Nicole Express
@nicole.express
i like video games too much // neither holy, nor roman, nor an empire // she/her // https://nicole.express
A random game on Saturday? If you insist... it's Retro-bit's re-release of Irem's Metal Storm! The SMD133 mapper here appears to have started on pirate multicarts, so it's kind of neat to see it end up in something actually licensed
December 27, 2025 at 6:13 PM
A random game on Saturday? If you insist... it's Retro-bit's re-release of Irem's Metal Storm! The SMD133 mapper here appears to have started on pirate multicarts, so it's kind of neat to see it end up in something actually licensed
whenever I see a reference to the Seta "Super Real Mahjong" series my stupid brain thinks of that old Nickelodeon cartoon "Aah! Real Monsters"
They could form a crossover and call it "Aah! Real Mahjong"
They could form a crossover and call it "Aah! Real Mahjong"
December 23, 2025 at 11:12 PM
whenever I see a reference to the Seta "Super Real Mahjong" series my stupid brain thinks of that old Nickelodeon cartoon "Aah! Real Monsters"
They could form a crossover and call it "Aah! Real Mahjong"
They could form a crossover and call it "Aah! Real Mahjong"
Today's random game Saturday is Madou King Granzort for the SuperGrafx! The spiritual sequel to Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, this has got to be in my top 10 for the SuperGrafx.
...wait a second, I'm being informed of something
...wait a second, I'm being informed of something
December 20, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Today's random game Saturday is Madou King Granzort for the SuperGrafx! The spiritual sequel to Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, this has got to be in my top 10 for the SuperGrafx.
...wait a second, I'm being informed of something
...wait a second, I'm being informed of something
The AI em dash discourse has caused me to notice a weird habit in my use of dashes-- I tend to only place a space after the dash, rather than on both sides or on neither. Wonder where I picked this up... guess I should stick with it since an AI probably won't do it
December 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
The AI em dash discourse has caused me to notice a weird habit in my use of dashes-- I tend to only place a space after the dash, rather than on both sides or on neither. Wonder where I picked this up... guess I should stick with it since an AI probably won't do it
Today's "Random Game Saturday" is Touhou 9.5, "Shoot the Bullet". The game's title is a pun, you see; tengu reporter Aya Shameimaru takes pictures of bullets with her camera.
December 13, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Today's "Random Game Saturday" is Touhou 9.5, "Shoot the Bullet". The game's title is a pun, you see; tengu reporter Aya Shameimaru takes pictures of bullets with her camera.
Mikey is such a photogenic cat
December 13, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Mikey is such a photogenic cat
Always fun to see what pages people are trying to access on my server that don't actually exist
December 8, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Always fun to see what pages people are trying to access on my server that don't actually exist
extremely efficient way to break up with someone
December 7, 2025 at 5:55 PM
extremely efficient way to break up with someone
Today's "Random Game Saturday" is Hishou Same! Same! Same! for the Nintendo Switch; the M2 port of Toaplan shooters Hishousame ("Flying Shark" or "Sky Shark") and Same! Same! Same! ("Fire Shark"). Wardner no Mori is thrown in for flavor, but it's not a shmup so it doesn't get to be on the box art
December 6, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Today's "Random Game Saturday" is Hishou Same! Same! Same! for the Nintendo Switch; the M2 port of Toaplan shooters Hishousame ("Flying Shark" or "Sky Shark") and Same! Same! Same! ("Fire Shark"). Wardner no Mori is thrown in for flavor, but it's not a shmup so it doesn't get to be on the box art
What game made you fall in love with video games?
I would have to say ZZT. I think that shows in a lot of my own games, it was very formative on many levels, not the least of which because of the editor
I would have to say ZZT. I think that shows in a lot of my own games, it was very formative on many levels, not the least of which because of the editor
December 1, 2025 at 11:17 PM
What game made you fall in love with video games?
I would have to say ZZT. I think that shows in a lot of my own games, it was very formative on many levels, not the least of which because of the editor
I would have to say ZZT. I think that shows in a lot of my own games, it was very formative on many levels, not the least of which because of the editor
My wife took this picture of me and said it was "cute"
November 30, 2025 at 7:24 PM
My wife took this picture of me and said it was "cute"
Today's random game Saturday is "The Super Spy" for the Neo Geo! Even though the gameplay is clunky, I really like this game, it's a first person action game and the translation is very early 90's SNK (complimentary)
November 29, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Today's random game Saturday is "The Super Spy" for the Neo Geo! Even though the gameplay is clunky, I really like this game, it's a first person action game and the translation is very early 90's SNK (complimentary)
The first Boeing 727 rolled out today in 1962. I'm not sure how they predicted the "inconsistently yellowed plastic" aesthetic that early
November 27, 2025 at 3:45 PM
The first Boeing 727 rolled out today in 1962. I'm not sure how they predicted the "inconsistently yellowed plastic" aesthetic that early
it's so charming when an electronic manual from the 60's tells you the exact transistor count
November 24, 2025 at 4:28 PM
it's so charming when an electronic manual from the 60's tells you the exact transistor count
Today's Random Game Saturday is the classic beat 'em up Battletoads in Battlemaniacs for the Super NES! When I got this game it came with the plastic case, so I'm guessing it was a rental at some point?
November 22, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Today's Random Game Saturday is the classic beat 'em up Battletoads in Battlemaniacs for the Super NES! When I got this game it came with the plastic case, so I'm guessing it was a rental at some point?
I've done 4 Nin Uchi Mahjong for Random Game Saturday before, but here's the sequel: New 4 Nin Uchi Mahjong, Yakuman Heaven!
Feels like Nintendo just decided after not making a mahjong game in years that they were going to do the ultimate Famicom mahjong game: notice the extra-height MMC5 cartridge
Feels like Nintendo just decided after not making a mahjong game in years that they were going to do the ultimate Famicom mahjong game: notice the extra-height MMC5 cartridge
November 15, 2025 at 1:13 PM
I've done 4 Nin Uchi Mahjong for Random Game Saturday before, but here's the sequel: New 4 Nin Uchi Mahjong, Yakuman Heaven!
Feels like Nintendo just decided after not making a mahjong game in years that they were going to do the ultimate Famicom mahjong game: notice the extra-height MMC5 cartridge
Feels like Nintendo just decided after not making a mahjong game in years that they were going to do the ultimate Famicom mahjong game: notice the extra-height MMC5 cartridge
who thinks this looks good
November 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM
who thinks this looks good
hot take: the fi ligature almost always looks worse than just having fi next to each other, i don't know why we keep doing it other than tradition
November 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
hot take: the fi ligature almost always looks worse than just having fi next to each other, i don't know why we keep doing it other than tradition
I now have a scanner again, so here, have an actual scan of the front cover of the Kiki Kaikai arcade manual rather than the photo I used in the blog post (nicole.express/2025/pocky-b...)
November 9, 2025 at 9:03 PM
I now have a scanner again, so here, have an actual scan of the front cover of the Kiki Kaikai arcade manual rather than the photo I used in the blog post (nicole.express/2025/pocky-b...)
Today's Random Game Saturday is "Just Dance 2019" for the Wii; this copy is sealed. I... don't know why I own this? Maybe I just thought it was novel that Wii games were coming out that late?
November 8, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Today's Random Game Saturday is "Just Dance 2019" for the Wii; this copy is sealed. I... don't know why I own this? Maybe I just thought it was novel that Wii games were coming out that late?
This meme remains as painful as ever
November 3, 2025 at 2:21 AM
This meme remains as painful as ever
Today's "Random Game Saturday" is the famous Temple of Apshai on the Atari 400/800 (requires a fully upgraded 400, though!)
I think this is the only fully boxed cassette game I have
I think this is the only fully boxed cassette game I have
November 1, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Today's "Random Game Saturday" is the famous Temple of Apshai on the Atari 400/800 (requires a fully upgraded 400, though!)
I think this is the only fully boxed cassette game I have
I think this is the only fully boxed cassette game I have
This packaging is *so* dedicated to being a Mark III title, in fact, that it only uses a Mark III picture on the back (though there is text mentioning the SG-1000), and the screenshot appears to taken using a Mark III (thus using the dread Compatibility Palette)
October 25, 2025 at 2:55 PM
This packaging is *so* dedicated to being a Mark III title, in fact, that it only uses a Mark III picture on the back (though there is text mentioning the SG-1000), and the screenshot appears to taken using a Mark III (thus using the dread Compatibility Palette)