The Xbox 360, Red Ring of Death issues aside, continues to be Microsoft’s most successful home console of all time. It had a much better start than the PlayStation 3 (commercially, and in terms of software quality), and it ended up selling 84 million consoles to PlayStation 3’s 87 million. For all intents and purposes,…
Throwback Bit Thursday
Throwback Bit Thursday is a weekly Thursday feature on Never Ending Realm. Read all of NER’s #TBT articles here!
Throwback Bit Thursday: John Madden Football Games
I know what you are thinking…we never really cover sports games on this site; however, with John Madden’s passing on Tuesday at age 85 and after decades of successful Madden games, we are compelled to take a look back at Madden’s impact on gaming. Furthermore, the impact on me as a gamer. John Madden Beyond…
Throwback Bit Thursday: Perfect Dark
Nintendo’s 64-bit console was a great system, despite its failure to maintain Nintendo’s dominance of the home console market. The system, hampered by its chosen format for media (cartridges as opposed to CDs), featured some of, if not, the most revolutionary games of all time. The N64 was home to the greatest first person shooters…
Throwback Bit Thursday: Breath of Fire Musings
Breath of Fire, as a series, has been dead for a long time (last game was Breath of Fire VI, a free to play online game in Japan), but you can still enjoy the series’ games across different platforms. My experience with the series is limited with Breath of Fire IV being my favorite, but…
Throwback Bit Thursday: Alundra 2
There is an old adage that states that movie sequels are bound to be a step down from the original films. The adage, doesn’t necessarily apply to video games, as many direct sequels are as good or better than its predecessors given the leaps in in technology, better understanding of game mechanics, etc. That said,…
Throwback Bit Friday Edition: Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Turns 20
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is the closest that Sony ever got to having a platforming Mario 64 clone. Perhaps, this is the reason why I consider the first Jak & Daxter game to be the best platforming game that Sony (Naughty Dog developed it) has published. Jak and Daxter played, and was closer…
Throwback Bit Thursday: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
It is hard to believe, at times, but it has been 10 years since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D graced Nintendo 3DS systems everywhere. Ocarina of Time’s portable remake was the sole reason for my 3DS purchase, and I couldn’t have been happier with the results. Ocarina of Time 3D: A Perfect…
Throwback Bit Thursday: Chrono Cross, The Legend of Dragoon and Remasters
If I learned anything this week, is that there is a genuine chunk of passionate fans out there that continue to care about PS1 era JRPGs. My Tuesday news report about Chrono Cross finally earning a much deserved remaster took social media by storm. Responses to the article varied from gamers expressing their joy, to…
Throwback Bit Thursday: Ocarina of Time and Miyamoto’s Thoughts on its Story
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will turn 23 years old in just 3 days, and thus, there has been no better time to reminisce, and discuss, what perhaps is Zelda’s most important entry on this edition of Throwback Bit Thursday. The topic? The game’s story, and how Miyamoto (and Nintendo EAD) approached some…
Throwback Bit Thursday: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim turned 10 today. Two console generations have passed since its 11/11/11 release date, and that makes Skyrim a prime candidate for a Throwback episode. Skyrim was a significant step forward for open-world games, and even legendary franchises, like Nintendo’s Zelda, took a lot from it when crafting its newer entries….