Donkey Kong Country Returns

If there’s a Nintendo platforming franchise I’ve seldom discussed, it’s Donkey Kong Country. I’ve only ever played the very first game, on the SNES, and even wrote a quick “Gaming Memories” article about it some time ago. The two sequels? I’ve never played them, though I know they are available among the Nintendo Classics, and so are all the Donkey Kong Land games for Game Boy consoles. DK 64? Also never played, but I heard a lot about it (as well as all the ways that fans improved its system on emulators). Anything else? Well, I could talk about the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, but the plumber has no business stealing the spotlight today.

This series returned on the Wii. Developed by Retro Studios (instead of Rare, obviously) and released on November 21st, 2010 in North America, this entry sees a return to playing with both DK and his buddy Diddy Kong as a new villain rises on their island. Notably, this game had a port for Nintendo 3DS released in 2013, and an HD rerelease for the Switch in January 2025; today, I am covering the Wii game.

Tiki Threat

Oh, that's a big one. Good. It'll just be more satisfying to
break it into pieces at the end.

A normal day on Kong Island is interrupted by the eruption of its volcano. Out of the bubbling lava come large rocks that break, revealing tiki monsters that instantly cool down in the open air. Along with them, a gigantic tiki monster appears from the depths of the volcano. The deity instantly requests a tribute to appease him. The tikis get to work, hypnotizing the island fauna to do their bidding. They direct the animals to steal… what else? Donkey Kong’s banana hoard, of course!

Exploring the Nintendo Switch Online #1

Near the end of 2024, I started toying with the idea of getting a subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online and covering the games in there. It’s not like I don’t have a ton of games to discuss already, but this could allow me to expand a bit more. It’s also a way to give me stuff to talk about again, as I’m starting to see a potential end to regular Quick Reviews, as the games I’ve got yet to cover are getting longer and I might need to find an alternative eventually. So hey, why not these instead? That could work, right?

Every month since the start of the year, I played a few games from the list, starting from the quickest and working my way up. Many of the quickest games are so short or have so little content that I wouldn’t feel right having an article just for them; so instead, I’ll discuss them in catch-all articles! A lot of the quickest games here can be finished in under an hour. So, I’m going to start with the quickest, and record my thoughts here. Don’t expect in-depth reviews at first – just a paragraph will do. However, as I progress through that collection, I’ll do larger articles. Eventually, I will indeed turn these into Quick Reviews. But for now, the games are too short for this.

And, bonus, I have enough done to occupy a week when I don't have other reviews ready.

I've collected three months' worth of paragraphs on games, and so I decided to focus on those from a single console today: The Nintendo Entertainment System, the one that didn't quite start it all (so much more came before it), but was truly the beginning of Nintendo's meteoric rise in fame.

The Kong Games

Danger! Construction zone! (And ape, too.)

Donkey Kong: Ah, the classic! The game that featured Mario before he was Mario, rescuing his girlfriend of the time, Pauline. Only three levels, you probably know them already: The ladders and the barrels, 75M with the walking fire and the springs, and the third stage with Jumpman pulling support beams to send the eponymous ape crashing down. It’s a classic for a reason, and like many games of the NES era and prior, it feels like playing a part of History. Yeah, it’s basic, but that’s normal for games of the time. It’s not Nintendo’s first game (they released arcade cabinets, games on Color TV, and Game & Watch prior to this), but it’s the one that took them on the road to massive success.

Gaming Memories: Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country

Super Nintendo

November 21st, 1994 (NA)

I never owned a lot of Super Nintendo titles; if I recall, I've had maybe 10 total, and most came with the console, which had been gifted to me by cousins. I may have bought only one game for it. And as is normal for a kid given multiple new playthings at once, I eventually settled on a couple of favorites. This was one of them.

Donkey Kong's first major platform game on the SNES (and, ironically, the only "Donkey Kong Country" game of the era to feature him, as he has to be rescued in both sequels) felt like a game-changer in several ways. The 3D look given to all of the sprites made it groundbreaking as one of the first "2.5D" titles to exist. It featured not only the famous ape who famously had a beef with Mario in the earliest days of the plumber's career, but also Diddy Kong, a younger chimp clad in red, as well as a handful of additional Kongs serving as varied stops throughout this adventure.

The story? Oh, it's as simple as it gets, really; a group of villainous reptiles known as the Kremlings, led by the ruthless and kooky King K. Rool, has stolen the Kongs' banana hoard. Go kick their asses and get it back. The Kongs will help you, be it Funky Kong allowing you to travel to different areas (worlds) of Donkey Kong Island, Candy Kong saving your progress, and Cranky Kong providing tips, comedy and head-canings, grumpy old ape that he is.

I remember having such a good time with this game. A couple of stages had interesting gimmicks (not a fan of the mine carts, but the stage with the On/Off switches and the zombie-like reptiles was cool). The inclusion of animal helpers was great (Rambi, Enguarde and Expresso have a dear place in my heart; Squawk and Winky, not so much). And there were so many secrets to uncover and ways to earn extra lives - enough hidden areas that the game actually goers beyond 100% and is properly "completed" at 103%, and there's balloon lives, the KONG letters and even animal tokens to collect. The last battle against K. Rool is especially noteworthy with its famous fake-out ending, where credits start rolling too early - then the crocodile gets back up and things get serious.

It's such a great game and I have a huge nostalgic connection to it. With the gift of hindsight, I can see how it set the tone for the Donkey Kong franchise as a whole - its comedic edge, a staple of Rare, would be a part of the following entries, up to and including Donkey Kong 64 and most of the studio's other projects. It's a classic, for good reason, and definitely a must-play.

Quick Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Phew, this is a big one! We've been waiting 30 years for a Mario movie (...or rather, we've been waiting that long for a movie that DOESN'T SUCK!), and Illumination, on April 5th of this year, delivered. Now, I do have a handful of critiques, but just to be clear: This one's overall good. 

The story

Obviously, seeing as the film came out yesterday in theaters, I won't spoil much so as to entice readers into going to see it, but here's a semi-quick rundown.

Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are Brooklyn residents who left their previous job to start their own plumbing business. They aren't seeing much success with it, however, despite their best attempts to advertise their company. Everyone around them treats them like they're fools in pursuing that venture. And that's when people don't demean them on their diminutive sizes!

One night, as they try to prove that they're worth something by helping the city services during a broken water pipeline crisis, the brothers accidentally discover a large, abandoned underground complex. A massive green pipe down there sucks them in, and the brothers end up split in the following flight between worlds. Luigi, who is known for not being the bravest of the two, winds up in the Dark Lands, where he is swiftly captured. Mario, luckier, winds up near the Mushroom Kingdom, and is found by a Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) who takes him to the kingdom's castle to meet Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy).

Bowser (Jack Black), true to the text of the games, is a ruthless conqueror, but also has a disturbing crush on the Princess, hoping to marry her someday. He learns of Mario's existence and, jealous, kicks his plans into overdrive, keeping Luigi as prisoner. It thus becomes a race against time as Princess Peach has to swiftly teach Mario how to navigate this new universe filled with dangers. Among other ideas, she seeks an alliance with the kingdom of the Kongs, led by Cranky Kong (Fred Amisen) and his son Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen). And... that's as far as I want to go.

Critique Part 1: The before and after viewing

The film was produced by Illumination, which we know for the Despicable Me, Minions and Sing franchises. They can manage some truly impressive animation (they definitely earn their place among the titans of CGI art, alongside Pixar, Disney and Dreamworks, for their attention to detail). They further upped their game here; not only is every shot impressive, but frequently outright breathtaking. Kamek has friggin' age spots, for Pete's sake. 

My main issue with Illumination was the impression that they had learned the wrong lesson from the popularity of the Minions and that they felt the need to have Minions-like in a lot of their films. Thankfully, that's not what happens here; as though Bowser has a lot of baddies and the Toads also feel somewhat similar, they aren't used here in a way that could feel annoying. The Koopa Troopas and other assorted critters of Bowser's army have their funny moments, but never to the point of detracting too severely from the events.

There's been quite a few people with apprehensions due to Chris Pratt's casting as Mario, and I kind of understand; I'm somewhat neutral to the guy, but he falls into the issue of frequently playing the same character archetype. The film uses some of his trademark traits (have you noticed he's frequently "some guy who has something to prove to the rest of the world"?). He had big shoes to fill, replacing Charles Martinet for the feature (though Mr. Martinet actually has two roles, one of which is pretty important story-wise). The original fear that he'd play a heavily Italian-accented Mario is joked about early on in all languages, and dropped afterwards. I did not see the film in English, however, so I cannot speak on the original English cast's performances.

The overuse of shots from the Mario Kart portion of the film in the trailers had me worried that it would have a major importance in the story... read: That it would be the actual climax of the film. Thankfully, it isn't, but it is nonetheless a very important piece of the story. Makes sense that it would be there, as Mario kart is the best-selling Mario spin-off. I'm glad it was used correctly.

Critique part 2: Post-film thoughts

On to things I could not assume, from trailers and announcements, before viewing the film.

The first issue is that the movie is very fast-paced. It squeezes a lot of elements in a 92-minute runtime. While there are moments of breathing room, those feel rare. Mind you, this sort of length for a film is refreshing in the "massive movie length" era of blockbusters we're in as of late (many movies released recently come close to the 3-hour mark if not pass it), but a few extra minutes to give the viewers some additional chances to appreciate the sheer amount of work on screen would have been very appreciated.

The film is intensely heavy on fanservice, in that it pulls references from everywhere in the Mario franchise (One example: Mario and Luigi's former boss is Spike from Wrecking Crew, that's a deep cut if there ever was one). Several power-ups are seen, some classics, some modern; the Super Mushroom and the Fire Flower coexist alongside, say, the Super Bell. Every chance they had of featuring something from the Mario universe they took. Even nods to gameplay mechanics (such as the "snaking" mechanic from Mario Kart) are hidden all over the place. That's not without mentioning all the nods to non-Mario classic titles of the Nintendo Entertainment System sprinkled throughout, which an attentive eye can spot. As a result, the film is an absolute treat if you've kept up with this 43yo franchise, but it also assumes everyone knows the major references featured, and doesn't break the pace to stop and explain them.

The film does stumble into the classic pitfalls of being an origin story for the main characters Mario and Luigi, though it works well within these parameters. However, as a result, the story remains simple (some would call it simplistic, even), and rarely takes risks, which I can understand from Nintendo holding a tight grip on what Illumination could or couldn't do, likely in the hopes of preventing any chance of a mess like the original live-action Mario movie was. The end result is, therefore. fairly safe in the choices made. Some questions remain unanswered, leaving the door open for mysteries to solve in a sequel (let's hope there'll be one this time!). The tone is surprisingly dark for a Mario story, as well; characters don't mince words about death, and some sequences are pretty intense for an all-ages film, Luigi's arrival in the Dark Lands being among the standouts.

I welcome some of the reimaginings among the cast, with Bowser having some musical talent (it would have been a crime to NOT have Jack Black sing, heh) and his fixation for Princess Peach being treated in a manner that felt to me far creepier than the games would have ever dared to show. Peach, meanwhile, basically becomes Mario's mentor in this world and is one of the film's most badass characters, a nice change of pace from the constant damsel in distress problem of her counterpart. Mario, being a relatively blank slate emotionally in the games, had the most room to grow here (him not liking mushrooms at first, though? That's forced as all Heck). Even characters like Toad and Donkey Kong have new character traits that make sense within the context.

The original score for the film masterfully blends epic orchestration and several of the most famous themes from the Mario franchise, and yet again an attentive fan will be likely to recognize them despite the changes to make them boom and fit within the scenes. Fantastic composition work from Brian Tyler, nothing negative to say about that. That said, the movie also makes use of popular songs from time to time, though their inclusion often clashes. Explain to me how a-ha's Take on Me, a classic pop song, fits with scenes of Mario, Peach and Toad being taken around a kart on Kong Kingdom? It's not just that they don't all fit, it's that some are already overused in pop culture. ACDC's Thunderstruck for that moment where the protagonists are designing their karts? I Need A Hero during Mario's training montage? Come on! I know Chris Pratt is voicing the main character, but this wasn't directed by James Gunn and this isn't Guardians of the Galaxy, dammit.

(also, without spoiling, is it just me or the film takes a handful of elements of the plot in the original Mario movie from '93... and actually executes them correctly, makes them good even? I can't be the only one who had that impression!)

Yeah... that's it. The film hits a ton of right notes, missteps at times, but is overall a pretty great watch, especially for fans.

Top 12 Bonus Nintendo Challenges

We’ve all got video games that we love. And chances are that there are video games, among the ones we love, that include sidequests. Or bonus dungeons. Or bonus bosses. Or unlockable, ultra-hard levels. You know, all those things that are not necessary to beat the game; maybe they are, in fact, necessary to get 100% completion, but many gamers won’t give themselves the trouble to do them. Yet, they should. After all, can you really say you’ve enjoyed everything a game had to offer, if you haven’t completed everything in it? The full experience, or nothing!

There’s a certain charm to bonus material in a game. In most cases, these have to be unlocked, and as a result are a lot more difficult than the rest of the game. Especially in RPGs, bonus bosses are often harder to defeat than the final boss of the game. Boss Rushes, like the one in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, are also a common bonus challenge. Today, I decided to list the 12 bonus challenges I liked in the Nintendo games I’ve played, and even some in games I haven’t played. As usual, I’m keeping it to Nintendo franchises. Let’s get this celebration of bonus content started!

12. Completing the Creature Card Collection (Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards)

I suppose Kirby's on a diet, that's why he only gets the glossary
cards on the map. Besides, with 29 lives, he's far from ever
getting a Game Over.

I just stopped talking about this game, and yet I’m discussing it once more. An optional side-quest in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is to collect data on every enemy. Kirby can’t do that himself, yet you control him through the entire game. How do you collect the info to fill the glossary, then? Simple. At the end of every level, Kirby and pals have a picnic (which implies they spend more time lazing off than doing actual heroics). On the picnic cloth, there are health-restoring items, stars that boost Kirby’s star bar (bringing him closer to an extra life) and a 1-Up. The last thing is a card with a question mark on it. Kirby has to aim well and catch the card. There’s a total of 81 cards to get, while there are only 22 levels in the entire game! Get ready to play through each level four times or more, because the card is always randomized and after a while, it’s more than likely you’ll pick up cards you already have. And that makes Kirby cry.

Top 12 Scariest Nintendo Moments

Hello again, everyone! I've overcome my anger caused by last week's game, and now I realize Halloween is one week away! I'm really in the mood for some scary stuff. Thankfully, everyone's favorite video game company is here again! ...I meant Nintendo. It's up there, right in this article's title!

Like the Boos: HOW DID THEY BECOME THAT WAY?

Nintendo doesn't go very often into disturbing territory- Oh wait, yes, it frequently does. But most of the time, the disturbing part is in the implications brought forth by the situations. The scariest moments aren't necessarily the ones that are scary as soon as you see them, but they become terrifying once you think about it a little more. There's just an art behind horror, which hides behind everything, as long as you make an effort to think about what's really scary in what you just saw. Heck, something that didn't seem too creepy at first can turn out to be very frightening once you take into account the details.

The examples below are all scary moments from the franchises we grew up with, moments that might have scared us more than we thought... and only now do we see the true horror. Though, to be fair, scary moments just had to show up in a medium where characters can get killed in thousands of different ways and come back, minus one life, to see it all again. And since this list is made from what I consider scary, you might find odd some of the choices; I guess I prefer realistic fears, even those set in unrealistic universes, to the unrealistic fears that pop up in fantastic universes like those pictured in the main Nintendo series. Enough talking: Let the countdown begin!

12 Games I'd Like To Play Again Someday

Hello everyone! This is not an actual “Top 12” list here, just a list of twelve games, not in a particular order.

You know, nostalgia is an odd thing. It's all built from your past experiences, and it extends to the many works of fiction you've come across during your life. As a result, you will often remember fondly a kids' movie that you grew up with, and show great hatred for a film you watched as a kid and disliked. Nostalgia can also be treacherous, as you can re-watch a film you disliked as a child and find lots of new qualities to it, or on the contrary, re-watch a film you loved as you grew up and find many defects. We've all gone through this at some point, looking at a nostalgic work of fiction with our current eyes and having a completely different point of view.

Yes, nostalgia is an odd thing. That's probably the reason why gamers will look fondly on the first gaming console they ever owned, and the games they played on it. In my case, I got a NES from a garage sale for only 10 bucks, and I also received the gamer's entire collection of NES cartridges, a total of 14. Some of those games were not that great, but others kept a soft spot in my heart. A few years later, one of my cousins outgrew his Super Nintendo Entertainment System and gave it to me. I received his eight SNES games with it. All in all, I can say I've been lucky, 22 games nearly for free... Still, a few years ago I sold the two systems and all of the games because I needed money for another item of (current) gaming. I still keep good memories of the games I owned (or, well, good memories of the ones worth remembering). I also remember the games I loved to play as a child... and now I'm sad because I cannot play them anymore. However, I kept a list of games I used to own, and today I bring you a list of 12 games I really, really liked. Some of these titles may be completely unknown to you; To me, they represent hours and hours of fun. Today is a trip down my own Nostalgia Lane, and I invite you to come along. These are 12+ games I'd like to play again someday, either on the real game systems, or on emulators.

Note: At the end of the actual Top 12, there's a list of all the games I owned that weren't on the list. Let's go!

1. B.O.B.

This is the story of B.O.B., a teenage robot who leaves home for a night of fun and crashes the family car on an unfriendly planet. Or rather, three unfriendly planets, one after the other, because this robot has worse luck than me. Anyway, in order to find his way home, B.O.B. (no relation to R.O.B.) ventures through military bases and alien lands, defeats missile launchers and goop spewers, meets all sorts of crazy bosses... I loved this SNES game because it was REALLY hard to beat. I remember spending hours and hours trying to complete it. And when I finally did, it was incredible! This game is great in every possible way. B.O.B. gains a whole arsenal of weapons and tools to aid him on his quest to head back home, the levels are varied, and it represents a true challenge to any gamer. It had very little plot, but for this one, I could actually accept it, as everything else was just so great. Try it someday, you won't be sorry.

If that's the kind of monster you meet in space, I'm fine on
Earth, thank you very much.

2. Bubble Bobble

Anyone remembers this one? The story of two little dragons who happen to be humans transformed against their will? They have to travel across numerous levels in order to retrieve their appearance and save their parents? Every level was a puzzle and the dragons had to defeat every enemy by trapping them in bubbles they spewed before popping said bubbles. The gameplay was great, and the final boss was a force that had to be seen to be believed. I remember having both great times and hard times playing it, because it was such a difficult, difficult, DIFFICULT game in the later levels. The kicker? You cannot beat the game for real unless you beat it in 2-Player mode. Even with that small problem, it was still quite fun, and I remember many things about it that make me want to play it again now.

Does this look hard? It's only Level 1 out of over a hundred!

3. The Disney NES titles

-Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers

-DuckTales

-Darkwing Duck

Everyone who grew up in the '90s knows Chip and Dale, Scrooge McDuck, and Darkwing Duck. Well, three of Disney's best TV shows that got their NES adaptations. Out of the three, only DuckTales was reissued recently with an updated art style, making the game look even better than it used to. But the other two were also very good. I remember the strange bosses in the Chip and Dale NES game, from the Tutorial boss to Fat Cat. I remember some of the bosses from the Darkwing Duck game, even if it was a lot harder than the other two. Oddly enough, while I grew up watching Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers and DuckTales (in the French version; I wasn't always an English-speaker, you know), I never got to watch Darkwing Duck. I've been told it's alright (though some would call this an understatement). Those are three games I won't forget, and I will play them again if I get the chance. Give them a try, they're available on NES emulators.

4. Donkey Kong Country

Yeah, a classic of the SNES. Donkey Kong Country is awesome. It's just epic. Not only did it feature the new DK, but also Diddy, the Kremlings, more members of the Kong Family, and oh so much. The levels were varied, many of them contained awesome gimmicks, and there were some legitimately dangerous enemies. Plus, who doesn't like being blasted from barrel to barrel? In a game, it looks amazing. DKC was followed by two sequels, and a sequel series made for the original Game Boy consoles. That's the legacy of Donkey Kong Country. I remember loving this game, trying oh so hard to find everything there was to find... Hours of enjoyment. The animal buddies, the Kremlings... I just cannot say how much I liked this game. I'd buy it on the Virtual Console, but I switched to Windows 8 a few months ago and I haven't been able to connect my Wii to Internet since, so I can't buy new games on the Wii Shop Channel... But still, Donkey Kong Country is pure greatness, and you must try it at least once. You must.

Where else can you hitch a ride on a rhinoceros?

5. Dr. Mario

Classics once again! Yeah, not everyone remembers this game fondly. I can see why. It's not the easiest puzzle game around. The viruses are kind of annoying. There's no clear plot, and nowhere is it said where Mario got his Ph.D. Either way, it must have been a crappy university if they taught him to use pills to solve every problem. However, the concept was quite fun. I remember playing it a little. It's simple, really: The bottle is infested with viruses, and you have to kill them by placing colored pills matching the colors of the virus you want to destroy; and if four “squares” (counting virus and pill halves) of the same color are aligned, they all disappear. While this is fun, sometimes I largely prefer action games. Dr. Mario still has its merits, it sure is memorable. It went on to receive a few sequels, and is considered part of the Mario canon. What else can I say? Give it a try.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T LEAVE
THE BOTTLES IN SANITIZED AREAS!

6. Mighty Final Fight

Oh noes! Mayor Haggar's daughter has been kidnapped – again! Helped of two younger fighters, Guy and Cody, Haggar sets out to retrieve his daughter! Being one of the few Beat'Em-Up games I played in the early days, I have a soft spot for it. For starters, you can pick between three different fighters, which is neat. Plus, as you progress through the game, these fighters level up and gain new amazing attacks. The game also contains a lot of comedy, which makes it even better. Seeing the villains give an "Oh crap" face when you hit them is priceless. The heroes are great, the plot is fine, the bosses are – wow, I remember now: The bosses are just incredible, all of them. The settings are varied, and the gameplay is good. I swear, this is a great introduction to Beat'Em-Up games, and I liked it. Liked it a lot. It's great. Also, Haggar is a crazy awesome wrestler.

Don't you love it when you can just attack every enemy in sight?

7. Mrs. Pac-Man Maze Madness

I bought this Game Boy Advance many years ago, and I remember having a lot of fun with it, but I inexplicably lost the cartridge not even a year after I bought it. While not “nostalgic” for this game, I sure hope I could play it again... This game was first released on the PlayStation system, then jumped to the Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast before appearing in GBA cartridge form. As for the plot? A witch invades a castle and kidnaps the princess, so Mrs. Pac-Man must save the four regions of Pac-Land in order to bring peace again. Yeah, that's it. All I remember is that it had the right level of difficulty, it had a lot of puzzle elements, and it was pretty darn fun. I don't remember actually beating the full game, but knowing my persistence, I probably wasn't too far from achieving that. Oh well. Here goes another game I'd look for on emulator sites if I were to review it.

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gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble
gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble
gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble
It goes on for a few hundred more lines...

8. Road Runner: Death Valley Rally

I didn't own Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time, but I did own another Looney Tunes game. In Death Valley Rally, you control the Road Runner, as he speeds around five different worlds while trying to avoid or thwart the coyote's plans. As such, our favorite speedy bird runs through a desert, a construction site, trains, a mine and a space station to fool Wile E. Coyote. As is to be expected from a Looney Tunes game, each time the bird reaches the end of the level, Coyote's plans crash on him in all sorts of fun ways. Did I mention that the last boss is a giant robotic Wile E. Coyote head? Most of the coyote's plans are shout-outs to things he tried in the cartoon, and here he still fails in using them. The game was very challenging and I keep fond memories of it. I wished I could play it right now...

Keep trying, Coyote. You're always going to fail.
A. L. W. A. Y. S.

9. StarFox

Yes, I have played a StarFox game in the past! The very first one, in fact. I even remember “beating” the game. Well, that is, if you consider “beating” as completing one of the paths available in the game, and not meeting most of the bonus levels, like the slot machine boss, and other stuff like that... The concept was very innovative back then, the graphics were marvelous (and it's a Super Nintendo game, which means 3D was only beginning!), and the story, while simple, kept the gamer interested. There were a lot of enemies, and many memorable bosses. Sure, Andross' mirror face is known more than ever thanks to the Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but there's also the spider spaceship, and many others! ...Okay, my memory isn't as great as I thought it was. I haven't played this game in years! But I remember it, so I want to play it. Maybe someday soon...

Space can get really trippy sometimes.
It's usually a sign of space madness.

10. Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 & 3

Classics, once again! Who hasn't played the very first Super Mario Bros.? The second one? The third one? You must have played at least one of those at some point in your life. They're just THAT famous. The first SMB game used to be the highest-selling game of all time. The second ones (either the American version, taken from Doki Doki Panic, or The Lost Levels; both count as Super Mario Bros. 2 in a way) also gained a reputation as great games, with The Lost Levels being known for its extreme difficulty, and SMB2 as the first time in history that Toad and Princess Peach were playable AND had their own abilities. SMB3 is one of Mario's greatest adventures, the first appearance of the Koopalings, and an all-around awesome game to own and play. It looked great, it had great gameplay and ideas, and it was fun. These four games were awesome, each in their own way, and for this reason I hope to play them again at some point in my life. (Note: I owned Super Mario bros. 1, 2 and 3, but I also had Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES, which is why I could play The Lost Levels as well.)

11. Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Trouble In Wackyland

Another relatively unknown game. Most people who grew up in the 90s know the Tiny Toons. Did you know they had video game adaptations? In this one, the main cast (Buster, Babs, Bucky, etc.) enters an amusement park called Wackyland, which seems fun... but actually, it's filled with traps! And of course, none of them knows it until they're on the rides! As a result, Babs has to survive a CRAZY roller coaster ride, Bucky enters an all-too-risky Bumper Car challenge, and Buster visits a castle in which the gravity keeps changing. The game was difficult at times, but nothing unbeatable. It makes sense, as it was made for kids! It was creative. My memories of this game are mostly positive, so I want to be able to play this game again someday. It was really fun, and if you know of a way for me – and for you! - to play it, tell me, I'll be more than happy to know!

A crazy roller coaster ride? That's just the beginning.

12. WarioWare: Twisted!

For this last one, there's a bit of history. I owned this game, and so did a friend of mine. However, her cartridge of WarioWare: Twisted! was stolen by someone, another person who wasn't quite a friend, and as a result I gave her my cartridge. I never got a chance to play it ever again. It's kind of sad, too, as WarioWare: Twisted is one of a handful of Game Boy Advance games with a built-in movement detector, a creative new feature. The game knows when you're tilting the cartridge! The only other control used in microgames for this installment was the A button, so the games were all rather simplistic. It doesn't matter, though. The microgames were still a lot of fun, so I guess it reached its goal. It was REALLY enjoyable, and if I could get my hands on a copy of WarioWare: Twisted!, I would buy it. I want to play this again, it was just so cool. Sure, you looked like a ditz spinning the game console, but hey! It worked!

Twist to shave the guy? Huh.

Other games I owned that weren't mentioned on this list: The Adventures of Bayou Billy, Duck Hunt, Platoon, Rad Racer, Spy Hunter, StarTropics, Super C, Tetris, TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode, Touchdown Fever (man, this one SUCKED), Gunforce, Mortal Kombat 3, Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Super Mario Kart. Just because they're not on this list doesn't mean I didn't like them. Some were okay, there are others I really despised. But I owned them in the past, so I felt like I should at least acknowledge them. I bought some of these games on the Virtual Console, which is why I did not include them on the list: I've played them, albeit in a different form, in the recent years.

Do you have a gaming console you are nostalgic for? What are the games you played that you don't have anymore, that you would like to play once again? Share them in the comments, I will be more than happy to read them. Nostalgia is a great thing and no one should shy away from it.