Wow, this is strikingly similar to my first game. I love getting dropped in such a historic game right off the bat, but yeah, I was out of my league too. Same results: 20+ for Jordan, mostly late, in an embarassing loss.
One thing, I don't think that's Marv Albert announcing the game (although he should!). It's Kevin Harlan and his very Marv-like voice.
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@Joshua: Happy to hear that, and you're welcome on behalf of Bitmob and Goozex! Enjoy the new 360!
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That switch from reviewer to "ordinary" gamer is indeed rough. Being back at school myself, I get the rare review game, and it's actually pushed me back to the rental route to get my game fix. The funny thing about that is that much like reviews, renting a game forces me to beat it within a week, so I'm still playing on deadlines.
What I find (initially) encouraging about your story is that you were able to get game reviews in the newspaper you wrote for. Part of me is always happy to hear of a newspaper doing as such, since as recently as 10 years ago, it was hard to ever imagine a paper cover games in any way. Of course, like you mention, a lot of these papers are now cutting that kind of coverage, which is a shame to hear.
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@Timothy: I'd agree that the main reason most of us go back is for the gameplay. If the gameplay ain't good, that nostalgic shine will wear off rather quickly. Unlike you, though, I get a kick out of the older graphics...usually. That retro charm, if done right, works on me far too often.
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Another great article, Mike! I've played a handful of these games, but there are plenty more that I haven't. Seeing some of the games and sites you link to reminds me of just how expansive the indie game scene is. You could get lost for hours or days on some of these sites.
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I’m not able to check in on this story for a few days, and the comments blow up! Great discussion in here. I wanted to respond to a few of your thoughts, which may serve the dual role of qualifying as the longest string of @responses ever!
@Jeremy: Well said. And I like to think I do recognize Super Metroid’s significance, and in fact, it helps me appreciate Symphony of the Night more as well, seeing as how it built off of Super Metroid’s base.
@Patrick: I’m sorry as well. Of course, we all have a handful of games we miss, and since I was a Genesis guy, this was one of my blind spots.
@Chris: Well put. I do like to think I have developed an appreciation of the game even though I obviously missed out on the magic of it from way back when.
@Antonio: I agree this must have been amazing in ’94. And remember, I did enjoy my playthrough, but it was despite numerous faults that hurt the game.
@Bryan: I couldn’t even get through FF7!
@Ron: Yeah, I’m scared to go back to some of my early 3D faves like Mario 64 and some of the PlayStation stuff for that exact reason. And you’re right; we’ve had a number of great remakes lately, but of course, we’re more inclined to remember the good ones.
@Ben I: I love Zombies Ate My Neighbors! Thrilled to hear it holds up.
@Yann: Yeah, a lot of those brawlers don’t hold up. I was recently playing Turtles in Time solo, and that got old real fast.
@Shawn: Some real good points in there. I agree with you the Line to the Past holds up well, as does Wind Waker. Even Tetris. It’s funny how some games stand the test of time and others don’t, since it’s something you don’t necessarily ever care about at the time but proves oh so important five years down the road.
@Keenan: I wouldn’t classify “pushing the bar” as a bad thing. In the end, it leads to far better games. When you don’t push the bar, such as with Crackdown 2, the results tend to be disappointing.
@Ben V: Interesting point on Shakespeare. At least from my experience, I found reading his stuff to be almost impenetrable at first, but after sticking with it through a semester, I began to really enjoy it by the end. Yeah it would be far easier if it were in modern English, but that’d pretty much rip the soul out of his work.
@Cameron: Good point, and yes, I don’t think a generation will go by from this point on that doesn’t experience Super Mario Bros...and make its theme song their ring tone.
@Rob: And Nintendo Thumb returns!
@Tyler: Great story, and yes, atmosphere counts for so much! I agree that is one of Super Metroid’s strong points, and it’s one of the reasons I’m glad I did finally play it. I at least now know what the fuss is about.
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Juan, I feel your pain. Not only would in-game saves be great, but an auto-save option (at least between quarters) would be a life saver in online franchise games. It's crushing to be in the 4th quarter of a game and then have the game crash.
Glad you're working your way around this problem, though.
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Ouch. Also surprising: Valkyria Chronicles 2 for PSP at No. 3. Where'd that come from?
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Everyone who entered the contest, quick note: Goozex has emailed the winner from marketing @ goozex.com and with the following subject heading: "Goozex - Bitmob Xbox 360: Halo Reach Bundle Winner!" Check your e-mail and respond if that's you. Good luck!
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Everyone who entered the contest, quick note: Goozex has emailed the winner from marketing @ goozex.com and with the following subject heading: "Goozex - Bitmob Xbox 360: Halo Reach Bundle Winner!" Check your e-mail and respond if that's you. Good luck!
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@Lance It is only $1
@James HAHAHAHAHA. I was waiting for you to spill your secrets, and it only took until the letter U :)
Seriously, though, those are some great tips. I love the idea of using a gamepad on some of these Flash games that don't typically support them. And Bytejacker sounds right up my alley. As for VVVVVVVV, you're right. It's been on my list for a long time now, and I played through the demo last night and liked what I saw.
@Brett You, sir, are correct. That would be an awesome game to play in 3D.
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Yeah, it's a crime Marv isn't in the game. They should have signed him up for at least a handful of choice Jordan quotes. Who would complain?
"Jordan...YES!"
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