PixlBit

Thunder rumbles on the Genesis.

If there was one thing that Techno Soft did very well in the 16-bit days, it was shoot ‘em ups.  It all started when they created Thunder Force in 1984. It was released on the NEC PC-8801 and several other Japanese home computers at the time, but never saw the light of day in the US.  The game featured an overhead free-roaming viewpoint and the goal was to destroy the enemy’s shield generators, using your main shot for air targets and the bomb shot for ground targets in each stage. While it’s tough to gauge the game’s popularity from back then, it apparently did well enough to warrant a sequel. Thunder Force II was released four years later for the Sega Genesis in 1989, making it the very first shoot ‘em up on the system.

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Sonic's latest is taking the series in a new direction.

Sonic has been going through a lot lately, as Sega has been desperately trying to revitalize the franchise to its former grace. The critical reception of those titles has been mixed, but in an effort to change up the formula Sega has come up with Sonic: Lost World. What I played was solid and manages to be charming and fun, yet some changes might have hindered what I enjoy about Sonic as a whole.

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No, seriously-- where are you, Yuzo Koshiro?

People complain about the plethora of Modern Warfare first person shooters these days, but those same people forget that every few years there’s some genre that dominates the gaming landscape. We’ve gone through the survival horror phase, the RPG obsession, the fighting game craze, and of course the beat ‘em up era. During that time, one of the most popular and legendary brawlers was the Streets of Rage series. It’s been nearly 20 years since Sega’s personal head crackers had a new adventure, so it’s time to dust off this franchise and resurrect it.

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The controversial Japanese game developer leaves a legacy of genre bending titles.

Last week was kind of a crazy week of news for video game fans of all walks of life. Naturally the PS4 announcement took up the lion’s share of the attention, and with good reason considering how long the current console generation has lasted. Obviously big and sad news hit a lot of people close to this website with the announcement that 1up would be closing, and some excellent writers getting laid off. With all of that commotion it’s easy to forgive if you didn’t realize that Kenji Eno died last week, as well. You can also be forgiven for asking who that is, because although Eno was a legendary game designer to a lot of people, he was also an enigma that hadn’t been in the gaming news for over a decade.

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The Olympic Games - minus the athletes you care about and the skill.

The Olympics has been a tradition around the world for generations. This year, the Olympics were held in London, England where it earned the achievement of being the most viewed Olympics of all-time. The idea of being able to compete against other athletes from around the world to determine the best of each sport has been a driving force for many athletes their entire life. Residents of those countries cheer on their representative athletes in hopes that they finish with the most medals and reign supreme. This year, Sega had the honor of virtually representing these games as London '12, giving players a chance to compete for their country against friends and online users alike in a variety of games and events. Unfortunately, rapid button-pressing with a lack of emphasis on skill isn't representative of this notable and important worldwide sporting event.

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