Growing up, Tom Hall never had a Super Nintendo and therefore missed out on some of the greatest titles of that generation. Now in his 30’s, Tom has decided to finally go back and catch up on all of that lost gaming. These are his reviews of classic SNES titles after playing them for the very first time, 2 decades after their release.
It’s that magical time of year when most of the American populace turns to baseball to help get them through the drought of sports between the NBA Finals and the start of the NFL season. It seems like the perfect time to review a baseball game. Thankfully for me, Alex Weiss participated in my 2 Decades Late Reader Request series, and requested Super Baseball Simulator 1.000, a game I have yet to play. Well, I do love me some retro baseball so I popped this one in and gave it the old college try.
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The Reader Request series has been a lot of fun. I’ve gotten to see what games have been stuck in your memory all of these years. This week’s request comes from Graeme Ellis. Graeme requested the unicycle racing game Uniracers. Although racing games do seem to be the most common on the list of Super Nintendo games I have reviewed after playing them for the first time 2 decades late, this seemed unique enough to capture my interest. Then I studied up a bit on the lore of the game. It is most interesting.
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In continuing with the Reader Request series for 2 Decades Late, I am here today with yet another request. This one comes from a good personal friend of mine, Zack Williamson. It’s kind of surprising to me that I haven’t played this one yet given how much I loved the cartoon. Freakazoid, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and Earthworm Jim. Those were my jam when I was but a wee Tom. I may be just a tick, and by tick I mean 2 decades late, but the time has come to review the game I should have played a long, long time ago.
This past weekend, I did a thing. You see, I kind of, sort of ran out of Super Nintendo game ideas so I asked you guys on Twitter. Honestly, I only really expected one or two answers. Instead, I got a bunch of suggestions. D’awww, you guys. So, I will take those suggestions as you giving me free advice on how to keep you reading and one by one, I will review all of those requests.
Additionally, it is now open season. Have a game you want me to review? Let me know. I will review them all, first come, first served. The first suggestion was made by 1 More Castle’s own Zack Smith. Zack wanted to see me review the SNES RPG Drakkhen. And so it is.
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When last we met, I sang the praises of Super Mario Kart. Another SNES racing game I’ve always wanted to play was F-Zero. All I really know of it is what I have been taught by Super Smash Bros. and I have only played the N64 sequel a couple of times. I do know that it was an SNES launch title and that there had been one on every Nintendo console until the Wii unless, of course, you count the Virtual Console where I played it. But you didn’t come here for trivia, did you? No, you didn’t. It’s cool. I know you just want me for my reviews.
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I will get this out of the way early and admit two things. First, this choice was totally inspired by Bailey’s pick for the Retro Showdown on episode 74 of 1 More Podcastle. Second, I did actually have an experience with this game as a child. A friend had it and I played it a couple of times. That said, it has probably been about 2 decades since I have played it and so I think I’m still safe. In those decades, I have played and loved games like Mario Kart 64, even if I don’t think it is as good as Diddy Kong Racing. Right now, I am totally hooked on Mario Kart 7 on my 3DS. The point is, I am a fan of the series and I never really went back and studied the roots of the franchise. As I had this thought about doing this game, I had a second thought. What if it turns out like Star Fox did for me? What if playing these before ever truly experiencing the original will ruin that original for me? One way to find out.
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It seems like forever ago when I wrote part 1 of this review. I have been itching, chomping at the bit, if you will to bring you this next part. The thing that greatly surprised me about part 1 was your reactions. My desire in this review has been to convey to you what I felt as I experienced this game and your comments, Tweets, and messages indicate that I succeeded. The thing that surprised me the most was that you didn’t care if I ran long on the review. Since that is true, I will complete the review, no matter how long, with part 2. Since it has been a little while since part 1 of this review, I will begin this review with the last paragraph of part 1.
Once in a while, a storm of unrelated events combine in my favor. In this instance, they unfolded thusly. First, I have this regular piece where I make up for the console I missed growing up by reviewing Super Nintendo games after having played them for the first time. Secondly, I am a member of Club Nintendo and I have given them large portions of my paychecks this year. Thirdly, Club Nintendo made The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past available for a mere 150 coins for the Wii Virtual Console. Lastly, Nintendo recently released the spiritual successor to this game on the 3DS and it seems to be hitting everyone right in the nostalgia. Given that my favorite game is Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and my entire online brand is Ocarina of Tom, some of you have been waiting for this day. What would happen when I came up against the game that many hail as one of the best not just of the series, but of all time? This review is going to take a slight dip away from the norm. I want to retell the story of me playing it as it happened. I think that will give you the best idea of how I enjoyed my experience. In order to do this, however, this review is going to appear in two parts. At least.
It feels like two decades have passed since the last time I reviewed a Super Nintendo game after playing it for the first time. My last entry into this series was Donkey Kong Country way back in the beginning of September. I had a week of vacation in there and I doubled up on the N64 Connoisseur pieces in order to properly celebrate my one year anniversary here at 1 More Castle. With all of that out of the way and me back on my proper life schedule, I wanted to play something epic. I wanted to play something that people talk to me about every time I mention the SNES and I have to be that lamewad who didn’t play it. The time finally came for me to play Super Metroid.
The quest to play Super Nintendo titles for the first time and review them has taken me to some pretty fun titles. As can be evidenced by my last entry in this series, which happened to fall on Review a Bad Game Day, I have also run into some stinkers. I decided, this week, to play a game I have seen played many times, but never played myself. Donkey Kong and friends burst onto the SNES with what some think is one of the greatest platformers of all time. If there is one thing I hope that I have made abundantly clear in my time here at the Castle, it is that I do not care what some think. For that matter, I don’t care what most think. I must see for myself. So, Donkey Kong Country, let’s dance.
Uh oh, guess what day it is! Huh? No, it isn’t hump day. It’s Review a Bad Game Day, the day where the internet gathers and reviews a game that they just plain don’t like. For me, that happened to fall on the same day as a 2 Decades Late piece, which for those uninitiated, is where I play a SNES title for the first time and review it. For this one, I can almost hear you typing your rebuttal comments for how I am wrong but here goes. A number of you suggested I play Blackthorne so I did. I did not like it.
Welcome to another edition of 2 Decades Late, where I review Super Nintendo games after playing them for the first time all these years later. Today, I have chosen a game that is a prequel of sorts for me. Let me explain. I adore Starfox 64. It’s one of my favorite N64 titles. So, I thought that naturally, Starfox on the SNES would have an automatic place in my heart as well. As it turns out, there is no such thing as an automatic place in my heart.
Welcome to the very first edition of 2 Decades Late, my newest series for 1 More Castle. Those of you tuning in to hopefully see some sweet, savory N64 action may be a bit surprised. Fear not, though, the N64 Connoisseur series will alternate with this new series so you will see it back here in two weeks. The premise of 2 Decades Late is that as a child, I skipped the SNES generation. Not out of disinterest or anything, we just couldn’t afford it. That has left me in an interesting position. I have missed out on some of the greatest classics of our time. Super Metroid, Link to the Past, Chrono Trigger, all classic games that I have never played by way of not having the hardware when they came out, not to mention the great hidden gems of the system. Well, now that I am all grown up, I am able to go back in time and right these wrongs. I am going to bring you along on the journey as I play these games for the very first time and review them, even if I am two decades late.