The Nostalgia Thread (aka...I remember that!)

[miketheratguy]

I remember being on waiting lists at our local Family Video and Pony Express Videos for games. Mega Man 3 was definitely a step above for graphics and sound. My favorite in the series had to be Mega Man 2 I have played through that game probably 200 times and still continue to play it. I still find the first Mega Man to be the most difficult of the series. Did you ever play Mega Man the Wily Wars? It was only available on cart in Japan or through Sega's online service for Genesis called the Sega Channel. It in my opinion was a terrible remake of Mega Man 1-3. The timing was completely off it felt like playing the game in slow motion mostly due to the time between blaster shots being way to slow. The graphics were nice but I just could not get over the timing it was a serious game breaker for me.

I'd say that probably 2/3rds of fans prefer Mega Man 2 over the rest, so you're not alone in that regard. I can't really say why I prefer 3 (by an admittedly thin margin). I think that for me it's just kind of an intangible sense of polish, I feel that everything that was great about Mega Man 2 was just barely tightened that little bit more to edge Mega Man 3 into the top spot. Though to be fair I think that's also the first game where some of the cracks began to show. I mean Mega Man 2 had a bunch of robot masters with an easily recognizable theme: You had Heat Man, who looked like a Zippo lighter and threw flames at you. You had Metal Man, who had a buzzsaw helmet and whipped gears at you. Then you get to Mega Man 3 and, while you do have other strongly created characters like Magnet Man and Snake Man, you've also got sort of inexplicable characters like Gemini Man (who shoots a lazer at you. Huh?) or Top Man, whose practical purpose as conceived by Dr. Light is something of a mystery.

I definitely find the first game to be frustratingly difficult, in fact my buddy and I made a podcast about classic games and dedicated our first episode to Mega Man and talked at length about its difficulty (the episode is linked on my podcast thread on the forum page if you're curious to check it out). I did play The Wily Wars in emulated form but I don't really remember it, so I guess I wasn't particularly impressed with it. I think I came away from it feeling that it looked too similar and played too differently to really be an effective remake of the Mega Man games.

[vice350z]

What I miss most about the 90's and pre-social media days is...i don't remember anything about people being offended by anything and everything like they are today. It's so annoying anymore.

[E-Day]

Speaking of beverages...

These are similar to the ones I am thinking about. The ones I had came in a translucent white plastic container that more squared off than these. Delicious liquid sugar.

The other thing I liked that I can't find a picture of were these containers of frozen fruit drink that you ate with a wooden spoon. The container was again a translucent white that was round with sort of large vertical ridges, like a serrated roof. The top was foil again. Those things were great in the summer.

[te72]

Great picks! I loved Suikoden the theme music to the intro video I used to let it just play in a loop. Still to this day gives me chills.

Thanks, the music was certainly a high point in the series. Even you just mentioning the opening video music has it playing between my ears...

I'm still holding out for a sixth installment, but the way Konami is going with killing off the series that made them a household gaming name, I'm uh... not holding my breath anymore.

Remember this classic?

You know, it would be a lot of fun if Jordan and Bird would still do those from time to time. I seem to recall they DID do a throwback commercial sometime in the 2000's.

I don't even know where to begin with regards to your going back and watching every Nitro in order every week. That's some admirable dedication, and I imagine that it must be an awesome time. At least it will be until you get to around 2000 or so.

Suikoden was the SHIT! I never finished the game but I loved what I played of it. To this day I'm still looking for any other game that replicates the "recruit tons of guys to fulfill specific purposes in your ever-expanding headquarters" gimmick. I loved that angle but have never seen another title that offers that kind of goal.

You know, I watched a lot of wrestling as a young kid, late 80's Hogan, Macho Man, Ultimate Warrior era. Stopped in the mid 90's, then got back into it somewhere around 1996 or so. Not entirely sure why either, probably just friends talking at school, checked out an episode or two, and got hooked again. Possibly because of Sting's "Crow" era... dude seemed kinda badass to a young teen into heavy metal and a bit of a dark sense of humor.

As for Suikoden, I URGE you to play them, at the very least, the first two. Well worth the asking price, especially considering what they used to (still do?) go for on Ebay. I can't say I recall exactly what I spent on buying the first two physical copies, but it was probably around $200 for the pair, and I don't regret it at all. They're available on PSN for $6 and $10, respectively... a steal for the experience. I still say they're the pinnacle of 2d rpgs.

Plus, if you catch them on sale, you literally have no good reason not to play them unless you no longer have the use of your eyes, ears, AND thumbs.

[te72]

What I miss most about the 90's and pre-social media days is...i don't remember anything about people being offended by anything and everything like they are today. It's so annoying anymore.

The greatest thing about the internet, was that it gave everyone a voice. The worst thing about the internet, is that it gave everyone a voice.

Just gotta pick and choose what you read man. Comment sections are pretty much persona non grata as far as my time goes anymore, same thing with click-bait style pages and sites.

You know what I miss about the 90's? Plain, simple, non cluttered websites. You know the ones, one color backgrounds, no links to random stuff, no ads, just fan made stuff, mostly. On that note, does anyone remember the MST3K page where you had a picture come up, and had to post your own caption for it, and it would refresh every hour or so?

Speaking of beverages...

These are similar to the ones I am thinking about. The ones I had came in a translucent white plastic container that more squared off than these. Delicious liquid sugar.

The other thing I liked that I can't find a picture of were these containers of frozen fruit drink that you are with a wooden spoon. The container was again a translucent white that was round with sort of large vertical ridges, like a serrated roof. The top was foil again. Those things were great in the summer.

Ahhhh, yes... I do recall the drinks you do. They look so refreshing, but something tells me that I wouldn't enjoy them much anymore. Although I still love me some Kool-Aid, so who knows. Can you even find those barrel drinks anymore?

[miketheratguy]

You know, I watched a lot of wrestling as a young kid, late 80's Hogan, Macho Man, Ultimate Warrior era. Stopped in the mid 90's, then got back into it somewhere around 1996 or so. Not entirely sure why either, probably just friends talking at school, checked out an episode or two, and got hooked again. Possibly because of Sting's "Crow" era... dude seemed kinda badass to a young teen into heavy metal and a bit of a dark sense of humor.

As for Suikoden, I URGE you to play them, at the very least, the first two. Well worth the asking price, especially considering what they used to (still do?) go for on Ebay. I can't say I recall exactly what I spent on buying the first two physical copies, but it was probably around $200 for the pair, and I don't regret it at all. They're available on PSN for $6 and $10, respectively... a steal for the experience. I still say they're the pinnacle of 2d rpgs.

Plus, if you catch them on sale, you literally have no good reason not to play them unless you no longer have the use of your eyes, ears, AND thumbs.

You did the same thing that I did: Keep up with the WWF until the mid 90s, then bail, then get brought back into the fold around 96 or so. I think this is what happened to most people when Mcmahon started throwing characters like wrestling hockey players and wrestling garbage men into the ring.

I really liked Suikoden but I got stuck somewhere and now I can't remember where since it's been so many years. It was a situation where I literally couldn't figure out where I was supposed to go on the overworld map, there was a river or something blocking my path and I didn't know how to get past it. Unfortunately I just kind of wound up playing other games and let Suikoden fall by the wayside. Not for lack of interest, just sort of forgot about it.

I do hear that the next game (or two) are really good as well. I should try them again sometime.

[miketheratguy]

You know what I miss about the 90's? Plain, simple, non cluttered websites. You know the ones, one color backgrounds, no links to random stuff, no ads, just fan made stuff, mostly.

Something similar to this? I honestly think that this might have been the first internet page that I ever looked at.

http://flamesgif.com/archive/ate_my_balls/mr_t.html

And what a perfect lead-in to another nostalgia post: I viewed that page not through a computer screen, but through the television and the magic of WebTV. Anyone else used to have WebTV?

[E-Day]

Ahhhh, yes... I do recall the drinks you do. They look so refreshing, but something tells me that I wouldn't enjoy them much anymore. Although I still love me some Kool-Aid, so who knows. Can you even find those barrel drinks anymore?

I haven't seen them since I was a kid, but I also didn't look for them.

I like Kool-Aid, but they don't seem to make the pouches where you added your on sugar. It's either the plastic containers that are pre sweetened, or the artificially sweetened liquid drops. Both are gross. The pouches let me add my own sugar, and I always added half a cup of sugar instead of the one cup they instructed. That made it a bit tangy and not super sweet. I don't know if they sell the powder pouches in the US still.

I miss these:

[te72]

I really liked Suikoden but I got stuck somewhere and now I can't remember where since it's been so many years. It was a situation where I literally couldn't figure out where I was supposed to go on the overworld map, there was a river or something blocking my path and I didn't know how to get past it. Unfortunately I just kind of wound up playing other games and let Suikoden fall by the wayside. Not for lack of interest, just sort of forgot about it.

I do hear that the next game (or two) are really good as well. I should try them again sometime.

Please do yourself the favor and pick up the first one on PSN, assuming you have a system that can play it. If not, I understand, but it is well worth your time. I figure it could be easily beaten in 30-35 hours on a first time through.

I've played 1, 2, 3, and 5 so far. Each was a bit different, with the first two being most similar, but they all had their high points. I feel that 3, while great in concept, missed the greatest opportunity in not making Thomas the main character. I still have yet to play 4... perhaps after the last Monkey Island game. I hear it's pretty short...

Something similar to this? I honestly think that this might have been the first internet page that I ever looked at.

http://flamesgif.com/archive/ate_my_balls/mr_t.html

And what a perfect lead-in to another nostalgia post: I viewed that page not through a computer screen, but through the television and the magic of WebTV. Anyone else used to have WebTV?

Exactly. I miss the simple web, where it was more about exploring than sharing. You had to make your own website if you wanted to comment on anything, and there was no such thing as click bait, comment sections, ads in general... was a better thing, I think, although I will concede that streaming video is a great thing.

I haven't seen them since I was a kid, but I also didn't look for them.

I like Kool-Aid, but they don't seem to make the pouches where you added your on sugar. It's either the plastic containers that are pre sweetened, or the artificially sweetened liquid drops. Both are gross. The pouches let me add my own sugar, and I always added half a cup of sugar instead of the one cup they instructed. That made it a bit tangy and not super sweet. I don't know if they sell the powder pouches in the US still.

Quick search of Amazon shows that you can still get the powder packs, unsweetened, and in a variety of flavors, so I think they're probably still available. I used to mix the black cherry Kool-Aid with cherry cola, was a pretty good taste, particularly if left in a freezer for long enough to start making a slushy. Then again, I lived in Arizona at the time...

You know what I miss? These:

For those that don't know, it's a Mk3 Toyota Supra. This particular one is my old 1989... was a great car once I got the quirks ironed out, had a LOT of fun with that one.

[E-Day]

I haven't seen the kool-aid envelopes in the stores for a while. Kraft Canada has two flavours on their site still, but all the ones available on amazon are from third party sellers at ridiculous prices.

Back to other stuff...

Two of my favourites for school as a kid. I know Sunkist still makes fruit snacks, but it's just not the same without the name and the different shapes they would come out with.

[te72]

It's interesting, the things that different markets have, even products by the same company. I can't say I've ever seen either of those fruit snack packs, but my fiance says she fondly remembers the Fruit Wrinkles. Apparently they were really good.

On the note of the Kool-Aid, I wonder also if you see different prices than I do. What I found, while it was sold in bulk, worked out to only about $0.29 per pack. Even when I was younger I think it was something like $0.15-0.20 per pack. Unfortunately though, beverages on Amazon aren't the most economical things to buy, particularly the Boylan soda that I really like.

[E-Day]

I checked amazon.ca and the prices were inflated.

Speaking of products in different markets:

These are Smartest in Canada. Similar to M&Ms without the gross Hershey taste. What are Smartest in the States are Rockets in Canada. You guys get Sierra Mist from Pepsi, we don't. I guess the Dr Pepper Snapple Group doesn't want to operate outside the US, so all their stuff is done by Pepsi here. So instead of delicious Sierra Mist, we get stuck with the swill that is 7Up.

[te72]

Quite interesting. I see that your Smarties are made by Nestle, ours are made by Wonka, and are a "fruit" flavor, somewhat hard / crunchy candy.

As for drinks in different markets, Fanta is a great example of localized flavors. Even in the US there are different flavors of Fanta around the country. On that note, Japan gets some rather strange and neat sodas.

[E-Day]

Quite interesting. I see that your Smarties are made by Nestle, ours are made by Wonka, and are a "fruit" flavor, somewhat hard / crunchy candy.

Yeah, those are Rockets

[miketheratguy]

I've been told that our Canadian friends have exclusive access to the "Mr. Big" bar. With wafers covered in chocolate covered in rice crisps covered in caramel covered in peanuts, it's quite possibly the best candy bar - nay, the best THING - ever made.

We had the bar in America for like a minute in 1995 or 1996 where it was endorsed by Shaquille O Neal and called the "Shaq Snaq".

If what I've heard is true and you guys can walk into any supermarket and grab one of these at any time, you're jerks and I hate you.

[te72]

Mike, that actually sounds pretty darned good, not gonna mince words. Sounds like Nestle Crunch mixed with Snickers mixed with Nutty Bars, all of which leads me to suspect that a stoner came up with the recipe.

[twiztor]

got back into the series with Trilogy (N64 at the time, though i now own both versions). having all the characters from the outset was all i cared about. just purchased MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero off eBay. i remember LOVING the idea of it when it came out, but was pretty underwhelmed by the actual game. a friend had it, i never owned it, so i thought it was time to re-evaluate.

Strange, you picked up Mythologies more recently? I'm with you on loving the idea, it could have made for an excellent brawler, had it been made by someone else. As is, platforming brawler MK move set... not really a good combo. How do you feel it held up?

I'm one of the few people who actually liked Sub-Zero: Mythologies. The control took a bit of getting used to -- having to press a button to turn around and all -- and the acting was cringe-worthy, but I had a good time with it. It

finally (!) got MK Mythologies in the mail yesterday, and had a chance to spend some time with it today. Played for about an hour. This is the N64 version FWIW. i never made it past level 2 (the wind/jumping level)

First, let me reiterate what i said before. When they announced this game, i was hyped for it! a platforming game, where the boss fights are Mortal Kombat style? freaking awesome!

a. the controls suck. using "B" to turn around does suck. i understand why they did it that way, but you're pretty much never on screen with more than one enemy. at least i wasn't when i played. and the precision needs a lot of work. there were a number of times Sub-Zero jumped off a cliff because it didn't register that i was pressing "up".

b. man, this game looks like ass on my tv. 32" flatscreen, i'm not even talking about some 50" bugger. blocky as hell. and the 3d effects they used looked like shit in 1996, let alone 20 years later. and why is it so dark?

c. why is Baraka used as the generic enemy here? couldn't they have had more variety?

more in general, this game doesn't live up to the promise. even knowing that it is considered a bad game, i still didn't enjoy it much. the encounters with Baraka are boring and generic, and even the lvl 1 boss battle with Scorpion isn't exciting. i just feel like this game had so much potential to be a good, solid game, but they didn't really put in the effort so it is just bland.

[twiztor]

man, i LOVED my Muscle Men when i was a kid. always liked the colored ones better than the fleshtone ones tho.

tried google to find a picture of my favorite one, but didn't see it in the dozens of group shots i looked at. he was purple, tho.

this thread prompted me to buy some MUSCLE Men on eBay. took some looking to find a listing with my favorite guy, in the color i had him as a kid, but finally did.

Here's the champ:

[miketheratguy]

this thread prompted me to buy some MUSCLE Men on eBay. took some looking to find a listing with my favorite guy, in the color i had him as a kid, but finally did.

Here's the champ:

That's awesome! To know that my post inspired someone to go out and buy some MUSCLE figures is really cool, I wouldn't have anticipated that. Good choice of figure too, and I can only imagine that it's nearly impossible to find a specific figure in a certain color.

For me, right since day one (literally while checking them out in the store for the very first time), my all-time favorite MUSCLE figure was "The Hand". I loved the majority of the figures, but this one always stood out among all the rest. After my entire childhood toy collection burned in a fire (yes, I'm serious) I had to just kind of accept that I'd never get any of them back. But a few years ago, driven by something I must have seen online, I did exactly what you did and headed to ebay to search for my favorite figure. Little did I know that he's almost EVERYONE'S favorite, and in very high demand. All the same, I found and snagged him. Including shipping it was twenty bucks for this guy alone - just this little inch and a half tall plastic resin figure - but I don't regret it. He was an important piece of my youth.

Here's an official collector's page discussing the figure, if you're interested. You may even want to see if that favorite figure of yours has any info on the site. http://www.musclefigures.com/spotlight/edition-1-figure-153-the-claw-the-hand/

[Kombatologist]

finally (!) got MK Mythologies in the mail yesterday, and had a chance to spend some time with it today. Played for about an hour. This is the N64 version FWIW. i never made it past level 2 (the wind/jumping level)

First, let me reiterate what i said before. When they announced this game, i was hyped for it! a platforming game, where the boss fights are Mortal Kombat style? freaking awesome!

a. the controls suck. using "B" to turn around does suck. i understand why they did it that way, but you're pretty much never on screen with more than one enemy. at least i wasn't when i played. and the precision needs a lot of work. there were a number of times Sub-Zero jumped off a cliff because it didn't register that i was pressing "up".

b. man, this game looks like ass on my tv. 32" flatscreen, i'm not even talking about some 50" bugger. blocky as hell. and the 3d effects they used looked like shit in 1996, let alone 20 years later. and why is it so dark?

c. why is Baraka used as the generic enemy here? couldn't they have had more variety?

more in general, this game doesn't live up to the promise. even knowing that it is considered a bad game, i still didn't enjoy it much. the encounters with Baraka are boring and generic, and even the lvl 1 boss battle with Scorpion isn't exciting. i just feel like this game had so much potential to be a good, solid game, but they didn't really put in the effort so it is just bland.

a: They do suck... at first. I played it so much, I eventually reached a point where I could react without thinking about it. The platforming can be tricky as well, but that mostly has to do with timing.

c: Baraka belongs to an Outworld race of nomadic mutants called the Tarkatan. That's who you're actually fighting at first -- not Baraka himself. The 'generic' enemies do change as you progress deeper into the game. That first encounter with Scorpion is also crucial to the plot because that's how Scorpion becomes a spectre. You end up fighting him again under certain circumstances in the Netherealm later on (he wears a UMK3-clad outfit during this encounter). During the course of the game, you also have to fight four elemental bosses (Wind//Earth/Water/Fire -- Wind being Fujin), an executioner boss, and a dinosaur boss (wtf?) before finally reaching the 8th and final level. Up to this point, there's usually one boss fight per level, and no more than two. However, on level 8, you'll have to endure four of them. The game is by no means perfect or easy, but it's worth at least one playthrough if you enjoy a good challenge.

[pmo1985]

a: They do suck... at first. I played it so much, I eventually reached a point where I could react without thinking about it. The platforming can be tricky as well, but that mostly has to do with timing.

c: Baraka belongs to an Outworld race of nomadic mutants called the Tarkatan. That's who you're actually fighting at first -- not Baraka himself. The 'generic' enemies do change as you progress deeper into the game. That first encounter with Scorpion is also crucial to the plot because that's how Scorpion becomes a spectre. You end up fighting him again under certain circumstances in the Netherealm later on (he wears a UMK3-clad outfit during this encounter). During the course of the game, you also have to fight four elemental bosses (Wind//Earth/Water/Fire -- Wind being Fujin), an executioner boss, and a dinosaur boss (wtf?) before finally reaching the 8th and final level. Up to this point, there's usually one boss fight per level, and no more than two. However, on level 8, you'll have to endure four of them. The game is by no means perfect or easy, but it's worth at least one playthrough if you enjoy a good challenge.

Didn't AVGN recently do an episode covering this one? I remember I used to have a Playstation version with Jax and Sonya as the main characters and it was the same basic idea

[miketheratguy]

Didn't AVGN recently do an episode covering this one? I remember I used to have a Playstation version with Jax and Sonya as the main characters and it was the same basic idea

He did. It was an excellent episode in that it lovingly described the nostalgia of the first few games in the series and the absolute frustration of Mythology's terrible controls and cheap level design.

The other game with Jax and Sonya is called Mortal Kombat: Special Forces and is supposed to be even worse. I've read in the past that MK co-creator John Tobias left the franchise over his problems with that game, but I don't know if it's actually true.

[te72]

a: They do suck... at first. I played it so much, I eventually reached a point where I could react without thinking about it. The platforming can be tricky as well, but that mostly has to do with timing.

c: Baraka belongs to an Outworld race of nomadic mutants called the Tarkatan. That's who you're actually fighting at first -- not Baraka himself. The 'generic' enemies do change as you progress deeper into the game. That first encounter with Scorpion is also crucial to the plot because that's how Scorpion becomes a spectre. You end up fighting him again under certain circumstances in the Netherealm later on (he wears a UMK3-clad outfit during this encounter). During the course of the game, you also have to fight four elemental bosses (Wind//Earth/Water/Fire -- Wind being Fujin), an executioner boss, and a dinosaur boss (wtf?) before finally reaching the 8th and final level. Up to this point, there's usually one boss fight per level, and no more than two. However, on level 8, you'll have to endure four of them. The game is by no means perfect or easy, but it's worth at least one playthrough if you enjoy a good challenge.

Again, you make it SOUND interesting, but I can't put myself through that pain again, knowing full well how bad it is. Too many other, better games to play, and not enough free time in one life to do so. This was probably the only game I ever sold because it was simply disappointing.

Brings me to a thought though... were there any genuinely GOOD MK spin off games? Shaolin Monks was alright, if memory serves. Kinda similar to the gameplay in the Konquest mode previously mentioned.

The other game with Jax and Sonya is called Mortal Kombat: Special Forces and is supposed to be even worse.

Wait, that actually came out? I seem to recall it getting cancelled. Was on the cover of an early issue of PSM, probably issue 18 or 19, somewhere around there. Again, idea seemed cool, and if it had been made by Eidos (the publishers of Fighting Force) it probably would have been pretty good.

On that note:

Go play this one. Still holds up quite well.

[miketheratguy]

Wait, that actually came out? I seem to recall it getting cancelled. Was on the cover of an early issue of PSM, probably issue 18 or 19, somewhere around there. Again, idea seemed cool, and if it had been made by Eidos (the publishers of Fighting Force) it probably would have been pretty good.

On that note: Go play this one. Still holds up quite well.

Yep, it was actually released. It's considered one of the worst games of all time. One look at the cover should tell you how much effort they put into making the game good.

I've heard almost nothing but negativity regarding Fighting Force, but I was actually pretty interested in it before release. I still like the concept (kind of like a very early version of The Warriors - not the movie, the gameplay of the game), it just got too many wretched reviews for me to want to give it a shot.

You know? I've actually never played Streets of Rage to this day. On the other end of the spectrum, I've heard nothing but good things about that one.

[Kombatologist]

Again, you make it SOUND interesting, but I can't put myself through that pain again, knowing full well how bad it is. Too many other, better games to play, and not enough free time in one life to do so. This was probably the only game I ever sold because it was simply disappointing.

Brings me to a thought though... were there any genuinely GOOD MK spin off games? Shaolin Monks was alright, if memory serves. Kinda similar to the gameplay in the Konquest mode previously mentioned.

MKM:SZ is definitely not for everyone, so I don't blame you for feeling the way you do about it. You're talking to someone who enjoys watching shitty movies. This also applies to some games, so my opinions may not always hit the mark for most.

As for good MK spin-offs, Shaolin Monks was the only one that was well received. In fact, a lot of people in the MK community have been asking for another game like that.

Yep, it was actually released. It's considered one of the worst games of all time. One look at the cover should tell you how much effort they put into making the game good.

I've heard almost nothing but negativity regarding Fighting Force, but I was actually pretty interested in it before release. I still like the concept (kind of like a very early version of The Warriors - not the movie, the gameplay of the game), it just got too many wretched reviews for me to want to give it a shot.

You know? I've actually never played Streets of Rage to this day. On the other end of the spectrum, I've heard nothing but good things about that one.

I've actually played it. It's really bad (and for someone who doesn't mind playing shitty games, that's saying a lot). It was originally going to feature both Jax and Sonya, complete with a select screen, but Sonya ended up being cut during its turbulent development.

The game had potential. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned.

As for why John Tobias left during development, it had nothing to do with the game itself. Here's an excerpt from an interview he gave Gameological back in 2012 for MK's 20th anniversary.

Gameological: After Mortal Kombat 4, you left the team. I was wondering if you want to comment on your reasons for that. I know you moved on and started Studio Gigante shortly after that, and you had the Tao Feng: Fist Of The Lotus game.

Tobias: Right. When I left, the timing that was involved had to do with the fact that we knew that there were new platforms that were going to be introduced. We knew that Sony would be doing a follow-up [to the PlayStation], and we knew that getting in at the beginning would make it easier for us to find a development deal. For me, that’s what controlled the timeframe. At the time, I was working on the original version of a game called Special Forces, and there was a bit of a struggle on that game in terms of its development. There was a delay that pushed that project out long enough that, had I stayed, we’d miss sort of the sweet spot in terms of publishers looking for developers and their willingness to do next-gen development deals. The tough decision that we had to make at the time was either stay and complete this game that, I think, was troubled, or if we were gonna move on and not miss that window of opportunity. For me, it was kind of a no-brainer. It was kind of a different environment back then than it is today, and we knew it was important to be there at the ground floor. So that’s what sparked the decision to leave at that time.

(Here's the full interview for anyone who's interested.)

On a final note, I hella loved Streets of Rage. I also played the crap out of the Game Gear port (oh Game Gear, how I miss thee). That's one of many franchises that Sega definitely needs to bring back. Fighting Force was meh. I'd say it's only marginally better than Special Forces. I, too, was interested in it before release, but it was a huge disappointment for my brother and I -- to the point where it became the butt of a lot of jokes whenever we discussed shitty games. It doesn't hold a candle to Streets of Rage or The Warriors game. That being said, I kind of want to go back and play it again just to see if it's as bad as I remember it. There was a PC version of it.