TBC TMNT II TAG LP FTW


Sorry for the overly complicated title, but… made you click! Translated into English, that’s “Two Button Crew Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game Let’s Play For the Win. Got it?

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

How Graceful is Graceful Explosion Machine?


Graceful Explosion Machine was one of the first Nindies to launch on Switch, and it’s still one of the best. This is an arcade schmup game that puts your skills to the test while treating you to a visual spectacle!

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What was “EVR Race” by Nintendo?


EVR Race is quite possibly the first arcade game Nintendo ever made! It’s likely you’ve never heard of it, so sit back and receive yourself an education about this whacky horse-racing game made by the Big N in 1975.

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

“Arcade Perfect”

A few months ago, I decided to pick up an Arcade Archives title, Garou: Mark of the Wolves. I was feeling that fighting game itch, and eight bucks didn’t seem like that much scratch. Moreover, I’d never indulged in any of SNK’s classic fighting catalog, so I figured—if nothing else—it’d be an educational experience. So how is it? Arcade Perfect!

And that’s the problem.

For those of you who’re too young to remember when arcades were a big deal—which, come to think of it, largely applies to me as well—”arcade perfect” was a marketing buzzword used to describe home-console ports of arcade games. It meant that nothing was compromised (graphics, music, sound, and so on) when porting the game to consoles. See, arcade machines tended to be a bit beefier than home-consoles, as they weren’t just entertainment but also a business investment for store owners. As to be expected, the term has largely fallen out of use due to the declining relevance of arcades, but still gets thrown around from time to time, especially in arcade compilations like the upcoming Street Fighter collection.

“Arcade perfect” was a marketing buzzword that meant that nothing was compromised when porting the game to consoles.

Ultimately, my biggest gripe with Garou: Mark of the Wolves isn’t a design issue, it’s that the version on the eShop is literally just the arcade version running on an emulator. While there’s nothing wrong with that, per se, it does mean it’s missing many of the features that have been standard in home-ports since before the arcade version was even released. Honestly, it makes me question whether “arcade perfect” is really that good of a benchmark.

First of all, the game doesn’t have a training mode. The only single player content is arcade mode, meaning you have to learn the ins and outs of this game’s mechanics as the computer is mugging you for your (virtual) quarters. This wouldn’t be so bad if the game was a simple, straightforward one-on-one fighting game like Street Fighter 2, but that’s not the case. Garou was released in 1999, meaning it subscribes to the Street Fighter 3 school of design: master the incredibly precise timing of the parries and cancels or be content seeing your opponent’s win quote for the seventeenth time.

The game doesn’t have a training mode: you have to learn the game’s mechanics as the computer is mugging you for your virtual quarters.

Along the same lines is the lack of a proper move list. Granted, the emulator’s menu has a move list for each character, but each combatant only gets a limited amount of space, meaning that isn’t enough space for every move. If you want to know all of a character’s techniques, you’ll need to look up the commands online.

I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point. Of course, I’m looking at this from a modern perspective; what were home-ports like back in 1999? Well, while arcade versions usually had better hardware, the home version gave the developers the opportunity to fine-tune the game and add additional content. New characters weren’t uncommon, and it was standard practice to remix/remaster the soundtrack for the home version: Virtua Fighter 2, the Tekken series, and Garou: Mark of the Wolves itself all had superior sounding music in their respective home-console versions.

I haven't played it, so I can't say whether there's an "insert quarter" button in this version.
More fleshed out versions of the game exist.

Maybe I’m taking the term a bit too literally, but the more I think about, the more I think “arcade perfect” is a pretty flimsy accomplishment. I by no means regret buying Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the Arcade Archive series, but no matter how good the games or their emulation is, staying 100% true to the originals can leave a game lacking. Ultimately, what’s perfect for the arcades isn’t perfect for the home experience.

D-Pad: 4 Directions of Patented Genius

Remember kids, Up, Down, Left, Left.


#577 – The Directional Pad is something that many gamers take for granted, but it really was a novel invention at the time that Nintendo introduced it. While it’s been largely taken out of the spotlight by analog sticks, the digital input solution still has its own merits. We’re going to discuss its inception, the Nintendo patent, and what their competitors did in response. It’s another interesting history lesson brought to you by Two Button Crew!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What are the Coolest Arcade Sticks?

The coolest arcade stick is the arcade stick that you have with you.


#516 – Arcade sticks, fight sticks – whatever you call them, they’re a surefire way to up your game and strike fear in your opponents’ hearts. But they’re ALSO a great way to express your artistic creativity, and that’s what many creative gamers have chosen to do! In this episode, we’re showing off the handiwork of some very talented folks who have turned their fight sticks into pieces of art!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Trip to a Retro Arcade (Vlog)

Pretty sure we’re the next Steve Weibe.


While Ryan Van Liere was in town for the launch of Nintendo Switch, Simeon and Scott decided to take him out for a night of fun at the local arcade. We played a lot of arcade games, Nintendo and others, and sunk a lot of quarters into the slots. Our skills, you ask? You’ll have to watch and see for yourself.

Shot by Alex Campbell

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

History of Nintendo Arcade Games

We’re gonna be hitting up one of these arcards real soon! Vlog incoming.


Before Nintendo was making the Switch and other video game consoles, they created arcade cabinets with knock-off games inside! It’s true! What’s more, they placed them inside of abandoned bowling alleys. Yes, Nintendo’s history is murkier and muddier than the polished vibe they give off now. Just before plunging into a new era of console-gaming goodness, we take a step back and look at how far we’ve come.

Game Footage Credits: Plush Time Wins | World of Longplays | arronmunroe | TheSkuxxedOne

Shot by Alex Campbell

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Mario Clash Review (Virtual Boy)

When you have a console whose colors give you headaches, I think it’s only appropriate you should name your game “Clash.”


The original Mario Bros. arcade game… but in 3D! Is Mario Clash worth giving a shot?

Shot by Alex Campbell

“Reformat” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Coolest Arcade Experience

Simeon needs to bring Scott with him on his crazy arcade adventures, so he doesn’t feel so left out!

Simeon recently experienced the coolest arcade ever, and got to conquer some screens of Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and more. The legacy of arcades lives on in every gamer, so we take some time to enjoy arcade culture!

Shot by Alex Campbell

“Reformat” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/