Category Archives: JC Kong

Videogame Memories: ToeJam and Earl

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ToeJam and Earl



Normally, when rolling back the time machine’s calendar in my mind, I like to incorporate a look at a video game by describing what that game is and it’s impression on me. Then along
came ToeJam and Earl, the 1991 video game for the Sega Genesis, and I was at a loss. There’s really not much to say about it, to be honest, in terms of actual gameplay. It’s a top-down game where you
wander aimlessly in randomly generated worlds looking for pieces of ship, avoiding enemies and opening “presents” that could contain either power ups or items …

Videogame Memories: Secret of Mana

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Secret of Mana

Here are some things to know about 1994:

-Schindler’s List won a ton of Oscars.
-The Dallas Cowboys, led by Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, won their second straight Super Bowl around that same time.
-The low-speed OJ Simpson chase was happening.
-Grunge ended with Kurt Cobain’s suicide and Gangsta Rap was growing in popularity.
-New bands Green Day, Weezer, The Offspring, Oasis and Dave Matthews Band all burst on the scene.
-Everyone was talking bout Pulp Fiction, and The Lion King was …

Videogame Memories: Metroid/Super Metroid

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Metroid / Super Metroid

 


Remember the darkness?

No, this isn’t a prelude to your Batman fetishes, but the darkness as a kid. It was you, a dark living room or bedroom, a quiet weekend night and you’re staying up “late” well past your bedtime
basking in the soft glow of a television screen. A greasy video game controller in your hand. A sense of solitude and loneliness. You have to get to that next level. Beat that next boss. See what
happens next in the …

Videogame Memories: Nintendo Power

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Nintendo Power

Even though I’ve (Sort of) touched on gaming magazines in the past (as in a long time ago),
there’s really no better subject nor better timing to embark on a memory fragment in the back of my pop-culture-riddled mind that’s always been there and that I’ve, quite honestly, had been kind of
avoiding.

Yes, I sort of went over Nintendo Power and gaming magazines about two and a half years ago, but hey…most likely you’re new and didn’t read that or you’re old and don’ …

Videogame Memories: A Link to the Past

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past



By the time 1992 rolled around, the latest 16-bit videogame monster, The Super Nintendo, had already been making waves for a good year
or so. I was pretty content for the time being in the consoles I already owned in a Nintendo, the classic front-load/blow on the cartridge kind, and a Sega Genesis, which wowed me with Sonic the
Hedgehog. My parents made …

Videogame Memories: Donkey Kong

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Donkey Kong

 

Somewhere in the muddled and very hazy memories of my early childhood in the 1980s
lies a very fond memory. Well, “fond” may not be the best term. At best, it was endearing but that’s only in hindsight as I think back to it now. It was more a memory of frustration and annoyance
more than anything: cute to think of now, but at the time was the bane of my existence. It involved a large barrel-tossing gorilla named Donkey Kong who had just snatched up my girl, only now do I
…

Videogame Memories: Suikoden I and II

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Suikoden I & II

 

The shift from the 16-Big generation of gaming, the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, to the next was an odd one. It was unclear and uncertain. It
was a road that wasn’t quite paved yet and those shoes you wore as a kid to walk it didn’t quite fit anymore. The new kid on the block was Sony. At this time, the only thing anyone …

Top 25: Movies of 2011

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2011 was an interesting year for movies. You had a slew of big blockbusters and broad appeal films, but it was really the smaller and independent movies that really
made a name for themselves. Unlike the past years, there isn’t really that one big “great” movie that everyone is on board with, but there’s a lot of smaller great movies that I certainly fell in
love with. Below are the 25 I enjoyed the most.

 

25: Take Shelter

A movie that’s not just about the end of the world, but about a man obsessed over it. Haunted by dreams and …

Blog: A Scott Pilgrim Generation

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Scott Pilgrim Speaks and an Entire Generation



Good day, my fellow nerds and geeks. My brothers and sisters of videogame enthusiasts and comic book collectors.
Japanese animation watchers and retro videogame lovers. The kin of everything dorky and silly. Believe it or not, you’re now cool. Oh, it’s true. All those superhero movies and tv shows about men in
tights, giant fighting robots, hordes of zombies and awkward guys trying to ask out cute girls with references to the philosophical principles of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are the norm these
days. There’s one movie, though, that is just a notch above the rest. While many use those …

Liquid Nostalgia: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

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 A road trip is only as good as the company you’re traveling
with. Whether it’s a few hours or over the course of a few days, the amount you can get any enjoyment from the trip itself is reliant on who is in the seat with you, even if you don’t know them.
You’re on a plane and you’re next to a loud eater or on a bus next to a couple constantly making out. Maybe you’re with a friend and he won’t shut up or a relative who you constantly argue with. The
fact is, the journey is often the bad part. You just want to …