• Tag Archives SNES

  • Nintendo Power (March 1992)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Nintendo Power – Issue Number 34 – March 1992

    If there is a single magazine that most people have the most nostalgia over, it is probably Nintendo Power. I was never really that big into Nintendo Power because, even though I had both an NES and Super NES during their peak (as opposed to the Genesis or other systems), I was always curious what was out there for other systems. Also, I didn’t exactly consider Nintendo Power to be impartial. Nevertheless, it was always a great resource for Nintendo owners. The March 1992 issue includes:

    NES

    • The Empire Strikes Back – While most licensed games are pretty crappy, Star Wars has done pretty well on average and The Empire Strikes Back was a solid platform game on the NES…especially if you were a Star Wars fan. This guide will help you through it.
    • Terminator 2 – A guide to this multi-staged platform game based on the movie of the same name. Another licensed game that isn’t as bad as most.
    • Nightshade – A guide to an adventure game I’m not very familiar with. My biggest complaint with game like this was that they tended to be not long enough and lacked much in the way of replayability. Probably a good rental.
    • M.C. Kids – A guide to this advertisement for McDonald’s. Apparently it wasn’t a half bad game but I’m not sure how a McDonald’s themed game would do today.

    Game Boy

    • Mega Man II – A guide to the second Mega Man game for the Game Boy. A great game if you liked Mega Man and the Game Boy (Mega Man was ok but I was never fond of Blur Boy).
    • Tiny Toon Adventures – A guide to this game based on the excellent cartoon of the same name.
    • High Stakes – A gambling game that includes various casino games. This type of game works pretty well on the Game Boy.

    Super NES

    • Lemmings – An excellent game on the SNES (and other platforms). Though it could definitely be frustrating at times.
    • Joe & Mac – A pretty good platform game with a caveman theme and humor.
    • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – Even though I haven’t played all of the Zelda games, this one is still the best. Here’s an extensive guide if you need the help.

    Tips from the Pros

    • Classified Information – Tips, tricks and passwords for Rockin’ Kats (NES), Captain Planet (NES), Spud’s Adventure (Game Boy), ActRaiser (Super NES), Super Tennis (Super NES), Super Mario World (Super NES), Sim City (Super NES), and Mystical Ninja (Super NES).
    • Counselors’ Corner – Questions answered about Lagoon, Drakkhen, Dragon Warrior III, and Metroid II.

    The Info Zone

    • Celebrity Player Profile – An interview with Corin Nemec, star of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose.
    • Next Issue – Games featured in the next issue include The Addams Family, Captain America and the Avengers, Star Trek, and WWF Super Wrestlemania.

    Video Updates

    • Now Playing – Opinions on some of the latest releases, including Blazebusters, The Empire Strikes Back, Godzilla 2, Super Square Deal, High Stakes, Terminator 2, Wizardry II, Pop Up, Pyramids of Ra, Star Trek, and more.
    • Pak Watch – Previews of recently released and upcoming games including WWF Super Wrestlemania, The Addams Family, The Duel: Test Drive 2, and Gargoyle’s Quest.

    Comis

    • Zelda – For those that like Zelda and their comics based on games.
    • Super Mario Bros. – Ditto the above but replace Zelda with Super Mario Bros.
    • Nester’s Adventures – Nester was the mascot of Nintendo Power and had a regularly occurring comics trip.

    Player’s Forum

    • Player’s Pulse – Readers answer the question, “What do you want?”.
    • Nester Awards – The best games as ranked by Nintendo Power in various categories. Winners include Battletoads (NES), Battletoads (Game Boy), Actraiser (Super NES), Adventures of Lolo 3 (NES), Caesar’s Palace (Game Boy), Final Fantasy Adventure (Game Boy), PilotWings (Super NES), Final Fantasy II (Super NES), Castlevania II (Game Boy), and more.
    • Power Players – High scores and accomplishments for ActRaiser, Battletoads, Battle Unit Zeoth, Castlevania II, Drakkhen, Dr. Mario, Duck Tales, Faria, Final Fantasy II, Final Fight, The Immortal, Klax, The Little Mermaid, The Adventures of Lolo III, Ninja Gaiden III, Princess Tomato in The Salad Kingdom, Super Mario World, Tetris, The Uninvited, and U.N. Squadron.
    • Top 20 – At the top of the charts this month are Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES), Super Mario World (Super NES), and Super Mario Land (Game Boy).

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Game Boy Nintendo (NES) Retro Games Super Nintendo (SNES) 📎and tagged

  • GamePro (May 1997)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: GamePro – May 1997

    GamePro wasn’t a magazine I read a lot but it was probably the next most popular gaming magazine behind Electronic Gaming Monthly, at least in the U.S. The May 1997 issue includes:

    Cover Feature

    • The Lost World: Jurassic Park – This was about the time the move The Lost World came out and here is a preview of the game that goes along with it for the PlayStation.

    Special Features

    • Final Fantasy VII – Final Fantasy VII was probably the most anticipated Final Fantasy game and the most popular. Here’s an early preview of its release in Japan.
    • GameWorks: Ready for Gameplay – GameWorks was a new mega arcade that was a joint venture between Sega, Universal and Dreamworks. The first opened up in Seattle, Washington in 1997 and there were plans for 100 of them by 2002. I don’t know if that expansion ever happened but as far as I can tell the Seattle GameWorks still exists and there are no others.
    • Mortal Kombat Annihilation! – The Mortal Kombat movie sequel.

    SWATPro Strategy Section

    • Doom 64 Nintendo 64 ProStrategy Guide – A detailed guide for Doom on the Nintendo 64, including maps, secret exits and more.
    • The Fighter’s Edge Soul Blade (Part 2) – Part 2 of a comprehensive guide to Soul Blade on the PlayStation.
    • SWATPro – Hints, tips, tricks and cheats for Andretti Racing (Saturn), WWF: In Your House (PlayStation), The Legend of Oasis (Saturn), Dark Forces (PlayStation), NFL GameDay ’97 (PlayStation), NHL Faceoff ’97 (PlayStation), SlamScape (PlayStation), Vectorman 2 (Genesis), Bubble Bobble (PlayStation), Command & Conquer (Saturn), Crusader: No Remorse (PlayStation), Ten Pin Alley (PlayStation), Impact Racing (PlayStation/Saturn), Pandemonium (PlayStation), and Madden ’97 (Genesis). There’s also a list of the top game rentals and Blockbuster. Top of the list for each platform were Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64), Need for Speed II (PlayStation), Tomb Raider (Saturn), NBA Live ’98 (Genesis), Donkey Kong Country 3 (Super NES).
    • Samurai Showdown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge (Neo Geo) – Special moves for all of the characters and more.
    • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – A survival guide that includes maps, lists of locations, and more.

    ProReviews

    • PC GamePro – Reviews of Ecstatica II and Star Command Revolution, plus previews of Hexen II, Meat Puppet, Redneck Rampage, Comanche 3, X-Com: Apocalypse, Quake Mission Pack #1: Scourge of Armagon, Riven, and Extreme Assault.
    • Nintendo 64 – Review of Blast Corps.
    • PlayStation – Reviews of MechWarrior 2, WCW vs. The World, BattleStations, K-1 The Arena Fighters, Wing Commander IV, Sentient, The Incredible Hulk, Virtual Pool, and League of Pain.
    • Saturn – Reviews of Herc’s Adventures, The Lost Vikings, Lunacy, Contra Legacy of War, Tunnel B1, Dragon Heart, Super Puzzle Fighter II, Hardcore 4×4, and Heir of Zendor.
    • Sports Pages – Reviews of NBA Shootout ’97 (PlayStation), NBA Live ’97 (Saturn), FIFA Soccer 64 (Nintendo 64), VR Baseball ’97 (PlayStation), Rally Cross (PlayStation), and Perfect Striker (Nintendo 64 Japan) plus previews of Triple Play ’98 (PlayStation), All-Star Baseball ’97 (Saturn, PlayStation), NHL Breakaway ’98 (PlayStation, Saturn), NFL Quarterback Club ’98 (PlayStation, Saturn, DOS), HardBall 6 (PlayStation, Win95), and NBA Jam ’98 (Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Win95).
    • Role-Player’s Realm – A review of Vandal Hearts for the PlayStation.

    Departments

    • Head-2-Head: Letter from the GamePros – The evolution of the gaming industry.
    • The Mail – Readers write in about the CD-i, Resident Evil, Twisted Metal 2, and Final Fantasy VII.
    • Art Attack – Envelope art and other reader submitted gaming art.
    • Buyers Beware – Customer complaints about a free XBand modem offer, Tomb Raider ads, fighting in NHL ’97, and more.
    • ProNews – PlayStation price drops to $149, Sega plans merge with Bandai, upcoming games, Final Fantasy VII release plans, and more.
    • NetPro – Internet search tips, using various earch engines (Google didn’t exist yet), using Usenet, and more.
    • Overseas Prospects – A look at recent and upcoming overseas releases including Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation) and Gambare Goemon 5 (Nintendo 64).
    • Sneak Previews – An early look at The Lost World (PlayStation), Duke Nukem 3D (Saturn), Castlevania X (PlayStation), Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64), Yoshi’s Island 64 (Nintendo 64), Hexen (Nintendo 64), Clayfighter 63 1/3 (Nintendo 64), MDK (PlayStation), Battle Arena Toshinden (PlayStation), Darklight Conflict (PlayStation, Saturn, DOS, Win 95), VMX Racing (PlayStation, Saturn, Win 95), and Motor Mash (PlayStation).
    • Hot at the Arcades – A review of Tekken 3 plus previews of Darkstalkers: Jedah’s Damnation, Sega Super GT, and Rampage World Tour.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Ardy Lightfoot (Super NES, 1994)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/702714361793429504/superfamiblog-ardy-lightfoot-1994-ascii

    Ardy Lightfoot is a side-scrolling platform game that was released by Titus in the U.S. on the Super Nintendo in 1994. In many respects, it is like any other platform game of the time though it is a solid one. It received mostly positive reviews and graphics and sound were top notch.

    In Ardy Lightfoot you control a fox (named Ardy Lightfoot obviously). He also has a companion called Pec. I’m not really sure what kind of creature Pec is supposed to be…he’s just sort of a blue blob. However, Pec can transform into various helpful things and can also be used as a weapon. If Ardy is hit by an enemy then Pec will disappear and must be retrieved by finding a chest.

    The story line involves a “sacred rainbow” that has been shattered into seven crystal pieces. You, as Ardy, must retrieve them all. Whoever gets all seven receives a wish and there is an evil King that has already found one of them. You will have to fight off his followers in order to retrieve the others and ultimately face King Visconti for the last piece. You’ll have help along the way from other characters.

    There were some changes made between the Japanese release and the North American release. A bunch of sprites and animations were removed (I am assuming to reduce the memory footprint of the cartridge and therefore lower costs) and it was censored to some degree (a gruesome acid death was removed). However, these changes don’t significantly impact the game.

    If you are a fan of platform games, then this is one you probably want to try. There is a caveat though. Despite the cartoony graphics, this really isn’t a game designed for kids, even ignoring the gruesome death scene that was removed for the U.S. release. This is mainly because of the difficulty. There are seven huge levels and they aren’t easy. This game is only for patient players that are up for a challenge. Younger kids, in most cases, would probably only be frustrated.

    If you do want to give it a try, you’ll have to track down an original cartridge or make do with emulation. To the best of my knowledge, this game has never been re-released in any other form.


    📂This entry was posted in Retro Games Super Nintendo (SNES) 📎and tagged