Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto

This interview from 1999 has some interesting tidbits about unreleased N64 titles and early Gamecube development. y favorite quote - "I just don't know whether or not what I'm working on will result in Mario or Zelda". I can only assume he's talking about an experimental game engine that later became Super Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker, or even Luigi's Mansion.

He also dodges a question about Metroid 64 (or the lack thereof). It was a very odd decision for Nintendo to pass on making it because it would have earned them a small fortune.

E3 1996

The Saturn and PlayStation launched in 1995 and by the 1996 E3 all signs of the 16-bit generation were gone. This E3 was all about the Saturn (which was still competitive), PlayStation, and upcoming Nintendo 64.

This could also be the last time you'll see "M2" referenced in a game magazine, it entered vaporware status before the end of the year.

Nintendo Announces New 32-Bit Game Boy / Microsoft To Go Console?

Breaking news about two new consoles - the Game Boy Advance and "X-Box".

Atari Dead???

A brief note about the death of the Atari Jaguar. It mentions that Fight for Life is in production and that was indeed the last game made for the Jaguar.

The top 10 uses for a 32X list is pretty funny.

Game Boy Color Release Lineup Finalized

A look back at the initial launch of the Game Boy Color. By 1998 Nintendo had no competition in the hand held market, it's not surprising that the Game Boy Color wasn't a huge upgrade over the original Game Boy. Then again, even when they had competition it's not like they tried to win by producing the most powerful system.

Another good top 10 list on this page - top 10 predictions for 1999. #2 came true, have to check on #1, I'm not going to check on #9 but I think it indeed came to pass.

Mailbox (from 1996)

This is great little snapshot of what the console landscape looked like in the first half of the year. You have a 32X and Jaguar fan wondering if they'll get new games, a Saturn fan angry that the PlayStation is getting better reviews, and speculation about the Nintendo 64.

Tokyo Game Show 1998 (page 1)

Ah the Dreamcast.. possibly the biggest letdown in the history of gaming. It had so much promise but died way before its time.

Tokyo Game Show 1998 (page 2)

PlayStation coverage from the same year.. Final Fantasy VIII was a major highlight.

Space World 1999

If you're a big Nintendo 64 fan then this is the page for you.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Computer Products

The old "gold box" AD&D games were amazing, and even hold up reasonably well today. Sure, they don't look so great by current standards but they're still about as close as you'll get to the original pencil 'n paper experience. Now that I think about it, they'd make for decent cell phone games.

Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete

The first of several Lunar remakes. Have they announced a DSi or iPhone version yet?

Marketplace

These mail order ads are probably the funniest thing here. Everything about this page seems so antiquated now. Even back in 1988 they seemed pretty cheesy though, I always wondered who actually wrote back to one of these? With the exception of Telegames, I'm sure the owner of each of these have moved on to the lucrative domain squatting business.

NBA Jam for Sega CD and Game Boy

NBA Jam was just a blast in the arcade and most of the home versions were respectable ports. The Sega CD version wasn't much of an improvement over the original though. I never tried the Game Boy version but I imagine it's a bit sketchy.

Gargoyle's Quest

This was an early Game Boy game that was something of an action-RPG hybrid. I never played this but looking at it again I think it would be worth a try.

Ghostbusters

I don't understand why this game gets so much hate. It's not a masterpiece but is an innovative game and I thought stayed true to the movie (except for the questionable omission of Winston).

Out Run for PC

Ad for the PC version of Out Run and a couple other Sega arcade games.

Shenmue II preview

A half-page preview of Shenmue II for Dreamcast, which of course never made it to the US. I have something of a love-hate relationship with the original. I love the open environment, graphic style, soundtrack, and immersive experience. On the other hand, I hate the storyline and especially the main character.

Superman 64 preview

Read the last paragraph, little did this reviewer know that the "60% complete" version of Superman 64 was actually the final product. A lot of folks say Superman 64 is the worst game ever made. I say they've never played Plumbers Don't Wear Ties. Yes, I admit to playing that pathetic excuse for a game. Back when I was working at an Electronics Boutique in 1993 we had a 3DO demo system in the store. One night after close we decided to give it a try. Imagine a Choose Your Own Adventure book written by someone who finds the dialog of Vin Diesel movies to be too complicated. The least they could have done is deliver on the adult content the packaging warned about, it was about as risque as an episode of Golden Girls.

Interesting note, the second worst game I've played in my entire life was also on 3DO. I have to try Superman 64 for myself before creating a "top 10 worst games I've suffered through" article. It looks bad, real bad, but I think there's worse out there.

Classic reviews

The SNES hadn't even been dead for an entire year and already they're lumping it in with lava lamps. Heck, in late 1998 you could still buy a new compact SNES system at any toy store. No new games were being made but plenty were still available through the end of the year.

More classic reviews

This one has a nice write-up on the TurboExpress. Even though the TurboExpress TV tuner is now totally useless (unless you can somehow hack a digital convertor into it) I bet it still sells for over $50.

Donkey Kong 64 preview

I was a late adopter of the Nintendo 64 and Donkey Kong 64 was the first game I played for the system. I may give the game more credit than it deserves because of that. Previously I only tried a couple early PlayStation and Saturn games of this genre, compared to those Donkey Kong 64 was a tremendous improvement. Compared to the rest of Nintendo 64 library it ranks toward the top but probably isn't in the top 5. Still one of my favorite games though.

Earthbound 3 preview

This is the only scan I posted that doesn't really interest me. I understand Earthbound has a small but loyal following so this is here for them because I can totally relate to being a fan of a forgotten RPG.

Earthbound is one series that I keep wanting to play but never get around to trying. Not sure about this one though, looks western themed which isn't my thing.

The Legend of Zelda: Fruit of the Mysterious Tree

A snippet on the game that would later be renamed "Oracle of Seasons". It's worth getting a Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, or Game Boy Player just to be able to enjoy a few SNES-style Zelda games. The 3D Zelda games are all incredible too, but the original style never gets old.

The Legend of Zelda: The Continuing Saga preview

Here's an early preview of Majora's Mask before they decided on a name. Looking at the screenshots, it looks further along than 50% at this point.

Ocarina of Time review

Review published right around the same time it was released.

PlayStation 2 preview

Preview of the PlayStation 2 about six months before it launched. Until I read this I didn't know the logo could be rotated if you stood it vertically - to think all these years I've had it facing the wrong way. There's also a picture of the development kit here, complete with logo facing the correct direction.