So why do you still have that same generic background set as your desktop wallpaper? I like to change mine up frequently, and what better to feature here on Old School Apps then some sweet gaming wallpapers! This will be part 1 of an ongoing group of posts I'll do, as I gather more backgrounds for new games. What are you waiting for, check them out!

It's time for part 3 of this on-going series here at Old School Apps. Each entry, I try to bring you some crazy gaming items that never quite hit home (literally). Most of these items have slipped through the eyes retailers and consumers. Was it because they were unpopular, unofficial, or under estimated in awesomness? At this point they are simpley relics of the past which demostrate innovations and ambitions of their creators, even if the general public didn't appreciate it at the time. We'll still take a few minutes to take note of these awesome inventions, because that's what we do here.

Hey guys, thought I'd share with you some of my favorite off-site flash games. The games range from Tower Defense and Strategy to... games that are a little hard to describe. These games are pulled from the full list of 30 flash games on my website. Enjoy and let us know what you think!

This is the first game to be released which also was a part of my E3 2011 coverage, that is if you don’t count Fruit Ninja Kinect. I am a bit behind I know, but here goes. This game was the highlight of my E3 experience even though I did not even play it. It is also the most challenging game I have played in quite some time. If you are unwilling to withstand constant death and dismemberment, and are not a prodigy vampire killer, this game simply is not for you. However, if you have a little backbone, can learn from your untimely deaths, and get a rush from precision, high speed hacking and slashing, then BloodRayne: Betrayal may very well be the best indie game you play all year.

Sitting in a room at PAX awaiting the start of the presentation 2K and Gearbox had prepared for the next Borderlands title, I actually was prepared to be underwhelmed.  I loved Borderlands, but shooter sequels rarely shine past their predecessors.  A company simply cannot afford to significantly change or improve a successful brand without alienating their exisitng customer base.  So when 2Ks rep explained that the new game would be a true sequel in that major improvements would be introduced, I was still skeptical.  Read my impressions of the upcoming game after the jump. 

As I always say, better late than never! I realize June is over and I had plans to get this post published before July begun, but I failed to do so. Sue me.

This month was a big month in the gaming industry, and for us classic gamers, an even bigger month.  Just over 25 years ago, Zelda made it's first appearance in the gaming industry.  This June, Zelda made it into the 3D gaming niche, with the re-release of Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 3DS.  Because of this, we declared June of this year, Zelda's month to take a spotlight.  However, instead of showing you a bunch of boring screenshots or gameplay videos, or timeline images, we decided to take a different route and to focus on hardware.  Console mods more specifically.

Arguably the greatest RPG created for the SNES, Final Fantasy III has been re-released already a few times. I have played each port, and I can say without equivocation that the Wii Virtual Console release is the one about which I have been most excited. I still have my SNES and FFIII cartridge tucked away, but you don't have access to one, the Virtual Console is now the best place to enjoy the original unmodified version of the game.

The sound performs far better than the GBA version, which was somewhat lacking due to the capabilities of the hardware. It does forgo some of the neat additions they made in that version, which is expected for the Virtual Console. I won't even talk about the PS1 version. My copy of that lousy port is sitting in a box and will never again see the light of day. Although, I'm hopeful that if or when it hits PS1 Classics in North America its shortcomings will be resolved.

The original emulation provided by the Virtual Console is still my favorite. Sure the dialog might be a little odd at times. Certainly the retranslation in the GBA version makes more sense. I noticed along with everyone that the lyrics in the song Celes sings at the Opera House do not match the melody. But would you really have it any other way?