Episode 7 (Brawlin' in the Free World)

After a week hiatus to recover from a Mega Man overdose, we are out of rehab and back online for the newest edition of Pixel Dreams! The topic of the week is that most fondly remembered yet neglected of genres: the classic two dimensional Beat 'Em Up. Much like an 80s child star, this wildly popular genre dominated the arcade and home console scene in the 80s and 90s, yet fell into anonymity as fast as it rose to prominence. We discuss a lion's share of classic titles, from the obscure (Battle Circuit) to the seminal classics (the cherished Streets of Rage series). In the process, we weigh our opinions in on why the genre was so popular and why it is largely ignored in the world of modern gaming. Final Fantasy II (SNES) finally reaches North American shores on Virtual Console! Unfortunately, nobody cares seeing as Castlevania: Rondo of Blood has completed it's 17 year old journey to reach us in the form it was meant to be played. We fawn appropriately. We also discuss yet another in a never ending stream of apologetic admittals of failure from our embattled friends at Sega.