snes

'Downton Abbey' as SNES video game: Fluff those pillows!

It's fun to sit around and play "What if?" What if Google acquired Microsoft? What if Superman and Spider-Man made a movie together? What if "Downton Abbey" were a Super Nintendo game? We have a pretty good answer to that last question.

YouTube user Bill Kiley posted a video showing what the imported PBS megahit would look like as an SNES game. It comes complete with an insanely catchy digital ditty that's perfect for the SNES period. As a new footman at Downton, you're faced with a myriad of tasks that come fast and furious.… Read more

The 404 1,194: Where we have NEStalgia (podcast)

The flu has finally struck down our very own Justin Yu, but luckily the much more attractive Bridget Carey is available to fill his tiny men's size 6 shoes. Bridget and Jeff get uber-nerdy today, discussing all things Nintendo nostalgia including what games they used to rent repeatedly and the current state of gaming as it exists in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Finally, we'll noodle over the fact that older brains can't remember a lot of new stuff because they're too "full." All this and more on today's show!… Read more

Freeware Friday: Retro remixed

There once existed a land where DLC (downloadable content) didn't exist and games came on cartridges. The Freeware Crew frequently reminisces about those golden days and we've dug up three titles to bring them back to life on your PC. Check out these 16-bit tributes and kiss your weekend goodbye. … Read more

iPhone console emulators: What's the point?

As a teenager I just about lived in the video arcade (Abbey Road in Farmington Hills, Mich.--anyone remember it?). I owned an Atari 2600, an Apple IIe, an Amiga, a Sega Dreamcast, and just about anything else that was good for games.

You'd think, then, that I'd go ape over something like C64 for iPhone 1.7, a newly updated Commodore 64 emulator that revives such classics as "Boulder Dash II," "Jupiter Lander," and "International Karate."

And you'd be wrong. While I have nothing but fondness for the videogames of … Read more

Happy (belated) birthday, Sega Genesis

The Sega Genesis, put on the market to challenge Nintendo, turned 20 on Friday. And after a long and enviable stint, it became a classic game console that, to this day, is remembered as one of the few that made its mark without actually leading the market by the end of its generation.

Sega has had one of the most tragic histories in the video game industry. In the early 1990s, it had Sonic; Nintendo had Mario. It had high-quality, third-party titles; Nintendo had high-quality, third-party titles. It had the Sega Genesis; Nintendo had the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Battles over which console was better were waged on playgrounds across the world. The Nintendo fans said Mario and the SNES were the kings of gaming. Sega fans said Sonic and the Genesis held that crown.

Today, the Genesis (and Sega's console business) are relics of the past. In the 20 years that has lapsed between the Genesis' release and today, despite Mario's enduring presence, the video game industry has changed dramatically. Nowadays, battles are waged over price as much as they are waged over games. And Sega, the once-beloved organization that kept a blue hedgehog as its mascot, is a third-party developer.

But it's the Genesis--and its success--that we remember today.… Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

Looks like the days of the triple-update are long gone as this week is another two-game showdown on the Virtual Console.

Harvest Moon (1997, SNES, 800 Wii points): What's considered to be a relatively rare title is no longer scarce as Harvest Moon makes its way to the virtual console today. The game is basically a farm simulator in which you must raise livestock and grow crops in addition to turning a run-down farm into a thriving success. Lords of Thunder (1993, Turbografx 16, 800 Wii points): Lords of Thunder is a side-scrolling shooter with a heavy-metal soundtrack. Blast … Read more

Why the Saturn was the worst major console of all time

Last week, I told you all why the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was the greatest console of all time. And although I caught some flak from the misinformed, it seems all too obvious now that it really was the greatest gaming device ever created.

But what about the worst console of all time? Surely, we can pick from a number of systems like the 3DO, 32X, Sega CD and a host of others, but what about major consoles? Even though these were released to the masses, the 3DO was nothing more than an overpriced proof-of-concept that never had a chance and the two Sega add-ons were a bridge to the Saturn.

And while I think there were a slew of crappy consoles that easily eclipse the Sega Saturn in pure crappiness, what other major console sucked as bad as Sega's Playstation competitor? Further, what other major console contributed so heavily to the downfall of one of the world's greatest hardware manufacturers?

As far as I'm concerned, the decision to call the Saturn the world's worst major console isn't difficult at all.… Read more

Can Nintendo show U.S. the love, too?

Still not jealous over all of the awesome bonuses Nintendo Japan has been giving its customers as part of the Club Nintendo rewards program? Well, get ready to say no friggin' way!

Nintendo has announced three free bonus items that it will be giving to its platinum members of the Club Nintendo service this year. Those customers with platinum status--meaning they purchased enough Nintendo products between 10/1/2006 and 9/30/2007 for over 400 Club Nintendo points--will be able to select one of the following items:

1. Wii Super Famicom Classic Controller: A Wii controller attachment that looks … Read more

Work that Wii: Top 10 Virtual Console downloads

You've probably already played through Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Super Paper Mario. Super Mario Galaxy isn't coming out until next month, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been pushed back to early 2008. Still, there's no sense in letting your Wii collect dust while dozens of classic titles sit waiting for you on the Virtual Console. Here are the ten top downloads you can get for the Wii, and at $5 to $10 a pop they're a steal. Even if you grabbed all ten of these games (at 9500 Nintendo Points), they'd still cost … Read more