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RipTen Retrograde: Hydlide (NES, 1989)

Gavin Bard — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:30:49 +0000

I figured with the recent string of great RPGs being released over the last few months, it was time for me to bring you all back down to earth and give you a reminder that it isn’t always sugar and honey. Kingdoms of Amalur may be the first RPG from Curt Schilling, but Hydlide was one of the first RPGs to ever be released on the consoles in Japan way back in 1984. It originally came out on the NEC PC-6000 and later on the PC-88 before eventually meandering its way over to America on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989.

The biggest problem with Hydlide, other than all of its huge glaring flaws I mean, is that when it was finally released in America it was already incredibly dated. Even if it was’t lacking of any real value, America had already suckled at the Legend of Zelda’s supple teats. After seeing what the genre done right was like, there was no chance America would be accepting of the genre done horribly wrong. USA! USA!

Hydlide is a story of a dragon named something who kidnaps a princess named somebody in order to something. Of course, by kidnap I mean he breathes fire at her and turns her into a couple fairies.

Yeah, I don’t really know how that works either. While Hydlide is pretty notorious over here for being the one of the worst things to ever happen to humanity ever, it should also be pointed out that this garnered a huge following in Japan. Sequels were even made on the MSX, Genesis, and Saturn. None of them were very good either. Go figure.

Represented here are the lion’s share of sprites present in this game. That is pretty much all you get to look at for the whole thing. It was aesthetically dated for 1989 on the NES, which is sort of a feat in itself.

Joss Whedon’s “Buffy the Vampire Hold B and Ram Yourself Into Enemies Uselessly Until Hopefully They Die. ”

Anybody want an overused Anchorman reference in lieu of anything unique or funny to say? I could type one here if you wanted. No? Alright. Good choice.

Honestly though, as bad as this is, it still isn’t as awful as having to watch Diary of the Dead.

Sir Jim- High Time’s Stupid Useless Knight of the Year.

He who controls the spice, controls the universe!!!

It was nice of Sharon Carter to help Sir Jim out on his inept journey.

You know how everybody points out that there was no way you would have ever figured out on your own to burn that ONE bush in that ONE spot in Legend of Zelda without outside help? Every single thing you have to do in Hydlide is like that. Every. Single. Thing. Compound that with the least intuitive controls and password system to ever be crapped into gray plastic and you have a perfect recipe for frustration pie.

When you destroy this gravestone, it makes it so you can kill the dragon outside of the castle. A completely logical connection that everybody would easily make without dying a dozen times before accidentally finding it out.

The most climatic battle since the Battle of the Ice! Watch out Hermann of Dorpat! Sir JIM is out for blood.

The oppressive heat of his armor and the pain of his own wounds drove Sir Jim to one knee. “My princess,” he forces out, “I have come to save you.”

“Delightful,” exclaims the three fairies, who are actually the Princess for some odd reason, in unison. “For your bravery in rescuing us, we will reward you with the highest honor- by letting you watch a lesbian fairy orgy.”

Sir Jim looked on with his mouth agape, it was a few minutes before he figured out the way to word his next statement, “Logistically speaking, does that count as incest for you, or masturbation?”

What does one say about Hydlide that hasn’t already been said? From its barely working combat system, to its copyright infringing Indiana Jones overworld theme, to its ugly-even-in-1984 graphics, Hydlide rightfully deserves its place in bad gaming history. I really don’t get how this was so well received in Japan. I understand that it was one of the first actual console RPGs over there, but even when giving it the benefit of the doubt for being groundbreaking in a very loose way it still isn’t good. I don’t care if it came out first, the only way Hydlide could be considered groundbreaking is because you would need a bunch of shovels to bury every copy of the game in the desert.

1 (RIP) to 4 are varying degrees of a bad game. A 1 (RIP) being a game you would actually pay money to not play, and a 4 is something that just barely fails to be mediocre.

Hydlide was developed and published by T&E Soft Corporation, who pretty much only makes golf games now for the record- just saying, for a whole bunch of system before it came to the NES in 1989. This copy was provided to us by yard sales everywhere.

Do you have a game you’d like to see featured in this ~~stupid idea~~ creative and original work of game journalism art? Have you played Hydlide and want to drop your two cents in? Did you actually like this game and want to yell at me because you are clearly insane? If so, let me or RipTen know on Twitter, or in the comments on this very site!

Next Time on the Retrograde: B.O.B.

Geeked Out: World’s Largest NES Controller Brings New Meaning To Co-op

Michael Gruver — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:30:58 +0000

This piece of retro gaming hardware is not only super cool looking, it’s fully functional too! The super-sized controller was revealed at London’s St. Station to help launch the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer Edition. The genius behind this is 23-year-old Ben Allen, who’ just so happens to be studying engineering in the Netherlands.

The audience was free to give it a try, but every valiant participant soon discovered what Rob Base and DJ E Z Rock already knew, it takes two to make a thing go right. Seeing as this behemoth sizes in at 144.1″ by 62.6″ by 20.1″ with a whopping weight of 252lbs!

Ben, the mad scientist behind this geeked out invention, stated the following:

“This is really a labour of love. We’re passionate about gaming and wanted to honour its most iconic device; the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) joypad … We put our heads together in the pub and decided to create this absurdly large working version! It’s such a rush to know we’ve made history and are being included in the Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition.”

I don’t know about you, but i really want to try this giant controller out for myself!

Hungry for more hand-made swag? Take a leisurely stroll through our Geeked Out collection.

Stuff That Never Gets Old: Bible Games

Catherine Cai — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:00:36 +0000

There are some entities on the internet that transcend time and relevancy. No matter how out-of-date they may be, no matter how many times you’ve seen them, the humor lingers and we find ourselves right back where we started, laughing our asses off as we add one more view to the tally of millions. This, my friends, is stuff that never gets old.

As a bored youngster, I often spent my time wasting away on YouTube. One of my favorite YouTube entertainers was the Angry Video Game Nerd. If you haven’t heard of him, then it’s probably because you’ve got much better things to do than to allow yourself to be sucked into the YouTube of doom. He’s a video game nerd who plays shitty old video games (I mean Atari, NES old) and angrily rants about them. And yes, before you ask, this is how he makes a living.

Angry Video Game Nerd is a funny man, and I love all of his videos. Still, I introduce most of my friends to the glory of Angry Video Game nerd through one of his classic videos in which he plays Bible Games. Some Christ-loving group found that the best way to spread the good word was through the up-and-coming media form of video games. Really, in the words of the Angry Video Game Nerd himself… this game is ass. It’s so bad that it probably single-handedly destroyed the future of religious games on consoles. Thank God.

Stay tuned next week for more videos we wish we’d been clever enough to make ourselves.

Ninja Gaiden Fan Film Brings the Original NES Classic to Life

Garrett Hartman — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:56:52 +0000

Ah, Ninja Gaiden on the NES. Such a groundbreaking game when it came out. Perhaps the first game to have “cinematic” cut-scenes which complemented its mind numbingly difficult gameplay. While it was absolutely nothing like its arcade counterpart, Ninja Gaiden on the NES became a classic and spawned a successful fanchise.

Thanks to 12KingFanFilms, we can see Ryu Hayabusa’s first 1989 adventure brought to life on film. Is it awesome? About as awesome as an 8-bit classic brought to life can be.

Watch it below and read what the filmmakers had to say about it:

Ninja Gaiden : Fan Film – [2011 Release] from 12KING Fan Films. This short film is based on the original NES Game (1989) and focuses particularly on it’s famous “Cutscenes”. It is experimental in nature and it’s intentional cartoon effect is reminiscent of the days of classic gaming.

Aside from the narration present in the film, there is no audible dialog, we considered that it would be interesting to let the images tell the story. If you are not familiar with the original Ninja Gaiden storyline, we encourage you to look it up.

In the film, Ryu Hayabusa’s costume design as well as his Dragon Sword were inspired by the Box Art from the original game (The look is also somewhat featured in the arcade version of the game). Many of the “Game Stage” designs are included and re-interpreted with 2D and 3D renders within the film. A rudimentary “Green Screen” was used to incorporate the actors into the virtual scenes. The challenge was to make as much as possible with what little was available at the time and still make it all work somehow. We hope to have achieved this goal. The entire production cost was no more than 350$ CDN in weapons and costume materials.

We had a great time making this film and we are all proud to share it with you. It is dedicated to all Ninja Gaiden fans. And most importantly…We hope you sit back and enjoy it!

Five O’Clock Fan Art: NEStalgia

Dylan Duarte — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:01 +0000

It’s like the artist reached right into my brain, pulled out my memories, and slapped them on a canvas. I want him arrested for thought crimes!

Five O’Clock Fan Art is perfect for wrapping up the work day. You don’t want to think anymore, you just want to look at awesome things. And there’s nothing more awesome than a well crafted piece of videogame fan art. If you don’t agree, what the hell are you doing at a gaming blog?

His name is Jasinski, officers.

10 Free NES Titles Are Now Available To 3DS Ambassadors

Justin Berube — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:55:22 +0000

The 10 free NES titles that are being given to 3DS Ambassadors are available NOW! However it would appear that early adopters of the 3DS will currently have to wait for their 10 free Game Boy Advance titles. The 10 free NES games include the following:

Super Mario Bros.
The Legend of Zelda
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Metroid
NES Open Tournament Golf
Donkey Kong Jr.
Balloon Fight
Ice Climber
Wrecking Crew
Yoshi

3DS Ambassadors can download these titles by entering the eShop, going to Settings / Other, then Your Downloads. Within the Your Downloads area will be every title that the user has previously downloaded plus the 10 free NES titles. In addition Ambassadors can download the Ambassador Certificate in the same section.

The Ambassador Certificate is nothing more than a lame movie telling the user they can receive notifications about Ambassador Program news by opting in to Ambassador Program notifications. While the movie may be lame I suggest all Ambassadors Download the video because without it they can’t get these Spot Pass notifications that will inform users of the latest happenings within the program.

Want to stay up to date on the latest Nintendo news, information, editorials, and more? Follow me on Twitter @KingNintendoFan or Like Me on Facebook. Be sure to let me know what you think about this 3DS Ambassador Program news!

All NES Ambassador Program Games Have Been Revealed

Justin Berube — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:22:17 +0000

Many 3DS owners are getting pumped for the Ambassador Program which will grant those that purchased a 3DS for $249.99 that ability to get 20 free digital titles. 10 NES Virtual Console titles and 10 Game Boy Advance titles. Today Nintendo has revealed the full lineup of NES titles that will be available in Japan as part of the promotion, and I think it’s ALMOST safe to say the rest of the world will be getting these games as well. The full list can be seen below.

NES Ambassador Program Games In Japan
Super Mario Bros.
The Legend of Zelda
Ice Climber
Donkey Kong Jr.
Balloon Fight
Wrecking Crew
NES Open Tournament Golf
Yoshi
Metroid
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

UPDATE:

These titles have also been confirmed for North America as well!

Source

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Controlled By Kinect

Justin Berube — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 02:32:03 +0000

Ever have the desire to step into the ring with Mike Tyson? Probably not a good idea. One man made this a reality by hacking a Kinect unit to play Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

Does Mike Tyson have anything to worry about? Probably not, this guy seems to have problems with King Hippo.

While this is definitely cool, it breaks my King Nintendo Fanboy heart to see someone playing this game with a Microsoft controller.

Want to stay up to date on the latest Nintendo news, information, editorials, and more? Follow me on Twitter @KingNintendoFan or Like Me on Facebook.

Valentine’s Day Gifts for The Gamer in Your Life

Matthew Sims — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:36:45 +0000

Valentine’s Day is such a hard holiday to shop for. You can either go for the old reliable gifts of candy and flowers to seem incredibly boring, or go out on a limb and buy something different, but there’s no guarantee your significant other will like it. I’m here to help you friend, provided the one you love is a gamer. If not, then why did you click on this list at all? Join me as we go on a journey of pure gaming awesomeness.

N7 Hoodie (Mass Effect)

Anyone who has played Mass Effect will enjoy this tribute to Commander Shepard’s trademark armor. Staying true to the customization available to the armor in Mass Effect 2, there are even a few different color available. Even better, it’s available for the ladies as well. Bioware sure knows how to romance the ladies.

Assassin’s Creed Hoodie/Scarf

Mass Effect not your game? Well then how about this Assassin’s Creed hoodie and scarf combo? Sneak around your loved one and surprise them with this awesomely dangerous looking hoodie. Just don’t go jumping off your roof into bales of hay . . . you’ll hurt yourself.

Someone was nice enough to get one for RipTen’s own Dani Cantrell . . . doesn’t she just look intimidating?

Yes . . . She Does.

Video Game Cartridge Hard Drives

Sometimes a flash drive isn’t enough storage and people need to have an external hard drive handy. If you really love that gamer in your life, you won’t let them walk around with just any old external device, you’ll pick them up a hard drive put right into their favorite game. Etsy member 8bitmemory has managed to put these devices into NES and SNES cartridges. These are incredibly awesome, just be prepared to pay a bit more for all the hard work.

Chocolate Video Game Controllers

If you’re gonna go all traditional, you might as well put a spin on it. Everyone likes chocolate, and this thing is 100% edible. The only problem is that it looks so cool you might want to save it for yourself.

8-bit Flower Bouquet

In keeping with the traditional theme, why would you get the same flowers that everyone gets? Geek it up a bit, 8 bits in fact,Â with the 8-bit flower bouquet from Thinkgeek. The digitized, 3-D arrangement contains some of the most famous flowers in video game history. Listen guys, when your girl gets flowers you want her to think of gaming goodness, and since they never go bad she can keep them around as a constant reminder of how awesome you are.

Angry Birds Plushies!

Who doesn’t love Angry Birds? That’s right – everyone loves angry birds! Well now you can show your love for the birds (and your significant other) and hatred for those snarky pigs with these real life adorable plush toys! Plus chicks love stuffed animals. Why get a big stuff bear when you can get a big stuff bird instead?

Droid plush

If Angry Birds are not your thing but you still love to game on your mobile phone, how about this adorable Droid Plush? He’s cute and will get better service than your iPhone plush any day of the week.

Penny Arcade Books 1-6 Bundle

Anyone in love with video games and geek culture in general is probably a fan of Penny Arcade and doesn’t even know it yet. This bundle of the 6 volumes of the astoundingly popular webcomic discusses everything from extensive software patches to a mythical beast known as the dickwolf with a humor unmatched by anyone else in the medium. Don’t get your lover a book, get them a comic and a damn good one at that.

Video Game Lingerie

There’s no wrong choice here fellas (and ladies,) but this is a pretty good bet that you’ll catch attention with this. It’s somewhere between lingerie and a costume, but it is all amazing. The choices for video game lingerie is pretty slim, but this is a bright spot in an otherwise barren market. This is the sort of outfit that makes people make a few Pac Juniors of their own.

Splatterhouse Shoes

Listen here girls, your guy probably doesn’t like sweet things. In fact, there’s a good chance he is more swayed by some a fountain of spewing blood. Barring that you have a disgusting blood fountain, these will probably be the best way to get him to confess his undying love for you…and these shoes.

Hopefully you’ll find it a little bit easier to shop for that gamer in your life. If these items should fail to impress, then you could always preorder them the next big game or console. They’ll love you forever if you preorder an NGP or 3DS, guaranteed.

Original Legend of Zelda Prototype Found

Justin Berube — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 05:14:25 +0000

It seems that a prototype of the original The Legend of Zelda title for the Famicom Disk System has surfaced.

This prototype (pictured left) features easier enemies in some areas than the final build of the game (pictured right). The prototype also features some different dungeon layouts, different music, different sprites for characters, and much more. To view a full list of these differences go here.

Pictured above is the Famicom Disk System Disk that The Legend of Zelda prototype was found on.

Want to keep up with the latest Nintendo and Zelda news? Follow me on Twitter @KingNintendoFan or Like Me on Facebook. Be sure to tell me your thoughts on this prototype!

Source

Nintendo Collectors Journal 10/21/2010

Justin Berube — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:08:52 +0000

Many people know that I’m a big Nintendo Fanboy and that I collect Nintendo games, goods, memorabilia, and more. If it says Nintendo on it, and it’s official, I want it. That’s what the Nintendo Collectors Journal is for. From this point on I’ll be documenting all the exciting Nintendo items I gather on my travels. I come across things both new and old so be sure to check back to see what I’ve come across.

Nintendo Collectors Journal 10/12/2010

Nintendo Collectors Journal 1/10/2011

This week I was able to obtain a decent amount of Nintendo goods. I was able to pick up the two wristband/belt buckle combos at my local Toys”R”Us. Each of the above puzzles that I purchased came from Five Below and cost $2.50 each.

Also available at Five Below were various forms of Nintendo Candy. I made sure to get some of the stuff I haven’t tried yet. I was surprised to see that the Wii Remote Kilk Candy/Dispenser is now available in black!

Last weekend I made sure to pick up a copy of Kirby’s Epic Yarn from my local Best Buy. I also got a copy of Data East Arcade Classics from Toys”R”Us last weekend as well.

A good friend of mine was moving this week and he was kind enough to let me have a bunch of his NES, SNES, and N64 systems, controllers, and games. Please enjoy the pictures of the haul below.

Want to stay up to date with my Nintendo collecting? Or maybe you just have a tip on where to find some nice Nintendo items. Follow me on Twitter @KingNintendoFan or Like me on Facebook and be sure to tell me about it.

Lost Nintendo Games Volume 4. Nazo no Murasamejō

Justin Berube — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:21:55 +0000

Lost Nintendo Games is a series of articles about Nintendo games that have been lost to Nintendo fans. This usually means that the game has been canceled or the game was just not released in a particular region for whatever reason. Let us not forget about the Nintendo titles that many people never got to play.

Lost Nintendo Games Volume 3. Disaster Day Of Crisis

Lost Nintendo Games Volume 5. Project H.A.M.M.E.R.

Title: Nazo no Murasamejō
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Famicom Disk System
Release Date: April 14, 1986 (Japan)

Nazo no Murasamejō was released for the Famicom Disk System on April 14, 1986. Since then this title has never left Japan even though it has been re-released as part of the Famicom Mini series for the Game Boy Advance and was also put on the Japanese Wii Virtual Console. The title translates into The Mysterious Murasame Castle.

The game takes place during the Edo period of Japan. One night at Murasame Castle a glowing golden orb falls into the castle walls and brings one of the famous stone statues housed there to life. This statue takes over the castle which enables the golden object to take over four other castles that are near Murasame. Then the golden object summons all sorts of monsters and turns troops stationed at these castles evil. Seeing no other option the ruler of Japan sends an apprentice samurai, Takamaru, out to stop this evil.

Nazo no Murasamejō looks very similar to The Legend of Zelda on the NES. Players are given a top down view of the action and the screen only scrolls to the next one once players hit it. Takamaru has two attack options, his katana and shurikens. When close to an enemy Takamaru uses his sword, but when he’s far away he uses the shurikens. Takamaru can also get other upgrades throughout his adventure.

Nazo no Murasamejō is level based and therefore shouldn’t be considered exactly like Zelda. Players are given a time limit in which to complete each level. The game is an action game and not an adventure like the original The Legend of Zelda title.

The protagonist of Nazo no Murasamejō, Takamaru, shouldn’t be a complete stranger to many Nintendo fans. This is because he has made cameo in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a sticker and music from Nazo no Murasamejō is also in Brawl.

Nazo no Murasamejō was probably not released anywhere else in the world because it just didn’t do as well as other games coming out for the Famicom Disk System such as The Legend of Zelda. With that said now is the perfect time for Nintendo to bring Nazo no Murasamejō out on the Virtual Console for the rest of the world to enjoy.

Next month Nintendo is publishing a game called Samurai Warriors 3 here in North America. This game will feature Takamaru as a playable character in a special mode called Murasame Castle mode which is, from what I hear, very similar to the game Nazo no Murasamejō. Why not release Nazo no Murasamejō on Virtual Console to hype up Samurai Warriors 3 as well as give longtime Nintendo fans this game after over 20 years?

Chances are Nintendo fans outside of Japan will be waiting a long time to see Nazo no Murasamejō released in their region. It’s a shame too because the game looks like a good challenge and fans in the rest of the world will never fully understand the importance of Takamaru as a character. Nazo no Murasamejō is indeed a lost Nintendo game.

Is there a lost Nintendo game you’d like me to cover? Follow me on Twitter @KingNintendoFan or Like me on Facebook and tell me about it. Who knows, maybe I’ll cover it in the next installment of Lost Nintendo Games!

Emulation: Breathing New Life Into Old Games?

Brandon Fenty — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:10:27 +0000

I recently found out that I can play PSX games on my Droid phone. That was a good day. It was also a day that my productivity plummeted. I found a lot of the same games I played as a kid, and got hours of nostalgic enjoyment from it.

With the growing power of cell phones, it’s no surprise that emulation is getting more popular. The ability to put several great games from childhood in your pocket and carry them everywhere has obvious appeal. The legality of the practice is questionable, but owners of the original games feel justified in owning a more portable copy of their game. Just to be clear: I’m NOT talking about piracy here, that’s a different issue. But being able to replay old N64 titles while waiting in line or on long car trips means I have time to play them again. I don’t have to dust off my N64 (truth be told, I’m not even sure I could find it in the attic).

The Ultimate Gaming Platform?

Legally, emulation is questionable. According to new DMCA revisions:

Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and which require the original media or hardware as a condition of access. A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace.

What that means, in essence, is that it is no longer illegal to emulate games for systems that are no longer commercially available. Last time I checked, it’s pretty hard to come by an original SNES, so I’m pretty sure that’s covered by the addendum.

Want to get started with emulation on a mobile phone? Check out this article on how to get started with a PSX emulator!

Lost Nintendo Games Volume 2. Joy Mecha Fight

Justin Berube — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:23:57 +0000

Lost Nintendo Games Volume 1. Chibi Robo! 3

Lost Nintendo Games Volume 3. Disaster Day Of Crisis

Title: Joy Mecha Fight
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Famicom
Release Date: May 23, 1993 (Japan)

Joy Mecha Fight was released in Japan on May 23, 1993 for the Famicom. For those who don’t know the Famicom is the Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System. This fighting game never left Japan but, at the time, was very revolutionary in many ways.

The plot in this game sounds as though it were stolen directly from the instruction booklet of Mega Man 1. Two scientists worked together to make a bunch of robots. Then one of the two scientists decided to steal all but one robot in a mad quest for world domination. Sound like Dr. Wily to anyone else?

Players start the game as Sukapon, a robot who the good scientist reprogrammed into a war machine in an attempt to stop the evil scientist. You then play through different levels. Once bosses are defeated you can then play as them in single player or multiplayer modes. If this doesn’t scream Mega Man then I don’t know what does.

With all of this story likeness to Mega Man you may wonder why I called this game revolutionary. You see in Joy Mecha Fight the characters were made with detached body parts in order for the game to work properly and smoothly on the Famicom. This game also had a whopping 36 characters to play as once they are all unlocked. This was, at the time of its release, the largest roster in a fighting game and on the Famicom no less. Joy Mecha Fight also features a two player vs. mode in addition to the story mode.

I’ve never had a chance to play this game but have wanted to for a while now. Joy Mecha Fight was released on the Wii’s Virtual Console on March 11, 2008 in Japan. I’d love to see this title come to the Virtual Console in the rest of the world and I’m pretty sure that it wouldn’t be that difficult for Nintendo to translate it. Until that day comes, which unfortunately isn’t very likely, Nintendo fans outside of Japan will have to just enjoy Sukapon as a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and just hope to someday play this title.

The Story Behind Link’s Second Quest, aka Your Childhood Was a Mistake

Gavin Bard — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:59:02 +0000

Life is just one long chain of events that came incredibly close to not happening. From evolution to electricity, many of the most historically important events of our lives were just as close to not happening as they were to happening. More importantly than stuff like human beings evolving from the primordial ooze or some old dude getting his kite hit by lightning is The Legend of Zelda. Brace yourselves for this one, but the legendary Second Quest was just a programming mistake. In a recent “Iwata Asks” entry on Nintendo’s website, Toshihiko Nakago made us all realize just how close our childhoods came to being just a little bit crappier by revealing that the Second Quest of The Legend of Zelda was actually supposed to be integrated into the First Quest. That was until Takashi Tezuka made a mistake and only programmed half of the games dungeons, thus changing the course of human history.

Toshihiko Nakago explains;

I created the data exactly in line with it, but then Tezuka-san made a mistake and only used half of the data. I said, “Tezuka-san, there’s only half here. Where did the other half go?” and he was like, “What?! Oops, I messed up…” But Miyamoto-san said it was fine just like that.

Apparently Miyamoto then played the game with only half the data and decided that it was perfect just like that, because that guy is like the video game Morpheus and knows exactly how to fulfill our dreams. They eventually decided to fill the other half of the memory with the remaining dungeons and added them as the secret Second Quest. So yeah, it almost didn’t happen. It is crazy to think about how different The Legend of Zelda would have been with the Second Quest integrated into the first one. Would it still have become as legendary if it were that much longer and that much more difficult? If the difficulty turned off all of us young and impressionable gamers to the series, how different would the gaming landscape look even today? Would any of us even be the same people we are right now if they never made that mistake and Zelda didn’t capture our imaginations? It is way too early in the morning to start getting philosophical about video games. I need a drink. It isn’t too early in the morning for that.

[Source: Nintendo]

New NES Game ‘Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril’ Brings The Latest In Mega Man & Metroid Retro Technology

Sean Mitchuson — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 02:09:42 +0000

I had an Atari when I was a kid, but I didn’t really become a gamer until I got an NES. I played a ton of games on there, and thanks to Virtual Console I can be easily reminded how hard some of those games were. Sivak Games is bringing back that feeling of anger and self hate with Battle Kid.

It’s basically Mega Man, with a spatter of Metroid looking monsters to me. I don’t have a demo of the game to give it a try but I’m told soon you can pick up your own cart at RetroZone. To be honest though, I am terrible at Mega Man, which mean’s I’m probably even worse at Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril. If you were the kid on your block that knew exactly where to jump and when, then you may want to pick this up. You’ll find the video below awakening memories of sore thumbs and light depression.

Source: GameSpy

Left 4 Dead NES Remake Strangely Resembles Aussie Censored Next Gen Sequel

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:14:34 +0000

My tendency to go with overly descriptive and often lengthy headlines sort of leaves me grasping for additional things to say in the body copy at times. This isn’t one of them.

The video below showcases an NES remake of Left 4 Dead, complete with instantaneous vanishing bodies and bloodless kills. Remind of you of a more modern censored sequel of the same game? Hmm?

While the absence of persistent zombie corpses lying in puddles of their own blood does remind me of the Australian censored Left 4 Dead 2 game, the NES version of L4D isn’t completely void of blood. It does offer a few random splatters on floors and walls to help set the mood, and that’s more than we can say about its Aussie counterpart. Don’t take my word for it though, check it out for yourself.

[Thanks GoNintendo]

Virt’s Chiptune Cover of “Katamari On The Rock” Makes Me Feel All Tingly Inside

Demi Adejuyigbe — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:43:56 +0000

Video game music is something we don’t cover enough here on Ripten, and it’d probably be best to remedy that- starting with Jake Kaufman’s (virt) awesome cover of Katamari on the Rock, known colloquially as the Katamari theme song. But unlike the original song done with a full orchestra, Kaufman’s cover is done with a NES, a VRC6 multi-memory chip, and a whole lot of talent.

I’ve listened to this song a bunch of times (since I learned about it an hour ago) and I love it. Yu Miyake’s original version of the song was really cheery and bouncy, and the 8-bit effect on the song doesn’t change that. You can check out the song at the link below.

Bleep bloop bleep bloop do your best! (thanks, tiff chow)

Geeked-Out: Radiohead, NES-Style

Dan Landis — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:32:31 +0000

Ever wonder what Radiohead’s song ‘Creep’ would sound like pumping through the digital soundsystem of a classic NES? Wonder no more, because it would sound pretty much exactly like what it does here.

Okay, I realize this song was made a year ago, but I’ve been playing a lot of Rock Band recently and this made me think about what Rock Band would be like if it came out 20 years ago. Pretty awesome, all things considered.

Have something you think we should show on Geeked-Out? Email it to us.

NES Retro Gaming PC (Video): Modder Merges Microsoft and Nintendo Tech

Chad Lakkis — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:14:44 +0000

Windows XP on your Nintendo Entertainment System? What if it meant you could play all of your favorite games without ever having to blow into the ass end of a cartridge ever again? Now we’re talking!

Using an Intel mini-ITX mobo, modder cbutters was able to create a retro console that you can easily plug into a TV and boot up to play NES, SNES, and even N64 games. While this bad boy looks like a classic NES on the outside, the build log reveals the true power under the hood.

Hit the jump for a video showing the retro PC in action.

Source: technabob.com