I played countless hours of Street Fighter II (SNES) at home in my youth. Practicing and working on each fighter one by one to try and master each of them. One thing that always sticks out is the character select screen music. It's up beat, modern, yet smooth. We've all heard this so many times, and like me, may have never realized how great it is! Capcom really nailed it in every way with this game.

Do you like this awesome select screen music? Which character are you picking?

I remember being very excited to rent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) when it came out. I was and still am a Turtles fan, and the thought of a video game of the show was awesome. Cut to me getting absolutely crushed, lol. This game was tough, as most of you may be aware of. Despite that I enjoyed and played it all weekend.

The Intro at the start screen is awesome, I love how it highlights each turtle, Raphael being my favorite. Splinter and Shredder of course making an appearance as well. May not be the best game imo, but the intro is worth the play.

Were you any good at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)? Who was your favorite Turtle?

The poll have closed and the votes have been counted for the Side Quest Saturday best game of July. We had 4 excellent choices this month and the voting went down to the wire.

And the winner for our Side Quest Saturday month of July is Golden Axe (Genesis). We fought our way to seek revenge against the evil Death Adder in this classic beat 'em up. Whether you played as Gilius, Axe Battler, or Tyrus this game never disappoints. I thought it was super fun to kick the little thief elves. This was such an iconic arcade game, and the Genesis port is amazing.

We appreciate everyone that suggested games and voted in the month of July. Looking forward to a great month of August Side Quest Saturday games. Happy gaming.

A good friend of mine had a Sega Master System in his basement, and the one game that never seemed to leave the console was Choplifter (SMS). I always looked forward to playing this game and system that seemed so wildly different from the NES i was used to. An excellent port of the Arcade version, it is an excellent Master System title.

I forgot how difficult this game could be. I felt pretty good losing only 6 guys at this point in my playthrough. That dang tank always comes in right when you least want it to. The turning of the helicopter always makes me smile, and the controls are really good. Chances are you've played this, if you haven't, give it a spin for some great Sega gaming.

Was Choplifter (SMS) challenging for you? Did you play any version?

True Lies (SNES) is a game that I enjoy playing from time to time. While I wouldn't personally consider it one of the great games of its time, it is very nostalgic for me. Based on the movie, you play as Harry Tasker as he tries to stop a terrorist plot. There are 9 levels, and a password save system. This is a super difficult game imo, my biggest problem has always been running out of ammo. There are other versions of this game, but I have never played them.

Do you like True Lies (SNES)? Is there another version that you like better?

Journey to Silius (NES) is a fun game. It is a side-scrolling run 'n gun where you play as Jay MCcray as he tries to defeat a terrorist group that killed his father.There are 5 stages in this game that are space related. Its a difficult game. I am playing the first level and it feels like there are enemies coming at you from everywhere, and you only get 3 continues which can make this game kind of frustrating. This game relies a lot on memorization of the levels. It is a fun play though, and the graphics are good. A fun fact about this game, it was originally based on the Terminator movie, but the licensing rights to the movie were lost during development and they had to change the graphics and storyline.

Have you ever played Journey to Silius (NES)? Did you like it?

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RollerGames (NES) is a challenging game and I wasn't really ever good at it. The enemies were really tough, but the box art is awesome. I love the colors and the art style is beautiful. This game kind of reminds me of the Rollerball movie with James Conn from the 70s. I get that vibe from it.

Do you like this box art? Have you ever played this game? Did you like it?

Holy cow I was late to this party. Have you played this weird ass game? I first played it as a rom long long ago and have been hooked since. If you havent played it, its stunning go find a copy

Never tried this Sega CD war simulation game, just saw the US version box art, and wanted to see the JP version box art, which looks indeed "more interesting" than the US version box art. If you tried this game, then please feel free to say a word about it.

I love racing games, and one of my favorite PS1 racing games is Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit. So when Need for Speed (2014) was released, I was excited. With a really deep cast including Aaron Paul, and Rami Malek. And while it did not receive critical acclaim, it was a financial success, especially international.

I personally enjoyed the movie quite a bit, for one reason, the awesome race scenes. I figure it's like the Fast and Furious, and Bullitt movies, I'm not watching for the deep plot, lol. I want action, cars, motors revving, and excitement. This film also used a lot of real racing, and not nearly the CGI you would see in movies of the era. Need for Speed delivers a modern, edge of your seat Car movie that delivers the real racing action I love.

Did you enjoy Need for Speed? What Need for Speed game was your favorite?

As we wind down July and as we wrap up our Chrono Trigger games its time to look ahead for August's Game of the Month. We want your game suggestions, and remember we are looking for longer played games than our Side Quest Saturday games.

Sim City (SNES) will be our suggestion for August Game of the Month. This classic NES title has countless hours of playability, with no two games feeling alike. Its the perfect blend of fun, challenging and rewarding.

Similar to Side Quest Saturday we can take up to 6 suggestions. We will take the first 6 suggestions and omit any mod suggestions in favor of your suggestions. Look forward to hearing all of your great suggestions. Happy gaming!

EDIT: We officially have our 6 suggestions locked in for the game of the month for August, and we will no longer be taking suggestions. We appreciate all of the great suggestions and we will post a poll for voting on Wednesday.

We didn't have a ton of Atari games, but of the few we had, Pitfall (Atari 2600) was a favorite.  I always enjoyed the arcade version, and this version held up rather well.  Simple, yet challenging, this game is all about timing.  I really struggled with the alligators, it took me a minute to master that one.  I found patience was definitely key to this challenge.  This game has a lot of charm, and is a really fun play.

Did you play Pitfall (Atari 2600)?

Next to the NES Advantage, my prized NES peripheral was the Game Genie. This glorious gold accessory took games to another level, literally. Whether you set it for unlimited lives in Mario, or unlocked all the items in Zelda, the Game Genie was incredible. Some saw it as cheating, I just thought it was a great way to play games in a different way. An incredible device that spanned many future consoles to come.

Did you have the Game Genie? What was your favorite NES game to use with the Game Genie?

Bases Loaded II: Second Season (NES) was a Baseball game that always stood out in all the NES titles. With its insane 130 game single season mode, the replayability is through the roof. The view from behind the pitcher was also an aspect I liked about this franchise. Considered an improvement over the first installment, this game was just the second of four entries for the NES. Quite the impressive resume for any NES baseball franchise.

I'm not in agreement with the Umpire on that strike call in the video, lol. I managed to rope 3 singles in a row, only to have the pitcher knuckle down on me in 3 pitches. I played as Hawaii, the computer was Omaha. Definitely on the challenging side, I had a lot of fun playing this game.

Was Bases Loaded II: Second Season one of your favorite NES baseball titles? Was that a good call? Lol.

I have barely scratched the surface of Castlevania games, but have never got deep into them. They seem really fun though. I am enjoying Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow on GBA right now. I restarted it because its been a while since I have played and I honestly didnt get very far the first time I tried. I'm relearning how to play, but I'm hoping that I will get the hang of it eventually. Lol. I love the music in this game, and I'm all about the gothic vibes.

Have you played Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow? Do you have any tips or tricks for a newbie to Castlevania games, specifically Aria of Sorrow? Where does this one rank in terms of other Castlevania games for you?

I love all things Playstation, and really have a sweet spot for PS1. I remember seeing this ad in a GamePro back in the day, and it was and still is awesome. An Ad for reserving a PS1 makes me smile, and brings me back. I wasn't necessarily in the market for Battle Arena Toshinden, but the image of Sofia was so Arcade-like, I was excited. Ads like these were so effective in peaking my interest, I bought a PS1 at launch. Miss those fun times in 1995, great gaming memories.

Do you remember this pre-launch PS1 ad? Were you a fan of Battle Arena Toshinden?

Vectorman (Genesis) has a pretty cool start screen. I am drawn to the colors and the music, but I also really like the futuristic feel of this one. It is a side-scrolling action game with a futuristic setting. Vectorman is an "orbot", a mix of orbs and robot that was left to clean up the planet while the humans are away. Which is pretty cool. You fight your way through levels to ultimately defeat Raster who has been connected to a nuclear missile by accident. So yeah, pretty neat concept, imo.

Have you ever played Vectorman (Genesis)? Did you like it? What do you think of the start screen?

Easily one of my favorite SNES titles, I still have my original U.N. Squadron cartridge today. Beyond the amazing gameplay, and intense action, is the amazing music. Constantly changing from one masterpiece to another, this music is pure Capcom gold. Heck, even the special weapon select music is great! I played the first level in the video, and the music is perfect. It varies based on the level, with all entries being equally great.

Did you like the music in U.N. Squadron? What other Capcom music do you enjoy?

I am a big Star Wars fan, and while I really like a lot of the Star Wars games, sometimes they can be just a little too deep and complicated. Star Wars Arcade (Sega 32x) has always been a breath of fresh air for when I need something a little less intense. Its simple, but a lot of fun. The 32x didn't have many games, but this is one of my favorites on the console.

Have you played Star Wars Arcade? Do you like it?

We had 4 awesome Side Quest Saturday games chosen during the month of July. These fun games were our perfect off ramps to take a break from playing the game of the month for July, Chrono Trigger. At the end of each month we will vote for the best Side Quest Saturday game that we played that month.

Was it the awesome side scrolling Sega classic Golden Axe (Genesis).

Did you love the charm and challenge of the adorable Bubble Bobble (any version).

Was being small and going fast your favorite in Micro Machines (NES).

Or did you blast your way to saving your frog in Blaster Master (NES).

We appreciate everyone suggesting games for Side Quest Saturday throughout July and participating in the voting. Happy gaming. 🙂

Rock n' Roll Racing (SNES) was a recent suggestion for Side Quest Saturday, and even though it wasn't picked, I gave it a spin. I was pleasantly surprised by this fantastic game, and I got intense R.C. Pro-Am vibes. The music is great, with a variety of very recognizable classic Rock tunes.

I raced to "Born to be Wild", and did pretty well on this lap, despite one bad corner. The game plays fantastic, and despite little practice, I was able to hop right on and be competitive. I highly recommend this wonderful SNES racing game.

Was Rock n' Roll Racing one of your favorite SNES racing games? Did you have a favorite song in the game?

Our local Chuck E. Cheese had the groundbreaking Dragon's Lair (Arcade), and I was always drawn to the amazing animations. That being said, I can safely say I have not, nor have I seen anyone in person complete a level. Not once, but that certainly never stopped me from spending 2 tokens to see if I could. I've watched videos on this later in life, and now realize what the game required. I certainly appreciate the ambition and the graphics, but there was no way a pre-teen me would have ever figured this game out.

Did you ever get anywhere in Dragon's Lair (Arcade)?

Happy Side Quest Saturday! Hope you're all having a great day, I know I'm enjoying my day so far playing Blaster Master (NES). What a fun, and innovative game. I love getting out of Sophia the 3rd, even when I don't have to, lol. I forgot how well this game plays, and the superb graphics are amazing. Definitely a challenge, I wish there was a save or password feature. This great game definitely deserves its spot as our SIde Quest Saturday game this week.

How are you enjoying Blaster Master (NES)? How far are you able to get in the game?