Chomping at the Bits

The 90s were dominated by the infamous console wars of Nintendo and SEGA and at the forefront was the rivalry of Super Mario and the Blue Blur, Sonic the Hedgehog. We dive into 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog and 1992's Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in equal measure. This month we discover that SEGA does what Ninten Don't and we do it fast.

Test your might! this week Rich and Ray sit down to talk about the 1992 arcade classic Mortal Kombat. Ed Boons' vision turns thirty this year, and it was only right to talk all about Scorpion and Subzero's first clash. Whether you played it first on console or in the arcade, we can all remember the first time we Subzero ripped out our spines.

With the recent launch of Switch Sports and a hectic month at the website, the guys are keeping things light. Rich, Eric, and Ray talk about that game that was the talk of the town in 2006.If you owned a Wii you've played Wii Sports. This weird tech demo was a staple of millions of people's living rooms for years and broke barriers by appealing to not just hardcore gamers but the whole family. Even your Grandma was into Wii Bowling, and you know it.

That pink ball of ass-kicking known as Kirby is not only the star of a brand new Switch game he's also turning thirty this year so Rich, Ray, and Eric sit down to discuss Sakurai's favorite son. Starting with a special focus on 1992's Kirby's Dreamland and 1993's Kirby's Adventure but nothing featuring the cosmic god once known as Twinkle Popo. From humble beginnings at HAL Laboratories to becoming one of the icons of Super Smash Bros. Kirby has seen a lot in his thirty years so let's get started.

This month we talk all about the PSone classic that not only perfected the Skateboard video game it revitalized skate culture and made Tony Hawk a household name. Eric is out but Rich and Ray delve into the game that not only created one of their favorite genres, it largely shaped their taste in music and holds a hell of a lot of fun memories. From the early days of Top Skate to Tony Hawk's Underground it's all covered here.

For our first episode of 2022, we delve into one of the most important games of all time, Super Mario Bros. This title defined the platformer made the NES a must-own and would go on to make Miyamoto a household name.

Keep your guard up because this month the crew is talking about the fighting games that made Capcom an arcade powerhouse and changed the way competitive video games were played forever. The original Street fighter and the many iterations of Street Fighter II. From Ryu to violent Ken we discuss it all. For you it's another Chomping at the Bits but for us it was Tuesday.

This month the guys head back to 1997 to discuss the Psone masterpiece Castlevania Symphony of the Night and the birth of the term Metroidvania. Alucard's return to Dracula's castle shaped a genre and formed the blueprints for future installments in the already popular series. Friend of the site and avid composer Ed Baquet joins in on the discussion this week.

In the first episode of Chomping at the Bits, Rich, Ray, and Eric take a trip back to where this whole video gaming thing started as they explore the history, legacy, and their personal feelings for Donkey Kong. This arcade classic saw the debut of everyone's favorite Gorilla and Plumber. From arcade beginnings to console homeports, video games would not be the same without DK