Another full year of game collecting has come to a close. While I don’t think 2013 stacked up as much as 2012 (in terms of amount of games added), 2013 still gave me dozens of great new games to play and cherish. I picked up a brand new console in 2013 with the Wii U, and even managed to snag a few new Sega Saturn and original Xbox games as well. This was also a strong year for downloadable games for me, especially for review on the 3DS, so a lot of games I’d have loved to own I only have in digital form. Sad, but not the worst thing that could happen. Without further adieu, here are the games of 2013:
Being a child at heart, most of my Christmas lists are full of video games. Each and every year I am reminded how truly blessed I am to have so many caring, loving people in my life that want to bestow upon me such gifts. This year for Christmas I was given quite a few video games to add to my collection. Some I have been wanting for years now. Some I bought entire new systems just to play. And yet some are for systems from years past.
With plenty of influence from Diddy Kong Racing, Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot took to the kart racing genre on the PS1 with CTR: Crash Team Racing. I had plenty of chances to play the game when it first came out but somehow never managed to get behind the wheel until 2013, and my experiences we’re not bad at all. The game holds up fairly well, but with so many other options out there to feed your racing needs it’s not likely I’ll be racing with Crash and the crew any time soon.
Happy Holidays to all from Mat, Jett, and myself with the Recurring Bosscast!
In the last episode of 2013, the big three (Mat, Jett, Jason) discuss our games of the year. Perhaps it’s the excellent caliber of games that were released this year, or just our own varied preferences, but all three of us have completely different lists of our top games!
Tune in and see why the Bosscast is the best gaming podcast about this, that, and the other around!
If you like what you hear you should subscribe to us on iTunes! Even if you don’t like it you should subscribe!
The Recurring Bosscast is a bi-weekly podcast hosted on Splitkick.com.
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi
DS
Release Date: December 2nd, 2008
Purchased at: Online (Amazon – $6)
Quite the find, if I do say so myself. The Wii version of Mushroom Men was easy enough to track down for a fair price, but I had been looking damn near everywhere to find a complete copy of the DS version for what seems like ages. And wouldn’t you know it, Amazon was selling the game brand new for just $5.49 this past week! Needless to say, I picked it up lickity split. Though the factory sealed plastic is very sexy, I tear that wrap off and play this one: I’m genuinely interested in the game. It’s a completely different game from the Wii version too!
With just one week left until the Christmas holiday, it can be a daunting time for procrastinators. Amazon Prime’s 2-day shipping will soon be too late, and brandishing your wallet and stepping into the retail world a week before Christmas could be a death wish. Luckily for you, there are a few quick and simple, yet cost effective and delightful, gift ideas for any and all gamers left on your Christmas list. And I’m not talking about video games and gift cards, I’m talking the gifts they’ll remember and love for months and years to come!
A perfect buy for any Capcom fan, fighting game fanatic, or Mega Man lover, and really just a game historian in general. The 30th Anniversary Character Encyclopedia features over 200 Capcom personalities, including familiar faces like Ryu from Street Fighter and completely forgotten characters throughout Capcom’s history.
When you know your friend’s/child’s/whomever’s favorite game, but don’t know much else about what they like, why not get supplement their already beloved franchises? There are dozens of stuffed animal/plush versions of big-name video game characters, including just about every Nintendo face, as well as lots of Japanese RPG characters, and even the zombies from Left 4 Dead! These are a cool way to spruce up any game room. Yes, even adults love their plush Bowser.
Posters, original artwork, and even home-made artwork of games are cool. Any game room would look way cooler though if those glorious pictures were in frames. You might not know the dimensions of a poster already hanging up, but why not grab a gift card to a hobby store and get the ball rolling on getting that artwork framed? Trust me, it’ll look great when it’s done. Along the same lines, you can also put a frame or shadow box around a vintage video game box to add some unique flair to any game room!
There are tons of great comics out there, but there are a handful of decent graphic novels featuring some excellent video game franchises. Sonic the Hedgehog has his own series, as well as Mega Man, many a Street Fighter, and even Link from the Legend of Zelda has his own manga series! While these are only recommended if the recipient enjoys comics and the franchises they’re featuring, they can be a wonderful gift for gamers!
Many Xbox and PlayStation owners have only one console: The Xbox or PlayStation… perhaps the Wii, but I digress. Perhaps these gamers would enjoy a fantastic gaming-on-the-go experience in a brand new portable system. Nintendo’s 3DS gets my vote as one of the best portable consoles to buy (and one of the best consoles ever made, period), and Sony’s PS Vita is a powerhouse of mobile gaming. Both are on sale this season, and won’t set you back near as much as a new Xbox One or PS4.
The complete opposite end of buying a new console for your gamer is buying them small tins filled with cheap candy! Really more of a collector’s item than sustinance, these candies are neat ways to display your devotion to your favorite game series’. And if you’re into some odd tasting treats, you can get some food out of it too! And best of all, they’re readily available at damn near every retailer that features games/kids toys!
Why not change up the medium and play a physical board game than a video game? Many popular game franchises have been reworked into stunningly complex and interesting board game, with some of them even being made by the industry’s top manufacturers. Even non-gaming related board games would be a solid venture. I would guess any gamer would enjoy a copy of Settlers of Catan instead of some boring ol’ FPS.
Though most of them are… mediocre… there are quite a few game series’ that have made the way to TV and now DVD for all of our viewing pleasure. The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario Bros., and even Mortal Kombat have all had animated series under their belt, and you can add them to your collection for just a few bucks these days!
Free Play is back! Honestly I’ve been recording these videos for months now but haven’t gotten around to finally finishing one until now. What I mean is there should be a steady stream of content from now on.
Spyborgs was a completely random Wii game that I picked up that turned out to be a true hidden gem. The gameplay was great, the co-op decent, and the visuals and production top notch for the Wii. Check out the video to see Spyborgs in action, and witness the first Free Play game I actually want to keep playing!
Take a look back at the last generation of video games with Mat, Jett, and myself!
What were the best games on the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3? What are the games that we’ll be talking about for years to come? What are the games on the last gen, if any, that will be remembered throughout history as the greatest games ever?
I had a lot of fun recording this episode and I hope you have a few added games that you want to see on the list!
If you like what you hear you should subscribe to us on iTunes! Even if you don’t like it you should subscribe!
The Recurring Bosscast is a bi-weekly podcast hosted on Splitkick.com.
Making a Christmas list has always been something my family required of me around the Thanksgiving holiday. When I say required I mean required: my parents would ask for a physical list so they knew what I might be interested in that year, and what they could tell other family members I’d like. While I’m truly blessed to have a family that cares deeply for me as my family does, keeping all of these lists over the past years has lead me to one very interesting conclusion… I’ve asked for some really strange games for Christmas! I’ve decided to share a few of those with you all here, in what I am calling the Top Ten “What Was I Thinking?” Games on my Christmas List. Read the rest of this entry »
With literally thousands of video games out there begging for your time and money, it can be more than daunting finding a starting point for a growing collection. Worse yet (or better depending on how you look at it), more and more games are being released each and every week! So where to begin? In part two of a special Game Hunter’s Journal series, we’ll go over the ins and outs of collecting games from the last generation of consoles. Used games will be your currency, getting good deals your fancy, and some quality titles to play will be your reward. Let’s get right into it! Read the rest of this entry »
Another full year of game collecting has come to a close. While I don’t think 2013 stacked up as much as 2012 (in terms of amount of games added), 2013 still gave me dozens of great new games to play and cherish. I picked up a brand new console in 2013 with the Wii U, and even managed to snag a few new Sega Saturn and original Xbox games as well. This was also a strong year for downloadable games for me, especially for review on the 3DS, so a lot of games I’d have loved to own I only have in digital form. Sad, but not the worst thing that could happen. Without further adieu, here are the games of 2013:
SlickGaming 