October 2019 – DaveGladow.com

Genesis Mini: Ranking all the games

Let’s be honest. This was inevitable. My obsession for mini consoles should be well established by now, and I recently purchased the Genesis Mini (and offered my general thoughts here). The only real question was whether I’d keep it simple and rank the games on the Genesis Mini, or expand the list to be a “best of” for the entire catalog of the original console.

I’ve decided to mostly go with the former. I have some thoughts on the games I feel are missing here and really wanted to share them, so I’m going to lead off with those. But I still haven’t experienced enough with the 700-game library to truly put together a proper “best-of” ranking. Sure, it would be useful to neophytes, but I wouldn’t feel super great or confident about it, either.

So instead, here are some thoughts on my favorite games missing from the Genesis Mini, followed by my ranking of the 42 games that did make the cut.

Enjoy!

Rogue One retrospective: Sacrifice and inspiration

Disney’s foray into the world of Star Wars with its first major motion picture under the banner, “The Force Awakens,” was an outstanding success, garnering near-universal positive critical reviews while becoming the greatest North American box office money-maker … ever.

If it had a failing, it was its tepid steps into the realm of being called a “rehash” or “retread.” Without a doubt, it was a joyous experience for many (and deemed a “return to form” by many more), but there is also no denying particular calculated decisions that were meant to call to mind the original trilogy — from style/design work to practical effects to actual plot elements to character development.

Hey, in this case, it was obviously proven wise. Nostalgia works.

Perhaps in an effort to combat the “rehash” criticism somewhat (but more likely just to keep Star Wars relevant in the inevitable production gaps between its main “saga” movies), Disney made the interesting choice to stagger its saga films with stand-alone stories meant to explore the universe in different ways.

The first and most successful of these attempts was “Rogue One,” which made no bones about its desire to also tap into our nostalgia as directly as it possibly could within its plot and setting, but simultaneously brought us several brand-new characters, a darker, grittier tone, and fleshed out the lore in ways that were often surprising.

The end result? Anyone craving a more “adult” Star Wars finally had something to hold onto — a film they could justifiably declare was meant for them.

Indeed, ask most any kid which Star Wars movie is their least favorite, and most will point to this one.

The folks who were kids back in the early 1980s had been demanding a film tailored to their more adult-like sensibilities for decades. Here, finally, they had it. “Rogue One” was simply a different film for a different audience.

(Tangentially, I wonder what reaction George Lucas might have received had he released THIS in 1999 instead of the much-maligned “The Phantom Menace” … hmmmmm.)

Should one purchase a Genesis Mini?

So should you buy a Genesis Mini?

I’m going to hedge. Know this upfront.

Most articles like this won’t admit that in plain, written English. But it’s what the majority do.

“If [so-and-so] then yes, absolutely you should buy this.”

That’s where we’re going to end up, so skip to the end if that’s why you’re here.

But if you want to see me wax nostalgic for a bit (and maybe bring back some good memories of your own), feel free to ride along for a little bit. Because if there’s no other lesson to be taken from mini gaming consoles making a killing in the video game market right now, there’s this: These things call to mind a different time and place.

And they do it well.

The Force Awakens retrospective: We’re home

“Let me show you something, that will make you feel young, as when the world was new.”
— Carol Marcus, “The Wrath of Khan”

Aging is a motherfucker.

One of my favorite aspects to the Star Trek movie franchise featuring the original cast members was how it dealt with aging. I mean, by necessity it had to, as the series predated the films by over a decade. The actors got older. We couldn’t very well ignore that. These were still our favorite characters, except further weathered by the experiences around them.

(I find this more and more relevant as I, myself, age.)

“Wrath of Khan” in particular did a masterful job of incorporating the theme of aging and wrapping a narrative around it. In that movie, our main protagonist, Captain James T. Kirk, must come to terms with his own physical breakdowns, face the demons (and angels) he’s created in his former life, and ultimately come to grips with death in a very personal way. The lessons are simple and, well, ageless. To wit:

As we get older, we have to come to terms with how we have been unable to “fix” the world or live our lives in quite the way we might have wanted to.
We have to see the people we love leave us.
And we have to endure.

When Disney announced it was making more Star Wars films following its purchase of the property from George Lucas in 2012, thoughts immediately turned to reuniting the “big three” — Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher — on screen once again. Miraculously, within months it had been confirmed: the fans’ primary wish was coming true. More adventures for Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia were on the way!

Getting our favorites back after thinking it would never happen again (particularly with Ford, who had notoriously been luke-warm at best on his character for years) was a bit like Capt. Kirk cheating death throughout the runtime of “Star Trek II.” It was a thrilling thing to witness.

The downside to this should have been obvious, thanks again to the lessons learned in that previous sci-fi classic. With aging characters, you’re left with things like disappointment and loss as your major themes.

In short, The happy ending of “Return of the Jedi” could not last.