In The Great Games column we look back at titles that have defined video games over the years and earned a special place in the history of the medium.

Yoshi’s Island sadly often gets labeled as one of the ugly step-children of the Mario series along with Super Mario Bros. 2 (also known as Super Mario Bros. USA in Japan). The truth is that neither game deserves such mistreatment, but then again neither game is exactly a traditional Mario plaformer. That’s the genius of them.

Yoshi’s Island was the follow-up to Super Mario World, the game originally packed in with every Super Nintendo sold. While Super Mario World was an evolution of the Mario 1 and 3 with better graphics and sound, Yoshi’s Island was complete turning on its head of the series’ formula. It took chances where Mario World did not. It dared to be different, and it did so in spades. (more…)

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Super Mario All-Stars
While a good argument can be certainly be made for Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island (the proper Mario sequels on the system), both of those games were in many ways evolutions of the Super Mario Bros. 3 formula. Super Mario All-Stars on the other hand was a breath of fresh air by reaching back to the past. While console gaming was still young, Super Mario All-Stars marked the first major release in a special genre known to many other mediums. In music one might label it a greatest hits album. In film you would label each game a remake, or perhaps just a restoration. Whatever the case, this compilation would change how gaming looked at its past. Whenever you enjoy a retooled classic for Xbox Live Arcade, remember that it was this game that laid the groundwork. (more…)

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While presidential candidates may not be actively courting the gamer vote, that doesn’t mean some fun can’t be had with presidential politics and video games. Below each candidate has been matched up with the video game that best represents them. Disagree with a selection? Comment below with your own choice.

Barack Obama - Final Fantasy VII

In 1997 Square released the seventh installment of its acclaimed RPG series and it became a worldwide sensation. Contrary to all past experience, American gamers ate up a Japanese-style RPG en masse. Its slick graphics and presentation have led many to accuse it of being more style than substance. In fact, while Final Fantasy VII is often cited as one of the best games ever made, you are likely to find just as many who decry it as the most over hyped ever. These vocal gamers often note that while Final Fantasy VII got all the headlines, much better RPGs were being released on the PlayStation-such as Suikoden. (more…)

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