PixlBit

Arcade games were the gold standard of video games for over two decades. Dedicated arcade machines could have more sophisticated hardware than home consoles and computers were capable of having without being prohibitively expensive. This situation lasted until the mid-90s, when consoles like the PS1 and N64, as well as PCs, caught up and even surpassed arcade machines. Before then, the ultimate complement that could be paid to a video game was "arcade perfect." The arcades were often proving grounds for new home console technology. Sega used its arcade games in this manner, and Namco's games had hardware based on the PlayStation architecture.

In the early 80s, a little company called Electronic Arts was born. Back then, they were a genuinely good publisher/developer that came up with a lot of innovative new games, before they became the bland corporate machine we've known them as for the past 20 years. One of the first few games ever released by EA was a little gem called Archon.

In 1998, Final Fantasy Tactics got me into strategy RPGs. For years, FFT was the basic template for most console SRPGs. Ten years later, Sega brought the genre into the contemporary generation of consoles in grand style by releasing Valkyria Chronicles in the US.

One of the first video RPGs ever made was Temple of Apshai. Released in 1979 by Epyx, it predates even the 80s gold standards of Wizardry and Ultima.

In a year that has great games like Ni no Kuni 2, Valkyria Chronicles 4, and the promise of many other games on the way, sometimes the simplest surprises on the best.

I've been liking a lot of what Sega is doing these days, especially compared to their spotty track record of years past. We're now getting Yakuza games like clockwork, Valkyria Chronicles is getting a console sequel, they're bringing over a few other games that were stuck in Japan. Maybe it was the acquisition of Atlus and the success of Persona 5 that got Sega going.

I didn't have a NES growing up, but my best friend at the time did, so I spent almost every afternoon at his house playing his NES with him until it was time for me to go home to dinner. I'm pretty sure his parents got tired of me hanging around so much.

Nintendo has made a lot of money off of the miniaturized editions of the NES and SNES. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, especially when the games are really good. A N64 Classic Edition is seen as the logical next step, although there are rumors that a Game Boy Classic Edition is in the works next. But to be honest, I'm not too enthused about a N64 Classic. I would personally much prefer a Gamecube Classic Edition myself.

I got a Nintendo Switch for Christmas, so here, I am going to give you some of my thoughts on it.

I guess this is a little late, seeing as how we are headed into February as of tomorrow, but here are my top games of 2017.