tankMage

Selected by: tankMage

It’s a new year and a new month! That means it’s time for a new…err…old Retro Game of the Month! Even better, I’m only three days late on this post. Hey, New Year’s was rough so cut me some slack.

We’re kicking off 2025 with the NES classic, River City Ransom. Like any good beat ’em up, this one has players rescuing a kidnapped girlfriend and freeing River City High School from a gang leader named Slick. While the story may not stand out from the crowd very much, great gameplay, a semi-open world, and RPG elements distinguish this title as one of the best hidden gems on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

I wish I had more to say about River City Ransom, but I’ve only played bits of it out of curiosity and to test passwords. With any luck I’ll be able to get to it in the near future. At any rate, what I played was good enough to convince me this title deserves the Retro Game of the Month award.

Click here for more on River City Ransom

If you would like to nominate a Retro Game of the Month, visit our Forum and tell us what title you would like to see featured on the home page! You can also leave a comment on this post naming the game you want.

Selected by: Cowboy Yojimbo

Sorry this one is a week late, I’ve been having some trouble managing my schedule recently. I’ve also made some changes to the Retro Game of the Month, which you can view via the link at the end of this post if you’re interested.

With that out of the way, our December Retro Game of the Month is Pocky & Rocky 2 for the Super Nintendo. Honestly, I do not remember it very well as we covered it almost a decade ago now. That said, it stands out as a fun shooter with strong co-op and a cool upgrade system that used a shop much like in Fantasy Zone. Pocky & Rocky 2 is also very nice looking thanks to some beautiful 16-Bit sprite work. Give it a try if you’re looking for a shmup that deviates from the usual formula.

Click here for more on Pocky & Rocky 2

If you would like to nominate a Retro Game of the Month, visit our Forum and tell us what title you would like to see featured on the home page! You can also leave a comment on this post naming the game you want.

Selected by: Rontro

November’s game of the month is a title that managed to succeed despite facing tremendous setbacks during development. Secret of Mana started life as a launch title for the SNES CD add-on that never came to fruition. When the add-on was canceled, Square decided to release the nearly complete Secret of Mana. Sadly, a fair amount of content was cut to fit the game into a cartridge.

Even with shortened dungeons and a condensed story, Secret of Mana still manages to distinguish itself as an excellent 16-Bit Action RPG. A wide assortment of weapons, 3 player co-op, an imaginative game world, and a great sound track set this game apart from many of its contemporaries. It also has some of the best animations I’ve seen on the SNES. All in all, Secret of Mana more than earned its place in gaming history considering the difficulties its developers faced.

Click here for more on Secret of Mana

Would you like to see your favorite game win Retro Game of the Month? Visit our forum and nominate it. In December we will vote to decide which title will win Retro Game of the Year.

Selected by: CowboyYojimbo

This month’s winner, MediEvil, is a perfect choice for October! It’s also a great action platformer that’s packed with cool weapons and stages to explore. MediEvil’s story is also cool, because Sir Dan is a humorous underdog, who must prove himself in order to be accepted into the Hall of Heroes. To cement this game’s place in the hall of fame, the devs made excellent use of the PS1’s modest 3D capabilities by giving the game a comical asthetic, so MediEvil has arguably stood the test of time far better than some other games of its time.

Click here for more on MediEvil.

Would you like to see your favorite game win Retro Game of the Month? Visit our forum and nominate it. In December we will vote to decide which title will win Retro Game of the Year.

Selected by: Cowboy Yojimbo

Spyro the Dragon is an excellent platforming adventure game for the Sony PlayStation. There’s plenty of stages to explore, great boss fights, and even some puzzles to solve. This game is also a great example of PS1 graphics at their peak.

Click here for more on Spyro the Dragon

Would you like to see your favorite game win Retro Game of the Month? Visit our forum and nominate it. In December we will vote to decide which title will win Retro Game of the Year.