Thanks, dude! ...I would, but the November Steam sale already killed me.

Wow, Saiyuki: Journey West. I don't think I've heard of that one since the early days of YouTube. Guardian's Crusade is another one that just popped in my head, but that's not an SRPG.

That's cool that you beat Destroy All Humans. It was a favorite of mine that I owned across multiple consoles, and had just way too much fun with it. I remember the sequels being so underwhelming, especially the second one.

I beat Destroy All Humns on the Microsoft XBOX this evening!

I love history and any video game that lets me play during a historical time period always piques my interest. However, when that time period is the 1950's, one of my favorite time periods, then my interest goes through the roof. That is what happened to me when Destroy All Humans came out several years ago. I never got around to it until I started going through that generation again for the Xbox and GameCube. I had completely forgotten about the game and I saw the XBOX version was rated a bit higher, so I decided to jump in.

The best part about Destroy All Humans is the time period. It is absolutely perfect. It's like playing a good Back to the Future game. The cars, the people, the phrases, the look and everything about that time in history is there to be shown. Granted, it is all satirical and taken with a grain of salt, but it is still very well represented. Also, as a fan of old movies, they play up that 1950's Science Fiction very well. The game feels like one of those 'B' movies you would watch in the drive in as some serious care was put into the game. The actual combat is a typical third person shooter while also being able to ride around in a saucer. The physics engine of the game is really fantastic as each object has its own weight. So, when you blast something in your saucer, the cars go flying. When you psycho kinetically throw somebody, they go flying and its amazing. Being able to mess around the world in a GTA style is amazing.

I just wish the game had better GTA style missions. The game relies too heavily on stealth, which is one of its weaker points. The stealth isn't that fun and unlike GTA, once your cover is blown, people go crazy just looking at you. Also, the main character versus the enemy is incredibly unbalanced. I can die in just a few hits while enemies take forever to kill. It gets really annoying later on in the game when the entire Army is after you.

Overall, I enjoyed Destroy All Humans. The stealth and annoying enemies can ware on you rather quickly and can get incredibly frustrating. But, the atmosphere and time period is just perfect. I can never visit the 1950's, but this is the closest experience. Also, blowing up buildings and shooting beams where cars are like ping pong balls never gets old. If you enjoy history or some mindless fun, Destroy All Humans satisfies both.

I beat Capcom Vs. SNK 2 for the Sony Playstation 2 this afternoon!

The original Capcom Vs. SNK game for the PS1 was one of my favorite fighting games for that system. The ease of play and cast of characters made the entire experience one of the most enjoyable fighting games on the PS1. I also loved the ability to gain points to unlock characters and stages in the game much like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. It gave an incentive to play the game through multiple times. I knew that they had made a sequel to the game as my friend had the GameCube version. However, it took me a while longer to get it because I didn't want to use the GameCube controller. Several years ago, I finally bought the game and have played it multiplayer several times throughout the years. However, I never sat down to beat the game until now.

The major hook in Capcom Vs. SNK 2 is the wide variety of characters that you can play as. The game has a total of 48 characters that you can play as with some of them having to be unlocked through strange circumstances. The cast is a great representation of Capcom fighters, SNK fighters and unique characters from Capcom franchises. It is great to see these characters battle against one another with some of them being introduced to the Capcom fighting world. Besides the characters, the different modes in Arcade is completely new. You can do a 1 Vs. 1 traditional Mode, you can choose a mode where three characters battle up as a team or you could do a new Ratio Mode, where you can choose one character to be your strongest. I love the idea of the team battle that is found in many SNK fighters as it adds something completely new to the Capcom side.

All these characters are very fun and the fighting is great, I just wish the unlockables were much easier to find. My friend had this game for years and didn't know there were secret characters until one random evening. I wish there was a store where you could spend earned points and unlock the different characters, modes and stages that way. Also, the announcer could be the worst in gaming history. The absolute worst announcer ever.

Overall, Capcom Vs. SNK 2 gives more of the same in regards to the original Capcom Vs. SNK. However, like a good sequel, it just adds more to the table. More modes, more characters and more unlockables make the game a great addition to any 2D fighting fan that owns a PS2. Another fantastic Capcom Fighting Game.

I completed The Lost Vikings on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System this afternoon!

My favorite Youtube Video Game Review Series is 16-Bit Gems by Roo from Clan of the Gray Wolf. He offered a funny and insightful look into games that flew underneath the radar and he wanted to shine the light on them. His series got me into many games, some that I did not enjoy while others became instant favorites. His review on the Lost Vikings brought back memories of playing it as a child and since the game was very cheap, I picked it up many years ago. A few years ago, I tried to play it and I did not enjoy it all. However, my friend and several forum members convinced me not to sell it. So, I decided to finally give it another go and see if my first impressions were wrong.

It took me a while to warm up to Lost Vikings. Being unable to jump made things rather difficult and I kept dying rather frequently. However, I persevered and I was amazed to find a quality game here. The best part about the game is the level design. The game was made by people who would eventually make Blizzard and they had talent from the start. Two of your characters cannot jump, so to design levels around that hindrance is something special. Also, each character is unique in their abilities with weaknesses as well making none of them more over powered than the other one. However, together, they become a formidable unit that could take down many enemies. With unique worlds, colorful graphics and catchy music, the game has a solid package and tickles the brain in its purest puzzle mode.

However, when it gets to pure action or heavy platforming, the game can become incredibly frustrating. Neither you nor the enemies have any invincibility when taking damage, so your character dies rather quickly and that happens too frequently when it comes to the hand to hand combat. Also, especially the later levels that took a while to complete, to die after one mistake and to have restart the entire level gets incredibly frustrating.

Overall, Lost Vikings can get really annoying at times, but when the game is done right, it is incredibly good. It is a unique puzzle game that is not too common back then or even now a days. I am interested in the Genesis version with more levels and the differences in the sequel between the SNES and PS1 version. But, if you are looking for a puzzle game that will also test your reflexes, Lost Vikings is unique and good game.

I beat Kid Icarus on the Nintendo Entertainment System this afternoon!

Long before my backlogging days, I bought Kid Icarus and just have sat on it for years and years. I originally wanted to beat Metroid first, as both games uses the same engines. However, once Metroid fell, I kept putting off Kid Icarus because of its difficult reputation. Eventually, my confidence rose on beating hard NES games. After Zelda II and Ninja Gaiden, Kid Icarus didn't seem so daunting. After being ready for a more difficult challenge, I decided to see if Kid Icarus really had some teeth. (Spoilers: It does!)

Kid Icarus is such a unique game for its time and even when it was released. The only type of vertical platforming game I can compare it to is Ice Climbers, but that was a more simple and arcade action game. Also, the theme of Ancient Greece or Roman Gods is a fertile concept that I am surprised it is not used even more. All of these combined make Kid Icarus a unique and eventually a very well done game. At first, you are overwhelmed by too many enemies and your shot is incredibly weak. But, like most NES Action RPG's, if you spend the time to grind and gain some upgrades, the game becomes increasingly easier. Eventually, Pit almost feels indestructible except for an errant Eggplant shot. And you feel that progression through the game as you earned these upgrades and are excited to have Pit grow into a formidable hero. The game also throws in many different concepts as Stage 2 is more horizontal while Stage 4 is a side scrolling shooter. These touches change up the pace and make each level unique. Also, the dungeons and bosses change the pace even more. It's fun to discover these dungeons as they are very maze like along with exciting and unique bosses. It breaks up the pace and just shows how you are increasing your strength as a hero.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Kid Icarus. The beginning of the game is incredibly hard and the Eggplant Wizards are the worst, but those are the only two faults I can find in the game. With unique enemy design, catchy music and a unique concept, Kid Icarus is a very different game and one that is worth your time and effort to get into. Once you get through that initial hurdle, it is a fun and worthwhile experience. Anybody that enjoyed Metroid or a good NES game would want to pick this game up. It makes me excited to play the Gameboy sequel eventually!

Thank ya! Congrats on Road Rage! I have very fond memories of that game when I was younger and played it a lot but never beat it. Now, looking back and seeing game play videos, those load times are awful. But I also could overlook it's faults because I'm a Simpsons fan. I especially loved to pick up Hans Moleman lol.