The Weakest Link
The Legend of Zelda set the bar for the action-adventure genre with its perfect mix of action and the thrill of finding the next dungeon or quest-critical item. It was gaming as golden as the cartridge itself. Then came the sequel. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was originally released for the Family Computer Disk System (FDS) in Japan on January 14, 1987. The game was then converted into a standard cartridge for its release on the NES in North America on December 1, 1988. Though it still had the familiar trappings of exploration, fantasy, and adventure, it also came with some drastic changes that weren't well-received by all--myself included.
The Italian Stallion.....and Luigi.
It’s no secret that some of the best ideas started in Japan. This was certainly true of Nintendo back in the early 80’s. One of their creations was a simple arcade game, Mario Bros., featuring sibling plumbers Mario and Luigi on a quest to rid the screen of pests in the sewer pipes. Due to its success, Nintendo decided to create a bigger adventure based on the two characters for their new cartridge-based home console. Thus, Super Mario Brothers was born on September 13, 1985 in Japan and 1986 in the US, making Mario a household name along with the company that created him.
Global Testfire
Splatoon has been on my radar since its reveal. It’s a brand new IP from Nintendo – a vibrant, 3rd person competitive online shooter that emphasizes things other than getting kills, like turf control. Oh, and rather than shoot bullets or lasers, you shoot paint. And you can turn into a squid to swim around the battlefield.