Posted on September 1, 2021
2020-21 NBA Season Recap
Scroll below and enjoy
presents a
2020-21
Season Review
Headline Highlights
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Regular Season Standings
* = playoff participant
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Notable League Leaders
SCORING Stephen Curry (G)  32.0 points per game |
REBOUNDING Clint Capela (C)  14.3 rebounds per game |
ASSISTS Russell Westbrook (G)  11.7 assists per game |
STEALS Jimmy Butler (G/F)  2.1 steals per game |
BLOCKS Myles Turner (C)  3.4 blocks per game |
Award Winners
MVP  Nikola Jokic (C)  26.4 points per game 10.8 rebounds per game 8.3 assists per game |
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR  Rudy Gobert (C)  10.1 defensive rebounds per game 0.6 steals per game 2.7 blocks per game |
6TH MAN OF THE YEAR  Jordan Clarkson (G) 18.4 points per game 4.0 rebounds per game 0.9 steals per game |
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR  Julius Randle (F)  24.1 points per game 10.2 rebounds per game 6.0 assists per game |
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR  LaMelo Ball (G)  15.7 points per game 5.9 rebounds per game 6.1 assists per game |
Playoff Results
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NBA FINALS MVP |
Favorite Team Spotlight
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W/L/: 42-30 (3rd in PACIFIC DIVISION)
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Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…
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radwriting@thetudedude.com
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“Integrity With An EDGE!”
Published by 
Posted on August 26, 2021
2020-21 NHL Season Recap
Scroll below and enjoy
presents a
2020-21
Season Recap
Headline Highlights
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Regular Season Standings
* = playoff participant
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Notable League Leaders
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GOALS |
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ASSISTS |
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POINTS |
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PLUS/MINUS |
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WINS |
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SAVE PERCENTAGE |
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GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE |
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SHUTOUTS
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Award Winners
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HART MEMORIAL TROPHY |
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JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY |
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FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY |
| VEZINA TROPHY (BEST GOALTENDER)   Marc-Andre Fleury (G)  26-10 wins/losses .928 save percentage 1.98 goals against average 6 shutouts |
| CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (BEST ROOKIE)   Kirill Kaprizov (W)  27 goals 24 assists 51 points +10 plus/minus |
Playoff Results
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Favorite Team Spotlight
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Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…
E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com
Follow The ‘Tude Dude
“Integrity With An EDGE!”
Published by
Posted on July 13, 2021
2020-21 NFL Season Recap
Scroll below and enjoy
presents a
2020-21
Season Recap
Headline Highlights
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Regular Season Standings
* = playoff participant
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Notable League Leaders
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QB RATING |
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YARDS RUSHING |
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YARDS RECEIVING |
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SACKS |
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INTERCEPTIONS |
Award Winners
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MVP |
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OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
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DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR  Justin Herbert (QB)  98.3 QB rating4336 passing yards 36 TD’s (pass: 31 run: 5) |
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Chase Young (DE)  44 tackles7.5 sacks 4 forced fumbles 3 fumble recoveries |
Playoff Results
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Favorite Team Spotlight
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Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…
E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com
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“Integrity With An EDGE!”
Published by
Posted on June 29, 2021
2020 MLB Season Recap
Scroll below and enjoy
presents a
2020
Season Recap
Headline Highlights
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Regular Season Standings
* = playoff participant
 EAST |
| Team | W/L |
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40-20* H: 20-9 A: 20-11 |
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33-27* H: 22-9 A: 11-18 |
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32-28* H: 17-9 A: 15-19 |
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25-35 H: 13-20 A: 12-15 |
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24-36 H: 11-20 A: 13-16 |
| CENTRAL |
| Team | W/L |
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36-24* H: 24-7 A: 12-17 |
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35-25* H: 18-12 A: 17-13 |
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35-25* H: 18-12 A: 17-13 |
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26-34 H: 15-15 A: 11-19 |
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23-35 H: 12-15 A: 11-20 |
| WEST |
| Team | W/L |
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36-24* H: 22-10 A: 14-14 |
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29-31* H: 20-9 A: 9-22 |
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27-33 H: 14-10 A: 13-23 |
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26-34 H: 16-15 A: 10-19 |
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22-38 H: 16-14 A: 6-24 |
 EAST |
| Team | W/L |
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35-25* H: 19-11 A: 16-14 |
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31-29* H: 11-15 A: 20-14 |
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28-32 H: 19-13 A: 9-19 |
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26-34 H: 15-18 A: 11-16 |
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26-34 H: 12-17 A: 14-17 |
| CENTRAL |
| Team | W/L |
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34-26* H: 19-14 A: 15-12 |
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30-28* H: 14-13 A: 16-15 |
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31-29* H: 16-13 A: 15-16 |
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29-31* H: 15-14 A: 14-17 |
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19-41 H: 13-19 A: 6-22 |
| WEST |
| Team | W/L |
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43-17* H: 21-9 A: 22-8 |
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37-23* H: 21-11 A: 16-12 |
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29-31 H: 19-14 A: 10-17 |
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26-34 H: 12-18 A: 14-16 |
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25-35 H: 16-14 A: 9-21 |
Notable League Leaders
BATTING AVERAGE DJ LeMahieu (2B)  .364 Avg. |
HOME RUNS Luke Voit (1B) 22 HR |
RUNS BATTED IN Jose Abreu (1B)  60 RBI |
STOLEN BASES Adalberto Mondesi (SS)  24 SB |
WINS Shane Bieber (SP)  8 W  Yu Darvish (SP)  8 W |
EARNED RUN AVERAGE Shane Bieber (SP) 1.63 ERA |
STRIKEOUTS Shane Bieber (SP) 122 SO |
SAVES Brad Hand (RP) 16 S |
Award Winners
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR   Kyle Lewis (OF)  .262 Avg. 11 HR 28 RBI |
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR  Devin Williams (RP)  4-1 W/L 0.33 ERA 53 SO |
CY YOUNG   Shane Bieber (SP) 8-1 W/L 1.63 ERA 122 SO |
CY YOUNG   Trevor Bauer (SP)  5-4 W/L 1.73 ERA 100 SO |
MVP   Jose Abreu (1B) .317 Avg. 19 HR 60 RBI |
MVP   Freddie Freeman (1B)  .341 Avg. 13 HR 53 RBI |
Playoff Results
| WILDCARD BRACKET |
| #1 |
#8 |
| #4 |
#5 |
| #3 |
#6 |
| #2 |
#7 |
| WILDCARD SERIES (best of 3) |
| #1 |
#8 |
| Game 1 |
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1 |
| Game 2 |  8 |
2 |
| win series 2-0 |
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| #4 |
#5 |
| Game 1 | 3 |
12 |
| Game 2 | 9 |
10 |
| win series 2-0 |
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#3 |
#6 |
| Game 1 |  1 |
 4 |
| Game 2 | 1 |
3 |
win series 2-0 |
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#2 |
#7 |
| Game 1 |  1 |
4 |
| Game 2 | 5 |
3 |
| Game 3 | 6 |
4 |
| win series 2-1 |
| WILDCARD BRACKET |
| #1 |
#8 |
| #4 |
#5 |
| #3 |
#6 |
| #2 |
#7 |
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#1 |
#8 |
| Game 1 |  4 |
2 |
| Game 2 | 3 |
0 |
| win series 2-0 |
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#4 |
#5 |
| Game 1 |  4 |
 7 |
| Game 2 | 11 |
9 |
| Game 3 | 4 |
0 |
| win series 2-1 |
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#3 |
#6 |
| Game 1 | 1 |
 5 |
| Game 2 | 0 |
2 |
| win series 2-0 |
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#2 |
#7 |
| Game 1 | 1 |
0 |
| Game 2 | 5 |
0 |
| win series 2-0 |
| DIVISIONAL BRACKET |
| #1 |
#5 |
| #2 |
#6 |
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| #1 |
#5 |
| Game 1 | 3 |
9 |
| Game 2 | 7 |
5 |
| Game 3 | 8 |
4 |
| Game 4 | 1 |
5 |
| Game 5 | 2 |
1 |
| win series 3-2 |
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| #2 |
#6 |
| Game 1 | 5 |
10 |
| Game 2 | 2 |
5 |
| Game 3 | 9 |
7 |
| Game 4 | 6 |
11 |
| win series 3-1 |
| DIVISIONAL BRACKET |
| #1 |
#4 |
| #2 |
#6 |
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| #1 |
#4 |
| Game 1 | 5 |
1 |
| Game 2 | 6 |
5 |
| Game 3 | 12 |
3 |
| win series 3-0 |
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| #2 |
#6 |
| Game 1 | 9 |
5 |
| Game 2 | 2 |
0 |
| Game 3 | 7 |
0 |
| win series 3-0 |
| CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET |
| #1 |
#6 |
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| #1 |
#6 |
| Game 1 | 2 |
1 |
| Game 2 | 4 |
2 |
| Game 3 | 5 |
2 |
| Game 4 | 3 |
4 |
| Game 5 | 3 |
4 |
| Game 6 | 4 |
7 |
| Game 7 | 4 |
2 |
| win series 4-3 |
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| #1 |
#2 |
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| #1 |
#2 |
| Game 1 | 1 |
5 |
| Game 2 | 7 |
8 |
| Game 3 | 15 |
3 |
| Game 4 | 2 |
10 |
| Game 5 | 7 |
3 |
| Game 6 | 3 |
1 |
| Game 7 | 4 |
3 |
| win series 4-3 |
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CHAMPION |
CHAMPION |
| Game 1 | 3 |
8 |
| Game 2 | 6 |
4 |
| Game 3 | 2 |
6 |
| Game 4 | 8 |
7 |
| Game 5 | 2 |
4 |
| Game 6 | 1 |
3 |
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WORLD SERIES MVP  Corey Seager (SS) .400 Avg. 2 HR 5 RBI |
Favorite Team Spotlight
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Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…
E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com
Follow The ‘Tude Dude
“Integrity With An EDGE!”
Published by
Posted on May 28, 2021
2019-2020 NBA Season Review
Scroll below and enjoy
presents a
2019-2020
Season Review
Regular Season Retrospective
Starting off with perhaps the most wildly active player-personnel shaping summer in league history, the 2019-2020 NBA season felt like the dawning of a new era after a purely dominant (and probably still not entirely done) 5 year run by the Golden State Warriors 
came to a screeching halt following a string of unfortunate injuries 
and free-agent losses 
which put them outside of the championship bubble (at least for now) for the first time in what felt like forever. Couple that with the fact that the defending champion Toronto Raptors 
(unlikely title-hoisting beneficiaries of Golden State’s unfortunate injury luck in last season’s playoffs) lost Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to his hometown Los Angeles Clippers 
(who also traded for Paul George) in another stunning free agent transaction which erased Canada’s only NBA squad from the minds of basketball pundits thinking about a repeat. Oh yeah… plus the Lakers traded (finally) for Anthony Davis 
, Kemba Walker signed with the Celtics 
replacing Kyrie Irving who joined his buddy Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets 
, the Rockets swapped point guards with the Thunder sending OKC Chris Paul 
in exchange for Russell Westbrook 
, Jimmy Butler took his talents to South Beach 
, Zion Williamson looked to begin the most-hyped rookie campaign since LeBron James took his first professional dribbles after being drafted #1 overall by the Pelicans 
, plus a boatload more league-altering roster moves 
! These shocking developments flipped the NBA on its head as for the first time in as long as I can remember, no true favorite stood above the pack as the power vacuum left by last season’s Finals representatives looked to be filled by a slew of hungry franchises all eager to burst through the newly-weakened championship blockade. Well this should certainly be interesting…
Right away, disappointment hit as we’d have to wait on Zion’s debut until sometime later in the year after undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus 
. Luckily, Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic 
was there to soften the blow after entering his name into “young phenom” status, displaying an all-around game that looked to be a perfect blend of Magic Johnson’s passing and Larry Bird’s shooting with impressive averages that forced the second-year player into the MVP discussion. Stephen Curry broke his hand 
early in the year which further cemented his Warriors into the outhouse for this season after a half-decade stay in the top-floor penthouse. Meanwhile, Golden State’s counterpart in last season’s Finals, the Toronto Raptors 
, surprised everyone by continuing to compete at a championship level despite the loss of Kawhi Leonard which was impressive. Speaking of Leonard, his new-look Clippers 
lived up to hype right away and looked to spearhead a campaign of excellence that had never been enjoyed by the once moribund franchise, all-but ensuring a proxy-war for the ages with the same-town juggernaut Lakers 
who also started the season off by living up to their lofty preseason goals after racing to the top spot in the loaded Western Conference.
As the season rolled on, the Milwaukee Bucks 
separated themselves from the rest of the league as they blasted their way to the best record in basketball led by reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (easily the most annoyingly named superstar in sports history) and a deep cast of 3-point snipers. James Harden 
continued to score at a near 40-point per game clip which kept his Rockets around near the top of the conference (and him in a heated dogfight at the top of the MVP race) even as they integrated new pieces to a hopeful championship recipe. The Boston Celtics appeared somewhat rejuvenated by the exile of Kyrie Irving as budding young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown 
were given more room to blossom under the tutelage of coaching phenom Brad Stevens 
. The Denver Nuggets appeared poised to break up the L.A. glamour party at the top of the Western Conference as they entrenched themselves firmly between the two stalwarts led by 7-foot dynamo Nikola Jokic 
and a deep roster which sustained their inclusion in the championship discussion. Meanwhile, another championship contender, the Philadelphia 76ers 
, played with an inconsistent schizophrenia that reflected in their disparaging excellent at home/terrible on the road record as budding stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons struggled to find cohesion with each other amidst a fluid roster of quality players.
The league carried on through to the new year as normal until the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant (along with his daughter Gianna and 7 others) in a helicopter crash in January prompted a new kind of reflection as the pain resounded globally with the magnitude of an Earth-sized quake 
. Andre Drummond 
was moved from Detroit to Cleveland at the trade deadline which could be best described as going from one fast-food job to another, D’Angelo Russell 
was flipped for Andrew Wiggins 
and Andre Igoudala 
was pried loose from Memphis by Miami in a move that would surely solidify their playoff stance in the coming weeks. The All-Star game was played under a new format for the first time in as long as I can remember (using a system which counts the first 3 quarters as their own individual games with the winner of each quarter securing $100,000 for that team’s chosen charity: If tied, the total was carried over to the pot for the next quarter: The 4th quarter accumulates all of the previous quarters points for each squad and the two teams play to a final target score) which resulted in a resounding success as Team LeBron edged out Team Giannis 157-155 
in one of the most competitively-fueled exhibition’s that I’ve ever witnessed (shout out to that impressive Slam Dunk Contest as well 
)! As March rolled around, the excitement ramped up as the playoffs could be felt drawing near however, as of this writing, the Coronavirus Pandemic (a mass-viral outbreak) has officially suspended the NBA season until further notice as the government has banned large gatherings of people due to the high-contagion rate. I guess for now, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens for a final outcome on this season as this unprecedented event unfolds before us.
*UPDATE* After many months of inactivity due to the new changes brought upon by the global pandemic, the NBA has formulated a plan to complete the season inside a quarantined environment at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex 
located within Walt Disney World. Prioritizing health and safety above all else, the NBA will commission a strict protocol to those that choose to continue the season under these new guidelines (players will of course have the right to “opt out” if they desire) including regular temperature checks, social distancing as often as possible, not being able to leave the complex unless for emergency situations, etc. to hopefully better regulate the situation for the benefit of all of us who cherish the awesome game of basketball. One of the major drawbacks to this will be the exclusion of fans within this NBA “bubble” as the league will keep to a strict capacity of personnel and players to monitor any potential new outbreaks of the highly contagious virus. While this will obviously be a grandiose and unfortunate new change in the terms of physical fan interaction, I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us will just be happy to have sports back as a superficial distraction after all that has transpired.
With a renewed hope and vigor for the future, the NBA took its first paddles into uncharted waters as the plan was set to resume the season on July 30th, 2020 within the confines of a structured environment. Though several teams had already locked in as postseason contenders since the shutdown occurred so late in the year (Bucks, Lakers, Raptors, Clippers, etc.), many “on-the-cusp” squads (like Portland, New Orleans and Washington) still deserved the right to challenge for a playoff spot in addition to seeds being finalized for the teams that were already in which resulted in the NBA deciding that 8 more regular season games would ultimately need to be played before the playoffs started. Unfortunately, any team that wasn’t deemed to be in contention were kept out of the bubble for capacity purposes which effectively jettisoned 8 squads instantly (Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Golden State, Minnesota and New York) from the festivities. With all of these head-spinning events transpiring, it was safe to say that no one had any true idea what to expect from any of this in terms of presentation and the questions arose in cascading fashion – “How is this going to work without fans?” “Is this fair to the teams that aren’t here?” “Should they just cancel the season?” …Guess we’ll just have to find out.
As July rolled around I realized just how desperate I was for NBA action when I found myself getting excited about watching scrimmages leading up to the real contests. The stadium certainly felt odd 
without thousands of fans cackling back and forth but it definitely didn’t show from the players who performed with a renewed energy befitting of the top-shelf entertainment that we’ve come to expect from the NBA. Softening the blow though was the inclusion of a brand-new (and very cool) concept known as “virtual fans” 
which simulated a live crowd experience by allowing people to show their support for their favorite squad using a simple capture device. Despite the “new normal”, it was evident right away that while these games would not be anything like what we’ve seen in the NBA before, this new experience was certainly not watered down in any way ensuring hungry fans around the world a quality result to the regular season that was so unexpectedly halted many months prior.
Immediately, several teams separated themselves in this new environment utilizing the final 8 regular season “seeding” games to appropriate themselves back into playing shape while others certainly looked rusty after an unusually long layoff. Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers (the teams with the best records in each conference pretty much all season-long) struggled a bit in the bubble for example which brought some concern from pundits after so much dominance had been displayed from the both of them leading up to this point. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns (led by rising star Devin Booker 
) went on a tear, becoming the only squad to go undefeated during this stretch (8-0) though they did fall short of reaching the final playoff spot which ultimately ended up with the Portland Trail Blazers and bubble MVP Damian Lillard 
who defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (another team who played poorly during these proceedings acquiescing to everyone below them in the standings) in a final “play-in” game. Additionally, the final positions for the 2019-20 NBA playoffs had been realized as the last touches were placed on one of the strangest seasons that I will ever remember being a part of. Overall, most of the chalk held from when everything got suspended but it was nice to have both a fair entrance to the postseason for all contending teams as well as a warm-up period for everyone to get back into the swing of things. To the playoffs…
Favorite Team Spotlight
As a lifelong Laker fan (technically since 1994), there hasn’t been a season that I can ever remember looking forward to more than this one (2019-2020). Much of the reason for this is the fact that the franchise has been mired in its worst run of repugnant mediocrity dating back to 2012 which for those of us spoiled by the usual status-quo of the purple and gold is worth two lifetimes at least! Even though Magic and LeBron 
arrived a year ago to help free us out of the pathetic basement-dwelling predicament that we were in, most of us in La-La-Laker Land had our eyes set on this season as the first time we’d be back in true championship contention as the team would be able to better construct a winning roster around the King while he integrated into his new surroundings. …And how right that was 
!
The acquisition of Anthony Davis (after a tumultuously long back-and-forth with New Orleans) paired LeBron with another superstar fit to help carry a team to a championship right now while at the same time serving as a perfect receiver of the mantle during the King’s twilight years (fingers crossed he signs long-term). This single transaction catapulted the Lakers back to the top of the NBA championship hyperbole discussion without the team even having a coach (Luke Walton 
was fired after a 3rd consecutive losing season) or a full squad around them yet which let me know my beloved beloviated hometown Showtime basketball squad was BACK! Even Kawhi Leonard flirted with the idea of signing with the Lakers (a move which would have formed the gnarliest big 3 superteam EVER 
in the history of the game before he signed with the Clippers who traded for Paul George the same night) which was enough to incite my old gluttonous super-fan imagination of multiple seasons ending with popped champagne bottles and parades – a sentimental happy place I hadn’t been able to enjoy since the old Kobe and Phil days. Despite losing out on the Klaw, GM Rob Pelinka 
assembled a quality roster around LeBron, Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma 
(including Danny Green 
, Dwight Howard 
, Avery Bradley 
and head coach Frank Vogel 
) which certainly put the Lakers square in the championship thought process as the season began.
Right away, the Lakers blasted off to a fast start as LeBron and AD played up to their billing (and then some) which eased the transition for all the new components and sped up the gelling process as the team appeared to have a familiarity with each other that was far beyond what one would expect for a first-year-together basketball squad. Plenty of intrigue was placed on the superstar pairing of the King and the Brow (and rightfully so) but the overall depth turned out to be more than I expected as dudes likes Rajon Rondo 
, Javale McGee 
, Alex Caruso 
and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 
integrated beautifully with the 2 alpha dogs at the top of the food chain. Better yet, first year coach Frank Vogel appeared to be a good fit both politically and strategically as his generally laid-back approach combined with a high defensive-acumen meshed well with the veteran-heavy Lakers roster. Even Dwight Howard (former superstar and locker-room nuisance) bought in to the new system by accepting a backup center/bench energy role with humility which reinvigorated his nearly-dead career and gave the Lakers more options down low to ease the burden off of Anthony Davis. With 2 superstars on the same page, a solid coaching staff, big-man depth and a slew of outside shooters, all the ingredients were already in place as the team shot out of a cannon to start the year and spearhead the wild Western Conference for the best record.
As the year rolled on, the Lakers continued to fend off conference rivals thanks in large part to the ascending play of LeBron James who dazzled in his 17th season averaging a career best 10.6 assists per game while clearly turning up his effort on the defensive end of the court (something Anthony Davis challenged him on when joining the team). Brilliantly orchestrating the offense as well as any point guard that’s EVER played the game, “King” James proved to be the ultimate catalyst leading the charge with an insanely dynamic combination of physical and mental prowess which no opponent could stop especially when paired with the accommodating talents of the “Brow“. Still, despite maintaining the best record in the west for most of the season, many “experts” continued to pick other teams as a bigger threat to win the title (most notably the L.A. Clippers) which was both frustrating and galvanizing. “Are we destined to fall short of winning a title with this great team?” Only time would tell.
Then, 2 events occurred which rocked the franchise on its head and drastically altered the direction of the season – Covid-19 and the subsequent cancellation of the season that followed. For weeks, no one knew if the season was even going to finish out let alone what the state of the world was going to be during this ominous pandemic which was certainly disappointing from a superficial perspective to say the least! Just had to happen when the Lakers are FINALLY good again after their most lackadaisical decade of terrible basketball ever but that’s the way it goes I suppose. During this time, I played many runs of NBA 2K20 
to cope with my nervousness about the real-life resolution that hung in the balance and just like it always has, video games provided the necessary escape which was GREATLY appreciated! Still, I awaited anxiously to hear anything positive about the outcome of this super-fun basketball year which was starting to feel like it was ours for the taking.
Luckily, news did arrive later of the NBA’s decision to indeed play out the season in a quarantined environment (more details about this in the previous segment) which made me BEYOND ecstatic! Not only would basketball be returning to help bring a peripheral distraction to the increasingly-stirring events that were shaping our “new normal”, but the Lakers could get back to the business at hand of claiming the title and thwarting the efforts of the rest of the league (ESPECIALLY Kawhi and the stowaway Clippers). Though the schedule was truncated and the site was neutral, it still felt RIGHT to see all the guys again and the competition was instantly compelling which instantly put the previous weeks of blankness out of my mind. What an undertaking also when you consider the machinations of an ENTIRE league operating in such a confined way but kudos to everyone involved from Adam Silver 
down to the water boys 
!!!
Though there was a brief “8 game restart” (see above for more general results of this) played before the postseason’s proceedings acting as a primer and final standing-decider, the Lakers had basically already wrapped up the #1 seed ensuring there addition into the championship tournament as this new dynamic duo of LeBron and AD looked to make their mark and bring shine back to the purple and gold. As round 1 started, L.A. drew the RED-HOT Portland Trail Blazers and the fearless Damian Lillard who shocked the Lakers in a game 1 upset which rallied all their haters to bark LOUDLY about a possible #8 seed upset… which was snuffed out RESOUNDINGLY during the next 4 wins for LeBron and co.! Though the Blazers played well and certainly got the Lakers attention during the series overall, you could tell that this team was starting to grasp a true understanding of their identity and potential which seems to be a common thread of collaborative mindset for a squad flirting with greatness – a welcome site indeed!
Round 2 brought one of the scariest back courts that’s ever been assembled in James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets who, just like the previous opponent, won game 1 which immediately perked up the pundits back to their “sky is falling” dribble. However, in the exact same fashion as before, LeBron and his running mates turned up the intensity which was just too overwhelming as they easily dispatched a Houston squad who just simply had a too-soft defense to contend with the Lakers. This set up the Western Conference Finals and the proposed matchup that we were ALL looking forward to – the battle of Los Angeles between the Lakers and the Clippers! Similar to my favorite season ever (1999-2000), it seemed like destiny for this round to be the absolute battle that would determine the champion as everyone looked forward to an epic series to kick-start a budding proximity rivalry. But of course right on schedule, the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead against Denver to continue their allergic perpetuation to winning as they fell short… AGAIN of reaching their first-ever conference final which has got to be demoralizing to their fans.
Despite an unpredictable opponent that prevented the glamorous marquee event that would have been LeBron and the Lakers vs. Kawhi and the Clippers, the Denver Nuggets certainly looked like a game opponent led by their prosperous duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray who both had played like monsters up to this round. Unfortunately for them though, the Lakers had reached their stride as they won the first 2 games before eventually winning the series in 5 just like they had in the previous 2 rounds before against Houston and Portland. 3 straight “gentlemen sweeps” and they’re in the Finals which was both sudden and exhilarating after such an unusual season full of “first-evers” but HELL YEAH!!! After such a long and questionable season, how SATISFYING it was to see them sitting on the perch as they awaited their Eastern Conference adversary.
Well, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat would have made the run they did beating higher-seeded squads in every bracket on their way to the Finals but here we are. Much like in rounds previous, the Lakers truly seemed better in just about every way though Miami was stricken with some pretty unfortunate injuries early on in the series to cornerstones Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo which didn’t help their cause. Still, all I got to say… CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP and CHAMPPPPPPPPPPPIONSHIP 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a year, what a franchise… LONG LIVE the LOS ANGELES LAKERS!
Regular Season Standings
(Includes 8 NBA restart games added to standings for those that participated)
PACIFIC
#1
W/L: 52-19
Home: 25-10 Away: 27-9
#2
W/L: 49-23
Home: 27-9 Away: 22-14
#3
W/L: 34-39
Home: 17-22 Away: 17-17
#4
W/L: 31-41
Home: 16-19 Away: 15-22
#5
W/L: 15-50
Home: 8-26 Away 7-24
*Did not participate in NBA restart
NORTHWEST
#1
W/L: 46-27
Home: 26-11 Away: 20-16
#2
W/L: 44-28
Home: 23-14 Away: 21-14
#3
W/L: 44-28
Home: 23-12 Away: 21-16
#4
W/L: 35-39
Home: 21-15 Away: 14-24
#5
W/L: 19-45
Home: 8-24 Away: 11-21
*Did not participate in NBA restart
SOUTHWEST
#1
W/L: 44-28
Home: 24-12 Away: 20-16
#2
W/L: 43-32
Home: 20-18 Away: 23-14
#3
W/L: 34-39
Home: 20-17 Away: 14-22
#4
W/L: 32-39
Home: 19-15 Away: 13-24
#5
W/L: 30-42
Home: 15-21 Away: 15-21
CENTRAL
#1
W/L: 56-17
Home: 30-5 Away: 26-12
#2
W/L: 45-28
Home: 25-11 Away: 20-17
#3
W/L: 22-43
Home: 14-20 Away: 8-23
*Did not participate in NBA restart
#4
W/L: 20-46
Home: 11-22 Away: 9-24
*Did not participate in NBA restart
#5
W/L: 19-46
Home: 11-25 Away: 8-21
*Did not participate in NBA restart
SOUTHEAST
#1
W/L: 44-29
Home: 29-7 Away: 15-22
#2
W/L: 33-40
Home: 18-17 Away: 15-23
#3
W/L: 25-47
Home: 16-20 Away: 9-27
#4
W/L: 23-42
Home: 10-21 Away: 13-21
*Did not participate in NBA restart
#5
W/L: 20-47
Home: 14-20 Away: 6-27
*Did not participate in NBA restart
ATLANTIC
#1
W/L: 53-19
Home: 26-10 Away: 27-9
#2
W/L: 48-24
Home: 26-10 Away: 22-14
#3
W/L: 43-30
Home: 31-4 Away: 12-26
#4
W/L: 35-37
Home: 20-16 Away: 15-21
#5
W/L: 21-45
Home: 11-22 Away: 10-23
*Did not participate in NBA restart
Notable League Leaders
Scoring
James Harden
34.4 points/game
Rebounding
Andre Drummond
15.2 rebounds/game
Assists
LeBron James
10.6 assists/game
Steals
Ben Simmons
2.1 steals/game
Blocks
Hassan Whiteside
3.1 blocks/game
Award Winners
MVP
Giannis Antetokounmpo (F)
29.5 points/game
13.6 rebounds/game
5.6 assists/game
Defensive Player Of The Year
Giannis Antetokounmpo (F)
11.4 defensive rebounds/game
1.0 steals/game
1.0 blocks/game
6th Man Of The Year
Montrezl Harrell (F/C)
18.6 points/game
7.1 rebounds/game
1.1 blocks/game
Most Improved Player Of The Year
Brandon Ingram (G/F)
23.8 points/game
4.2 assists/game
6.1 rebounds/game
Rookie Of The Year
Ja Morant (G)
17.8 points/game
7.3 assists/game
3.9 rebounds/game
Playoff Results
Round 1
vs.
#8 @ #1
Game 1:100 
93
Game 2:88 111
Game 3:116 108
Game 4:135 115
Game 5:122 131
( wins series 4–1)
Round 1
vs.
#5 @ #4
Game 1: 
108 
123
Game 2: 98 111
Game 3: 107 119 (ot.)
Game 4: 114 117
Game 5: 80 114
Game 6: 100 104
Game 7: 102 104
( wins series 4–3)
Round 1
vs.
#6 @ #3
Game 1: 125 
135 (ot.)
Game 2: 124 105
Game 3: 87 124
Game 4: 127 129
Game 5: 107 117
Game 6: 119 107
Game 7: 78 80
( wins series 4–3)
Round 1
vs.
#7 @ #2
Game 1: 
110 118
Game 2: 127 114
Game 3: 130 122
Game 4: 133 135 (ot.)
Game 5: 111 154
Game 6: 111 97
( wins series 4–2)
Round 1
vs.
#8 @ #1
Game 1: 122 110
Game 2: 96 111
Game 3: 121 107
Game 4: 121 106
Game 5: 104 118
( wins series 4–1)
Round 1
vs.
#5 @ #4
Game 1: 
113 
101
Game 2: 109 100
Game 3: 115 124
Game 4: 87 99
( wins series 4–0)
Round 1
vs.
#6 @ #3
Game 1: 
101 109
Game 2: 101 128
Game 3: 102 94
Game 4: 110 106
( wins series 4–0)
Round 1
vs.
#7 @ #2
Game 1: 
110 
134
Game 2: 99 104
Game 3: 117 92
Game 4: 150 122
( wins series 4–0)
Round 2
vs.
#4 @ #1
Game 1: 112 97
Game 2: 109 117
Game 3: 112 102
Game 4: 110 100
Game 5: 96 119
( wins series 4–1)
Round 2
vs.
#3 @ #2
Game 1: 97 120
Game 2: 110 101
Game 3: 113 107
Game 4: 96 85
Game 5: 111 105
Game 6: 98 111
Game 7: 104 89
( wins series 4–3)
Round 2
vs.
#5 @ #1
Game 1: 115 104
Game 2: 116 114
Game 3: 100 115
Game 4: 118 115 (ot.)
Game 5: 103 94
( wins series 4–1)
Round 2
vs.
#3 @ #2
Game 1: 112 94
Game 2: 102 99
Game 3: 104 103
Game 4: 100 93
Game 5: 111 89
Game 6: 125 122 (ot.)
Game 7: 92 87
( wins series 4–3)
Finals
vs.
#3 @ #1
Game 1: 114 126
Game 2: 103 105
Game 3: 106 114
Game 4: 114 108
Game 5: 107 117
( wins series 4–1)
Finals
vs.
#5 @ #3
Game 1: 117 114 (ot.)
Game 2: 106 101
Game 3: 117 106
Game 4: 109 112
Game 5: 108 121
Game 6: 113 125
( wins series 4-2)
vs.
@
Game 1: 98 116
Game 2: 114 124
Game 3: 104 115
Game 4: 102 96
Game 5: 111 108
Game 6: 106 93
( wins series 4-2)
NBA Champions
NBA Finals MVP
LeBron James (F)
29.8 points/game
11.8 rebounds/game
8.5 assists/game
1.2 steals/game
0.5 blocks/game
Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…
E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com
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“Integrity With An EDGE!”
Published by
Posted on May 3, 2020
A Retro Review – Super Castlevania IV
Hit play above for in-game music from this title
Scroll below for review
presents a
by
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 (SNES) |
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 (Action/Adventure) |
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 (Single-player) |
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 (Coolness guaranteed) |
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 (Great game) |
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Eschewing many of the problems that haunted gamers playthroughs in earlier iterations, Super Castlevania IV captures lightning within its holy-water bottle improving every facet from the original game with the stewardship and dedication that this amazing series deserves |
Story
Simon Belmont (or Super Simon if you prefer) returns in a glorious re-imagining of the very first game’s story as he is tasked with taking down the vile Count Dracula and his band of goons after his annual resurrection within the small country of Transylvania. Armed with little else but his trustee whip “Vampire Killer” and a courageous heart, Simon strikes out to confront the newly risen “Super Castlevania” and bring peace back to his homeland. Will he survive Super Dracula’s new 16-bit approach and banish the old garlic hater back to the crypt or perish in beautiful mode-7 flames?
Overview
Super Castlevania IV is a side-scrolling action/adventure game where players control Simon Belmont in his quest to destroy Dracula and his henchmen spanning 11 unique levels. Each of these levels consists of platforming obstacles and enemies who must be navigated/destroyed until eventually squaring off with a stage boss who must be defeated before progressing. Aiding Simon on this adventure is his whip “Vampire Killer” which has been boosted from previous versions and now lashes in any direction the player desires! Additionally, sub-weapons (like series mainstays the throwing dagger, axe and holy water), health boosts and more can be obtained for increased assistance against the forces of evil.
Though the game is technically a re-make/update of the first title released on the NES, many new ideas were implemented into the recipe such as the aforementioned independent-aim whip, full-rotating stages, one-button sub-weapon commands, etc. ensuring a fresh experience no matter the player. Furthermore, the whip is utilized much more in this game for platforming purposes than ever before as Simon can latch to grapples at various times, allowing him to swing to reach new areas. As always, strategy remains a stalwart approach as studying attack patterns and stage layouts are still a crucial part of succeeding especially on higher difficulties. Make your way through all of Dracula’s new 16-bit toys and eventually you’ll match up with the Count in the main event. Survive this final encounter to send him back where he came from to complete the game!
Cast
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 Rowdain (antagonist support) Drac’s first lieutenant in charge of home defense, this pile of bones riding on top of another pile of bones offers a novice challenge |
 Medusa (antagonist support) The queen of the Gorgons returns this time with a body attached to her head and more appropriate petrify powers than she had before |
 Orphic Vipers (antagonist support) Mean, nasty and unable to share at dinner time, these conjoined water serpents live a frustrating life as bickering siblings unable to claim space apart from each other but hopefully Simon can help clear up some of their issues |
 Man Eater (antagonist support) Essentially an unidentifiable worm-like creature taking up residence in a giant skull hermit crab-style, this freaky anomaly only needs a few lashes from your whip for you to realize its place far below yours in the circle of life |
 Koranot (antagonist support) Powered by unholy mode-7 magic, this rock giant has a secret deal with the dark warlocks at Nintendo to help them by displaying their console’s capabilities in addition to his earlier obligation to Dracula and the defense of his keep which luckily hasn’t created a conflict of interest… yet |
 Dancing Specters (antagonist support) Driven by the power of love (insert Huey Lewis And The News music NOW) across dimensions, these pre-occupied fraternizers twirl around in a thoughtless manner while attacking Simon wildly requiring you to simultaneously destroy both them and their romance in surprisingly satisfying fashion |
 Sir Grakul (antagonist support) Creaky and slow but heavily armored with an upbeat attitude, the resident knight of Super Castlevania is basically a tank with legs but keep Simon’s feet moving while whipping at the right time and you’ll reduce this tin man back to a pile of nuts and bolts in no time |
 The Creature (antagonist support) One of Drac’s best buds from his college days, this neck-bolted lurch attacks by throwing beakers at Simon of different colors that explode with unique results while rocking a pretty sweet 3-piece suit made from 100% sewage |
 Zapf Bat (antagonist support) Perhaps some sort of tangible realization of greed, this giant bat made out of shiny gold and jewels can fly his way into my home if he ever wants to and I swear not to capture him and subsequently stuff him into a safety deposit box |
 Akmodan (antagonist support) The updated Mummy Man continues his underrated strategy of throwing his bandage wraps at Simon in this version as well though he’s dropped the clone of himself calling him “dead weight” |
 Slogra (antagonist support) A strange bird-bone hybrid created by Death to serve him personally, Slogra is more than ready for a fight with his trident in tow, giant beak and penchant for anti-gravity jumps making his demise essential |
 Gaibon (antagonist support) The 2nd henchman created by Death for personal use, this flying demon is rarely seen either without or not within the vicinity of his hetero life-mate Slogra making his untimely end every bit as crucial as his best bud’s |
 Death (antagonist support) Dracula’s wingman since they were in grade school, Death returns at the service of the Count bringing his sick sickles, winning pedigree and can-do demeanor to the blood-sucking squad’s veteran lineup ensuring his spot as a top competitor on the roster |
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Critical Analysis
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
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Hitting on all cylinders in every facet with the precision of a cat o’ nine tails, Super Castlevania IV remains as one of the shiniest treasures in the great SNES library with outstanding enhancements on the original’s already successful formula, superior design quality from the always-studious Konami folks and amazing focus to gameplay detail which holds the players full attention right up to the very last lash on the old Count. In fact, it improves the first game so much that it’s really not even fair to compare them as if the developers read my review of Castlevania for the NES and figured out how to implement new innovations from previous criticisms while simultaneously improving every square inch of Simon’s initial quest through Drac’s haunted mansion. From my first ever rental of this title during my youth up to my most recent session for this review, Super Castlevania IV has and will forever MESMERIZE my imagination transporting my consciousness into a suspended realm of amusement-overload which is what video games are all about! It’s a glorious achievement of visceral storytelling stimulating the senses in a way that effectively sees the dreaded and unfamiliar world of Dracula’s keep come to life around you. Best of all, Simon’s new abilities (most notably the free-aiming Vampire Killer) coupled with all the other additions make progression simpler than any of its NES big brothers (a point of contention for some) and this title the new ideal starting point for rookies to the series. Critiques are as sparse as the skin on a bone chukker but I’ll do my best to be objective. While the previous mention of the game’s accessibility does indeed increase its stretch within the virtual community, there are many that feel this actually handicaps Castlevania’s standard of “only the strong survive” broadening too much the level with which one would typically need to conquer Dracula and his brood of scary creeps. While I understand the perspective of those that plant their flag on this infertile soil having bled my through all 3 NES versions as a kid myself, the truth is I embrace the “evolved” gameplay here wholeheartedly as I’m too entranced by fun factor to ever notice (or care) which is, once again, what video games are ALL about! As far as I’m concerned, Super Castlevania IV is one of the greatest ever re-imaginings in video game history and a true bar-setter in the showcase of how to properly ingratiate incumbent and brand-new fans alike. I guess Super Power is where is it’s at! |
“Coming soon from unnecessary crossover land… Super WrestleVania starring Macho Simon Candle Savage and The Ultimate Count!”
Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…
E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com
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“Integrity With An EDGE!”
Published by
Posted on February 6, 2020
2019-2020 NFL Season Review
Scroll below and enjoy
presents a
2019-2020
Season Review
Regular Season Retrospective
With shocking retirements 
, superstar training camp holdouts 
and Antonio Brown doing whatever the hell he was doing 
, the 2019/20 NFL off-season was full of a usual trove of tabloid-worthy headlines as the regular season approached. Is it time to start cuing up the band for Tom Brady’s swan song 
? How will Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the high-octane Kansas City Chiefs respond after their bitter defeat to New England in the AFC Championship game 
? Are the supremely talented Los Angeles Rams the next victims of a Super Bowl runner-up hangover 
? These questions (and many more) were sure to be answered in the coming months of the NFL’s 2019/20 regular season.
Obviously, we couldn’t expect to get firm results to these queries after only a couple of weeks of football action but we did get to see Cam Newton “show off” his fashion chops by looking like a complete dork at pressers early in the year 
(which, consequently, turned out to be his biggest highlight of 2019/20). Other standout early-season stories include the controversial new addition of being able to review pass interference penalties (ratified in large part due to the terrible no-call during the Rams/Saints NFC Championship game the previous year) as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers looking completely unrecognizable after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury 
essentially leaving the proud franchise devoid of any real Super Bowl aspirations for the first time in like forever. Meanwhile, hot starts for former 90’s NFC powerhouses Dallas, Green Bay and San Francisco inspired hope for their ravenous fanbases for a return to the glory days while over on the AFC side, the defending champion New England Patriots 
displayed their usual annoying dominance by “somehow” signing the insane…ly talented Antonio Brown 
(after his extremely bizarre training camp and subsequent release from Oakland) and running roughshod on everyone in their path right on cue. Oh yeah… *NEWS FLASH*- the Cleveland Browns 
suck… AGAIN 
! The NFL’s resident punching bag somehow managed to be among the league’s worst team’s despite a promising offseason that saw them acquire the mercurial Odell Beckham jr. 
to pair with former #1 overall pick quarterback Baker Mayfield 
, further proving that their team name is more associated with excrement for us naive modern day fans than it is with anything great.
As the season continued, quarterback Lamar Jackson 
emerged into a bonafide superstar showcasing a scary dual-threat ability of shifty running and pinpoint passing which helped lead Baltimore to the upper-echelon of the AFC and himself to the top of the MVP race. Another Super Bowl contender, the New Orleans Saints 
, survived an early season injury to team-leader Drew Brees 
by providing a new MVP threat to their impressive repertoire, wide receiver Mike Thomas 
who destroyed defenses routinely with excellent hands and an athletic burst reminiscent of Randy Moss. The San Francisco 49ers 
surprised everyone by being the NFL’s last unbeaten team led by Jimmy Garoppolo 
and a punishing defense though many pundits remained skeptical about their long-term chances. Oh yeah… Sam Darnold got mono 
and was forced to miss several weeks which was both hilarious and sad (a perfect way to describe the Jets season… or many of their seasons quite frankly). Also, blanket-corner Jalen Ramsey 
was traded to the Los Angeles Rams 
for 3 draft picks (2 1st rounders and a 4th rounder) in a last-ditch effort to turn their season around after a disappointing start.
The Cleveland Browns reared themselves back into the headlines again after defeating the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in week 11 which would have been news enough in itself (pop those champagne corks Cleveland… you won a game!), however freak defensive end Myles Garrett 
ensured that the dawg pound stayed out in the cold by disqualifying himself for the rest of the season for bashing quarterback Mason Rudolph on the head with his own helmet during a scuffle in garbage time (never seen anything like that before). Speaking of cold… let’s all point and laugh at this season’s biggest loser- the Cincinnati Bengals 
who might not even be able to hang with the Ohio St. Buckeyes 
in their own state at this point and appear to be hibernating themselves for the #1 pick in next years draft (which will most likely turn into Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow 
out of LSU). The Patriots finally started to show signs of vulnerability during the second half of the season after releasing Antonio Brown (amid brand new off-the-field stuff… yay!) showcasing a shoddy offense that struggled to gain yards and move the ball next to a stout defense which kept them in every contest. Then, one of New England’s video producers got in trouble for, once again filming an opponents sideline (those aforementioned Bengals as it turned out) in an inappropriate manner 
claiming that it was for a completely unrelated project… sure. The Raiders looked promising at times throughout the year and awful at other’s prompting Jon Gruden’s facial expression to stay in “permanent scowl” mode while adding new wrinkles to his already cavernous forehead 
.
As the season pressed into its final weeks, most teams jockeyed for postseason position and divisional supremacy in their usual aggressive manner except for the NFC EAST which decided to forego tradition and send a playoff representative that “sucked the least” (the Philadelphia Eagles 
as it turned out). Those same skeptics who questioned the 49ers legitimacy as a true contender sealed their lips after they defeated the New Orleans Saints 48-46 in what could be considered the “game of the season”. Jameis Winston 
set a new single-season record for interceptions (30) which certainly had Bucs fans wanting him to walk the plank for a new option at quarterback. Running back Marshawn Lynch 
returned to the Seahawks in week 17 to help with their Super Bowl dreams after a devastating duo of injuries to Chris Carson 
and C.J. Prosise 
however it wasn’t enough to overcome San Francisco in an epic regular-season finale as they literally fell just inches short 
on the last play of the game which put the final touches on the playoff positioning. To the postseason…
Favorite Team Spotlight
A season that started off with so much promise ended promptly and painfully with yet another 8-8 finish which seems to be par for the course nowadays for this once stalwart franchise. To start with, Cowboys fans were filled to the brim with hope during the offseason after Jerry Jones 
opened up the vault to re-sign several key players (including defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence 
, linebacker Jaylon Smith 
and running back Ezekiel Elliott 
) as well as convince their greatest ever tight end, Jason Witten 
to give up his cushy announcing gig for another shot at Super Bowl glory after a one-year hiatus. Combining all of these factors with the Cowboys recent success was enough for many of us to see the Vince Lombardi trophy in our future and those sentiments felt somewhat confirmed after the team’s 3-0 start to the year. Not to mention, quarterback Dak Prescott 
looked like a real MVP candidate while wide receiver Michael Gallup 
emerged into a true threat to pair with Amari Cooper 
giving Dallas a star-powered offense in every facet. All signs were certainly pointed in the right direction and if the season had ended there, then perhaps our dreams may have come true but unfortunately we still had a ton of wiggle room to shoot ourselves in the foot like we usually do.
3 consecutive losses after our 3-0 start brought us right back down to our usual place among the mediocre as the Cowboys struggled to string together any kind of consistency for the rest of the year… save for Jason Garrett’s persistent clapping that is 
. Even superstition was allowed to creep in as a literal black cat 
interrupted a Monday Night Football game between Dallas and the New York Giants which seemed to sort of “set the tone” for the rest of the season as they went on to lose 4 of their next 5 games. Lucky enough for them however, the rest of the clumsy NFC EAST teams hadn’t taken advantage of the Cowboys blunders which somehow still kept them at the top of the division right into the final weeks of the season. Still, my Super Bowl hope for this talented team had truly been deflated earlier in the year (can’t get over losing to the Jets!) so I wouldn’t have had much enthusiasm had we even made the playoffs… which we didn’t. A crucial loss to divisional nemesis Philadelphia in week 16 essentially put the final nail in the coffin on a completely forgettable season which had (coincidentally enough) started out as promising as any other that I can remember in a long time. Oh well, at least at this point I don’t think I could possibly be any more numb when it comes to the prospects of the Cowboys as I’ve literally experienced it all in my tenure as a fan though it would be kind of nice if they decided to actually shock me and do something good for a change (…like that’s going to happen)!
Regular Season Standings
EAST
#1
W/L/T: 12-4-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 6-2
#2
W/L/T: 10-6-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 6-2
#3
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6
#4
W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 2-6
WEST
#1
W/L/T: 12-4-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 7-1
#2
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6
#3
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6
#4
W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 3-5
NORTH
#1
W/L/T: 14-2-0
Home: 7-1 Away: 7-1
#2
W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 3-5
#3
W/L/T: 6-10-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 2-6
#4
W/L/T: 2-14-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 0-8
SOUTH
#1
W/L: 10-6-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 5-3
#2
W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 5-3
#3
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6
#4
W/L/T: 6-10-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 3-5
EAST
#1
W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 4-4
#2
W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 3-5
#3
W/L/T: 4-12-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 2-6
#4
W/L/T: 3-13-0
Home: 1-7 Away: 2-6
WEST
#1
W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 7-1
#2
W/L/T: 11-5-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 7-1
#3
W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 4-4
#4
W/L/T: 5-10-1
Home: 2-5 Away: 3-5
NORTH
#1
W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 7-1 Away: 6-2
#2
W/L/T: 10-6-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 4-4
#3
W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 4-4
#4
W/L/T: 3-12-1
Home: 2-6 Away: 1-6
SOUTH
#1
W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 7-1
#2
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 4-4
#3
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 5-3
#4
W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 3-5
Notable League Leaders
QB Rating
Ryan Tannehill
116.5
(TD: 20 INT: 6)
Yards Rushing
Nick Chubb
1453
(5.1 avg.)
Yards Receiving
Mike Thomas
1725
(149 rec.)
Sacks
Chandler Jones
19.0
(51 tkl.)
Interceptions
Stephon Gilmore
6
(pd 20)
Anthony Harris
6
(pd 11)
Tre’Davious White
6
(pd 17)
Award Winners
MVP
Lamar Jackson (QB)
113.3 QB rating
3127 passing yds.
1206 rushing yds.
43 TD’s (pass: 36 run: 7)
Offensive Player Of The Year
Mike Thomas (WR)
1725 receiving yds.
149 receptions
9 TD’s
Defensive Player Of The Year
Stephon Gilmore (CB)
6 interceptions
20 passes defended
2 defensive TD’s
Offensive Rookie Of The Year
Kyler Murray (QB)
87.4 QB rating
3722 passing yds.
544 rushing yds.
24 TD’s (pass: 20 run: 4)
Defensive Rookie Of The Year
Nick Bosa (DE)
47 tackles
9 sacks
1 forced fumble
2 fumble recoveries
1 interception
Playoff Results
Wildcard
vs.
#5 Buffalo Bills @ #4 Houston Texans
BUF: 19 HOU: 22 (ot.)
Wildcard
vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans @ #3 New England Patriots
TEN: 20 NE: 13
Wildcard
vs.
#5 Seattle Seahawks @ #4 Philadelphia Eagles
SEA: 17 PHI: 9
Wildcard
vs.
#6 Minnesota Vikings @ #3 New Orleans Saints
MIN: 26 NO: 20 (ot.)
Divisional Round
vs.
#4 Houston Texans @ #2 Kansas City Chiefs
HOU: 31 KC: 51
Divisional Round
vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans @ #1 Baltimore Ravens
TEN: 28 BAL: 12
Divisional Round
vs.
#5 Seattle Seahawks @ #2 Green Bay Packers
SEA: 23 GB: 28
Divisional Round
vs.
#6 Minnesota Vikings @ #1 San Francisco 49ers
MIN: 10 SF: 27
vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans @ #2 Kansas City Chiefs
TEN: 24 KC: 35
vs.
#2 Green Bay Packers @ #1 San Francisco 49ers
GB: 20 SF: 37
Super Bowl LIV (54)
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami Gardens, FL
vs.
Kansas City Cheifs @ San Francisco 49ers
KC: 31 SF: 20
Super Bowl Champions
Super Bowl LIV MVP
Patrick Mahomes (QB)
286 passing yds.
29 rushing yds.
3 TD’s (pass: 2 run: 1)
Playoff Retrospective
With Super Bowl LIV now in the rear-view mirror, the Kansas City Chiefs stand tall as the new champions of the NFL 
after a playoff run fraught with comeback wins at every turn. Led by perhaps the leagues next great superstar, quarterback Patrick Mahomes 
, Kansas City finally ended the 50-year drought of disappointment that had befallen the franchise while simultaneously catapulting head coach Andy Reid into the pantheon of greatness after receiving his first ever Lombardi Trophy 
following a long career of “almost/not-quite” seasons. Meanwhile, a young and up-and-coming San Francisco 49ers squad will need to go back to the drawing board after a tough loss in the “big game” 
following a dream season which nobody would have predicted. Leading Kansas City by 10 points in the second half of the Super Bowl, San Francisco appeared poised enough to finish the job and usher in a new era of franchise greatness until a stunning Chiefs rally shell-shocked the ‘Niners and gave Kyle Shanahan 
critics (if their is any I suppose) a point of emphasis by drawing a parallel to his previous stint as offensive coordinator in Atlanta (when they famously blew a 28-3 lead to Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl LI). Besides the final two teams though, there was plenty of intrigue across the NFL postseason landscape to keep things interesting throughout.
Derrick “King” Henry 
emerged into arguably the best running back in the league after a series of dominating playoff performances that helped his Tennessee Titans gain 2 consecutive very impressive victories over the almost-always defending champion New England Patriots and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens who boasted a league-best 14-2 regular season win/loss record. The 10-6 Minnesota Vikings sent the 13-3 New Orleans Saints went home early in the wildcard round after an impressive resurgence in overtime that was no doubt unexpected from most football pundits. The Houston Texans played their usual bit of “talented-underachiever” after a great comeback win over the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard round was paired with a bitter 51-31 defeat to the eventual-champion Chiefs in the divisional. While the Green Bay Packers certainly would have loved to make it even further than they did, there can be no denying that head coach Matt LaFleur 
had a successful start to his career with a conference championship appearance now under his resume. Tune in next NFL season for another re-cap of events!
Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…
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Published by
Posted on January 19, 2020
Full-Season Playthrough – Tecmo Super Bowl (NES)
Scroll below and enjoy
presents a
Description
Tecmo Super Bowl is a side-scrolling football game for the Nintendo Entertainment System featuring the (generous for the time) team and player license from the comprehensively deep National Football League (NFL). All team colors and designs are accurately portrayed (as well as can be for the time) while rosters reflect the real players from the 1990-91 season featuring superstars such as Dan Marino, Bo Jackson, Jerry Rice and Lawrence Taylor. A season mode based on the 1991-92 schedule is available allowing for manipulation of all of the 28 teams and thus, as much or as little direct impact on the outcome of the games being played each week either through direct control of the contest’s yourself or letting the cpu simulate the results for you all the way to the championship. On top of this, an impressive array of compiled statistics accompanies the season mode (rare for the 8-bit era) which increases the value and context of the game and helps to paint the full picture of the experience overall. While many storylines are sure to surface throughout the season, the ultimate agenda for all the teams involved is to conquer everyone in their path en route to the game’s namesake, the Super Bowl where glory is etched in stone for all eternity with a win in the championship round. Who will be left standing at the end of the season to reign supreme over the NFL?
Parameters
Only 1 game a week will be played by The ‘Tude Dude while the rest will be simulated with unobstructed results. The same team cannot be controlled in consecutive weeks (excluding playoffs). Every playoff game will be played by The ‘Tude Dude until a champion is crowned. All other settings/rosters will be left on default.
Beginning Of The Season
The Story So Far…
With the Tecmo Super Bowl season on the cusp of getting underway, the NFL landscape begins to take shape as teams clamor for the championship spot currently occupied by the New York Giants. Led by all-world linebacker Lawrence Taylor, the Giants defense remains among the best in the league and should have them back in the playoffs with a shot at repeating by themselves thanks in large part to the most ferocious pass rush in the NFL. Luckily for the defending champs, quarterback Phil Simms and running back Ottis Anderson pace the offense nicely giving their defensive monsters plenty of time to rest up in between series while also scoring effectively themselves which helps to complete the championship puzzle for them. Standing in the way of their dreams of back-to-back titles however, will be a hungry and competitive league full of talented teams chomping at the bit for their crown which is where the real fun begins.
One of the teams itching to knock New York off of its mountaintop is last season’s Super Bowl runner-up, the Buffalo Bills. Perhaps the most well-rounded team in the entire league, Buffalo boasts an impressive roster led by all-pro studs on both sides of the ball such as quarterback Jim Kelly, defensive end Bruce Smith, running back Thurman Thomas, linebacker Cornelius Bennett and wide receiver Andre Reed just to name a few. Even though last season’s championship loss was a painful one, Buffalo looks to be fit for a rebound quickly with an overabundance of talent that has them viewed as the envy of the league.
Besides the two incumbents from last season’s championship game, other contenders to the throne include the San Francisco 49ers with their unrivaled passing attack led by quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice, the Pittsburgh Steelers with their typically stout defense anchored by cornerback Rod Woodson and linebacker Greg Lloyd and a bevy of others eager to cement their status into the lore of Tecmo Super Bowl history forever. Of course, even though some teams may be ranked higher than others in the projections department, there’s sure to be some Cinderella stories that shake things up and come out of nowhere to drastically alter the destiny of the league. Who will be left standing when the dust settles to claim the ultimate Tecmo prize? Welcome to the Tecmo Super Bowl season!
Beginning Of The Season Projections
|
AFC EAST |
|
AFC CENTRAL |
|
AFC WEST |
|
NFC EAST |
|
NFC CENTRAL |
|
NFC WEST |
|
Projected Championship Outcome
|
vs. 
|
Projected MVP
|
Beginning Of The Season Power Rankings
#1 New York Giants Defending champs have all the ingredients needed to repeat- rock solid quarterback, relentless defense and a winining pedigree. |
#2 Buffalo Bills Last season’s Super Bowl runner-ups have star-studded roster hungry to make it back to the “big game”. |
#3 San Francisco 49ers San Francisco boasts the most lethal passing attack in Tecmo Super Bowl to go along with an impressive defense virtually guaranteeing them a spot among the elite barring something majorly drastic. |
#4 Houston Oilers Led by all-world QB Warren Moon on offense and blanket cover-man CB Richard Johnson on defense, Houston looks to break through this year with as talented a roster that there is among the Tecmo Super Bowl landscape. |
#5 Miami Dolphins With arguably the best passing attack in Tecmo Super Bowl (anchored by superstar QB Dan Marino), Miami appears poised for a deep postseason push. |
#6 Los Angeles RaidersCombining a stiff run defense with the league’s most lethal combination of running backs (Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen), the Los Angeles Raiders should be a force as their command of the line of scrimmage looks to be as tough as anyone’s in Tecmo Super Bowl. |
#7 Washington Redskins With a deep roster anchored by perhaps the best offensive lines ever assembled, the Washington Redskins have the talent and the savvy to hang with any team across the Tecmo Super Bowl landscape. |
#8 Chicago Bears The always imposing Chicago Bears boast one of the league’s most-feared defenses to go along with a talented running game on the rise. |
#9 Philadelphia EaglesCornerstoned by maybe the single greatest offensive player in NFL history (QB Randall Cunningham), the Philadelphia Eagles scare a lot of opponents who struggle to gameplan against the dual-threat quarterback. |
#10 Detroit Lions With stud RB Barry Sanders entering into the upper echelon of his position, Detroit looks to take the league by storm as they impose their fierce ground game on every opponent they face. |
Middle Of The Season
The Story So Far…
After 8 weeks of exciting Tecmo NFL football, the canvas of the league is beginning to take shape as teams jockey for position with each passing regular season game. While many of the preseason favorites find themselves with respectable records at the midway point (such as the 5-2 New York Giants, 5-2 San Francisco 49ers and 5-3 Buffalo Bills), the biggest story thus far surrounds the 2 teams at the top of each conference, the NFC leading 6-1 Dallas Cowboys and the AFC leading 6-2 San Diego Chargers, who have seemingly defied football experts of all varieties this season by continuing to beat teams who are supposedly better than them. Will their hot streaks continue or will the other squads catch up to them before the playoffs begin? We’ll find out during the second half of the Tecmo regular season!
Looking at the NFC side, Dallas has impressed all year with the leagues top defense allowing the fewest points so far (1o9) while also being #1 in both passing and rushing yards against despite an obvious lack of star talent on that side of the ball. While they’ve certainly overachieved up to this point, most experts agree that they’re still a year or 2 away from true contention until their young offensive guys get their wings underneath them fully. Meanwhile, the stiffness of their own division (containing the aforementioned 5-2 Giants and 4-3 Washington Redskins) coupled with the ever-present San Francisco 49er threat in the conference (5-2 1st place in the NFC WEST) makes the likelihood of a deep playoff run slim at best… stay tuned. As for the central, the Green Bay Packers currently sit atop the division at 4-3 led by the impressive aerial combination of quarterback Don “the Magic Man” Majkowski and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe however much like Dallas, the rest of the teams in their own division (Detroit 3-4, Chicago 3-4, Minnesota 3-5), let alone the conference, provide a daunting partition between them and the Super Bowl. There can be no denying the 49ers place among the top of the NFC WEST as they appear to be every bit the juggernaut that was advertised in the preseason, however keep an eye on the 4-3 New Orleans Saints who continue to nip at their heels led by an impressive young defense with high hopes for a playoff berth.
Turning things over to the AFC, San Diego has marched its way to the top of the conference thanks in large part to the league’s top rusher Marion Butts (873 yards on 84 attempts) who has dazzled all season and looks to propel the Chargers into the playoff scene. The Los Angeles Raiders (5-3) sit just below them in the division however they’ve got to find a way to keep superstar runner Bo Jackson healthy as they become a very stagnant offense without him which has already cost them in the L column. Buffalo hasn’t run roughshod on the conference like many of the experts predicted (…yet) at 5-3, however defensive end Bruce Smith sure has as he dominates the sack totals with a whopping 20 so far (a full 7 ahead of 2nd place Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs) making them virtually impossible to throw against. The Miami Dolphins have indeed kept pace with the Bills in the east at 5-3 with quarterback Dan Marino anchoring a top-10 passing game keeping them on the Super Bowl radar. Meanwhile, Houston can make a case for having an even better passing attack than San Francisco with MVP candidate quarterback Warren Moon tossing it all over the field to 4 stud wide receivers (Drew Hill, Ernest Givens, Haywood Jeffries and Curtis Duncan) which sees them sitting as the #1 rated passing team in the league currently, however a disappointing 4-3 record has them in a dead heat with division obstacles Pittsburgh and Cincinnati which makes their inclusion in the postseason far from a sure thing.
Middle Of The Season Power Rankings
#1 Dallas Cowboys With the best record in the regular season at midway point (6-1), the ‘Boys headline the midseason power rankings thanks in large part to a surprising defense which has stuffed everyone they’ve faced so far. |
| #2 San Francisco 49ers Edged out of the first slot by the slightest of margins, San Francisco appears poised to dominate the second half of the season as both their offense and defense rank in the top #5 of the NFL. |
#3 San Diego Chargers Led by the current rushing leader of the league (RB Marion Butts), San Diego sits atop the AFC at 6-2 but a tough down-the-stretch schedule will test their mettle as the playoffs approach. |
| #4 New York Giants Although they lost a bruising head-to-head clash with division rival Dallas that has them licking their chops, the New York Giants stand tall as one of the best teams in the league at the midway point (5-2) thanks to their ever-present pass-rushing ferocity led by LB Lawrence Taylor. |
| #5 Buffalo Bills Despite some early-season letdowns, Buffalo stands apart in their conference with superior individual talent across-the-board most notably DE Bruce Smith and RB Thurman Thomas who keep them in every single contest no matter the adversary. |
| #6 Miami Dolphins With a tougher-than-expected defense to pair with their top-flight passing attack, Miami looks to be a problem for anyone they come across including division-nemesis Buffalo who they’ve kept pace with admirably up to this point in the season. |
| #7 Los Angeles Raiders While some nagging injuries to superstar RB Bo Jackson have certainly cost them in the standings, the Raiders showcase a willpower that seems to keep them in every battle they’re in thanks to their commitment to grinding the ground game despite #34’s availability. |
| #8 Washington Redskins Though they find themselves smack-dab in the middle of the deepest division in football at the halfway mark (4-3 – 3rd in the NFC EAST), Washington should be able to punch their way into the postseason thanks to a stellar roster with veteran experience in all facets. |
| #9 Houston Oilers Certainly further down this list than they should be, the uber-talented Houston Oilers will look to “hit the motherload” in the latter parts of the season as they combine a supreme quick-strike passing ability with a fierce pass-rush to separate themselves from their AFC CENTRAL rivals. |
#10 Denver Broncos With superstar QB John Elway commanding the huddle and a defense that holds opponents to low scores, Denver looks like they could be a real threat in a division chalked full of good teams (AFC WEST). |
Middle Of The Season MVP Race
#1 Warren Moon (QB)Houston Oilers 2082 passing yds. 24 TD’s (pass: 22 run: 2) |
#2 Jerry Rice (WR) San Francisco 49ers 997 receiving yds. 11 TD’s |
#3 Marion Butts (RB)San Diego Chargers 873 rushing yds. 228 receiving yds. 9 TD’s (run: 8 rec: 1) |
#4 Bruce Smith (DE)Buffalo Bills 20 sacks |
#5 Joe Montana (QB) San Francisco 49ers 1576 passing yds. 18 TD’s |
End Of The Season
The Story So Far…
With the final whistle being blown at the conclusion of week 17, we now can see the completed canvas of the regular season and how the playoffs stack up as teams clamor for a shot at the coveted Tecmo Super Bowl championship. Will preseason favorites San Francisco and Buffalo utilize their home-field advantages for an eventual collision course in the championship round? Which NFC EAST team (between Dallas, Washington and New York) will emerge from the gauntlet to make it the farthest this year? Can the Houston Oilers silence their critics and reach their championship potential or are they destined to fall short as they have in previous seasons? Is their a Cinderella team waiting to defy logic and go on an underdog run for the ages? The conclusive contests of the Tecmo Super Bowl playoffs will decide with absolute certainty the fate for every team involved and complete the story for this illustrious NES football title.
Starting off in the NFC, San Francisco ran away with the best record (12-4) thanks in large part to an all-world offense (led by studs QB Joe Montana and WR Jerry Rice) and stifling defense both ranked in the top-5 of the entire NFL. Armed with a first-round bye, home-field advantage throughout and a ravenous hunger for continued dynastic success, the 49ers clock in as the easy front-runners to make it all the way representing the National Conference. The upstart Dallas Cowboys predictably struggled with consistency in the second half of the season after their impressive start (finishing 4-5 after starting 6-1), however their 10-6 record (combined with in-conference wins) was good enough to see them lock up the other first round bye which has them under the microscope by critics to see just how good these ‘boys can really be. In the wildcard round, surprise NFC CENTRAL champion Green Bay (9-7) led by all-pro wide receiver Sterling Sharpe hosts the equally surprising New Orleans Saints (also 9-7) who boast an impressive young defense which should be an interesting match-up. The other wildcard game pits familiar division rivals against each other as the defending champion New York Giants (10-6) host the Joe Gibbs-led Washington Redskins (also 10-6) in an epic opening round contest which will cetainly see the loser feeling like they went home way to early this year.
Meanwhile in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills turned on the afterburners in the second half of the season finishing 7-1 (12-4 overall), cementing for them the highly-sought-after #1 seed in their conference which puts the road to the Super Bowl square through the frigid football region of upstate New York. Led by the #1 rated offense in the league and quarterback terror Bruce Smith on defense, Buffalo lived up to its preseason hype after falling short in the big game last year and appears every bit the juggernaut counterpart in the American Conference to the San Francisco 49ers on the other side. The Houston Oilers (11-5) secured the remaining first-round bye in the AFC bracket after a near-impressive-to-Buffalo second half of the season (finishing 7-2 after starting 4-3) and appear to be as tough an obstacle as any other team in their conference led by MVP candidate quarterback Warren Moon and the deepest wide receiver corps in the NFL. The Los Angeles Raiders (10-6) anchored by the most lethally dynamic running-back tandem in the NFL (Bo Jackson & Marcus Allen) squeezed out the competitive AFC WEST setting up a wild card showdown in front of the Black Hole with the always tough Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) who snuck into the postseason in week 17 after the San Diego Chargers (9-7) continued their “thunderstruck” second half finishing 3-5 after a lightning fast 6-2 start. The final remaining wildcard contest has the potential to be a true barn-burner as star-studded quarterbacks, Dan Marino and John Elway, lead their respective franchises (the 11-5 Miami Dolphins and 10-6 Denver Broncos) in what could be the best game of the opening round.
End Of The Season Standings
| AFC EAST |
| Team | W/L/T |
| Buffalo Bills |
12-4-0 |
| Miami Dolphins |
11-5-0 |
 New York Jets |
8-8-0 |
 Indianapolis Colts |
7-9-0 |
 New England Patriots |
4-12-0 |
| AFC CENTRAL |
| Team | W/L/T |
Houston Oilers |
11-5-0 |
 Pittsburgh Steelers |
9-7-0 |
 Cincinnati Bengals |
8-8-0 |
 Cleveland Browns |
4-12-0 |
| AFC WEST |
| Team | W/L/T |
Los Angeles Raiders |
10-6-0 |
Denver Broncos |
10-6-0 |
San Diego Chargers |
9-7-0 |
 Kansas City Chiefs |
8-8-0 |
 Seattle Seahawks |
6-10-0 |
| NFC EAST |
| Team | W/L/T |
Dallas Cowboys |
10-6-0 |
New York Giants |
10-6-0 |
Washington Redskins |
10-6-0 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
6-10-0 |
 Phoenix Cardinals |
4-12-0 |
| NFC CENTRAL |
| Team | W/L/T |
 Green Bay Packers |
9-7-0 |
Detroit Lions |
7-9-0 |
 Minnesota Vikings |
7-9-0 |
 Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
7-9-0 |
Chicago Bears |
6-10-0 |
| NFC WEST |
| Team | W/L/T |
San Francisco 49ers |
12-4-0 |
 New Orleans Saints |
9-7-0 |
 Los Angeles Rams |
6-10-0 |
 Atlanta Falcons |
4-12-0 |
End Of The Season Power Rankings
| #1 San Francisco 49ers With perhaps the best-ever quarterback/wide receiver combo that this league has ever seen (Joe Montana and Jerry Rice) mixed with a top #10 defense that hits as hard as anyone, San Francisco charges head-first into the postseason as the #1 favorite to take home the championship this year. |
| #2 Buffalo Bills Led by the most well-rounded offense in the game combined with the league’s top pass rusher this season (DE Bruce Smith), Buffalo looks to be a “team of destiny” as they march into the postseason with home-field advantage in the AFC. |
| #3 Houston Oilers Going on an impressive 7-2 run in the second half of the season, Houston showcases a scary threat of big-chunk passing and stifling defense which has them positioned for a deep-playoff push. |
| #4 Miami Dolphins No doubt a contender this year led by one of the league’s best quarterbacks (Dan Marino), Miami should provide a true challenge to the crown no matter who lines up against them on the other side of the field. |
| #5 Dallas Cowboys Though their mediocre 4-5 record in the second half of the season seemed to bring the promising young franchise “back to Earth” after their blazing 6-1 start, Dallas was still lucky enough to secure a bye week for the 1st round guaranteeing an intriguing finish to an exciting year. |
| #6 New York Giants Unable to secure a division title after a disappointing second-half stretch (finishing 5-4 after starting 5-2), New York still appears fully equipped to defend their title proudly as they look to be one of San Francisco’s biggest obstacles in the NFC. |
|
#7 |
| #8 Denver Broncos Anchored by the gun-slingin’ John Elway, Denver strikes fear in their opponents by never being out of games especially in the final minutes when they appear to be their most dangerous. |
| #9 Washington Redskins Playing their way into a 3-way tie record-wise with their brash NFC EAST contemporaries, Washington looks to be as tough-an-out as anyone in the conference with a deep offense led by the multi-faceted RB Earnest Byner. |
| #10 New Orleans Saints With a beastly young defense full of hungry young stars, the New Orleans Saints present an interesting challenge in the NFC as they bring an element of absolute unpredictability to these already convoluted playoff scenarios. |
End Of The Season League Leaders
| QB Rating Joe Montana San Francisco 49ers 182.4 (TD: 42 INT: 14) |
Yards Rushing Barry Sanders Detroit Lions 1636 (11.1 avg.) |
| Yards Receiving Jerry Rice San Francisco 49ers 2092 (71 rec.) |
| Sacks Bruce Smith Buffalo Bills 33.0 |
Interceptions Richard Johnson Houston Oilers 14 (74 yds.) |
End Of The Season MVP Race
| #1 Joe Montana (QB) San Francisco 49ers 3836 passing yds. 42 TD’s |
| #2 Warren Moon (QB) Houston Oilers 3920 passing yds. 47 TD’s (pass: 44 run: 3) |
| #3 Jerry Rice (WR) San Francisco 49ers 2092 receiving yds. 27 TD’s |
| #4 Bruce Smith (DE) Buffalo Bills 33 sacks |
#5 Thurman Thomas (RB) Buffalo Bills 1581 rushing yds. 804 receiving yds. 27 TD’s (run: 22 rec. 5) |
End Of The Playoffs
The Story So Far…
Combining the old world football mantra (run the ball/stop the run) with a newer one all their own (commitment to excellence), the Los Angeles Raiders marched their way to a title after shellacking the Washington Redskins 33-7 in a surprise Super Bowl beatdown that nobody predicted at the beginning of the season. Anchored by an unrivaled running game and powerhouse defense, the “silver and black” never let up their relentless approach as they controlled the clock with expert precision while steadfastly holding off every offensive assault they faced in the postseason, never allowing an opponent to score more than 16 points against them at any point. It wasn’t all easy however as untimely injuries and turnovers played a part in attempting to derail their dreams at different points throughout these playoffs yet the final results portray a true team of destiny hellbent on hoisting up the Tecmo championship. Now that the full scope of the Tecmo Super Bowl postseason has been realized and a champion has been crowned, let’s recap the tournament to better contextualize the story as a whole and see how the heck we got here in the first place!
To start with, the wildcard round was mired in intrigue with 4 great match-ups starting with the aforementioned Los Angeles Raiders (10-6 AFC WEST division champs) hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7 2nd in the AFC CENTRAL) in what turned out to be one of the craziest games of the postseason. Amidst 3 first-half turnovers, L.A. appeared shell-shocked as Pittsburgh opened up the contest with 10 unanswered points while displaying a good game-plan against the usually unstoppable Bo Jackson however the Raiders dug deep in the 2nd half thanks in large part to QB Jay Schroeder who helped to shift the tide for his squad and complete the comeback in overtime, defeating the Steelers 13-10 and sending them packing back to their mills. The other AFC wildcard game was portrayed as an “old west-style gunfight” by the media as stud QB’s Dan Marino (representing the 11-5 2nd in the AFC EAST Miami Dolphins) and John Elway (representing the 10-6 2nd in the AFC WEST Denver Broncos) clashed head-to-head against each other with Marino’s Dolphins coming out on top 21-17 in what turned out to be more of a defensive struggle and less of an offensive shoot-out. Meanwhile over in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers (9-7 NFC CENTRAL division champs) edged out the upstart New Orleans Saints (9-7 2nd in the NFC WEST) 30-24 after a thrilling 60+ yard touchdown pass from Don Majkowski to Sterling Sharpe in overtime which simultaneously erupted Lambeau Field in pure electricity and shut down the Super-Dome faithful. Finally, the always-tough Washington Redskins (10-6 3rd in the NFC EAST) survived the best game of the weekend by defeating the defending champion New York Giants (10-6 2nd in the NFC EAST) in a true “pick-em” 20-17 thanks to the clutch performance of their defense and kicker Chip Lohmiller in overtime which sent “big blue” home way earlier than they had planned and catapulted the ‘Skins right to the top of the NFC food chain.
The divisional round opened up with a huge bombshell as the Los Angeles Raiders upset the AFC favorite Buffalo Bills (12-4 AFC EAST champs) 21-16 thanks in large part to the combined efforts of running backs Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen who effectively kept the ball away from Buffalo’s high-powered offense in what turned into the closest match-up of this bracket. Equally as shocking over in the other divisional round AFC match-up, the Miami Dolphins punched their way to the conference championship quite easily by dominating the Houston Oilers (11-5 AFC CENTRAL champs) to the tune of a 21-0 lead going into halftime (winning 24-14), displaying an awesome pass rush which sacked QB Warren Moon several times to go with their dynamic offense led by all-pro QB Dan Marino. Unfortunately for Miami though, a serious injury to Marino put his availability in question for the upcoming contest against Los Angeles as backup Scott Mitchell looked to take his place and help lead the Dolphins to the Super Bowl (a more-than-tough task indeed). The San Francisco 49ers (12-4 NFC WEST champs) showed some chinks in their armor giving their fans a scare after losing an early lead to the Green Bay Packers, trailing late in the 3rd quarter 23-24, however Joe Montana refused to lose and rallied his squad back with a final score of 33-24 which kept San Fran square in championship pursuit and sent the “cheeseheads” packing. Rounding off the divisional grouping, bitter rivals faced off as the Washington Redskins, led by the best offensive line in football, defeated the Dallas Cowboys (10-6 NFC EAST champs) 24-13 in convincing fashion, keeping their guns holstered and putting their high-hopes on hold for next year.
The AFC championship game turned out to be a blowout as the Miami Dolphins just simply couldn’t keep up with the Los Angeles Raiders (without the services of superstar QB Dan Marino) falling 37-14 in a truncated effort which robbed Dolphins fans of a dream season (and NFL fans of a better contest). Meanwhile, the NFC championship lived up to the hype as the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins exchanged blows like heavyweight boxers until Washington stepped up big in the 2nd half with a crucial interception by CB Darrell Green on the seemingly unflappable Joe Montana, sealing the epic contest with a final score of 42-28 and sending the proud 49ers home with hurt feelings. The stage was now set for the Tecmo Super Bowl as the AFC champion Los Angeles Raiders (led by the hottest defense in the playoffs and arguably the best running back in football) would battle the NFC champion Washington Redskins (led by the “switch-blade” offense of wide receiver Ricky Sanders and running back Earnest Byner to go along with their brutish offensive line known as the “hogs”) in what appeared to be a game full of luster and excitement. Bo Jackson stepped up huge right away, leading his Raiders on a dominant opening-drive to get on the board first 7-0 however an injury on the very next possession (something the Raiders had been plagued with all season) threatened to cripple L.A.’s momentum and give Washington all it needed to become league champions.
This “threat” to Los Angeles’s title hopes never materialized however as the Raiders defense stuffed Washington at every turn throughout the contest, showcasing absolute dominance as they refused to allow the Redskins to score a single point until garbage time after putting up the biggest total (42) that had been seen in this postseason the previous round (against the tough 49er defense no-less!). Further aiding the “silver and black” was savvy veteran Marcus Allen who filled Bo’s shoes as the feature back admirably (after Jackson’s 1st-half injury) which galvanized his teammates and intimidated the Redskins into doing their best to keep up… which they couldn’t. After 3 quarters, Los Angeles led by a whopping 33-0 and soon, the confetti was raining on their heads as they closed out Washington with a final score of 33-7, scalping the ‘Skins and chiseling their names into the historic slab of Tecmo football lore. “Let’s win it for Bo” was a sentiment that echoed throughout the Raiders locker room at halftime and that’s exactly what they did as they reached the NFL’s “top-floor” quite impressively in what turned out to be the most lopsided contest of these Tecmo Super Bowl playoffs. Congratulations Los Angeles Raiders, you are the NES Tecmo Super Bowl champions!
End Of The Playoffs Results
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AFC Wildcard
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AFC Wildcard
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NFC Wildcard
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NFC Wildcard
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AFC Divisional Round
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AFC Divisional Round
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NFC Divisional Round
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NFC Divisional Round
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AFC Championship
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NFC Championship
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Tecmo Super Bowl Championship
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MVP Award Presentation
  Bo Jackson (RB)Los Angeles Raiders Despite some nagging injuries which kept him out of multiple contests throughout the season (including the majority of the Super Bowl), Bo’s stellar postseason performance overall coupled with his impressive regular season stats when he did play (1309 rushing yds. 11.5 avg. 15 TD’s) helped to launch his Raiders all the way to the promised land and him past the competition for MVP. |
| Honorable Mention Joe Montana (QB) San Francisco 49ers Heavily favored to win this award at the onset of the playoffs, Joe Montana ultimately fell inches short to Bo after failing to lead his juggernaut ‘Niners to even an appearance in the championship round. |
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E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
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“Integrity With An EDGE!”
Published by
Posted on December 25, 2019
My Favorite MLB Team – The Los Angeles Dodgers
Scroll below and enjoy
presents a
My Favorite
MLB Team
What Dreams May Come
“It’s time for Dodger baseball 
!” 5 simple words interwoven into the fabric of baseball lore and echoed efficiently throughout the vast airwaves of Southern California by the great Vin Scully marking the start of another L.A. Dodgers game. Instantly, senses are filled with the smell of delicious Dodger Dogs 
grilling in the warm sun, the sound of baseball bats as they smack balls with their distinctive abruptness 
and the sight of the most pristine blue and white jerseys in the old pastime 
. Memories of World Series glory 
, October heartbreak 
and all the weird stuff in between 
. Of Chavez Ravine 
and its amazing view of the L.A. skyline, home to one of the great old ball fields where legends like Sandy Koufax 
, Steve Garvey 
and Tommy Lasorda 
laid down the foundation to greatness along with a host of others. Yeah, it’s definitely time for Dodger baseball!
To start with, my earliest memory of the L.A. Dodgers was in kindergarten as I watched them jump for joy after defeating the Oakland Athletics in the 1988 World Series 
. Of course, I wasn’t old enough to articulate the significance of this event but it became sort of a catalyst to how I began viewing the Dodgers– as winners. Around this same time, my first hands-on experiences with the game were being had learning how to catch with my Dad and playing little league with my friends. I didn’t know much of what I was doing in the beginning and that darn ball could really hurt at times but I did know one thing… it was fun and I loved it! Without realizing it initially, I had come down with a bad case of the baseball fever curable only through fielding ground balls, spitting sunflower seeds and dirtying every single pair of worthwhile pants that I owned (…sorry Mom). Baseball was life.
As I continued to play and adjust to the physical tendencies of the game, the desire to learn and incorporate new skills began to develop so that I could be even better the next time I stepped on the diamond with my contemporaries. “Let’s watch the big boys play in the majors” my parents would say as we huddled around the television as a family “see if we can pick up anything from them”. What fun I had as for the first time, I observed professional baseball players who hit, ran and threw way harder than anything I had ever seen in the little leagues. Whether it was stone-faced pitchers throwing crazy 100 mph fastballs, defensive players snatching unbelievably difficult ground-balls with the speed of a mongoose or hip-jiving offensive sluggers who could send the ball to the moon with one swing, these dudes were freakin’ amazing and I knew I wanted to be like them! “So that’s what they meant by majors.”
One of the very first guys that stood out prominently to me as a kid was the great Orel Hershiser 
, ace pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. While smaller in stature than many of the other guys on the field, Orel played with a fervent and demonstrative passion that made him seem like he was as big (or bigger) than any of the other guys he was playing against and I absolutely LOVED it! This sort of ‘tudey approach not only spoke volumes to me in terms of coolness but also inspired hope that anyone really can make it in the big leagues with enough dedication and perseverance to being the best. It didn’t take too long for me to realize that the Bulldog had quickly become my favorite pitcher in baseball and to this day he still holds that mark ranking #2 on my Top 10 favorite MLB players of all time list.
After the grandiose success that the team enjoyed in the 80’s with Hershiser and the crew, it was awhile until the Dodgers fielded a competitive squad which sort of put them on the back burner for me as a kid since I was still relatively new to the whole “picking a favorite team thing” and found myself to be more a fan of individual players like Bo Jackson 
and Ken Griffey jr. 
(more than likely because it required less effort). Meanwhile, as the 90’s rolled on, something terrible in baseball occurred as I learned about one of the ugliest 5-letter words that exists in sports… STRIKE (unless we’re talking about bowling I suppose)! Players and owners had failed to come to an agreement on the new and financially-altering “salary cap” being proposed into the rules of MLB which cost the loss of hundreds of regular season games as well as an entire World Series in the 1994-95 season. WHAT THE ACTUAL $@#! 
!!! A bitter pill to swallow for lowly and impressionable young fans like myself who were barely starting to figure things out and not entirely sure about where to plant their fan flag in this great sport.
Without question, the stoppage of games to this magnitude soured my devotion to baseball during this time (at least as far as watching was concerned) and my attention shifted to the other 3 sports as I gained traction in my understanding of what I liked and how to truly pick a favorite team for life (see my other sports posts- My favorite NBA team: The Los Angeles Lakers, My favorite NFL team: The Dallas Cowboys and My favorite NHL team: The Los Angeles Kings). It was unfortunate too since I still felt a special kinship with the great pastime and certainly wanted to enjoy more but the jaded feelings of this devoid and forgettable era cast a shadow over the sport for me that persisted for the next several years even after the perilous strike had lifted. After what seemed like an eternity to my young mind, Major League Baseball had finally returned (playing a 144-game season in 95-96 after also losing the better part of the previous year) but it didn’t feel the same as many fans (myself included) struggled to overcome the hurt feelings that the game had bestowed by pulling the rug out from under our feet in the way that it had previously and it showed en masse as attendance dropped at stadiums around the country and television ratings plummeted to dangerous lows. For me personally, I didn’t want to invest my time fully into a game that could potentially just shut itself down like it had already done before and it certainly effected my passion enough to where I still couldn’t sign on wholeheartedly to any one team (at least for now).
Meanwhile, I continued to follow the game from a casual distance during subsequent seasons throughout the 90’s, checking in on SportsCenter highlights 
and playing random baseball video games (
) to sort of “keep pace” with everything that was going on in the world of rbi’s and fastballs. No matter what too, I always found myself checking in on the L.A. Dodgers and seeing how they stacked against everyone else however I still really hadn’t correlated them to being my favorite team yet since I did this with a few other squads as well (most notably the Chicago White Sox , Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees ). I guess I felt that since baseball had been relegated to second-fiddle in my sports lexicon, I didn’t need to apply maximum effort to subscribing to all the heartache associated with being a real fan… hence the less-invested approach. This same sentiment continued through the end of the decade and into the new millennium as I continued to observe from a distance the biggest stories in baseball like the Yankees return back to their rightful mantle atop the sport 
, Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa going “super saiyan” on a 37 year old home run record 
and all the (of course) steroid controversy that soon followed 
. Even if I still hadn’t fully warmed myself back up to the great pastime that I loved so much as a kid, there could be no doubt that baseball as a whole was slowly inching further and further away from its shrouded strike past and providing all sorts of interesting entertainment that I simply couldn’t get enough of though I still wasn’t motivated fully to associate myself with a favorite squad… yet.
Then, in May 2003, everything changed for me… quickly as I was invited out with a group of a friends to a L.A. Dodger game during the regular season though I wasn’t expecting to have as good an experience as the other 3 major sports (, , ) since at that point I considered myself more of a diehard fan of those leagues. Not having been there since my early childhood, many of Dodger Stadium’s 
features and architecture seemed foreign to me at first as I perused the grand hallways that adorned the great baseball cathedral on top of Chavez Ravine, doing my best to absorb as much lore as possible like a tourist sticking to a strict itinerary. As we sat at our seats (nose-bleed section behind first-base), I can remember distinctly just how beautiful that California sky looked as it displayed a usual fireworks show of awesomeness transitioning from dusk-to-dawn amidst an appropriate menagerie of rolling hills and palm trees behind the outfield wall. Without a pitch even being thrown yet, I gelled with my surroundings in a very abstract and emotional way that finally helped me get rid of the “baggage” that had prevented me from realizing where my heart truly lied in baseball 
. I was home!
Once the p.a. announcer started his usual montage of hyperbole and the players hit the field, I dove into my program to try and learn more about the collection of dudes that adorned the eye-appealing blue and white L.A. Dodger uniforms on this day. Much to my delight, many familiar faces (such as Robin Ventura 
, Hideo Nomo 
and Rickey Henderson 
) were there to help link the game back to my childhood and add a veteran presence to an up-and-coming unit of young studs (led most notably by Odalis Perez 
, Adrian Beltre 
and Edwin Jackson 
). While they certainly weren’t the greatest team in the league at the time, there was definitely a style of unorthodox effectiveness that associated itself with this intriguing Dodger squad that spoke directly to The ‘Tude Dude’s soul. Regardless of the final outcome, these guys were fighters from the front office down to the bat boys which garnered instant respect in the baseball universe while simultaneously inspiring hope for potential World Series glory in the future for their fans nearly every single season. Combining this newfound comprehension of the Dodger aura with the fact that they were my hometown team made it feel like all of the tumblers fell into a perfect unison which, at last unlocked the answer I had been searching for as a fan of Major League Baseball!
Though that individual game’s outcome turned out to be a disappointment (a shocking come-from-behind loss in the 9th inning to the Atlanta Braves ), I left the stadium that evening with an unmistakable pride that radiated off of me like nuclear fallout despite my previously hardened sensibilities. All it really took to swing the pendulum fully was the first time I heard Vin Scully utter that iconic opening statement “It’s time for Dodger baseball!” live and I was hooked (though a belly full of Dodger Dogs certainly deserves an honorable mention). I guess I hadn’t fully closed the door on figuring out where my loyalties lied and this one single event jump-started everything for me in a very simple and cool way. Finally, I had a true favorite baseball team and it was the one that had made the earliest impression on me as a child – the Los Angeles Dodgers . Time to start acquiring some merchandise and represent!
Since then, I’ve been riding first-class on the L.A. Dodger fan train partaking in as many games as I can to hopefully catch a glimpse of the “boys in blue” ascent back to the top of the baseball mountain. From the super-slugging Shawn Green 
and the “bull in the pen” Eric Gagne 
in the 2000’s up to the latest incarnation led by Clayton Kershaw 
, Cody Bellinger 
and Justin Turner 
, The ‘Tude Dude has been there with his blue and white covered heart cheering on his beloved team as much as any of his other favorites. It may have taken a little longer to figure out than the other 3 sports, but something magical happened when I went back and took in that first game physically as an adult and there can be no denying that my relentless loyalty knows no bounds when it comes to these sorts of things. Now I know where I belong. Thank you for everything Los Angeles Dodgers, you will forever be my favorite MLB team.
Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…
E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com
Follow The ‘Tude Dude
“Integrity With An EDGE!”
Published by
Posted on September 29, 2019
A Retro Review – Castlevania
Hit play above for in-game music from this title
Scroll below for review
presents a
by
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(Single-player) |
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(Coolness guaranteed) |
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(Great game) |
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Combining accessible gameplay mechanics with an already established horror motif guaranteed to draw attention, Castlevania succeeds as the catalyst to the grand ghoul-whipping franchise with responsive action draped in Konami’s typical aesthetic quality |
Story
For centuries, the Belmont clan have been the direct response to the overwhelming threat of Dracula and his mysterious castle full of ghouls which resurfaces somewhat regularly to wreak havoc on the world. Utilizing “Vampire killer”, a whip heirloom passed down through the generations for the purpose of living up to its namesake, the Belmont family has routinely battled back against the forces of darkness no matter where it has risen without fail. Now the old blood-sucker has shown back up for his latest attempt at gothic debauchery and it’s up to the current generation Belmont (Simon) to pick up his mantle and start whipping everything in sight!
Overview
Castlevania is a side-scrolling action/adventure game where players assume the role of Simon Belmont and his whip – “Vampire Killer” with the sole purpose of destroying the recently resurrected Dracula and his pack of evil monsters across 6 different stages. Each level consists of obstacles in the form of platforming sections and enemies who attack Simon at will with the main goal being to reach the end where a boss awaits to challenge you before allowing further admittance. Along with the horizontally-focused whip (your main weapon), Simon can also use sub-weapons such as the axe and holy water which attack with different trajectories increasing your variety of offense. Beyond that, additional power-ups such as hearts (ammunition for your sub-weapon), pork chops (health boost) and more can be obtained throughout Simon’s adventure for further assistance.
Utilizing any advantages will be paramount to your success since Dracula’s combination of countless ghouls and pitfall traps make for a relentless labyrinth that Simon must push through requiring a more steadied approach in each stage. This same sentiment goes double for the boss battles as Simon is encountered with a unique adversary equipped with a life-bar just as long as his but who does excess damage necessitating even more strategy and nuance. Make your way through the depths of Castlevania and eventually you’ll come face-to-face with the Count himself who stands in your way to ultimate victory. Survive this encounter to banish him back to the coffin and win the game!
Cast
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 Phantom Bat (antagonist support) Attacking from above in an unruly pattern making projectile sub-weapons more effective, this giant bat was mistaken by many as Dracula during their initial playthrough (me included) showcasing the depth of Castlevania and its design across multiple complex stages compared to recent predecessors from just a generation ago |
 Queen Medusa (antagonist support) The main disembodied dome responsible for the outbreak of smaller disembodied domes throughout Castlevania, Queen Medusa requires swift punishment for her crimes though her erratic movements make your chances of success less likely without the stopwatch in your back pocket |
 Mummy Man (antagonist support) Twin ogres who attack Simon with the wraps covering their rotting corpse (…shouldn’t they be called Mummy Men???), these pacing dead-men have been rudely woken up before their alarm was set making them crankier than typical |
 Frankenstein & Igor (antagonist support) Combining brute strength with breakneck speed in a “Master Blaster”-type symbiotic relationship, Frankenstein (technically Frankenstein’s monster but who really cares anymore!?) and Igor (one of the many Hunchbacks encountered in Castlevania known for their frantic unpredictability) pair up to give Simon one of his biggest headaches |
 The Grim Reaper (antagonist support) Falling on hard times after his recent all-in investment on the indie film spinoff Edward Sicklehands, Death now rents an efficiency in Dracula’s house occasionally defending his master’s crib from would-be assailants with his barrage of scythes |
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Simon Says Whip It Good (XL section)
As dusk settles to night in the land of ‘Tudevania, The ‘Tude Dude gazes upon a vast collection of NES cartridges shining in the bright moonlight. “Which one should I review next?” he pondered as he foraged through the pile like a ravenous wild dog. Amidst rising thunder claps and howling wolves within earshot, The ‘Tude Dude’s search intensified. “If only I knew the right one to pick at this exact moment!” he quizzingly exclaimed. “One that would make the ‘Tude Meter wail even LOUDER than the surrounding wolf cackles and lightning crashes!”
In unison with the final word said in the previous sentence, a bolt of lightning struck the pile of games with unbiased abruptness coursing additional power into one specific title. After a brief appropriation period between the cartridge and the massive surge of electricity, the game began to move on its own with a focused agenda on plugging itself into the nearest available NES. The ‘Tude Dude watched in frozen amazement as the little plastic square not only discovered an already hooked-up Nintendo but inserted itself into the console with relentless purpose! Right after, the controller (already plugged into slot 1) lashed itself perfectly into The ‘Tude Dude’s hands with the ferocity of a real whip. “IT’S ALIVE” roared The ‘Tude Dude as the title screen for Castlevania panned into the television’s center coinciding with a conveniently-timed thunder strike. “And I’m gonna review it… to DEATH!!!“
…Well that was pretty dramatic but what else can you really expect when discussing the spooky and memorable Castlevania series? I mean, its got everything a horror/action ‘tude fanatic could want while still maintaining a main-stream appeal worthy enough to see it placed front-and-center with the other all-time greats in video game lore. Over the years, few series have epitomized “cool” more than this one and we’re gonna take it all the way back to the beginning of this vampire-killing, candle-whipping, stair-climbing extravaganza with the very first entry on the NES! So grab a pork chop with a side of holy water and join me as we journey back to the front gates of Castlevania one more time
!
To start with, Castlevania is a side-scrolling action game where players take the reins of the vampire-repelling extraordinaire, Simon Belmont 
, and guide him through various action/platforming stages while either killing or avoiding every monster in your path until eventually coming face-to-face with the ultimate king of the bloodsuckers, Dracula 
himself in an epic final battle to determine the fate of the world (or at least I think that’s what’s going on)! Aiding Simon on this perilous journey is his trustee whip, Vampire Killer 
, which he can use to attack foes horizontally and can also be upgraded twice first into a sweet morning star 
which deals more damage and then again into an even sweeter extra long morning star 
for increased attack power plus a longer reach to keep you further from harm while snapping your lash directly into the face of your enemies. While Vampire Killer serves as your main form of offense against the forces of evil, several sub-weapons also become available throughout the game such as a throwing dagger 
(horizontal projectile), stop watch 
(freezes time around Simon for a couple of seconds while still allowing him to move) and holy water 
(thrown on the ground for increased trajectory towards adversaries that escape your whip) which can be further utilized in your quest against Dracula and his minions. It should be noted however that unlike your whip, these side items are governed in the sense that they have a limit to how many you can use at your disposal which is represented by the hearts 
that Simon gathers throughout gameplay (one of the very few times these aren’t used for health reasons in a video game) so grab as many of them as you can early and often to maintain your offensive versatility. Additionally, screen-clearing crosses 
, health-boosting pork chops 
, bags of money 
(still on the lookout for one of these in real life somewhere!) and more can be obtained to help further Simon’s chances at driving a stake into the heart of Dracula and sending Castlevania back to whatever dark and twisted realm that it originated from.
Stages in Castlevania are broken down into linear platforming sections populated by hordes of nightmarish goons which Simon must navigate through to progress until eventually facing the boss who must be defeated before reaching the next level. Simon can die either by falling into a chasm in one of these levels or by having his health (represented by the horizontal life-bar in the heads-up display designated “player”) depleted completely from Castlevania’s unfriendly occupants. Therefore, learning the rhythms of enemy attack patterns as well as analyzing your surroundings for pitfalls are the keys to coordinating an effective counter-assault and progressing through this hellacious haunted house of horrors. Not to mention, candelabra 
containing hearts and all kinds of other useful drops litter every stage begging to be whipped and collected as well as hidden blocks containing life-saving pork chops and other goodies so keep cracking early and often in as many places as possible to find the best loot.
As far as the enemies themselves, Dracula’s henchmen waste no time bum-rushing Simon and pelting him repeatedly with ghoulish tactics so be sure to return the favor to all in your path with Vampire Killer before they take you down first. Adversaries range from stupidly easy zombies 
and bats 
(simple to kill enemies who follow more predictable patterns) to more difficult raven’s 
and fleamen 
(still simple to kill but much more unpredictable) to even more difficult bone towers 
and axe-men 
(takes multiple hits to kill while using ranged offense) with every one of their goals being to either hit Simon with some sort of projectile attack or touch him directly and cause damage with both also effectively (and inconveniently) knocking you backwards a bit. If this happens in the wrong spot (like near a pitfall for instance), then Simon can be killed rather easily so a heightened awareness of your surroundings is required before engaging around empty voids or water. At the end of each stage, a different boss blocks your path forward (equipped with a life-bar just like Simon’s) and must be defeated while avoiding their relentless offensive barrage such as Phantom Bat 
(pretty dopey but surprisingly stout), Mummy Man 
(throws wraps at you with his twin brother… err… Mummy Dan?) and the Grim Reaper 
(who knew Death punches Dracula’s time clock but seriously, he’s STUPIDLY hard) just to name a few. These encounters scale in difficulty beautifully leading up to the final 2-part battle with the Count (defeat his first form 
to reveal… the Stay-Puft Dracula Man 
!) and are equally the most punishing and satisfying parts of the game evidenced by the resounding sigh experienced after finally defeating one of these beyond-tough obstacles (ESPECIALLY the Grim Reaper and Dracula).
There’s no question that Castlevania’s gameplay is simple however, its perfectly-paced challenge combined with an easily-translatable arcade style make it a game that anyone can pick up and play in an instant. That challenge will separate who stays for the long haul though as the game expertly lures you into a false sense of security with its simplicity only to be reminded over and over again that Dracula’s castle is extremely unforgiving with tons of enemies and very little health power-ups requiring all of your video game senses to be operating at peak efficiency to succeed. It’s these types of early experiences that molded us from the ‘tude era into a heightened-sense territory as Castlevania’s approach to side-scrolling pattern and rhythm-based design was/is as top-notch as can be found pushing an entire generation to “get good” as fast as possible so they could be the first to brag to their friends about how they bested the master of the neck-biters. Still, it does have some flaws mainly the lack of variety in execution, the frustrating enemy patterns (flying Medusa heads anyone 
?) and the brutal absence of a password system which will all be reflected in my final score for this section, however none of these are large enough issues to hinder anyone’s experience enough (…except for maybe those Medusa heads THEY SUCK) to not recommend to any prospectors in this department. To put it succinctly, if quick-start action games are your thing then your sure to be more than happy with this.
Controls in Castlevania feel pretty good overall as well with a few critiques preventing it from reaching its true potential. For starters, Simon responds to your commands in perfect unison on-screen with little to no lag which is critical when your multi-tasking between attacking and dodging especially during an intensely precise boss battle. He also walks with an appropriate tightness and stops exactly where and when you want him to which is all you can ask for in a game of this variety as far as moving your character around is concerned (though the stair-climbing is a little awkward to say the least). However, the lack of being able to dictate your movement mid-air makes jumping a much bigger commitment then it does in other platforming games and the knock-back effect when you take a hit is downright brutal leading to countless and unsolicited deaths when around pitfalls. Still, despite some harps in this category, overall I like the controls as they’re not really a huge hindrance to your success which is the most important thing but certainly could have used a coat of polish to make even better.
Sound-wise, Castlevania completely rules setting a precedent on the NES few can match up to. To call the music “good” would be an ultimate understatement as each stage brings some kick-ass new jingle causing uncontrollable humming and feet tapping while the sound effects are distinctive, memorable and effective. On the other hand, Castlevania’s graphics aren’t exactly the most beautiful thing you’ll ever see on the NES but they still get the job done even today. The sprites and colors all look great for the most part with impressive detail found in the backgrounds for a game from the 8-bit generation. Thanks Dracula for the eye and ear candy while your attempting to drain the life-plasma from my body I guess?
GEEZ… I just now realized I can’t hear any of those ridiculously loud and ominous sounds from the beginning of this review. The ‘Tude Meter has cranked up to full capacity since the game’s onset blasting electric guitar riffs of awesomeness (which actually scared away both the wolves and the lightning) and has sustained that level throughout the entirety of Simon’s trek into Drac’s house thanks mainly to the badass horror setting that permeates the surrounding environment. While many other games in this generation felt kiddie and harmless in nature, Castlevania freakin’ goes there with adult themes based on vampire and other monster-movie mythology peppered with semi-religious undertones which definitely makes this stand out among its more innocent 8-bit contemporaries. If ratings existed back then, there’s no doubt that this would have been “M” for mature which is pretty awesome to say for any NES game. A true bar-setter for how to make a video game “cool” quite frankly.
So in conclusion, Castlevania checks off across the board admirably with simple gameplay, good controls, quality aesthetics and a badass premise putting it square into the upper-echelon of NES titles. While the difficulty can be taxing to some, the rewards gained through progression are as satisfying as you’ll find in the world of video games. It definitely has some hitches though most notably the unfair deaths caused by Simon getting knocked back by an enemy (and those stupid Medusa heads) but these pale in comparison to all of the other high-points experienced. In a series as iconic as Castlevania, you owe it to yourself to take this first plunge into Dracula’s castle on consoles no matter the proclivities.
Critical Analysis
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4/5 |
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4/5 |
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5/5 |
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4/5 |
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One of my earliest gaming experiences, Castlevania certainly whips the nostalgia factor for me square in the face though it’s high points stand the test of time like a stubborn vampire who just keeps getting resurrected again and again specifically the simple premise, excellent soundtrack and satisfying challenge. Just slam it in and you’ll be lashing 8-bit zombies and bats to super-cool rhythmic-style beats in no time which really is as great as it sounds though its longevity in the minds of gamers is stooped in the overwhelming test it represents to reach its conclusion with your sanity intact – a staple of the “NES-hard” days. Besides that though, its built-in cast of classic horror film all-stars (including mummies, Frankenstein’s monster and Death himself) supply a “ready-to-eat” narrative that’s as easy for minds to comprehend as there has ever been in gaming, ensuring a ‘tudey output in the maximum range that virtually guarantees visual real estate to any interested prospectors. I mean, your not dealing with some dopey cartoon boss here after all… this is Count Dracula – vile scourge of all iniquities giving you a more tangible sense of good vs. evil then you would typically experience, juicing up the story a bit during this time of “safety-first” dialogue in the surrounding status-quo. Rated H for HELL YEAH! Of course, not everything in Castlevania is crimson and clovers namely the unfair knock-back that puts you in the Grim Reaper’s waiting room far too often (working overtime I see…), the fixation with the color brown (good lord how many different shades of it are there?) and the despairingly-redundant enemy patterns (It’s bad enough the Medusa heads zigzag at you but do they really have to re-spawn over and over again too???) just to name a few. In the end though, none of these sums come close to derailing the overall equation of Simon’s first-ever quest to keep from recommending in any way. It’s simplistic nature centered around arcade-action gameplay rendered it playable to nearly anyone who claimed ownership to virtual tastes, but its hardcore difficulty layered underneath applied beautifully to the nerd crowd who clamored for more trials of this magnitude regardless of the exterior, effectively reaching a critical mass of unilateral appeal proportions (at least as far as I’m concerned)! Not only does Castlevania catalyze the epic action-platforming franchise with dignity, but it provides a worthy experience in its own right leaving a lasting feeling to anyone daring enough to accept the barrage of obstacles that it presents. “CAUSE YOU KNOW I’M THE KING OF THE COOL WHIP!!!” |
“It’s only Dracula, King of the vampires… why bring garlic or a wooden stake with me!?”
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