December 2009
The Archives
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12.25.09Funeral StormThe Revivification series—part action, part role-playing (but always billed as the former due to uninspiring RPG sales at the time)—was never quite the downer its boxart (by famed cart designer/photographer Gus van D'nan) depicted. The third in the series was especially uplifting, due in no small part to the sequence to which this song provides accompaniment. Following the theme of the series closely, protagonist Terrence Knight once again finds himself waking up in the middle of his own funeral, buried deep beneath the earth. Thrust into action, he battles his way to the surface as rain pounds and thunder krakows, engaging ...
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12.18.09Secret Ninja Drug DojoTecmo was really rolling with a goldmine as far as Ninja Gaiden was concerned, so why stop at the series proper? In the early '90s they rolled out a very strange prequel known as Hayabusa Mission. This time around, the true "demon lords" were drug dealers and petty thugs, so Ryu took on work as a freelancer, cleaning up the streets with his sword and budding expertise in ninjutsu. This particular track comes from stage 3-1, the Secret Ninja Drug Dojo. Crack-cocaine was still a hot topic at the time, but Ryu made sure it became nothing more than dust in ...
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12.13.09By Tooth & NailCapcom's CODENAME: W.O.L.F. took the successful formula of the Rock Man games in an exciting, and admittedly darker direction. War has ravaged planet earth and the only remaining hope lies in the paws of a lone K-9 Unit. From the family pet to the front lines - Help Lobo navigate the singed steel and crumbling concrete in a quest to avenge the family he lost. Join forces with Professor Quasar as you set out to defeat The Seven Blood-Thirsty Barons of The New Wasteland and assemble the coveted W.O.L.F. armor. By Tooth & Nail
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12.12.09Mechanizer MetropolisNeon City came out at a time when gamers were especially hungry for mechanoid action titles. Specifically inspired by Europe's take on Contra, Probotector, Bigwig Games moved forward with a new franchise, and forever changed the face of action on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The most appreciated aspect of the game was that the entire affair was an effort to reach the titular city, which only comprised the final stage. One of the most memorable stops was the Mechanizer Metropolis, from which this track is taken. The player's cyber-corvette zoomed across the highway, only to be destroyed, forcing on-foot action in ...
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12.03.09Triumphant TakeoffWhat fan of classic gaming could forget the inimitable Star Flipper, a shooter that put players in control of the Wild Space Patrol (W.A.S.P., the A. appearing intermittently and standing for nothing) in their efforts to vanquish all evildoers of the galaxy. Their primary weapon? Solid and lighthearted horizontal shooting that played like a mix of Stinger and Gradius. Something always stood out about that exciting first stage, and a lot of it probably had to do with the music. It matched the exuberant feel provided by the ever-fading stratosphere, as our blue sky made way for deep space and a ...
