MYSTICAL NINJA STARRING GOEMON (N64)
If the Power Rangers and Ocarina of Time had a lovechild, it would be this game, released today in 1998. When I was younger, I obsessively rented this game from Blockbuster. Dating myself a little bit, but I was more than excited to be able to talk to you about it for this little gaming history spot of ours. So much so, I found myself recently hunting down the title to the tune of $50 CAD; or $10.00 USD, give or take exchange rates.
The game stars, as is aptly labeled in the title, Goemon, and is the fifth entry in the Ganbare Goemon series. The second title released in North America, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon succeeds The Legend of the Mystical Ninja. Combining platformer and adventure gameplay elements, players follow Goemon’s quest to stop the “Peach Mountain Shoguns” gang from turning Japan into a Westernized fine arts theatre. The title features three cinematic music features as well as giant robot battles. Selling over 200,000 copies worldwide, publisher/developer Konami and developer Entertainment Osaka, were praised for the title’s graphics, gameplay, and humorous plot. If I were to recommend one title on N64 (other than the typical Ocarina of Time/big time suggestions), it would be this one. You won’t regret it.
SAMURAI WARRIORS 2: XTREME LEGENDS (Xbox 360)
Kicking around Japan a little longer, (The blue box has a thing for Japanese stories today) we find ourselves looking at the Xbox 360 re-release of Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends. Originally released on August 23rd, 2007 for the Playstation 2, it was later brought to Xbox 360 on this day in 2008. The fifth Xtreme Legends style expansion by Koei, as well as the first and only Xtreme Legends title outside the release of Dynasty Warriors: Xtreme Legends, Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends introduces new characters and weapons to the Samurai Warriors series. Characters previously unplayable in other series titles become available for player use in this Xtreme Legends title. As it is an expansion title, players are limited in game functionality without the original game available. An “import” feature on the main menu guides players through the disk switching process on PS2, whereas Xbox 360 players had to download the expansion via Xbox Live, with no standalone disk available in stores. The game allowed players to upgrade to level 70 from the original 50 cap, and brought its version of “Mercenary Mode” over from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends.
HEARTHSTONE: HEROES OF WARCRAFT (iOS)
On this day in 2014, Blizzard Entertainment took its budding free to play collectible card game to the iOS. By November 2015, there were more than 40 million registered Hearthstone accounts. It’s not a surprising fact, given the knack Blizzard has for tying their games together with incentives and bonuses for playing all their titles. While the game is technically free to play, it is supported by micro-transactions via payments for booster packs. Unlike other online card games however, Hearthstone does not currently allow players to trade cards amongst themselves, instead, giving players the ability to “disenchant” unwanted cards into “arcane dust” which can be used to craft new cards. Hearthstone itself is set in the Warcraft universe, with characters, spells, and locations drawn from existing Warcraft lore. Originally announced at PAX in March of 2013, the game entered closed beta November of that same year. The development team at Blizzard for Hearthstone is named “Team 5,” as it was the fifth development team formed at Blizzard since 2008, and began with only 15 members. The game was designed from the beginning to be played solely online and mimic the feel of real cards, including opening the player’s card box at the beginning, moving cards as if they’re being actively held, and other small features to add immersion to the title. Cross-platform play was not included in the initial launch of the title (although it was toyed with in development); it was finally released on this day however, alongside with the iOS launch of Hearthstone.
Some other titles released on this day:
- Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible (Japan) – Gameboy Color – 1999
- Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – PC – 2001
- The Sims 2 Double Deluxe – PC – 2008
- Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall – PC/Xbox 360 – 2013
Images © Blizzard Entertainment, Koei & Omega Force, and Konami
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