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Final Fantasy VI: 30th anniversary

Final Fantasy VI is widely regarded as the greatest of the original six FF games. Its decision-based story events, fully customizable magic system, and gritty sci-fi/fantasy setting set the standard for the series moving forward. The enormous cast of characters and elaborate plot-line built on the promise of FF4 (“Final Fantasy II” in the U.S.), shedding many of that game’s cliches (while sticking with the tried-and-true Evil Empire trope) in favor of something more adult. The game’s villain, Kefka, embodies evil, playing on the sci-fi trope of the person driven mad by experimental technology. Final Fantasy VI begins with an amnesiac girl named Terra (you can change her name, of course). Controlled by a psychic “crown”, she pilots a magic-driven suit of tech armor (called “Magitek”). After forming a psychic connection to an “Esper” (what were called “Summons” in FF4), she breaks free of the empire’s control. A thief named Locke, who belongs to the resistance group known as the Returne
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Donkey Kong (Game Boy): 30th anniversary

Thirty years ago Nintendo released an unusual Game Boy game. It was called Donkey Kong. At first blush it appears to be a port of the at-that-time ten-year-old arcade game that put Nintendo on the map. But far more lay beneath the surface. The first four stages recreate the original Donkey Kong, though Mario moves more smoothly. After Mario defeats Donkey Kong, the great ape rises and runs away, again absconding with Pauline! Another world appears (numbered as world 1) with eight new stages! All told, the game features an astonishing 101 levels spread across ten worlds. I do wonder about the marketing strategy of naming the game “Donkey Kong” as opposed to, say, “Super Donkey Kong” or “Donkey Kong 2.” The original Donkey Kong was a platforming game. Mario (or "Jumpman" as he was originally known) could walk, jump over barrels and enemies, swing a hammer, and climb ladders. This game greatly expands the number of things Mario can do. He can do a handstand (press ↓ and A), whic
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Blaster Master: A brilliant if flawed platformer adventure game

In the fall of '88, Blaster Master launched Sunsoft into video-gaming greatness. Infamous for its brutal difficulty and lack of a save or password system, Blaster Master nevertheless is well crafted, innovative, and very fun. Blaster Master is a Metroidvania game in which you control a futuristic tank named Sophia III. It has the ability to jump and controls smoothly. This smoothness is reflected in the multiple sprites that depict it, complete with moving wheels. It even springs a little when it impacts the ground after each jump! The game world is divided into eight areas connected by doors. Part of the fun (and frustration) is finding the next area. Each area has a boss that, when defeated, yields a needed upgrade for Sophia III, such as wall-climbing, hovering (which has its own "H" meter, refilled by enemy drops), becoming a submarine, and sticking to the ceiling. In some cases, backtracking is required. For instance, once Sophia III acquires the ability to hover, yo
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Super Mario Advance: Don't panic! Third time is the charm

When I bought a Game Boy Advance at launch, I was stoked to play Super Mario Advance, because  Super Mario Bros. 2  was one of my favorite childhood games. Super Mario Advance is a sort-of sequel to Super Mario Bros. Deluxe . That game had brought the original Super Mario Bros. to the Game Boy Color with some bells and whistles; Super Mario Advance did the same for SMB2. It also includes an updated version of the original Mario Bros .! Super Mario Bros. 2 was already remade for the Super Nintendo as part of the  Super Mario Bros. All-Stars  four-in-one cartridge. That version serves as the foundation for Super Mario Advance, but numerous further improvements have been made. For example, characters no longer begin stages in their Super form with two hearts; they begin small. This and other changes were made to bring the game more in line with its Super Mario Bros. brethren. In addition, you can now change characters whenever you die. This makes the game easier as you can always switch
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Super Mario Land: A short, oddball entry

Super Mario Land was a Game Boy launch title, but not the pack-in game. That honor went to Tetris. Tetris is an incredible game with perennial appeal, and it propelled the Game Boy's explosive success. Super Mario Land is not as impressive but still fun. Super Mario Land is a bit odd. It doesn't feel like other Mario games. Only four of the classic enemies appear: Bullet Bills, Piranha Plants, Goombas, and Koopa Troopas. Even the koopas behave differently: their shells can't be kicked and instead explode like bombs. Most of the enemies are assorted creatures, like spiders, robots, ghosts, and Moai heads. The Fighter Flies from the original Mario Bros. arcade game also appear. The Super Mushroom, coins, and Super Star appear, as well as question blocks. The Fire Flower, however, has been replaced by a similar flower power-up. It lets Mario throw a bouncing ball. It ricochets off walls like an old screen saver, and only one can be on screen at a time. Weird! Extra-life mushr
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Super Mario Bros. Deluxe: 25th anniversary

A quarter century ago, Nintendo went back to the fountainhead with Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, which brought the original Super Mario Bros. to the recently released Game Boy Color. While playing SMB on a handheld device was a novelty, the game is unfortunately hampered by the Game Boy's small screen. The GBC was powerful enough to recreate the NES in a handheld form. However, in order to recreate the game perfectly without using shrunk-down sprites (as was done for Super Mario Land), only a portion of the screen can be displayed at once. A "block" in SMB is sixteen pixels a side. The Game Boy screen can show only ten such blocks horizontally at once, and the height is nine blocks, with the top half of the top row being covered by your score, coins, and time remaining. The NES outputted sixteen blocks wide by thirteen high. This means in SMB Deluxe you can see only 40% of what the NES showed! The other 60% is offscreen. As a result, the game looks zoomed in. Enemies, coins,
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Super Metroid: 30th anniversary

Three decades ago Nintendo brought Metroid to the 16-bit era in splendorous fashion with Super Metroid. They took everything good about the original Metroid and improved, expanded, and fixed it. No game is perfect, but this one comes awfully close. It holds up brilliantly today. Super Metroid follows the formula of the original, with a semi-open world divided into different sections. In many respects it feels like a remake, similar to what Nintendo did with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past . The "bounty hunter" Samus Aran returns to the planet Zebes and travels through Norfair, Brinstar, and Tourian, facing the Space Pirate bosses Ridley, Kraid, and Mother Brain. The maps are different, though a few sections from the original are deliberately recreated. In fact, at the very beginning of the game, Samus passes back through the escape shaft and original chamber in which she defeated Mother Brain the first time, only now things look eerily abandoned. Then she has to leav
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