A Pac-Man game is a Pac-Man game is a Pac-Man game, right?  Not when it's Pac-Man 2 - Namco's unexpected foray into point and click adventure.  While it threw Pac-fans for a loop in the 90's, we can look back now and give this quirkly little title its due.  Find out why it's worth your Pac-time in this Pac-episode.

Pac.

Believe it or not, there were survival horror games before Resident Evil.  Not many... but still.  Clock Tower for the Super Nintendo was one of the pioneers of the genre, bringing creepy atmosphere, a chilling plot, and homicidal children all together in full 2-dimensional glory.  Find out why everyone should give this overlooked gem a chance this Halloween.

This Konami arcade classic was once ported to both the Super Nintendo and Genesis.  But how well did they stack up to the original?  And which one took quite a departure from its initial version?  Roo examines each in this rootin'-tootin' episode.

We all know what we're in for when we play an Adventure Island game: Puzzles, swords, magic, and... downthrusts?  No, Super Adventure Island 2 may not be the game you'd expect, but it's so much more.  Join Roo as he shows off his favorite game in this storied series, as well as its surprising pedigree.  Zelda 2: The adventure of Link anyone?

A fellow contributor from Blistered Thumbs, heisanevilgenius (Tom) - host of Weird Video Games - came to me not long ago with the idea of trying out each other's format for an episode to see what we'd come up with.  Well, below are the results.

First up is my take on Captain Novolin for the Super Nintendo:

And next is Tom with one of his favorite retro games, Phantom 2040 for the SNES/Genesis:

This was fun to do, but don't worry - I'm not making a habit out of this or anything.  It's just nice for a change of pace.  Work progresses on the next "official" Gem, which should be out by the end of the month.  Hope you can all wait that long...  *smiley/winky face*

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Clan of the Gray Wolf, Roo completes the Gaia trilogy by taking on the game that started it all - Soul Blazer.  One of Quintet's earliest titles, this game set up the action RPG style that was used to such brilliance in Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma.  So settle in for an examination of the cornerstone of one of the best "series" the Super Nintendo had to offer.

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Clan of the Gray Wolf, discover all the secrets behind Roo's April Fool's vid for 2011!

You can watch the original episode right here.

And yes, don't worry, there is an anniversary-related Gem coming in the next few days.  Hold on to your britches!