Remember - we'll likely be recording Episode 78 of the podcast tomorrow, as usual, so if you've got questions or comments, send 'em in: mailbag AT trigames DOT net or you can use this form right hurr (just remember to provide your name so we can address you during our reading).

Looks like I'm going in reverse, since I'm going to spit a few lines about the 8.0 I gave Bubble Bobble. It happens to be the first Virtual Console game that I've reviewed that has broken that pesky 7.5 barrier. Nevermind about scores and numbers though - it should go without saying that I definitely think that it's the best game I've reviewed for VC thus far. While it's easy to fall into the nostalgia trap and think that this is the best thing since the wheel, it's not; but it's just so fiendishly fun and simple that I really can't find anything really bad to say about it. Yeah, so it's sugary sweet; maybe that will turn off some people. But unlike those games that almost hit this mark (Axelay, Ninja Gaiden II) that have some things to complain about, there really seems to be nothing with Bubble Bobble. It truly is a great little game. Try to play through it with the focused goal of popping as many enemies as you can with a single cluster of bubbles, and keep trying. I think my favorite part of the game is when you down everyone in a single stage and they go flying around the room, coming to rest as collectible goodies. It would be when the MASSIVE DIAMOND falls from the sky, but I can't figure out how to trigger that...

So, STEAM. My wallet's fallen victim to Valve's service. I just unloaded some moolah on the PopCap Favorites and Rockstar packs. I mainly did the PopCap thing for Peggle and Bookworm Adventures. It's aggravating how simple yet addictive those games are. They aren't even that great. They're mindless fun, yes, but nothing "great." Yet, there's something about the presentation which makes it feel like a casino. Those flashing lights and loud, clangy noises - and because it's so damn simple to play, you feel like it won't hurt to just go for one more mouse click. Peggle is a freaking pachinko machine and yet you might find yourself playing for hours simply because it's so easy to play. The Rockstar pack, of course, had to be boughteded. I am not that huge a fan of Grand Theft Auto. I've played it in spurts on other peoples' consoles and I'm really annoyed with the controls and interface. But considering how much the Rockstar Pack costs ($60 for every Rockstar game released on PC), and the fact that I adore Max Payne and Max Payne 2, and that I do like the GTA games enough to want ALL FIVE (1, 2, 3, VC, SA) for such a price, including Manhunt (much better than Manhunt 2 :P), well... SOLD!

But then there's GameTAP. This is a warning for you prospective digital downloaders out there. If you find a game on STEAM, check to see if they've got it on GameTAP first. I'll definitely take a flat-rate monthly payment for tons and tons of games available for download. Project Snowblind was $20 on STEAM, but it's available on GameTAP. I'd been waiting for the Phantasy Star series to come out on Virtual Console - but GameTAP has all of it. Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale - all of those RPGs - they're available on STEAM, yes, but they're also on GameTAP. I got in on a special deal where I'm paying $5 per month for GameTAP (I think it's still available, not sure), and if I can get ALL of those games - that would normally cost me upwards of $60 in total - for $5 a month, I'd rather take the $5 per month. You can install GameTAP on your laptop just like you can STEAM, so I would actually be able to enjoy SOME of the games on the road (i.e. the ones that run on my laptop) where I don't have my PC.

If PC games didn't come in those goofy boxes, but instead in DVD cases like console games, I wouldn't be so incredibly quick to jump on the Digital Distro bandwagon. I'm vain - I like tangible products. But those heavy clunker boxes are just enough. And to think - they used to be even more mammoth. Ramble end.