super Mario World or challenge each other on Street Fighter 2, but usually we were the viewers, which I didn't mind too much. Anyway, on my 9th birthday my prayers were finally answered when my parents bought me a SNES of my very own! And not just a SNES either, but one with two controllers and multiple classic games! Including the likes of Mario World, Street Fighter 2, Starfox, Super Mario Kart, Turtles In Time and so many more! I was in love with it. Finally a SNES of my very own which I could play whenever I wanted to. I finally got explore the likes of Mario World at my own pace and defeat the evil M. Bison all by myself! And I got the chance to playthrough Bubsy... Whatever though! I was extremely pleased with my gift as it provided so many cherished memories playing with family and friends and ultimately cemented the console as my very favourite.

25/3/97-99 - My gaming parities

So the last big birthday memory I'd thought I'd share is probably the most strongest and well-loved of them all. From about 1997 to 1999 I used to host video game parties! I loved them and still remember them strongly now. Basically I would have about three TVs set up around various locations in our living room and each TV would be hooked up to a console I owned. The usual line up was the SNES, Mega Drive and NES. From there my friends were free to pick which console they would like to play and then, well, play! My parties became quite legendary and I eventually had about twenty people or so who would come round! Must of been manic for my parents but I'm so glad they put up with us all as this is one of my most fondest childhood memories, period. Heck, I'd love to do that now let alone thinking it was a neat idea when I was younger! It was just a great time loved by all as It had so many people who were close to me participating in the hobby which I adore: playing video games. Maybe for a birthday in the near future I will rekindle this particular memory by recreating these legendary parties I used to host.



Thank you for reading a slightly smaller but more personal blog post of mine guys and gals, it's much appreciated! Like I said earlier, I would love to hear some of your gaming memories too! We all have them and I really do enjoy hearing about them.

My Top 5 Gaming Consoles

Hey everyone! So I came across a feature in the UK magazine Retro Gamer the other day. The feature was on the public's top twenty video game consoles. Although I'm only doing my top five gaming consoles, the article inspired me to think of my favourite consoles and why they're my favourite. So here they are everyone, my top five favourite video game consoles! It doesn't matter when they were released as long as the primary purpose for the machine was for gaming. So without further ado lets get on with it!

Number 5: Xbox (original)

Release date:

To kick the list off then we have the massive console which was produced by the leviathan company Microsoft. Due to the 360's success, most people tend to forget about Microsoft's first ever foray into console gaming. Which is a shame due to the console's expansive library of games! Not only were Microsoft churning out classics due to partnering with several developer companies but there were a range of third party companies doing just the same. Who can forget the stellar first person shooter gameplay of Halo, or watching your hero grow in strength and age in Fable? Or maybe it was choosing your first lightsaber in Knights of the Old Republic. There really were stand out games for the system, and there were even fantastic games which came out for multiple systems at the time such as the Timesplitters series, the various GTA games, Spider Man 2, Max Payne and so much more. We can also thank the Xbox and its Xbox Live service for taking online gaming into the main stream. It was handled fantastically and once a person played Halo 2 for the first time online with others there was no going back. You didn't even really need a memory card to save your whole library of games, as the console came installed with an enormous hard drive! I must of had at least 20 games for the system with multiple save files and the Xbox could handle it without a sweat. Yes, the console and its accessories might have been bulky, but to me this gave me a sense of power! No console felt as powerful as the Xbox at the time. It was even more powerful than the Nintendo wii, a next generation console. It took me a while to think of my number five favourite console but when I look back at what the Xbox did for modern gaming and the games which were available for the system, for me it has to be the console which takes the spot.

Number 4: Playstation

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Who could of predicted just how well Sony's first console did. It really did bring gaming into the mainstream and appealed to the masses. It also had a incredibly expansive library containing some classic games: Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Resident Evil and the Final Fantasy series all really became popular due to this boheimeth! It was also a system which seemed ahead of its time due to using CDs and having the ability of displaying FMV. The controller was and still is one of the best to play with in my opinion too. But of course any console is defined by the games which are available for it, and boy did the PlayStation have some games! They had stand-out games for almost every genre. Thanks to the PS1's powerful 3D rendering hardware, niche genres such as survival horror and stealth shooters even began to shine and make itself known to the average player. When I personally think of the Playstation I think of a time when gaming was beginning to grow up and was able to entice people who never fancied playing a video game before. It was the beginning of a time when talking about and playing video games were the cool thing to do.

Number 3: Nintendo 64

Release date:

If there was one console which had one of the smallest gaming libraries but one of the biggest impacts on the gaming scene, then it has to be the N64. It might of been a console which was knocked down into second place by the Playstation (a position Nintendo certainly weren't used to) in terms of units sold, but good lord, the games it had were some of the best games in the world and were only available on the N64. Many exclusive games the console had either pioneered a specific genre or were masterpieces of the genre. Super Mario 64, Goldeneye, Lylat Wars. Ocarina of Time, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Mario Kart 64: all of these games either rewrote the book on how their specific genre should be played or were just damn fantastic. Even until this day, Ocarina of Time remains my very favourite video game of all time and Goldeneye remains my favourite FPS. And although some part of this may be due to nostalgia, the fact that I still play these games frequently and still get enjoyment out of them too must prove that there are something else to these classics. Even if you are not the biggest Ninty fan, you would still have to admit the influence this console had on 3D gaming was incredible. Again, it may not have a big library, but thanks to the meteoric efforts of Nintendo and Rare those were the only games you really needed for the system. In fact, I'm off to complete Goldeneye on 007 mode right now as I've never been able to complete it.

Number 2: Sega Mega Drive

Release date:

The silver trophy then goes to the first major 16-bit system on the list: the Sega Mega Drive also known as Genesis in the states. The Mega Drive proved that there was room for more than one console on the market and proved that the underdog was capable of winning. If that wasn't enough, Sega also managed to create my favourite fictional character, Sonic The Hedgehog. A load of games available on the system had a sort of 'edge' to them and seemed to appeal to the more older gamer. Sega's mascot character seemed to embody this feel as Sonic was all about his attitude and speed. I'm sure most people are aware of Sonic's games for the system; at this point I would love to know how you've managed to avoid them since they're literally available on practically every console and device! But the Mega Drive had a library of games available for the system, both exclusive and titles which were available on other consoles at the time which were fantastic to play. In my opinion a few of the Mega Drive's games beat their SNES rivals such as Streets of Rage compared to Final Fight, where I believe Streets of Rage is the clear winner. Other exclusive classics include gems such as Golden Axe, Toejam & Earl, Castle of Illusion, Outrun, Comix Zone and many more. Not to mention the Sonic The Hedgehog games which managed to topple the mighty plumber back in the 90's! The Mega Drive really is a system which did a lot for gaming and provided me with tons of memories and my favourite hedgehog! And for that reason it is my second favourite games system ever.

Number 1: Super Nintendo

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The majority of you might be thinking ' oh, the SNES at number 1 how original.' But for me there really is no other video game console which deserves the gold award. The amount of classic, ground-breaking games for the system just can't be ignored. Playing these games with the innovative controller also aided the player in feeling in complete control; who could of played the likes of Super Mario Kart and Street Fighter 2 without those shoulder buttons? Who can forget the legendary launch day line up too! What a game to launch with! Of course I'm referring to Super Mario World; still my very favourite Mario game to this day. The 2D platforming gameplay was flawless and the amount of secrets included within the game still beats many modern Mario titles today. Add that to the fact you get Yoshi too and you pretty much will be experiencing a pioneer of its genre and one you won't forget quickly. Mario maybe Ninty's mascot, but there were just a whole catalogue of legendary games for the system. Link to the Past crafted the pen-ultimate action RPG and really provided the series with the backstory and mythos of Hyrule; not to mention it created the framework which every Zelda game would follow for many years to come. Street Fighter, Turtles in Time, Super Metroid, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario Kart, Star Fox, Donkey Kong Country; you name a genre and more than likely the SNES could provide a classic for that genre. The SNES was such a triumph it even managed to last throughout the 32 and 3D bit era thanks to the chips and hardware installed onto the console. For many, many gamers this console would be at the number one spot, hence why I had a little dig at myself for an unoriginal first place spot. But it really just goes to show the impact the SNES had on the gaming community. The Mega Drive maybe my second place console and did a good job at rivalling Nintendo, but for me there is quite a stretch between second and first place. I'm very confident that for as long as I play video games no console will come close to producing ground-breaking and genre-defining games as the Super Nintendo did. I still play on my original console to this day and still have as much fun with all the games available for it as I did when I first got my own SNES back in 1998. The games and the console, to me, are timeless and will forever be remembered in the history of gaming. It's for all of these reasons and its impact it still has on me until this day that the console remains my number 1 favourite.

Game Of Fame #1: Super Mario Bros.

Game Of Fame: Super Mario Bros.

Console: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Year: 1985 

Hi all! So, I've decided to start a new series of blog posts which I have dubbed 'Game Of Fame'. Basically these posts will be focusing on a range of amazing video games across all the generations of consoles explaining what made them amazing and why they still resonate with gamers till this day. Quite basic to understand really, but hopefully there'll be a few useful facts in there along the way to impress you and the ladies... Anyway! There was only ever going to be one game on this list to start the series off with and that's a small game called Super Mario Bros.

Back in the 80's, players, especially home console owners, weren't used to playing games which lasted a long period of time and consisted of multiple screens. Seeing a colourful array combined with a world which would move with the character on the screen very much captured the attention of players at the time. Although there were side-scrolling platformers before Super Mario Bros, the game very much set the standard of what a truly spectacular 2D platformer should be. Where to even begin though as to why this game deserves such praise? Probably with the gameplay itself. SMB still stands as a brilliant game to control; which is vital for any game, especially a platformer where control is everything. The player is able to influence the direction Mario falls to the ground whilst he is in midair. The player can also perform a longer jump if Mario is running and the player presses the jump button. Mario feels like he should and has momentum when he should and thus making the player feel more enveloped in the game because of the feeling of control they have over him.

So, Super Mario Bros was a pretty huge deal back in the mid to late 80s. Created by the Walt
Disney of Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario of course first appeared in Nintendo's first big break, Donkey Kong which he sort of made himself known to the public. Afterwards, his brother Luigi joined the fray in the arcade game Mario Bros which was released in 1983. After Nintendo knew the key to the future lay in home consoles, Miyamoto was challenged once again of coming up with a blockbuster game; something which was going to make the Famicom, and eventually the NES, fly off the shelves and become incredibly popular with kids. Unfortunately they didn't achieve this, they created something much better beyond what they originally envisioned: Super Mario Bros.

What really set the game apart from others, and are even mechanics which gamers enjoy about Mario till this day, are the power-ups and the secrets; every Mario title worth their salt needs them. Collecting the various power-ups in the game gave Mario stronger abilities which he could use to his advantage. From making obstacles and levels easier to clear to finding secrets due to having a certain power-up and using its abilities. Every power-up had a purpose aside from giving Mario an extra hit and made the player seek them out whenever they could. Another thing players would seek which were still quite unique in video games at the time were secrets. Secrets played a massive part in SMB and really still continue to do so. From exploring the thick green pipes which protrude from the ground and take you to the dark caverns below, or starting an underground level and breaking the bricks up top to access the hidden warp zones scattered; never before has a game challenged you to look and explore everywhere! You never know, you might come across a secret extra life shroom (or 1up as its known to the Mario enthusiasts) if you jump in the right place. These unique aspects to the game really did set it aside from other platformers at the time and still make the game hugely replayable to this very day.


The presentation of the game also shines. Of course now it looks dated, its bound to! Yet there is still a charm to it. The game is full of colour and don't get me started on the music in the game! Each theme used has become legend and very familiar to gamers the world over. The music just compliments the level design incredibly. The levels which take place above the ground have bouncy, happy, and not to mention addictive rhythm to it. On the other side of the scale the levels taking place underground are very ominous and minimal making the player feel a bit on edge and lost in the dark. The music just further cemented the game as being an all-time masterpiece. SMB could also be played with two players. Remember Mario's brother Luigi we mentioned earlier? Well he is the second player's main man. Having a two player mode just helped in regards to including others and sharing the fun with a sibling or friend. Again, multiplayer games were still quite uncommon and to share a game with someone of this size was certainly something back then, and is still a great two player game to play today.


There were many reasons as to why this game deserves to be a 'Game of Fame' in my opinion, let alone my first game I decided to write about in this particular series of blogs. But I think the main reason it deserves that accolade (if you can really name it that), is because it broke a lot of new ground back when it was released and still holds up as a legitimate amazing game to play. It's simple in its design and core gameplay which attract people who have never played a video game before, but its also difficult to master! Try speed running the game and you'll know what I mean. But as I just mentioned, the reason why it deserves to be a Game of Fame in my opinion is that it still holds up great today. Children can pick up and play this game right now and they are guaranteed to have a brilliant time; its timeless, just like the first Star Wars will be watched by children over multiples of generations, so to will Super Mario Bros be played on a variety of different consoles and formats. Although, In my opinion, Super Mario Bros managed to achieve something Star Wars didn't: It made video games a legitimate form of entertainment and started an industry worth billions today. When historians look back on video games and when the industry first started to become popular and relevant, they will look back at this game and most will agree, including myself, that this is the game which did it. That is why Super Mario Bros. is a Game of Fame!




Thank you so much for reading my first blog post in this series, guys and gals. Let me know what you think of Super Mario Bros. too! Do you think it deserves the praise it still gets or has it become very dated and over-rated? (Unintentional rhyme, there). Would love to know what you all think!