Those were the days

Did you know that back in the day the folks at NEC released a drawing tablet peripheral--called the Illust Booster--and a printer peripheral--called the Print Booster--for the PC Engine (the Japanese version of the TurboGrafx-16)?

I sure as hell didn't--until I came across the following "PC Engine World" promo video.



I'm not sure which depresses me more: that North American gamers never got to experience the wonders of the Illust and Print Boosters or that they never got to experience the wonders of the Famicom Disk System and the Famicom Modem.

(Via tinycartridge.com)

I can relate

The following "quasi-self-portrait"--titled "1985"--produced by Los Angeles-based artist Mike Mitchell has me feeling a bit nostalgic today.

If you like Mitchell's style--and, honestly, how could you not?--be sure to check out his deviantart gallery, his Etsy shop and his tumbleblog.

Oh, and if you're also feeling a smidge nostalgic today, check out these Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary wallpapers and this Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary interview (between Shigesato Itoi and Shigeru Miyamoto).

(Via superpunch.blogspot.com, by way of gonintendo.com)

Ghost Trick's North American box art is kind of kinky, too

Earlier this year, I suggested (in this post) that the Japanese box art for Capcom's Ghost Trick--the DS adventure game developed by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi--was "kind of kinky."

Well, it seems the art (below) that will appear on the cover of the North American version of the game--which will hit store shelves on Nov. 2--will retain some of that kinkiness.

OK, so maybe "kinky" isn't the best word. There's definitely something a bit, er, queer about that bum-in-the-air pose, though, don't you think?

Pre-order: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Calling all Donkey Kong Country fans

Although I was a big fan of the 16-bit Donkey Kong Country titles, the soon-to-be-released Wii sequel--called, imaginatively enough, Donkey Kong Country Returns--has yet to intrigue me. (Aside from the following screenshot, I mean.)



That said, I imagine many Wii owners--North American and otherwise--are salivating over this Retro Studios-developed platformer, which will hit store shelves in the States on Nov. 21. (It has yet to receive a release date in other territories.)

Those gamers should get quite a kick out of this recently released teaser trailer, which shines the spotlight on one of the series' returning "animal buddies," Rambi.

Pre-order: Donkey Kong Country Returns

Sorry, (Explorer and) Safari fans

I recently realized that this site looks a bit wonky when viewed via Internet Explorer and Safari. Sorry about that.

My advice: Access it through Chrome or Firefox instead--especially if you want a wonk-free blogging experience.