Thoughts, questions, the truly non-categorical entities.
Following the announcement of the successor to the Xbox 360 known as the Xbox One, reactions have been a jumbled collection of excitement, speculation of the future, questions about what was seen and what wasn’t seen, and a sense of wonder about the whole thing. So in other words, job well done to Microsoft for getting the community talking about their next box.
From a gamer’s standpoint however, I’m not entirely sure I’m on board at all with the Xbox One. My gut reaction is telling me to wait this thing about and see what the Xbox One delivers in the future, but as of right now there’s some questions I want answered. (more…)
Everyone knows Mario.
He’s Nintendo’s mascot. He’s a portly plumber who wears a red shirt and denim overalls. He frequently travels the Mushroom Kingdom to thwart the evil Bowser’s plans and rescue Princess Peach. He’s an all around good guy who get’s a lot of play time in all things Nintendo.
And then there’s Luigi…
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While I was growing up, I subscribed to Tips & Tricks magazine. Like most kids I was drawn in with the last half of magazine being dedicated to cheat codes and hints for all my games. Even better was when they pushed out one of their “Code Books” which ditched every written article entirely to house just these cheats. While I was a fan of the codes, I would pretty much read the magazine front to back because there wasn’t any internet in our house to occupy my time otherwise, so this was my only means of gaming related news each month. Being into fighting games since Mortal Kombat II, I was attracted to the one or two page monthly feature ranking the best fighting game players in the US and the rest of the world. These were names that you still hear today, like Ricky Ortiz, Justin Wong, and the phenomenon that is Daigo Umehara. One thing I noticed about some of these players was their location: California. Specifically Sunnyvale, California. In my mind I pegged the cute sounding city as a Mecca for video game arcade fighting. As luck would have it, I happened to fall in love with a girl who lives five minutes away from Sunnyvale, and on top of that we’re looking to move to that exact city! On a recent visit I was able to stop in an arcade that has been on my radar since the Tips & Tricks days as a place the pros played: Golfland USA. The arcade scene is not what it used to be in the 90s and early 2000s, but Golfland has done its best to retain the good ol’ years of the video arcade. (more…)
It is with a lump in my throat and a sad heart that I have to create this article. Nintendo Power, the gaming magazine beloved by generations of Nintendo fans and video game lovers alike, has come to an end. After 22 years, 285 issues, every Nintendo console to date, and thousands upon thousands of games, the magazine has bowed out of the printed market and the online market entirely, and will be fondly remembered in countless gamers’ hearts for many reasons. I only felt it necessary that I pay my respects to the periodical that I took so much from. Let’s go on a journey through time and enjoy the spectacle, wonder, excitement, and love of all things Nintendo that was Nintendo Power. (more…)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Whether or not you’re living in the United States and celebrate the holiday, there’s always reason to be thankful during this time of year (and any time of year, for that matter). A few notable examples are family, friends, and of course the holiday sales on all your favorite video games! Here’s a quick run-down on what’s for sale and where. And if you’re one to avoid massive crowds and don’t want to go out this weekend, then I’ve got plenty of deals for you online as well. Take a look!
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A quick reminder that my comic book section has been up and running for over a month now. Each entry is focused on a video game-themed comic book series, with…
It’s October, and that means it’s time to watch those scary horror flicks, grab a costume to scare or adore your neighbors, and eat lots of candy. While you might be in horror overload with all the Halloween themed stores and pumpkin spice lattes on every corner, perhaps all you need is a good dose of frighteningly adorable video games to get you back in the spirit of the season. Just in time for Halloween, here are 13 horrifyingly cute video games for you to play between now and All Hallows’ Eve.
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The Pokemon series has a lot of tradition that has been seen in every game in the main series: you get one of three Pokemon at the beginning of the game, each of which is either a fire, grass, or water type; you battle through eight gym battles to collect badges; an evil organization is up to no good trying to harm everyone’s Pokemon; apparently you, a young child, are the only one who can somehow manage to collect and/or see every Pokemon in the land, even when capable adults can be found everywhere.
But you know what, that’s what made the game’s great. They were a blast to play because they were so fun and simple. I bring this up though to say that I am desperately craving something new from the franchise. I know Nintendo has to stick to some tradition with each game, but switching things up a bit can make a huge difference. I’m not even going to fault the game for having some ridiculous Pokemon either (I’m looking at you, Trubbish!). I’m sure it’s hard to come up with new species of tiny creatures after you’ve run through the hundreds they have so far. Here’s some examples of things that will make the next Pokemon game amazing: (more…)
Some of you may already know that I’ve been reading a few video game themed comic books as of late. I wrote an article or two a few months back about some of the various Mega Man comics/mangas, and I am still reading and enjoying those series’. More recent Jsick news is that I’ve been reading and loving the old Sonic the Hedgehog comics by Archie. So much so that I’ve decided to create a brand new section here on Slick Gaming for you all to experience and enjoy the comics with me! Here’s, I’ll give you a little tour… (more…)
Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems for mobile devices like smartphones and iPads/iPhones/iPod Touches have been getting a steady stream of games since their inception. It’s a guarantee that each week, if not each day, a new game or two will be released for the portable devices. Whether or not those games are worthwhile is an entirely different story. But what about those instances where the games being released are ports of actual console video games? It’s been happening more and more recently, and it has gotten me to think about just what that means to you and I as gamers, as well as to the publishers and developers of said games.
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