The follow-up to DK Arcade (also known as D1K Arcade), which was a stunningly complete rendition of Donkey Kong (1981), D2K Arcade is nothing less than the best home version of the coin-op classic ever released for any system. There are two game modes in this...

Easily available from a variety of sources for less than $5 (cartridge only—a boxed copy might set you back $10 or so), Carnival is an unusual game in that it’s one of relatively few slide-and-shoot titles not set in outer space. Rather, as its title suggests, it’s a...

Sega made one of the finest consoles known to man when they created the Sega Genesis. They also inadvertently created the sole reason for my parents thinking I was some sort of deranged sociopath. I’m not denying that my obsessions with fire and strategic...

Unlike some other videogames I possessed, Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun was one of the few I played on my own. None of my classmates or my cousin, whom I used to play a lot with, liked the comics, The Adventures of Tintin. They were mostly interested in Spanish comics...

Intro: Ninjas stick to the shadows, make for great assassins and kill without a trace. Ryu Hayabusa and Rikimaru are signature ninjas in the video game world and let’s not forget Goemon, star of The Legend of the Mystical Ninja for the Super Nintendo. Legend of the...

Game developer Treasure has had a great presence on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance. With some instant classics like Astro Boy: Omega Factor and Advance Guardian Heroes, Treasure has shown that it can deliver its signature gameplay on a portable gaming system. Heck,...

As I sit in my dressing room, calmly sipping my ginger lemon tea, I glance at the clock on the wall and silently count down from three. There’s a knock on my door. Usually, I just expect the knock, but today, I’m looking forward to it. At least, I hope I can look...

In the year 1983, the Cold War was still in the minds of American citizens and tensions between the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, were elevated. Brewing since 1945, the fear of Communist invasion, espionage and the threat of nuclear...

If you like tower defense style games, then you can thank Atari Games’ John Salwitz for creating Rampart. While not an actual tower defense game in itself, the 1990 coin-op pioneered the ideas of erecting structures to defend territory while making repairs between...

“In space no one can hear you scream.” So goes the tagline for Alien, one of the greatest (not to mention scariest) science fiction movies ever made. Released in 1979 by 20th Century Fox, Alien was directed by the great auteur Ridley Scott (from a screenplay by Dan...

Intro: Ah yes, Rolo to the Rescue, one of the many games I played for countless hours as a kid. I remember being drawn in by the cutesy graphics, addicting gameplay and the catchy music. It is pure and fun 16-Bit platform gaming at its best with a depth that will...

Growing up during the fighting game craze of the early 1990s, it was only a matter of time before I too became swept up in it. My options seemed limited because I didn’t own a home game console and was unable to pay 50 cents at the arcade for a two-minute match of...

It seems gaming knowledge can spark some of the most ferocious battles amongst gamers. Why calling Jumpman “Mario” in an arcade is likely to send a hardcore Donkey Kong gamer into a fit of rage. The back story to Super Mario Bros. 2 is no exception. So sit back, grab...

Intro: In the video game world there is always those zany games that come along that sweep us away with their charm. Clockwork Knight is one of those games. Developed and published by Sega, Clockwork Knight was released on May 11,1995 for the Sega Saturn, making it...

You know the term “Hardcore Gamer” gets thrown around so much these days. You can walk into your local retail video game chain store and listen to some dork say he’s hardcore because of all the systems he owns, what his gamer score is or whatever epic drop of loot he...

While many coin-op machines graced the bar scene in the early eighties, only Tapper resembled the actual bar in which it dwelled in 1983. This hulking box of electronic joy not only played a great game but dressed for the occasion! Decked out with an ashtray, a place...