All-Time Most Popular Games Tagged 'casual, Pocket' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/games/popular/alltime/casual/Pocket/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss ]]> All-Time Most Popular Games Tagged 'casual, Pocket' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg All-Time Most Popular Games Tagged 'casual, Pocket' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/games/popular/alltime/casual/Pocket/?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss ]]> en-us Super Mario 64 The first well made three dimensional platformer of it's day Super Mario 64 still ranks among the genre's finest. Perhaps its a sad commentary on the once dominant game-type but Mario's seminal 3D game still holds up to this day-provided you don't attempt to play it using the DS' stylus pen: increasingly rare DS thumb-strap for the win! Not to worry though if you managed to snag a Nintendo Wii you can set aside your GI Joe esque Kung-fu grip and use either your wavebird or classic pad to experience SM64 the way it was meant to be played.
]]> 28 Nov 2006 06:04:04 Wii Sports Tell us about your game here
]]> 30 Nov 2006 07:58:26 Super Monkey Ball Fred Durst isn't the only one who's "Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'" these days. Sega has a gang of madcap monkeys ready to roll into the mix, in a zany racing/action/minigame extravaganza for Nintendo GameCube called Super Monkey Ball.

Accurately titled, Super Monkey Ball challenges players to control cute little monkeys who run around in transparent balls not unlike hamster balls. That the monkeys, balls and tracks all look great even in the midst of split-screen frenetic action is a terrific tribute to the Nintendo GameCube's processing power.

Lovingly "borrowed" from nintendo.com until i have free time!
]]> 22 Jan 2007 09:55:57 Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros is a classic game of Nintendo. It revolves around rescuing a kidnapped Princess by an evil creature named Koopa. Mario and Luigi must help each other to succeed in their mission and save the Toadstool Kingdom.
]]> 30 Dec 2006 07:27:55 F-Zero F-Zero is a futuristic fast-paced racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was first released in Japan on November 21, 1990 and later in North America on August 13, 1991 and in Europe on June 4, 1992. Its success led to a series of games for multiple Nintendo consoles, handhelds, and arcade. This game has been confirmed to be downloadable for the Virtual Console service for Wii.[1] Like all Virtual Console games, Nintendo has confirmed that F-Zero will be faithfully reproduced in its original form.[2]

F-Zero was the first SNES title to pervasively use a special hardware feature of the SNES called Mode 7 that allowed different kinds of scaling and rotation effects, which F-Zero used to simulate 3D environments. Such techniques in games were considered to be revolutionary in a time when most games were restricted to static/flat backgrounds and 2 dimensional (2D) objects. A direct sequel for the SNES was cancelled due to the impending release of the Nintendo 64. The unfinished game was instead released for the Satellaview attachment of the Super Famicom in Japan under the name BS F-Zero Grand Prix.[3]
]]> 13 Jan 2007 02:58:18 Lemmings Lemmings, a computer game developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North) and published by Psygnosis in 1991, was one of the most popular computer games of its time. Several games magazines of the time awarded the game maximum review scores.

Psygnosis, also known for the Wipeout series, had its greatest success in Lemmings. Famously, the concept for Lemmings came from an animation created by Mike Dailly over a lunchtime, to prove a point about how small a character could be on screen. [1]

The game was unique and based around a concept previously untried. In the original Commodore Amiga version, there are 120 levels, and on each level, the player must guide a group of up to 100 lemmings (or 80 in many versions, such as DOS and Windows) home by giving individual lemmings various commands. The "lemmings" of the game are small, green-haired humanoid beings that mindlessly walk en masse into any danger in their path, following the popular myth that real lemmings behave in a similarly suicidal fashion.

Of the numerous sequels the only one to achieve the success of the first was Lemmings 2: The Tribes, which added twelve specialist tribes of lemmings, each with their own type of level and specialist workers.

The game briefly gave rise to a new genre, described in magazines at the time as the "save 'em up", a joking reference to other popular genres like beat 'em up and shoot 'em up.


Source: wikipedia.com
]]> 15 Jan 2007 07:43:50 Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Kyle Katarn, savior of the Valley of the Jedi, must once again wield the force to save the galaxy from the evil empire. While investigating a far-away imperial outpost, Kyle discovers a sinister plot to imbue Imperial soldiers with the force. And to top it all off, he has to re-learn all of his force powers as he goes.
]]> 22 Jan 2007 10:36:44 Starfox 64 Fox McCloud, son of James McCloud, will follow in his father's footsteps as the leader of team starfox. His wingmates, Peppy the Hare, Falco Lombardi, and Peppy Toad will fly by his side, aiding him in the fight against an evil dictator trying to control the Lylat System, and it's capital: Corneria.

Starfox 64 was a legend in it's time. And is still regarded today as the best Starfox game to date. The game featured multiple campaign paths to choose from depending on your skill and what secrets you unlock along the way, and wingmates that seemed almost real to you. Starfox 64 is a gem, and still fun to play today.
]]> 22 Jan 2007 11:26:14 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 The first game available on the PS2 and Xbox (though it was still available on the PS1 and N64). Graphics upgrades were very noticeable due to the hardware change, but this game also introduced the manual, to allow players to rack up even bigger combos!
]]> 12 Feb 2007 05:58:49 Mariokart DS The simplistic, yet zany racing style of mariokart, coupled with Nintendo's free wi-fi online service...there's really not much more to say here. Mariokart DS is the latest edition in the long running series of racing titles from Nintendo. Play as Mario, Peach, Bowser, and more in this exciting portable edition of Mariokart.
]]> 24 Jan 2007 01:06:36 Star Wars: TIE Fighter Published by: LucasArts
Developed by: Totally Games
Genre: Space simulation
Number of players: 1
Release date: 1994, 1995

It is a time of chaos in the Empire. Rebel factions strike from hidden bases, pirates plunder unsuspecting civilian spacecraft, and traitors plot behind the Emperor's back. You, a rookie pilot in the Imperial Navy, must rise to action for the glory of the Empire and the good of all mankind.

The player's character is unnamed (however, in sources outside the game, name is Maarek Stele), but features such notable Star Wars characters as: Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and even Admiral Thrawn from the books.

Star Wars: TIE Fighter is somewhat of a sequal to Star Wars: X-Wing, however this time the player is the "bad guy." With various objectives ranging from destroying pirates and Rebels to flying wingman for Darth Vader himself, TIE Fighter offers a great deal of enjoyment for those who love the Star Wars universe.

Gameplay involves managing your weapons/engine/shield (if available) systems while dogfighting enemy spacecraft or attacking larger capital spaceships. Additionally, missiles are limited (if even available), so must be used carefully. Because this is the side of the Empire, the fighters you will be flying initially are very vulnerable to damage. Two or three hits to your TIE Fighter and you're toast, and destroying shielded enemy Rebel fighters in such a craft can be challenging.

Mission objectives are crucial to completing stages of the game, and advancing the storyline. Additionally, there are optional bonus objectives, which influence the secondary advancement in the Emperor's secret order.
]]> 24 Jan 2007 07:45:12 Final Fantasy X Final Fantasy X is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. It is the tenth installment in the Final Fantasy series and the first game of the series to be released on the Sony PlayStation 2. Introduced in 2001, it was once among the top twenty best-selling console games of all time. It was also voted by the readers of the Japanese video game magazine Famitsu to be the greatest video game of all-time.[2] Set in the fantasy world of Spira, the game's story centers around a group of adventurers and their quest to defeat a rampaging force known as "Sin".

The game marks the Final Fantasy series' transition from entirely pre-rendered backdrops to fully three-dimensional areas, achieved with the PlayStation 2’s Emotion Engine processor. Though pre-rendered backgrounds are not entirely absent, their use has been restricted to less vibrant locations, such as building interiors.[3] Final Fantasy X is the first in the series to feature a wide range of realistic facial expressions, as well as other technological developments in graphical effects achieved, such as variance in lighting and shadow from one section of a character's clothing to the next.[4] Final Fantasy X is also the first in the series to feature voice-over actors, as well as the first to spawn a direct sequel, Final Fantasy X-2.

Final Fantasy X introduces other significant advances in the Final Fantasy series. For instance, because of the implementation of voice-overs, scenes in the game are paced according to the time taken for dialogue to be spoken,[4] whereas previous games in the series incorporated scrolling subtitles. Final Fantasy X features changes in world design, with a focus placed on realism. The gameplay makes a significant departure from past games as well, incorporating several new elements.
]]> 24 Jan 2007 08:54:29 Tomb Raider The beginning of long running franchise originally released on PS1 our Heroine Lara Croft runs around killing dinosaurs and saving the world all in a skimpy outfit. The game spurned two movies thus far staring Angelina Jolie. What's not to like?
]]> 29 Jan 2007 01:30:45 Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is the third installment in the Ghost Recon series. The game marks the return of Captain Mitchell and this time he is equipped with the most advanced technology to be fielded for infantrymen.

The year is 2013 where a landmark transnational security agreement is being signed by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Elements opposed to this agreement have ambushed the meeting and have started a military coup to overthrow the Mexican government. Command your squadmates, armored vehicles, and close air support assets with ease and see what they see with your Crosscom to stop the insurgency and return Mexico to its citizens.

Battle in the streets of Mexico City, its outskirts, and various locales all rendered from real-world counterparts

GRAW also features an intense multiplayer for up to 16 players on Xbox Live with customizable gametypes and Coop mission campaign available only on multiplayer.
]]> 29 Jan 2007 06:52:13 Meteos Most of the action takes place at the bottom screen of the DS unit (the section referred to as the atmosphere). Blocks ("Meteos") fall down from the top of the screen and start to form stacks. The player can move blocks up and down in a stack using the stylus, or alternatively by using the control pad and A button.

The player aims to line up three or more matching blocks. When a horizontal or vertical row of at least three blocks is formed, the row of blocks will ignite and turn into a kind of tiny rocket engine. The rocket then pushes the blocks above it towards the top of the screen. To lift a large amount of blocks, additional rows of blocks must be formed in a quick succession (secondary ignition). Also, if an ignited pile of blocks falls back down and, in doing so, causes another set of blocks to ignite, the pile will boost back up again, wider than before. This is called a step jump.

The goal of the game is to lift blocks past the top of the bottom screen, turning them into sparks at the top screen (orbit). If any column of unignited blocks grows beyond the top of the bottom screen and is not dealt with, it's game over (annihilation). When a stack of blocks gets dangerously high, the stack will flash and the game will sound a warning signal, until either the game ends or a quick action by the player averts the disaster.
]]> 30 Jan 2007 11:02:14 SimCity 2000

Overview


SimCity 2000 was published in 1993 by Maxis. The game included many innovations over its predecessor, SimCity. The perspective of the game shifted from top-down to isometric, giving cities a new look. Cities could be rotated and viewed from different angles. The terrain now had elevation. Many new kinds of transportation and infrastructure were introduced. Variable generated newspapers were created, which features articles about recent inventions and disasters, as well as opinion-polls. The game also allowed for the development of custom content, through an external utility called SimCity Urban Renewal Kit, or SCURK.


Gameplay


The game begins with the player either using a random terain, or terraforming their own through several tools. After the God-mode phase is finished, now a staple in all SimCity products, players are asked to select a difficulty level and begin constructing their city. The difficulty levels impacted starting wealth, starting loan and the disaster frequency. Players then construct their cities from a variety of infrastructure and zones, balancing their budget. There is no set up objective, and the game never ends.

Other Notes


SimCity 2000 Network Edition was published 3 years later with the ability to play on-line. Similar to SimCity 4, players could buy and sell resources, as well as construct region wide transportation networks.

The SimCity 2000 Special Edition is packaged with SCURK.

SimCity 2000 cities can be imported into SimCity 3000.

SimCity 2000 can also be used to construct custom cities for use in the games Sim Copter and Streets of SimCity.
]]> 02 Feb 2007 03:25:57 WarioWare, Inc - Mega Microgames WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! is a video game for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2003 and in North America on May 26, 2003. In this game, Wario creates a game software company called WarioWare, Inc. and asks some of his friends to help him make video games. The player must test the games they create by playing them.
]]> 13 Feb 2007 12:54:30 Mario Kart Double Dash!! Take all the crazy action of the celebrated Mario Kart series.. and multiply it by two! In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, each kart holds two racers that can switch places at any time, so choose from a huge cast of favorites and pair them up any way you see fit!
]]> 02 Feb 2007 08:57:56 Super Smash Bros. Melee A huge cast of classic Nintendo characters come together in an all out brawl. Crazy multiplayer fun and a different fighting system from most fighting games makes Smash Bros a genuinely fun game.
]]> 26 Nov 2006 01:15:27 Caesar III Caesar III is a mission-based city-builder where you are the Governor. In each progressive mission, you are assigned certain goals, usually a target population and target scores in the various categories in which your performance is rated, including the prosperity and culture level of your people and your favor with the emperor. To its credit, Caesar III gives you two territories to choose from at each subsequent level. In most cases, the difference between these two areas is how much hostility you will face, allowing those who want to concentrate on development to stick to the peaceful provinces, and those who want to battle it out with the game's combat to venture into the war-torn areas.
]]> 26 Jan 2007 05:23:44 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Classic 8-bit NES boxing game, pitting you (Little Mac) against a colorful cast of the worlds greatest fictional heavyweight champions. After a long 13 man battle to an epic 8-bit sound track, and across 3 ranked circuits, Little Mac must ultimately come face to face with Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream in The Dream Fight. With a little help from Doc, your insightful trainer, you might indeed become the heavyweight champion fighter!

Use the D-Pad to dodge left and right, to aim high or duck down low to block oncoming punches. A and B jabs left and right, while pressing Select makes use of your Star-powered uppercut!
]]> 31 Jan 2007 06:18:35 Donkey Kong Country Donkey Kong Country is a video game developed by Rare and Nintendo, featuring the popular arcade character, Donkey Kong. It was released for the SNES and Super Famicom in 1994. It has recently been ported to the Virtual Console on the Nintendo Wii.

It was produced by Tim Stamper. This was the first Donkey Kong game that was not produced or directed by Shigeru Miyamoto .
]]> 12 Feb 2007 01:59:14 Tony Hawk's Undeground MASSIVE departure for the series. New completely free-roam style throughout levels and beefed story mode make this almost a completely different game.
]]> 12 Feb 2007 06:26:34 Day of Defeat Day of Defeat is a FPS style gamed themed about WWII with emphasis on the fight between the Axis (Germany) and the Allies (USA and UK). Combat takes place in several locations presumably in Germany. The main style of play is detonating targets with TNT. Each side has 5 main types of soldiers: Assult and Support to name a few. Each type has their own specialty from sniper to machine gunner. Once you die you must wait a certain length of time then you are placed back in your spawn location and allowed to rejoin combat.
]]> 23 Jan 2007 07:07:55 The Sims An entire world of Sims awaits your quirky command. It's your neighborhood, they're your Sims, and whether they prosper or perish is completely up to you!
]]> 30 Dec 2006 07:44:33 Aliens Versus Predator What do you get when you cross two intense action movies? ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, that's what. In this hybrid of the two blockbuster films, you play the role of a Predator that has descended on the planet Vega 4 in order to pursue your favorite pastime: hunting humans. But instead of people, you discover hordes of nasty Aliens that are just as determined as you are to destroy all life forms. So the hunt begins as you go up against Alien drones, warriors, chest-bursters, and face-huggers on your new quest to kill the Alien Queen. You'll have to utilize all the advanced Predator technology at your disposal as you fight your way through wave after wave of Aliens on your way to your ultimate prize.

From IGN
]]> 08 Feb 2007 07:03:22 Roller Coaster Tycoon Build a theme park that makes all your guests happy. The object is to complete scenarios within certain guidelines in "x" number of years as well as keeping the guests happy along the way and maximizing profits. The game is 2D but extremely addicting.
]]> 29 Jan 2007 03:38:01 Mario Bros. Mario Bros. was originally released in 1983 as an arcade game and was later ported to consoles.
]]> 09 Feb 2007 03:21:47 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Looking for Bagu? Try the woods, and if you survive you'll find an overlooked classic truly ahead of it's time. Upon release, Zelda 2 was much maligned for deviating from an established formula: instead of the top down view of the original, Zelda 2 shook things up quite a bit by not only shifting to a side-scrolling perspective, but also adopting a myriad of role playing elements.

The fact that the game is brutally difficult in comparison to Zelda 1 didn't help to enhance the game's popularity but if you can get past that you'll be rewarded with deep gameplay and a rewarding sense of accomplishment and a game that would seem to have inspired many more contemporary 2D rpg-lite games such as Symphony of the Night.
]]> 28 Nov 2006 12:23:57 Dungeon Siege Siege The Day!

Dungeon Siege combines the immersive elements of a role-playing game with over-the-top intensity and non-stop action. Dungeon Siege plunges you into a continuous 3D fantasy world where you face off against an army of evil that has been unleashed.

You begin as a humble farmer, and as you travel through the world and gain new skills, you can gather a party of up to eight characters to aid you. Dungeon Siege impels the player into one over-the-top battle after the other as the storyline unfolds and a larger plot begins to reveal itself.

A world of adventure where you can explore sprawling landscapes in a seamlessly unfolding story awaits...
]]> 27 Dec 2006 09:01:25 Donkey Kong Country 3 Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is the third and final installment in the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy. It was developed by Rareware, distributed by Nintendo, and released in late 1996 for the Super NES/Super Famicom. The game was also ported over to Game Boy Advance and released in November 2005.
]]> 12 Feb 2007 02:10:45 Crash Bandicoot Crash Bandicoot is a platform game made by Naughty Dog in 1996 for the PlayStation, featuring the character by the same name. In it, Crash must fight Dr. Neo Cortex's henchmen in order to save Tawna, his beloved bandicoot girlfriend for revenge on Cortex.

Evil dr. Neo Cortex and his sidekick dr. Nitrus Brio have captured Crash and his girlfriend Tawna to experiment on them. Crash was rejected as a failiure, but Tawna is still at the clutches of evil scientist Cortex. It is up to Crash to rescue her.

In Crash' first appearance on the Playstation, you must run, jump and spin your way through this part 3D platform/part Side Scroller/part Mario 64 style adventure.
]]> 03 Mar 2007 02:03:56 Commander Keen Vol. 4
Moby Games said,
This is the first of the two episodes of the second series of Commander Keen called "Commander Keen: Goodbye, Galaxy!"

In this episode you, again, play the role of Billy Blaze, an 8 year-old genius who's already managed to bring the Vorticons' invasion to a stop. This time, Billy receives an interstellar transmission while working on a Photachyon Transceiver (a radio that can receive signals anywhere in the galaxy). While the transmission is choppy, Billy manages to figure out that the galaxy is once again in danger, and sets out to bring and end to the Shikadi's evil plans.
]]> 30 Nov 2006 03:23:20 Pokemon Yellow Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition is the fourth game in the Pokémon video game series in Japan, and the third in North America and Europe. It was released on the Nintendo Game Boy and features Super Game Boy and Game Boy Color enhancements. The game follows Pokémon Red, Blue and Green versions. Yellow, like the other 8-bit Pokémon games (Red, Blue, Gold, Silver, and Crystal), is not compatible with the newer Advance generation games.

The game was released in Japan on September 12, 1998 and is known as Pocket Monsters Pikachu . It was released in North America on October 1, 1999 and was called Pokémon: Special Pikachu Edition by Nintendo. In both regions, the games are often referred to by fans as simply Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Yellow Version, or Pokémon Pikachu. The name (and Pikachu on the cover) is due to the fact that Trainers get Pikachu as their starter Pokémon (like Ash Ketchum did in the animated series). The game was very successful; it became the top-selling handheld game for weeks and entered the Guiness Book of Records in 2001.
]]> 19 Feb 2007 04:59:45 Super Mario World Super Mario World is most likely the best 2D adaptation of the Mario universe. Player's will guide Mario across the world map, unlocking secrets, and fighting the evil koopalings to defeat Bowser. Along the way, Mario will be aided by a variety of special power ups like the Cape and colored Yoshi's. This is an incredibly deep and enjoyable game that almost anyone can get into.
]]> 26 Jan 2007 10:31:41 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) is about the return of Sega's mascot, Sonic and introduction to the blue hero's friend, sidekick and surrogate brother Miles 'Tails' Prower.
Dr Eggman/Robotnik is at it again, attempting to take over the world with his army of robots (each one containing one of Sonic's captured friends as before), a deadly new weapon, the Death Egg and now he just needs the seven Chaos Emeralds to complete his plan. Naturally, Sonic simply can't stand by and let this happen, so he goes after the Doctor again, with Tails in tow to retrieve the Emeralds and put a stop to Robotnik's plan.
Sonic 2's gameplay is vastly similar to that of Sonic's previous adventure, a simple run and jump play-style while still maintaining the speed aspects of Sonic 1. It also introduced new opportunities of play with the introduction of Tails, such as the memorable Sky Chase Zone and the fact that Tails could spin his trademark twin-tails and fly, though players were not given control of Tails' unique ability until Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994). Sonic 2 also deviated from the rotating maze-style Special Zone of Sonic 1 and introduced a half-pipe style Special Zone where the player can retrieve a Chaos Emerald, a format still used in modern Sonic games such as Sonic Heroes. And this was the also the first that really introduced an incentive for collecting the Emeralds; Only when you had all of the Emeralds could you see the real ending (as in Sonic 1) AND transform into Super Sonic who was much faster and invincible as long as you kept collecting those rings. It was also the first Sonic game to introduce a multiplayer mode, where you could either race a friend in split-screen mode, or your friend could jump into the main adventure and control Tails any time.
Sonic 2 is well-renowned among gamers in general and Sonic-fans and is still regarded by many as a classic component of the early 90's gaming scene and some still refer to it as the greatest Sonic game to date.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 01:48:12 Super Mario Land Super Mario Land is the first Super Mario game for the Nintendo Gameboy. In the game Mario has to save Daisy, who has been captured by the evil Tatanga.
]]> 09 Feb 2007 09:05:03 SimCity 3000

Overview


SimCity 3000 was published in 1999 by EA Games and developed by Maxis. New features included the ability to import SimCity 2000 cities, terrain skins, city advisers, a news ticker and landmarks. New disasters were included, such as whirlpools, UFO attacks, and locust swarms. However, old disasters in the series, such as floods and hurricanes were omitted.

Gameplay

Gameplay in SimCity 3000 is similar to other SimCity games. However, new industries, utilities, and other buildings have been added. SimCity 3000 allows for farms and hi-tech industry. Although hi-tech industries were represented to a degree in SimCity 2000, they were upgraded in SimCity 3000. They now had their own distinctive architecture, and produced less pollution. Farms were also added, giving players the option to build rural cities. The addition of garbage disposal added a third resource players had to manage- waste. Landmarks from around the world were added, giving players the ability to add a cultural flair to their city, as well as the benefit of the land-value increase.
]]> 02 Feb 2007 04:26:07 Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway, released in arcades in 1992. It was later picked up by Acclaim Games for the home version, then later returned to Midway. It centers on the first Mortal Kombat tournament and the ultimate defeat of the evil Shang Tsung by the monk Liu Kang.

Versions of the original Mortal Kombat game appeared on several different formats, most notably the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Nintendo's SNES. When the first game in the series was released for the SNES in North America, Nintendo of America had a strict "Family Friendly" policy towards the content of the games released on their systems which required the removal of graphic violence, religious imagery and themes, mentions of death, sexual themes, and other sensitive subjects. Hence, the first Mortal Kombat game on the SNES had the blood recolored gray in an attempt to pass it off as sweat, and the various Fatality moves were graphically changed to be less gruesome. The SNES version was graphically superior to the Mega Drive/Genesis port, but all violence was censored.

The game was a response by Midway to Capcom's successful Street Fighter II, which spawned a number of fighting games. However, it used a distinctly different fighting system from the Street Fighter formula, which was used in all subsequent sequels until Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. The controls consisted of five buttons arranged in an "X" pattern: a high punch, a high kick, a low punch, a low kick, and a block button, as well as an eight-way joystick. If the two fighters were standing next to each other, hitting any of the attack buttons would result in a modified strike: a low punch turned into a throw, a high punch turned into a heavy elbow, headbutt, or backhand, and either kick turned into a knee strike. Crouching and hitting either punch resulted in an uppercut, which was the most damaging attack of the game. Jump kicking and crouch-kicking were executed in a similar fashion to Street Fighter, although leg sweeps and roundhouse kicks were performed by holding away while pressing the appropriate kick button.

The blocking in Mortal Kombat I by itself greatly changed the flow of fighting in comparison to contemporary games which used Street Fighter conventions. Characters do not block while retreating or crouching, but only block when the block button is pushed. Even then, characters take (reduced) damage from any hit while blocking. However, successfully blocking moves is simple – a crouching block can successfully defend against all moves, even aerial attacks such as jumpkicks – and blocking characters give very little ground when struck rather than sliding backwards. This style of blocking rewarded dodging to avoid damage but also made counterattacks much easier after a successful block, and the ultimate result was an environment which rewards a more furtive playing style than contemporary games.

Another of the game's innovations was the Fatality, a special finishing move executed against a beaten opponent to kill them in a gruesome fashion. For example, one character (Sub-Zero) would grasp a defeated opponent by the head, then rip out the head and spine while the body crumpled to the ground in a pool of blood.

Finally, Mortal Kombat also changed the way special moves were performed. Street Fighter (and many other fighting games) performed most special moves in fractions of circles (usually full, half or one-quarter) on the joystick followed by a button press (such as a quarter-circle forward, plus punch). Mortal Kombat was the first to introduce moves that did not require a button press (such as tap back, tap back, then forward), and only a few of the special moves required circular joystick movement.
]]> 02 Mar 2007 07:14:32 The Curse of Monkey Island The third game in the Monkey Island saga. After giving Elaine a cursed engagement ring, Guybrush must find a way to break the curse that turned her into solid gold. Hilarious antics ensue.
]]> 26 Nov 2006 12:46:57 Homeworld 2 Homeworld 2 is the sequel to award winning 3D real-time strategy game from developer Relic Entertainment.

The game takes place a hundred years following the events of Homeworld and pits the player to defend the homeworld from the new threat, the Valgyr.

Homeworld 2 continues the original's core gameplay with new added features, graphics, improved audio, and a brand new campaign.
]]> 29 Jan 2007 01:24:34 Rampage This is easy. You're a scientist and you "accidentally" became an abominable monster a la King Kong or Godzilla. What's life like as a monster? Well, there's a lot of destruction involved. You fight off tanks and helicopters, destroy buildings, eat people (and their food), and generally wreak havok on the world. All in a day's work.

]]> 28 Nov 2006 05:54:11 Worms: Armageddon Team warfare on a worm scale

Description:
Worms: Armageddon is a turn based strategy game in a 2d environment. There is a single player campaign, and training missions to complete; but the main attraction is playing against other people locally or over the internet. Games can be played with 2 or more people. The graphics and sound are very cartoonish, and entertaining.

Gameplay:
Each player starts with a number of worms on their team. Each worm has a fixed amount of health. If a worm runs out of health, it will die. Once you run out of worms, you lose the match. The game is turn based, so each team gets control of one worm during their turn. You have a limited amount of time to select one of many weapons and inflict damage on another teams worm. There are also other more subtle tools to choose from for more strategic play, such as terrain digging tools, girder construction, and ropes and other means to get around the map. Weapons vary from the ordinary guns and explosives, to odd things like exploding sheep, mad cows, and homing pigeons.

There are several other popular gameplay types, with specific rules for play.

Finding online games is easy when you log onto WormNet. It's an irc-like chat interface where you can host or join games.
]]> 21 Jan 2007 02:14:34 Sonic The Hedgehog In 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog was released on the Master System, Mega Drive and Game Gear. Its fast pace and vivid environments set it apart, and it went on to become a phenomenon, being by far the biggest-selling game on all three platforms. To date, Sonic games have sold in excess of 44 million copies worldwide, placing him ninth in the franchise sales table. (Source: Wikipedia)
]]> 06 Feb 2007 05:46:13 Dead or Alive 4 Dead or Alive 4 once again raises the bar in both online and offline fighting. By utilizing the advanced technology of Xbox 360 hardware, the game redefines 3-D high-definition graphics and sound, creating one of the most visually beautiful and realistic-looking video games available. Unsurpassed online capabilities via Xbox Liveâ„¢, incredible new interactive stages, an all-star lineup of old and new favorite characters, and a complex DOA countering system all combine to create a must-have video game for Xbox 360.
]]> 29 Jan 2007 08:01:44 Donkey Kong Junior Donkey Kong Junior is a 1982 arcade game by Nintendo. Over the course of the 1980s, it was also released for various console systems, with the form of the title changed to Donkey Kong Jr. in most versions. Its eponymous star, Junior, is trying to rescue his father, who has been captured by Mario, making his only appearance as the villain in a video game. This game is the sequel to the ultra popular Donkey Kong.
]]> 11 Feb 2007 09:21:36 The Legend of Zelda Ganon, the King of Evil, breaks free from the Dark World and captures Hyrule's beloved Princess Zelda. Before she is caught, Zelda manages to shatter the Triforce of Wisdom and scatter its eight pieces throughout Hyrule. Link swears to recover the Triforce pieces and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon's clutches.

With Zelda, Miyamoto wanted to take the idea of a game "world" even further. In his own words, the intent of the original Zelda game (and every Zelda title since) was to give players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer." His inspiration came from the fields, woods, and caves outside Kyoto that he had explored as a boy, and he has always tried to impart this sense of exploration and limitless wonder to players through his Zelda titles.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 08:08:47 Final Fantasy VIII In a time of both sophisticated technology and powerful magic, an evil sorceress corrupts the world's largest military power through manipulation and deception, enslaving mankind to do her bidding. Her goal is not something as simple as world domination; but to completely conquer all of space and time.

To counter the turn of events, various leaders head combat training schools, known as Gardens, that turn out elite fighting forces. Known as SeeDs, they defend, serve, and protect humankind from the sorceress. The sole purpose of these academies is to vanquish the sorceress and save humanity as we know it, although they take many other assignments for the right price.

A small, loose-knit group of SeeD graduates find themselves wrapped in a much bigger endeavor than simple military combat. Now, a gunblade specialist, together with a diverse group of young heroes, must set aside his fears, face the emotions he's run from, and become the leader that he never wanted to be.
]]> 14 Jan 2007 09:18:24 Ice Climbers The object of Ice Climbers is to recover some stolen vegetables from a Condor living on the top of an ice mountain. Player one control Popo, the blue dressed eskimo boy, while player two control Nana, the eskimo girl dressed in pink. They are equipped with hammers to open the ice layers and club enemies.

Being a platforming game it consist of several mountains, each mountain built on eight colorful levels of ice and a bonus stage.
]]> 23 Jan 2007 12:30:54 MYTH : The Fallen Lords -From Bungie

Myth is arguably the first real-time strategy game to put the player in a true 3D landscape, with an emphasis on tactical battlefield action rather than base construction. Myth also happens to be one of Bungie's most successful pre-Halo releases, and shows off the company's range and ability in genres outside of first-person shooters. A single player mode features an engrossing and enjoyable plot, with you battling the evil and eponymous Fallen Lords, their evil leader, Balor and all manner of undead creatures, but Myth's multiplayer is where it really stands out. Bungie.net's game-matching technology has been much-emulated since, and at Myth's release, was something truly special. Multiple game modes including King of the Hill, Steal the Bacon and even co-op added huge variety to what was an outstanding and standard-setting game - and it still is. If ever an older game deserved another visit, it's Myth, with a huge, loyal and highly motivated following.
]]> 31 Jan 2007 03:21:55