8-Bit Random Access Memories Medly and Hi-Res Discover Wallpaper

Joe Jeremiah plays the best melodies from Daft Punk's new Random Access Memories on a chiptune synthesizer.

Also, check out that image, it's a Hi-Res Daft Punk Discovery Wallpaper.

Random Access Memories is an awesome album. I have been listening to it since it launched on May 20th. I hope they keep making albums for a very long time, because they really are some of the best musicians alive. You might read a lot of reviews, a lot of hype and bashing. Plenty critics praise the album as the best shit since OK Computer, others lament the album as a self-indulgent, disco-nostalgic, pile of trite trash nonsense.

The album is so obviously good, however, that most criticisms will likely take the form of a reviewer bringing his or her preconception about what the album should be to the table (i.e. everyone wanted a new Discovery). The album is what it is, and it is (1) unique. (2) It's a success at sounding awesome. (3) It tells a good story, about dance music, and asking any more from an artist is asking far too much.

Streets of Rage

I'm trying to go play Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage 2 on my Wii. Both are awesome games, especially for fans of the genre. I found this Streets of Rage Online fansite, and for the last hour I've just been looking through their info. They have all the info. 

Also searching around I found some cool fanart. Tons of dedicated Streets of Rage players, and with good reason. Streets of Rage is one of the best Beat 'Em ups of all time and it was released very, very early in the Genesis's life, in 1991. It would beat out Final Fight to the arcade, although it seems likely that somehow one dev team spied early versions of the others's sprites. I don't know for sure who ripped off whom, but both games defined a genre more than Double Dragon and River City Ransom ever did.

Not that the Technos games are bad, and both Final Fight and Streets of Rage rip plenty of things from both games, while introducing the idea of multiple characters instead of RPG stats (later games like The Bouncer would hybridize the two formats, having multiple characters and allowing the player to level them all up).

The Bouncer also included the traditional 1v1 mode that some many games have. I picked up The Combatribes for a few bucks a month ago and it's versus mode is just awful. All the 1v1 modes were total shit.

Back on topic: Streets of Rage kicks ass and the music kicks ass. 

Below: fan art.

Pixel Art: RPG Sprites Thug

Just a random thug that I imagine could be used in a Beat 'Em Up. I was playing some River City Ransom and Double Dragon last night. Level 3 of Double Dragon continues to plague me. Why? Why doesn't the game have any continues?

Wizard of Wor Atari 5200

Wizard of Wor is the less popular cousin of Berzerk, but it's still a great game. This old box is pretty classic, and would have sold me in 1983. Still, I would have been better off playing Ultima. Playing games after playing Ultima is tough. You always end up thinking, "I should really be playing Ultima II: The Curse of the Entrantress right now. At the very least I should grind some gold in Exodus." 

Accept the challenge, Warrior, and the let battle begin!

Also, what the hell, the game came with a 90-day warranty? That's quality customer service.

Karnov Box Art

I got Karnov and Friday the 13th one day as a kid. It was from a cousin who didn't like either game anymore. I received both a few days after receiving Adventure Island II for Christmas. The three games were a pretty big part of my childhood, when I only owned 20 games or so. Karnov will always be remembered for its insane robotic fish people, t-rexes, and wacky settings. This is defiantly one of the defining games of the NES, and every collector/gamer needs a copy.

I gave Karnov a try tonight, while I was taking a break from WoW. I can still get to the Caterpillar woman boss on Stage 4, but I can't beat her! Never could as a kid either. This is one of those games than has haunted me since I was a kid.