Bits and Pieces: Underrated Retro Consoles

Believe it or not, there was a time when every major video game system had two or three underdogs trailing behind. Regrettably, most of them vanished if they didn’t impress consumers or find their target audience. In some cases the library of titles for these consoles wouldn’t even exceed 40, and had very little -- if any at all -- support from third-party developers.

Though each had their own unique advancements, fan base, and contribution to the games industry, the following is a list of underrated gaming consoles that faded from the market.

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QCF: Space Marine

As the light sets in, The Ultramarines, one of thousands of chapters within the rank of Space Marine are called into action to defend against the threat of an Ork invasion and uncover the motive behind their rampage. Its leader, Captain Titus, instills a solemn nod of confidence to the Space Marines under his command and leads them to the battle.

Space Marine is the newest attempt to branch the War Hammer 40,000 franchise beyond its table-top roots into another entry into the video game realm. Relic Entertainment tasked their efforts towards delivering an experience faithful to all who are loyal to War Hammer 40K, yet enjoyable enough to appeal to anyone unfamiliar with 40K’s expansive lore. But one question remains: have they succeeded?

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Looking Back: The Legend of Zelda Reflections

Reviewing a classic like The Legend of Zelda can be difficult, mostly because everyone and their mother already played it. It’s really no different than a seasoned movie critic reviewing Gone with the Wind or Citizen Kane in front of a group of enthusiasts, who memorized these movies and their offerings when they were still in diapers. But like any experience, there are still points and reflections that can be made about them -- even if they might seem redundant to some.

In an effort to point out more tedious and painful moments in a seemingly perfect game, here are some thoughts that crossed my mind as I was enjoying the original Zelda (for the umpteenth time) on the 3DS.

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QCF: Dead Island

Thanks once again to James Wells for reviewing Dead Island for the Xbox 360.

Ever since the now world famous trailer for Dead Island came from nowhere earlier this year, many gamers looked forward to this game with much skepticism and doubt on whether or not it could match the emotional levity of its trailer. I've seen the trailer, you’ve seen the trailer, and most likely Mrs. Heffernon, your neighbor with fourteen cats, has also seen the trailer. So does Dead Island live up to the hype? Or does this undead nightmare just shamble along the beach into obscurity?

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The 2011 Annual Podcast Awards

The annual Podcast Awards are coming up with nominations being posted left and right and we need your help! You can go to www.podcastawards.com right now and nominate us under the “Gaming” category. Every nomination counts and it’s as easy as putting your name and email. Please do not cross nominate us though, we can only be nominated for one category and we’d like that to be the “Gaming” category being as…well you know, we’re a video game podcast. Thank you again and another thank you to everyone who has recently reviewed us on iTunes or Zune, fanned us on Facebook, or followed us on Twitter. You guys make this gig get sweeter and sweeter and for that we are eternally grateful.

PPR 48

Press Pause Radio escapes the limbo of corrupted audio files and damaged computers to deliver the newest episode of PPR! Along for the ride is our newest member to the team Dan, the man with possibly five or more nicknames. One of our good friends Matt, Patriot1030 from the WOFR Gaming Network also is able to join us at the last minute to complete the roundtable discussion. On this week's episode we discuss news and information from the Tokyo Game Show, including the Vita and Final Fantasy remakes. Our Featured Topic is a lively discussion about game pricing and the used video game market. This often heated debate gets turned up a few degrees as we explore all areas of the topic. Thank you to everyone for listening to the show, and for helping us reach over 200 fans on Facebook! We couldn't have done it without you!

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Bullet Heaven HD, Episode 41 - Radiant Silvergun Revisited

The legendary shooter makes its triumphant return (and North American debut) on Xbox Live Arcade! In this special extra episode of Bullet Heaven, and in response to criticism towards the Radiant Silvergun review for the Sega Saturn, we take this opportunity to hit all of the points I missed in Season 1's Episode 10.

Stick around after the stackup for a related hardware review of the PDP Versus Fighting Pad for Xbox 360.

Bullet Heaven resumes on October 6th with the debut of Season 3! In the mean time, as always, questions, comments and suggestions are not only welcome but encouraged!

QCF: Serious Sam Double D

Serious Sam lives in a very bizarre universe. Headless enemies with bombs for hands and time traveling is just another day for Sam "Serious" Stone. It would be nearly impossible to create a more insane story or concept.  As the latest offering in the Serious Sam series nears, Mommy's Best Game has made a tribute to the franchise that may even surprise the most hardcore Serious Sam fan. The indie darling that has developed such games as Shoot 1up and Weapon of Choice are a part of the Serious Sam Indie Series, and their contribution, Serious Sam: Double D is their latest release. Although the title may not seem like much to most Serious Sam faithful, it is the best work that MBG has released so far, and truly shines amongst other indie-developed games. The game, like Serious Sam himself may be rough around the edges, but is able to really deliver when it needs to.

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