Captain Skyhawk on NES Review

The one game I didn't feel like playing, all because it was made by Milton Bradley. For some reason I didn't think they could make a good NES game. Holy Mother of God was I right about Captain Skyhawk. 

This game is terrible. The music is good, the intro is pretty good. When you start firing at enemies with a choice of simple firing and mass firing you'd think your all set. But some things are really messed up about this game. 

First the geography, never before in my life have I forgotten frequently out of frustration that you can't slow down or go backward. You can only steer where your lead footed pilot is going, and it doesn't help that the hills and mountains seem to be below you. But when you touch the area where their pixels are, the mountains kill you. There's no graphical design to make them look level with your plane, if you touch them, your dead. And it's weird because you can dip down with the plane, but when you start at max height you're still able to be hit by the mountains; so it's pointless. 

So being you can't slow down you have to really dart around the map, and at first I had no idea the map moved side to side. When I did I was relieved to avoid hitting a mountain close to me, but you are touching the side of the screen to move the view. It'd make more sense to allow a little space when flying to the side so you can see other hills and mountains before you hit them. Nope, this game had me hitting a mountain without knowing it as i tried to steer away from mountains and enemies. 

On top of that the enemies are almost 100 percent of the time moving on the areas without the mountains, and once again the lack of being able to slow down or stop makes me shoot wildly to get them out of the way. 

I can't last two minutes on Skyhawk, it frustrates the heck out of me. This game is worse than Fester's Quest. It's so bad, here is my score.

I give it a 0 out of 5

Avoid this game, if you get it for free or have to take it along with other games. Use it as a dissection project to learn the contents of an NES game as to what's inside. Use it for smashing. Use it to prop up something. But don't play it. 

Geeksquisite Live Blogging E3 2009

Hey everybody I will be liveblogging throughout all the major press conferences. So if you are interested in seeing what we think of the events as they unfold check us out. Below is the listed events and the times we will be live blogging from. 

Monday:

Microsoft Press conference 1:30pm est: live blog from 1:15 pm 

EA Press conference 5pm est: live blog from 4:45 pm

Ubisoft Press conference 8pm est: liveblog from 8 pm (could miss beginning)

Tuesday:

Nintendo Press conference 12pm est: live blog from 11:45 AM

Sony Press conference 2pm est: live blog from 1:45 PM

So enjoy our live coverage of the show. Feel free to leave comments.

Additional News: I'd like to let everyone know we have a ton of things we'd like to do for E3. I don't wanna promise anything I can't keep so nothing is official but we will be doing our best to give you as much original content as we can.

PS3 slim version at E3?

On Spike the Pre-E3 show was teasing us with several upcoming games, never really giving us anything interesting on games we cared about. One thing people spoke about at one point is the price cut for the PS3, or basically a slimming of the PS3 to justify a price decrease. 

Where did they get the idea of a PS3 slim down? It doesn't even make sense considering the slimmed down PS2 is enough of a smaller console alternative, and I don't think alot of people want the Blu Ray player. Let's face it, the PS2 is outselling the PS3 and its probably making truckloads of profit. But to cut down the PS3 even more and make the PS2 sell less. Doubt it. 

Let's face it, I don't have a PS3. I want a PS3. I don't have the money for it right now, and their library is growing, E3 holds alot of promise for their gaming lineup. I'd like Microsoft to wow us but Sony is already wowing with it's library. Having said that, the new library of games would be enough to make people buy a PS3. So a price cut of the PS3 is unlikely, maybe Holiday 2009 but not now. 

There is alot of news circulating about this, but nothing is definite. So i'm gonna say this will likely be a rumor, and if they indeed make a slimmed PS3. I'm going on the waiting list and say goodbye to the PS2 with a move like that. 

New Youtube Channel and Series

Hey guys I got an awesome announcement to make. If you head over to Geeksquisite Channel you will find our new Youtube Channel. Here we will be putting all video related content for Geeksquisite. The first of which is the introduction of a new series. 

Geeksquisite Gaming Diary

Be sure to leave feedback thanks and enjoy.

My Gameboy/ GBC Collection

Well, since Ed posted up a list of his NES collection, I figured I'd follow that up with something somewhat similar... so, let's take a quick look at all of the games I have for my Gameboy and Gameboy Color.

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1) Super Mario Land (GB) - A classic Gameboy game in it's own right, just as Super Mario Bros. was on the NES. Has a classic theme that differs from your standard Mario theme song, and isn't heard much in new Mario games. The gameplay is pretty similar to Super Mario Bros. on the NES, but the levels are all new, making this a great new experience for any Mario fan out there.



2) Kirby's Dream Land (GB) - The first Kirby game ever. It helped introduce new gameplay mechanics such as eating your enemies and spitting them back out, which was later used in Super Mario World with the re-introduction of Yoshi.







3) Tetris (GB) - Probobly the most well-known video game ever! Created by Russian designer Alexey Pajitnov, it helped make puzzle gaming popular, and defined the genre as we know it today.







4) Metroid II: The Return of Samus (GB) - This one is interesting in that it is a direct sequel to the first game on the NES. While not having the easiest controls ever, it spawned a lot of new ideas for the series that would show up more polished in Super Metroid for the SNES.





5) Qix (GB) - A lot more famous for it's arcade counterpart, Qix is a solid puzzle-action game where you try and take over a certain percentage of the screen without getting hit by the enemies. This Gameboy version is a solid port, even with the limited graphics.





6) Mortal Kombat (GB) - Once again, more famous for it's arcade counterpart. However, this version of MK is the worst ever! Of course, I don't see any way you really could port over MK to the Gameboy. I'm actually just surprised that this version exists! Also, I'm not really sure what that smegma on the cartridge is...





7) Pit Fighter (GB) - Here we have another bad port of a fighting game. Pit Fighter is a lot more popular on the Genesis, and for good reason. I think if I was forced to play this game forever, I'd rather kill myself! Fighting games just don't work on the Gameboy.







8) Toy Story (GB) - Sticking with the theme of console ports, we have another one here in the form of Toy Story. While not a horrible port, I'd still prefer to play the SNES or Genesis version of the game.







9) Snoopy's Magic Show (GB) - This one is a bit obscure, but I was pleasantly surprised with it. While it's not an amazing game by any means, it has a simple charm to it. You play as Snoopy and the game consists of you collecting all of the Woodstocks on screen, and dodging the bouncing balls. It's simple, and perfect for a handheld game, not to mention the music is infectiously cheery.



10) Alleyway (GB) - A pretty solid Super Breakout clone for the Gameboy, it provides a classic breakout experience. No power-ups, no crazy techno music. Just some simple breakout. The weird part is, at the beginning of the game, you see Mario JUMP INTO YOUR PADDLE! So... Mario is INSIDE YOUR PADDLE, there is a little Mario head next to your lives counter. So, technically, this is a MARIO GAME!!! MADNESS, isn't it?!



11) Wario Land: Super Mario Land III (GB) - Sticking with the theme of Semi-Mario games, this game is the first to introduce Wario into the big book of Mario fiction. It includes an overworld map, that looks oddly similar to the one from Super Mario World. Playing as Wario, you put on different hats to get different powers, and you try and collect as much money as you can, Wario being the greedy little guy that he is.



12) Mario Tennis (GBC) - While all of the other Mario Tennis games were simply "Tennis with Mario characters", Mario Tennis on the Gameboy Color is a completely different experience, and I personally think it's a much more enjoyable one. You play as a new recruit as a Tennis school, and you can level up your stats. The graphical style reminds me of Pokemon, and the gameplay, between the exploration parts, and the actual Tennis are both fun and satisfying. For anybody who's ever wanted to play a Tennis RPG, definitely check out Mario Tennis for the Gameboy Color.



13) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GBC) - Last, but most definitely not least, we have Link's Awakening DX for the Gameboy Color. Taking everything that made the original game so great, and adding some new features, and a new dungeon, this game is a must own for anybody who has a Gameboy Color. Definitely one of my favorite Zelda games ever.

Anime Preview: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Episode 1

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a sequel to the widely popular Fullmetal Alchemist. However, it's not a direct sequel like the movie was. Instead, it seems to be taking the original story and just offering the continuing adventures of Edward and Alphonse. I'm not yet entirely sure when this is taking place, but it seems to be in-between one of the parts they skipped over in the original series.

I watched the first episode subbed. In it, Ed and Al are sent by Mustang to fight a rouge soldier who uses water alchemy. Throughout the episode, we get re-introduced to a bunch of different characters from the original series such as Mustang, Armstrong, King Bradley, and Hughes. After watching it, the entire thing feels very much like FMA should feel. The animation is still headed by BONES, the original voice cast returns, there's still that perfect mix of comedy and action, oh... and you can't forget about the short jokes! The entire thing felt very authentic, and I recommend it to anybody who likes any sort of action comedy. Definitely a must-watch for FMA fans.

Book Review: The House of the Scorpion

Yes, book reading is a volunteer effort. Some don't want to, some do. But there are books that work on many levels to speak to the reader while pushing points across. House of the Scorpion is one of those books.

House of the Scorpion is written by Nancy Farmer, and is about a boy who is treated differently for what he is: a clone. Matteo Alacran becomes the subject for debates about clones and their equality when compared to humans. It also explores the need for immortality through unethical means and even explores elements of how the United States and Mexico have progressed in the future from a SCI-FI perspective. 

I've read this book soo much its that good. It's interesting how Farmer develops Matt's life as a child with obvious religious questions regarding a clone. Matt is religious, but we've never had the circumstance of whether a clone is welcomed in the house of god. The relationship between Matt and El' Patron, the man who he is a clone of is heartwarming in how kind he seems. And yet, El' Patron is loved out of fear by everyone around him, highlighting the idea that money drives people to swallow pride and is constantly remarked for his powerful legacy he created.

This is a book people must read, because I cannot tell you everything or else there is nothing worth learning on your own. But I highly recommend reading it, its a wonderful story. 

I give it a 4 out of 5