Category 8: Video Games (Old School)

Derrick	Khurram	Richard	Eric
Super Mario 3	Super Mario	Tetris (NES)	Street Fighter 2
Streets of Rage 3	Tecmo Super Bowl	TMNT Arcade	Empire Strikes Back
Bubble Bobble	Contra 3	Mega Man 2	NBA Jam Tournament Edition

Round 1: Derrick started off the round with in my opinion, the best Super Mario Bros. ever made. It was probably the pre-eminent game of the NES, garnered numerous accolades and was even featured in a movie. This is an outstanding pick, though ultimately just a derivative of the next pick. Khurram followed with what is the genesis of all modern platforming games. Though the game is obviously of lesser quality that Super Mario 3, there is something about the game that always brings back a certain level of nostalgia. I can still hear the underwater and underground themes in my head to this day (though that may say more about my sanity than anything else). When you couple that with the fact that the game threw in secret warps, fireballs, hammer brothers, and the gay toad at the end of every major world, this has to be the best pick of the round. If we are judging this category based purely on replayability, then it is likely I would win as Tetris was my pick in round 1. Though the game has enjoyed many iterations, the version that appeared on the NES is still one of the most enjoyable games of all time and is at least in present times, perhaps the most widely played game on this list. Eric’s pick of Street Fighter 2 to end the first round means that everyone drafted a first round quality pick in the initial round for the first time in a long time. Street Fighter 2 was the fighter that all other fighters were measured against in that time. Though the Mortal Kombat series gained notoriety for its gore, and Dead or Alive for its, um, “bounciness”, no other game combined a simple yet deep fighting system, unique fighters and styles, an artistic beauty, and memorable mythos like Street Fighter 2 did. Nevertheless, because of its role as the Godfather of modern video games, this round has to belong to Khurram with Super Mario Bros.

Round 2: Eric starts off round 2 with Empire Strikes Back, a solid but unspectacular game unless you are a big Star Wars fan. Eric is, so I understand this pick. I followed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the arcade. I remember wasting quite a few quarters at the arcade at Melbourne Square Mall among other places trying to beat this game. The Ninja Turtles were hugely popular in those days, and I believe that there has yet to be a better game featuring the Turtles than that arcade version. Though the first round was relatively close, Khurram blew everyone out this round with his pick of Tecmo Super Bowl. This was the football franchise for that era and almost anybody who has played it with friends can attest to the greatness of its simple yet engaging football mechanics. Its predecessor Tecmo Bowl may be better known in some circles, but anybody who’s anybody knows that Tecmo Super Bowl was the best version. Derrick finishes off round 2 with Streets of Rage 3. Sides scrolling brawlers may have reached their peak with this iteration of Streets of Rage 3. Sure games like Double Dragon and the unforgettable Battletoads (or the all time classic combination of the two) garnered more attention. But with 3 character archetypes, a fast pace and a healthy level of violence, its hard to argue with the selection of Streets of Rage 3.

Round 3: I HATE Derrick’s selection of Bubble Bobble if only because I just spent 10 minutes on youtube watching someone play Bubble Bobble and now I want to play it. This was a classic game that featured multiple extensions on the ending and created an enjoyable multiplayer experience as well. Khurram closes out his stellar round with Contra 3, perhaps the last of the great Contra games. Do I really need to extrapolate on the greatness of this game? Not hardly, though I am tempted to. I took Megam Man 2 next because that game was and is my archnemesis. I couldn’t beat it when I was a kid and I struggle even more with it now. I loved the idea of a mix between a platformer and a shooter and fighting through different levels to reach the unique bosses and obtaining their abilities. The game was an extreme source of frustration. You know that thin line between love and hate? This game straddles that line for me. Eric ends the round and category with a game we all know and love, NBA Jam Tournament Edition. This game took arcade hoops to a whole new level and featured stellar graphics to boot. And who could ever forget: “He’s heating up!”….”He’s on fire”. At which point all hell would break loose with people swinging elbows and trying to goal tend shots like crazy. Oh, and the summersault dunks and secret codes for awesome players and big heads. I think Eric takes this round.

Overall Analysis: Khurram’s selection in round 2 couple with his narrow win in round 1 and solid pick in round 3 means he pretty much walked away with this category. It was slightly closer than I first imagined it would be, but still this was the best piece of drafting we have seen from Khurram so far.