Fan inspired remakes are nothing new, but they do seem to be popping up with much higher frequency as of late. Take this one, for instance. One fan is doing a remake to the classic SNES action title Zombies Ate My Neighbors! How does it look? Not bad at all right now. Yes, the level does look a little sparse, but such issues can be tided up later. The 3D engine seems to work well, and the foreground tree effect is a nice touch. Hopefully, unlike some others, this one doesn’t get shut down anytime soon.

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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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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.

For many young gamers the Final Fantasy series began counting at seven. At times it seems many fans quit counting at six. Final Fantasy VI was originally released in the USA as Final Fantasy III. It was a weird numbering debacle that Square got itself into, but today the countless rereleases of the last SNES Final Fantasy have most fans corrected on their numbering.

Many fans consider every Final Fantasy a classic, so what makes this one stand out? The story begins with you in charge of a small group of soldiers setting out to investigate an unearthed ancient relic pertaining to magic. One of the members of your party is a mysterious girl. Upon arriving to the dig site there is a bit of a catastrophe before things go dim. The game then shifts you into control of a thief named Locke. Now, if you don’t already see the differences between this title and later entries in the series (hint: Locke does not look like a girl), then you haven’t played enough Final Fantasy. The rest of the story will take you across a vast world, to the end of the world (literally), and across another vast ruined world. (more…)

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