What’s up ye Children of the ‘Axe? DK here to slay the boredom of the weekend with this edition of EpicBattleAxe.com’s End of the Weak! Now, we just kicked this thing off recently and this is only the second edition (see last week’s post for more of an explanation on WTF this is all about), but we’re hoping this feature finds a nice, comfy home in your browser once the weekend rolls around.

So, with this past week’s news about Alpha Protocol getting a firm release date, it reminded me about HOW FREAKIN’ EXCITED I AM for the game….”Why?” you ask…well, I did some soul searching and realized that my love for the IDEA of spy/espionage games has been derived from several classic titles and even a few obscure ones…Obviously, playing Golden Eye for countless hours with friends and going through the single player campaign helped set the bar high, but that was pretty much an ACTION game and didn’t dive deep into all that an espionage title could offer as something within the RPG genre could.

Of course, Metal Gear on NES provided a lot of depth within its gameplay and did in-fact make you feel like quite the bad-ass throughout. “Feeling” like you’re sneaking around, involved with “super secret” intel, living the globe-trotting life of a secret agent, accessing crazy-ass equipment that combines ultra high tech with explosive carnage…THAT’s what I want out of an espionage RPG and several AAA titles delivered bits and pieces of that experience.

Despite those titles though, my long hours of reflection have brought me to the conclusion at one semi-popular game is at the center of my desire to see the mysterious, intriguing, sexy world of espionage unfold in an RPG and even though the game is technically about an assassin, Golgo 13 on the NES is primarily responsible for my love of all things spy/sniper/espionage.

Read on to find out why “Only You Can Help Him Save The World!”…

Golgo 13 (wiki)

Now, this is one of those games that INSTANTLY creates a bond between gamers that bring it up…In my experience, the question “Did you ever play Golgo 13?” is usually returned with a flat, dry “Nope” or the “OMG! Yes, that game was freakin’ AMAZING!” spoken with an excitement level comparable to that of a 14 year old boy locked inside a Victoria Secret’s. Sure, the game is based on a Japanese manga, but when you’re a 10-year-old living in New York and you didn’t have the internet to research the hell out of everything under the sun, the game’s intriguigin characters, mysterious setting, and mature themes made you feel like the ULTIMATE secret agent/assassin/bad-ass for playing it…

One thing that has stuck in my head about this game until this day is its theme song…Embedded in my brain somewhere next to my social security number and the famous Konami code lies this little gem of a theme that crops up every time I think of anything spy or assassin related…It’s pretty sweet, and while the below vid featuring said theme song is a little boring, I recommend you check it out to “set the mood” should you be feeling all Spy-y…

Obviously, I did a quick search on YouTube to see what I can find about the game and came across this commercial that until now, I’ve never seen…In fact, after watching it, I can’t tell if it was an ACTUAL commercial or something someone cut together to ACT like a commercial…Anyway, it’s pretty neato, so check it out…

Theme songs, commercials, yeah, they’re cool, but it was the GAME itself that forever resides in my wanna-be bad-ass-secret-agent-heart…and so, here it is…some actual GAMEPLAY from Golgo 13 that will no doubt convince you of this game’s AWESOMENESS… Over six minutes of End of the Weak goodness to inform and inspire…Now, before you watch it, please put on your “I’m a 10-year-old kid that just got this game when I probably shouldn’t have it” goggles and see the super secret/sexy world the game presents from that perspective…It’s what memories are made of…

Well, there ya go…Feel free to sound off in the comments section below and let us know how YOU felt about Golgo 13, GoldenEye, or the original MGS on NES (assuming you’re old enough to have actually played them…I’m guessing a lot of you weren’t even born back then…). Also, if you have a different game that reminds you of the spy/espionage theme, then let us know about that too! Again, I know Golgo 13 isn’t DIRECTLY an espionage game, but it sure did feel like one to me back in the day!!!

I hope you enjoyed this look back at some of my personal favorite games of all-time. Its titles like these and the experiences/memories we share with them that help solidify our love for interactive entertainment. Hopefully, a game like Alpha Protocol will provide NEW memories and thrills for us this summer…I know I can’t wait to find out!!!