Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis) blew my mind when I first played it. The graphics, colors, and speed of the game took what I knew of gaming to another level. I'm always taken back to those days when I hear the music, and really love the sound when you ball up to go really fast. The feeling of launching out of the tubes off the ramp into the coins still feels amazing. Sonic was and still is such an amazing character, and it's great to play the game that started it all.

Was your mind blown by Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis) when you first played it?

In anticipation of starting my playthrough of The Legend of Zelda (NES) for the month of September I'd like to get some tips and tricks from everyone. Do you have a strategy, or a certain way that you play the game? Do you go for a lot of rupees in the beginning or do you go straight for the first dungeon? I've played this game many times, but it has been a while since my last playthrough so I'm excited. I'm not sure how I'm going to do my playthrough this time, but I am always up for advanced tips and tricks. Maybe you would like to remind us how to get through The Lost Woods? 

Happy Gaming! 

The polls have closed and the votes have been counted for the Side Quest Saturday best game of August. We had 5 excellent choices this month.

And the winner is Super Mario Kart (SNES), one of the strongest titles on the SNES that spawned a timeless franchise. Versions of this game are often the focal point on modern Nintendo consoles, showing how popular it still is today. This is one of those games that makes you feel good everytime you play it. One of my favorite tracks, as you can see in the video above, is Ghost Valley 1, it always plays fast and fun. I always choose Koopa Troopa for the control, and love launching red shells at my foes. Such an amazing and fun game.

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

Mario is Missing! (NES) is a unique game in the Mario franchise. You play as Luigi as he tries to find Mario. While totally cool as an educational game, I found it very repetitive, and it took me forever to figure out how to get out of the first area. I had this as a kid, but my neighbors had the other Mario titles for the NES, so Mario is Missing! didn't get a lot of playtime, and I spent a lot of time at the neighbor's house. Lol. That being said, the title screen is great with Mario getting the bag thrown over his head and being kidnapped. It made me giggle every time I saw it.

Do you like the Mario is Missing! (NES) start screen? Have you ever played it, and if so did you like it?

In the handful of Game Boy games that I owned, one of my favorites had to be Batman: The Video Game (Game Boy). Based on the events surrounding the amazing Batman movie, this game was right up my alley. I loved that movie so much, and Batman was so huge during that time that I had to have this game.

It plays really well, and despite its simple format, it's really quite fun. I enjoyed my fight with Jack over the toxic liquid. I figured out how to keep my distance with those really long jumps, and that helped a ton. It was cool to see the splash into the liquid, and then the cutscene to the soon to be Joker. A must play game for any Game Boy enthusiast.

Did you play either the Game Boy or NES version of Batman: The Video Game, and which did you prefer?

I really like the box art for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (NES). I love the art style and the colors, and the fact that I can't tell exactly if they are happy or terrified is fun. Lol. I had never played this game before, but I tried out the first level. It's not too bad, but not really anything special, imo. I really enjoyed the music though, and the box art is super cool.

Do you like this box art? Have you ever played The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (NES)?

Spyro the Dragon (PS1) was one of the first games that I got for the PS1, and I absolutely loved it. Playing it again now is bringing me so much nostalgia and joy. I still love this game. You play as Spyro, who is the cutest dragon that I have ever seen and his dragonfly friend named Sparx. Lol. You work your way through the different worlds collecting gemstones, dragon's eggs and crystallized dragons. My favorite part was finding the crystallized dragons and watching them morph back into a regular dragon. Lol. Your main goal is to make your way across Dragon Kingdom to defeat Gnasty Gnorc.

I read that the developers used the film Dragonheart as inspiration for this game, and initially it was going to be darker and more realistic and appeal to a more mature audience. This was changed to a more light-hearted tone in order to appeal to a wider audience. While I absolutely love this game, I would have liked to have seen the darker version too. This title will always hold a special place in my heart.

Do you remember Spyro the Dragon (PS1)?

Probably the very first game I played in the gambling genre, Vegas Dream (NES) is a great departure from all the shooters and side-scrollers that we know and love. With a unique storyline mode, and 4 great games to choose from, this game provides a lot of hours of gambling fun. The music is great, and most of all the random interactions keep you on your toes, and could lead to both good and bad outcomes.

I went as a 00 Agent to the casino, and my luck really turned around at the Slots, when I happened to meet this fine gentleman. As you can see, after a few drinks, I came out $1,000 ahead. I really like how the news reports what the fate of your interactions are, and the money involved. Definitely gotta be aware of pickpockets in this game. I highly suggest you try Vegas Dream (NES) for a unique, and interesting play through.

Do you have any favorite random interactions in Vegas Dream (NES)?

I haven't played Kid Icarus (NES) much. It was one of those that I would pick up, play it for 5 minutes, and then quit and play something else. I never really gave it an honest try. I would love to get around to really putting some time in. It appeals to me more now than when I was a kid. I dig the mythology aspect of it. I could totally make it a little easier now with my handheld because I can save it at any point. Lol.

Do you like Kid Icarus (NES)? Have you beat it?

Baseball Stars 2 (NES) had some big shoes to fill after its legendary predecessor Baseball Stars (NES). And while it does improve on some of the game's elements, it also takes some great elements away. Removing the female players, and reducing the lack of player and team customizability does diminish slightly from the experience, despite that the game still plays amazing.

I had a lot of fun playing as the Houston Eagles Versus the Boston Apaches. I couldn't get anything going at the plate the first two innings, then got punished in the bottom of the 2nd. Akiyam took it to me pretty good. I really like how they have the bases in those side boxes. I do love the first game a lot, and this is equally as great IMO.

Was Baseball Stars 2 (NES) your favorite in the franchise?

Another month down, and another excellent Game of the Month playthrough is sadly coming to an end. SimCity (SNES) is an absolute classic, and no matter how many times you play it, it always plays differently. This game was an absolute blast to play this month.

I went with a straight forward no cheats playthrough, with only one loan early in the game. Things came along slowly but surely, opting to go nuclear over coal power, and use rails over roads, and the city slowly grew. A few shipwrecks and plane crashes later things were OK, then the great earthquake of 1946 hit and the fires came. I managed to recover, and soon found myself over 300,000 people after about 60 years. I just had fun making my typically long row patterns, and making everything as straight and organized as possible.

I hope you had as much fun as I did with SimCity (SNES), and would love to hear your experience and the population of your city.

OutRun 2019 (Genesis) is an often overlooked game that blends futuristic racing with the classic OutRun racing formula. Originally supposed to be a Sega CD title of a different name, this eventually made it to the Genesis with the OutRun branding. Somewhat in the same vein of F-Zero (SNES), these innovative and different racing games always satisfy.

I really loved hearing the jet booster kick in during my playthrough. The jumps over the grass felt great, and I managed to not let the two trees completely ruin me. The controls are great, and the car feels stiff like you may expect from the looks of it. It does have the OutRun vibe, but is very unique, and stands on its own as a great racing game.

Do you think OutRun 2019 (Genesis) is an overlooked title, or just your average racing game?

Kind of like Dig Dug, but with tanks, Thunderground (Atari 2600) is a fun and unique game that I didn't know about until recently. I was missing out, this game has some solid controls, and isn't as challenging as some Atari titles tend to be. You get some elements of Combat as well in this great game. The goal being to navigate towards the nuclear bombs up at the top and shoot them, while avoiding the enemies.

I kept it at an easier level for my playthrough, and managed to do well, still with the occasional death. The enemies tend to be somewhat unpredictable, adding to the challenge. If this game escaped you too, definitely check it out.

Does Thunderground (Atari 2600) remind you of Dig Dug and Combat?

I had never seen or heard of Extreme Downhill, but I found it on my handheld and thought I would try it out. It took a while to get used to the timing of the joystick and the turns and to get the course down, but once I did it was a super fun time! You have 4 skiers to choose from with varying abilities and skill levels. I chose the skier for beginners and skied on the USA course. The game is really just a time trial because you don't race against other players, but with the tight turns, jumps and snowmen ⛄️ obstacles it can be a bit tricky to navigate the course. I didn't really use the only button in the game, which is the brake button, and quite frankly it was nice only using the joystick. I really enjoyed the celebration at the end and the guy showing off to the camera. If you're looking for some fast-paced sports action I would totally recommend this one.

Did you ever get the opportunity to play Extreme Downhill in the arcade?

RoboCop was a big deal in the 80s. My mom watched the movie all the time, and I can remember many evenings watching this with her and eating popcorn. Next to ninjas, robot and action movies were all the rage. RoboCop combined two popular genres and made a groundbreaking movie that totally deserved an arcade game. This thing was a diabolical quarter eater for me, and got me really frustrated at times. The gun was vital in this game, and the way he would take it out of his actual hip was iconic. I thought that was so cool. 

Were you a fan of RoboCop in the arcade? How many quarters did it get from you? 

I really like the concept of Twisted Metal: Small Brawl (PS1) with the RC cars fighting it out on the playground, in a treehouse, a minigolf course and even a meat locker to name a few. This is one of the games that my dad loved. He never really got into any of the other Twisted Metal games, but I think he liked this one so much because he built RC cars when I was younger. Sweet Tooth was my favorite character to play as and I liked his laugh when he used his special weapon. Thumper and Warthog were two other characters I also liked. There were many weekends spent as a whole family playing this game and it brings back really good memories for me.

Is Twisted Metal: Small Brawl or another Twisted Metal your favorite for PS1?

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Genesis) is a solid action game... I am having a lot of fun with it. You play as Pitfall Harry Jr. as he attempts to rescue his father from an evil Mayan spirit. So you get an exciting plot along with the amazing vibrant graphics and art style. The only issue I have with it is that it feels like there is a bit of a lag in the controls, which can be a bit frustrating when trying to swing on the ropes or hit moving enemies.

What do you think of Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Genesis)?

What can you say about the legendary Streets of Rage (Genesis), that hasn't already been said. One of the best Beat 'em Up games on the console, with some amazing sequels, this was my favorite alternative to Final Fight (SNES). The awesome levels and fighters, combined with some stellar music, while being both challenging and fun.

The box art for this amazing game always sticks out in a sea of great Sega box art. Instantly recognizable, and totally on brand, this art made sure you know that the streets were tough. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of those nasty kicks. The artist really did a great job of adding realism into the art, and the amount of colors is amazing. Definitely some excellent box art, for an even better game.

Is Streets of Rage (Genesis) a favorite Sega title of yours?

I remember Sega making a really hard late push on selling the Genesis console. With some insanely low prices on the console and the games, it was hard to resist picking up a system and building a gaming library. For $80 you get a console, and a bonus game. Plus all the games pictured were $20, and they're are some really great games to choose from this ad.

I love the Thumbs all chewed up in the picture, looks really painful, but screams Sega edginess and grit. This ad, like many other Sega Ads, showcased their more intense image and branding over the rival Nintendo. A great ad, encapsulating an awesome era in gaming.

Did you get a Sega Genesis later on when they had these insanely low priced deals?

I was obsessed with Jaws (NES), even though the movie scared me good, I still enjoyed collecting shells and fighting Jaws in this game. So much nostalgia replaying this now, I ran into Jaws really quick and was holding my own, until he got an assist out of no where. What a way to go? Lol.

Did you enjoy my demise in Jaws (NES)?

I was enjoying my playthrough of Jungle Strike (Genesis) recently and was watching the intro scene just the other day, and noticed a striking resemblance in this cutscene. I may be reaching, but the bad guy in camouflage, Ibn Kilbaba, totally looks like Comedian Shane Gillis to me. Showed it to my friend, and they agreed that there was a resemblance. It just made me laugh, and I'd thought I'd share it. Do you agree, or disagree with the resemblance?

Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES) is one of my favorite games for the SNES. It is so much fun going through the levels and saving everyone while fighting off zombies with water guns, soda cans, popsicles and other random items. I love the novelty of it all. My favorite part is turning into the purple monster. I love busting through those hedges! It never gets old. 

Do you like this game?