A couple of months ago, we held the annual donation drive to raise money to pay the server bills for the coming year. Throughout the two months, we raised a total of $218, which at a rate of $85/month is enough to get us halfway through March before we run out. So as a last ditch effort, we're making a final push to raise donations so that RFGen can make it through another year.
As we have said time and time before, this site is run completely by volunteers and operated on donations from the community. Any money donated is strictly used for paying off the operating costs of running the site (aka the server bill). It's because of the generous support of the RFGen community that we've been able to provide the tools and community forums that we have all come to love.
As an added incentive, I will personally match all donations given in the month of January until we raise enough to pay off the the bills for the remainder of the year. Let's keep this thing going for another year!
You can follow this link to make a donation.
Thanks in advance and remember to keep it on channel 3!
PS: If you've donated and aren't a member of the donor group in the forums, remember to send me a PM so I can get you added.
As of the New Year I've begun doing a bit of house-cleaning. Over the past six months I've been working on a really big and project so I've hoarded a rather ridiculous number of Game Boy carts that I'll never touch again, so it's time I figure out which ones those are and start making room for new ones. As I've been going through all these carts, I've also found some interesting occurrences in the little Gray Brick's library. Take the arcade classic Centipede for instance. Sure it's a solid little fixed-screen shooter. But for the life of me I can't understand why the game was ported to the original Game Boy three times!
The first version of Centipede was released in 1992 by Accolade who were also responsible for designing the Game Boy port. The music is great and the sprites are just big enough to work well on the GB's tiny screen. However this particular version has become a collector's item as it is extremely rare that it pops up on eBay even. Really the only people who are going to be after it are completionists though.
Three years later Majesco re-released Centipede as the second volume in their Arcade Classic series of Game Boy cartridges. This time it was coupled with a port of its sequel Millipede as well. But guess what? Although published by Majesco, a glance at the title screen reveals that this port of Centipede was in fact developed by Accolade! If you just want a port of the game to go, then this is your best bet since you get two games for one.
Here's where the story really starts to get strange. In 1998 Majesco decided to re-release Centipede once again, but this time without Millipede. So really, this is basically just a re-release of the original 1992 version that Accolade had published. However, they also went through the trouble of designing brand new artwork for this version as well. This is the most common of the Game Boy versions.
As a bit of an addendum, and to make the history even more confusing, that very same year Majesco went ahead and colorized their "new" version of Centipede and managed to get it released as part of the Game Boy Color's launch in the US. This GBC cart was one of the early black cartridges that was fully backwards compatible with the original Game Boy, meaning that it just contained an optional color palette which was accessed when inserted into the GBC hardware, rather than taking advantage of the GBC's full potential. So in a sense, this would be the fourth time that the same version of Centipede made it to market in a single decade.
Stay tuned for more bizarre tales of Game Boy gluttony.
Hello and welcome to Super Nintendo Land!
So while I wait for my Super Famicom to arrive (more info on that at a later date), I decided to start posting my experiences on SNES collecting.
As any retro gamer knows, when buying a retro console it a good idea to research which one you'll be buying. Should I get the Mega Drive 1 or 2? Should I get the GBA SP or the smaller GBA Micro? Oh wait the Micro doesn't support GB and GBC games let me think this through.
So when I decided to get a SNES, besides looking at each region's exclusive games (although removing the lockout chip cancels out that factor, which is exactly what I did) I looked around to see what options I have hardware wise.
First factor was money. As anyone who has made it through middle school can tell you, prices are a matter of supply vs demand. How does that apply to retro gaming? First of all demand will always fluctuate. It can depend on a plethora of factors, with the most important in my mind being coverage. A single mention of a game as a hidden gem on Racket Boy or Retro Gamer might hike the price of said game on ebay. Likewise a recent release of a game on the Virtual Console might push some people to look for the original cart online. So it really all depends on luck with these out of production consoles.
But supply is much easier to calculate. Simply put, the more a console has sold the easier it is to find one. Gameboys are as cheap as chips and I've bought magazines that cost more than what the PS1 is going for right now on ebay. Anyway let's look at the regional sales of the SNES.
According to this document ( http://www.webcitation.org/5nXieXX2B ) which I shamelessly took from wikipedia, the SNES sales break down like this:
| America | 23 Million | | Japan | 17 Million | | Other | 8.5 Million |
So understandably it's much cheaper to look for a Super Famicom or an American SNES than a PAL or Korean one. I got my Super Famicom for 25 British Pounds (38$/30 Euro). On the various European ebay sites (co.uk .fr .es .it .de) a PAL Super Nintendo usually goes for at least 40 Euro (33 British Pounds/52$) In both cases with a single controller and the cables included. But price wise the crown goes to the American SNES. Right now it is being sold on ebay, for way less than the JP and EU models. The original SNES seems to go for about 20$ (15 Euro/13 British Pounds). Unfortunately I could not find any SNES SNS-101 (the redesigned model, which wasn't released in Europe btw) for sale, but only a couple of clones (I'll cover this issue in a minute), and the Super Famicom Junior is selling right now for crazy amounts of money (at least on the Western ebay sites, I don't know how much it costs in Japan).
So with price out of the way, let's look at what we collector's really care about (besides the games library). The design (aka the "looks") of a console. There are 3 main contenders in this category.
The original Super Famicom/ Super Nintendo PAL design
These are nearly identical to each other, with the only difference being the logo on the console itself and the controller (the PAL one has the Nintendo logo inside the ring thingy and it says Super Nintendo with big letters instead of Super Famicom with smaller ones. Here's a picture for comparison's sake http://upload.wikimedia.o...00.jpg/700px-SNES_800.jpg. Pictures, as always, shamelessly taken from Wikipedia).
So what do I like about this design. Well basically it's playfulness. This and the PSone have been the only console designs that basically say Hi there, I'm a box of joy. Everything, from the curvy design to the colorful logo and buttons says that when you'll interact with this magical machine you'll be having a great time. I also like how each button on the console is a totally different shape, to emphasize its different use (god knows how many times I pressed the wrong button on the Gamecube... well 2 or 3 times, but I was trying to make a point)
Next we have the American SNES
God what an ugly beast. Yup this is stereotypically American. You guys like your stuff big and that's perfectly fine (you're the only ones with space to put it in anyway. Try driving your cars in European capitals or in Tokyo). But all jokes aside, it's not the size I have a problem with. It's the overall design. First of all, why purple? Ok you wanted to promote it as a more serious machine, so the colorful details had to go, but you chose to replace them with purple buttons? WTF Nintendo? Nintendo Red goes sooooo well with dark gray, so why didn't you go with that instead? It's not like purple means less kiddy than red. What's up with Nintendo and purple anyway? The Gamecube was mostly pushed as a purple console, likewise with the GBA (the clear purple color was what most Europeans got anyway).
But by far the worst offender is the design itself. Once more I understand they needed to promote it as a more serious machine (to combat Sega's Marketing campaign), so with that in mind it makes perfect sense that they changed the buttons to look alike. But why did they have to place the reset button down there? And why is the front so loaded and the back so empty? I do like the curvy cartridge slot, but that's an element taken from the original design and I don't like that it's so clumsily elevated.
Lastly there's the Super Famicom Jr/ Super Nintendo SNS-101
This time they barely changed anything for the North American release, other than the color of the buttons and the logo (http://www.spaghettioh.co...tent/snes/snes_model2.jpg). I don't know which design I like more though. Well the SNS-101 is actually a huge improvement on the NA Super Nintendo so it's a good choice for someone in the market for an American SNES, plus the small purple buttons look kind of cute. On the other hand the Super Famicom Jr looks bad imo. The colorful logo this time makes it look like a baby's Super Famicom. I don't like either version much, but if I had to choose between these 2 I'd probably get the American version (with a PAL/JP controller  ).
A word of warning for those in the market for an SNES SNS-101. A wide variety of clone machines have been based on its design, so be careful when buying a SNS-101 from ebay, that you don't end up with a clone instead.
Finally there are the technical differences between models. In this regard the PAL consoles are inferior to all other regions, because they run at 50Hz. You can mod the console to make it run the games at 60Hz, but unless you have the technical skills to do that (or know someone who is willing to do that for you (for free or with payment)) I'd stick away from the PAL machines if you are given the option of choosing among the 3 regions (as always game libraries are not taken into account since you can make your SNES region free more easily than the 50/60Hz mod), unless you really like the design and your machine MUST say Super Nintendo on it.
Both Super Famicom and NA SNES run at 60Hz and can output composite video, S-Video and RGB signals, as well as RF with an external RF modulator. (All together now, "Shamelessly taken from Wikipedia"). On the other hand the Super Famicom Jr and the SNES SNS-101 don't output S-Video and RGB signal and don't feature an expansion port (although with the Satellaview service discontinued in 2000 there's no real need for one anyway).
So after taking account of the price, design and hardware factors I personally decided I wanted a Super Famicom. I'd have preferred a PAL Super Nintendo (I'm getting a mod for 50/60Hz switch anyway) but they are a bit more expensive and I'd rather spend that money on some games.
Thanks for reading. I'll try to update this blog whenever I have the time and I'm in a good mood, with my experiences in SNES collecting and its games in general.
Much like the Wii's Virtual Console, the inclusion of the Game Boy Player add-on makes the GameCube a fantastic way to re-discover many retro games. There's a pile of Super Mario Bros., Sonic The Hedgehog, and just about every other 8 and 16-bit mascot out there to be played and yet the sad fact is that the GameCube's standard controller just doesn't seem all that great for retro gaming. Sure many of us just get used to it, and admittedly the added bulk and lack of wires makes the it easy to love the WaveBird, but there's certainly many other options out there, some of which you may not have thought of.
The obvious choice is the Hori Digital Pad, also know as the Game Boy Player Controller. Generally speaking, this is the controller that all GB Player enthusiasts find a must-own. It's quite obvious that it's modeled quite liberally after the SNES pad. The size, shape and bulk are all very similar. The D-Pad is about the same size as well, which is a vast improvement over the GameCube's tiny D-Pad. The only thing that really differentiates it from the SNES pad is that the A, B, X and Y buttons all keep their GameCube layout. There's really nothing but good things to say about this one, except that its price-tag isn't for the faint of heart. Sadly because it was an import-only controller, and because Hori has a certain reputation, it's not uncommon for eBay auctions on one of these to hit triple digits.
Luckily Pellican ripped off Hori's fantastic design and made a far more affordable alternative called the GC Retro Pad. It's almost the same exact size and shape as the Hori, and keeps the same GameCube-style A, B, X and Y layout. It moves the Z-Button to the center, which is actually slightly more convenient than on the Hori in fact. The major difference is that the D-Pad uses a Sega Genesis style instead of the traditional Nintendo cross-style. Although the plastic that makes up the controller is noticeably cheaper quality, the controller itself actually works quite well, and the fact that it can be found for the price of four Hori Pads makes it even more appealing.
With a simple adapter called the Retro Port made available from http://RetroUSB.com you can actually just use a standard SNES controller. This option will be a bit more expensive than the Pellican pad, but it could certainly save you a bit if you want to avoid going the Hori route. It's hard to compete with the build-quality and layout-perfection of the original SNES pad, and considering the magnitude of SNES games ported to the GameCube, it's almost an obvious choice (though surprisingly it's an oft-overlooked solution it seems). The same site also sells a similar adapter for using a NES pad on the Cube as well, although seeing as how a NES pad only has two buttons this means that many GBA games won't be supported.
If you do decide to go the SNES-adapter route then you'll also have access to another pricey Hori import, this time in the form of the Super Game Boy Controller. This strange creature was also a Japan-only accessory and features a unique layout and buttons that actually feel directly ripped out of an original Game Boy. Although it's an impressive show-piece, it's also not quite as comfortable as a standard SNES pad, as it's actually quite a bit bulkier (maybe in tribute to the gray brick).
Speaking of adapters, PS2-to-GameCube controller adapters are actually quite cheap these days. A friend of mine does all of his retro Cubing using a PS1 controller and swears by it. It's easy to understand why as the PS1 controller certainly seems to have matured from the embryonic state of the SNES pad.
Of course that same cheapo PS2 adapter means you could also track down the MadCatz Retrocon, which has a bit of a cult-following for PS2 retro-gamers. It's quite obviously modeled after the classic NES pad, but incorporates elements of the PS2 pad as well. It's made from a rubbery molding which although small, is also pretty comfortable and even offers up two analog controllers as well. Impressive.
So that about wraps it up, although there may be other options out there that I haven't myself tried. Does anybody else know of any hidden gems when it comes to retro controllers on the Cube?
So, we made it. Our last episode of 2010 is here! We decided to do a little year in review episode complete with awards just as meaningful as the Spike VGAs! We have a little discussion and each of us has our viewpoint (as usual), but we also want your input on what you thought of this year in gaming! We didn't go the normal route of "Best game of the year", but once you check out our categories, we'd love to hear what you think about things. Did you agree? Disagree? Were we way off? Or do you have something else entirely that you think fits?
You can comment in the forums, comment in this blog post, e-mail us(!), and even call us(!!!). We hope to be able to take your quick questions over any subject via e-mail at podcast@rfgeneration.com. You can also call us and leave a message! We can play your question or comment in the episode and we'll even respond to it! That number is (318) RFG-TIP5 or (318) 734-8475.
Here is the forum thread to comment: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=10730.0
The podcast, as usual, can be found and subscribed at http://rfgeneration.podomatic.com as well as in iTunes!
The time has come after the busy holidays to get you guys some new content. I have posted a review about a DS game that I have just played beaten and shelved, look for that right here. Now with that in the bag it is time for another Interview with the People of RFGeneration. This time an Editor from across the pond in the UK steps up and takes his turn, none other than Ga5ket.
 Anton aka Ga5ket
Location: Nottinghamshire, UK
Where does your screen name come from?Back in my motorcycle days at university I had a bike that I blew 5 head gaskets in 3 weeks, hence the name
How did you find RFG?I hung around racketboy's forums for a while, but they didn't really understand the collecting obsession, and someone there mentioned RFG
What made you stay and become part of RFG? It's the first (and only site) that I've ever come across that caters properly for Euro releases. Every other site seems to list US releases with a small note about the Euro version. The community was an added bonus. Plus now I'm an editor it'd just be rude to leave at this point
Have you ever met or personally know anyone at RFG?Data and I work for different branches of the same company, and we've got together a few times
Basics
Number of Games Owned (at time of printing): 1694
Number of Games on Wishlist (at time of printing): 0, on RFG, but about 4000 on paper
Number of Systems: Including variations, 51
When did you start collecting? Not really sure about games, but I've collected something of one form or another most of my life
What was your first system you owned? Dragon 32. Dad bought it for me way back when, been programming and gaming ever since.
What was your first game? Probably Quest or Madness and the Minotaur
What was your first game you bought yourself (if different from above)? No idea, but it'd be for the Dragon
First game you ever beat? Franklin's Tomb on the Dragon. It's a text based adventure, and I remember my friend and I spending hours playing it.
Have you ever broken anything due to frustration from a game? Not that I remember
Interview
Are you collecting now, if so what anything specific? Bundled games & peripherals, but just about anything I find really
That is always a good thing because you can usually find a deal somewhere on something you like. When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?I've always collected, it just took a while to admit it
Yeah it is kind of like a habit, sometimes it takes time to realize what has happened  What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them? I'm aiming for a full set of Dragon games, although I can't see it ever happening. I have a passion for bundled games, i.e. ones that come with a controller or similar, so I'm picking those up as and when I find them
That is a pretty impressive goal, how many games, systems, etc. are "enough"?
I didn't realize that I had to have a limit?
Well no there is no limit, hey sometimes people finally realize we collector types have way to many games!  What's your proudest moment as a game collector? My longest serving friend donating his Dragon 32 to me, along with a ton of games
That is a true friend right there, anyone who donates games to a collector's cause is a true friend. What's your least proud moment as a game collector? Selling my original Dragon, back in the 90s
Where/how do you store it all? The media boxes and billy bookcase system from Ikea. I'm rapidly running out of space though, so I need to have a bit of a rethink
Ikea is a great place to pick up storage things like that. I really like the way you have things set up. What's your favorite part of your collection? The Dragon stuff (see a pattern emerging here?)
Yes, the pattern is a good thing though, it shows you have a passion and really enjoy that system.What about a favorite series?
Difficult one that. Probably PS1 era Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, Ratchet & Clank or Bioshock
Sorry that can be difficult. What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to gaming? Female characters in games. Nothing weird, or maybe it is! Given a choice between male and female I always pick female. No idea why.
No doubt, same here. And if there is a choice, I will always pick the dark sinister type that may not be on your side in the end. What would you like to improve in your collection? A proper stand up arcade cab, probably Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters. I loved that game back in the day
What game do you have the most nostalgia for?Sonic the Hedgehog 2
What is the most valuable part of your collection?I don't think there's anything especially valuable
What do you think was your best deal while game buying? ICO, original release with art cards. I found it in a charity shop for 3
Awesome, that is a great game BTW. What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for? Bioshock 2 Collector's edition. Bought it once at full price to keep sealed, and then again when I found it in a sale so I could enjoy the contents. I don't regret buying it, but I could have just waited and bought 2 copies at sale time
I have done similar things so don't feel bad. What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection? It's not a game, but it's related. It's a MGS4 Ga-Ko alarm clock. It quacks and shakes it's head.
That is sweet, although my wife would probably not like it What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have? SNES games. I think I only own about 4, but it was just never part of my scene growing up, so it doesn't have the same draw for me as say the Mega Drive or Master System
Really? Quite different from the last interview with bickman who was crazy about his SNES. Diversity makes us who we are! Is there any way you'd ever stop collecting? Death or financial crisis maybe?
Do you have a funny story about your collection? Not that I can think of
Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like? Not really, been here 15 or so years now, I guess it's grown mostly during that time
That is probably a good thing, it is difficult to move and people really don't understand what it means to be gentle with totes full of games. If your significant other told you no more games, what would you do? Never happen. She buys them for me too. She bought me a 320Gb PS3 a couple of months ago because she knew that the limited space on the original 40Gb one (that she bought me) was winding me up. In fact thinking about it, she's bought all my PlayStation consoles.
Sounds like you have a keeper! What percentage of your games are still sealed? Less than 1%.
What percentage of your game have you actually played? Completed? Probably about 20% max, sadly
Do you own any complete collections (every game for a certain system)? No, and I don't think I ever will. I only (usually) buy games that I intend to play, so no Barney for me
Actually, that's not quite true, I'm attempting a sealed collection of Tiger Game.com just cuz
Well, Barney can be fun according to bickman, he revealed later in undisclosed notes of the interview he plays it frequently.... Anyways, I am the evil interviewer with these questions....
What is your favorite game of all time (Top 5 if you need to)?Original Tomb Raider, Ratchet & Clank, Bioshock, Gran Turismo, MGS4 in no particular order
Least Favorite? Halo. Not generally a fan of FPS or online multiplayer. Can't see what all the fuss is about. Let the flaming commence.
The funny thing is, I have Halo, but I also don't like FPS as much. I have never played it online and barely made it past the first stages without regretting turning it on.
Others
Do you collect anything else besides games? SF Books, over 1200 and still counting. Records, mainly metal & 80s. Gaming memorabilia.
Sweet, metal rocks What do you outside of games? Time with the family, camping (UK style), hiking
Do I need to ask what UK style of camping is??? Finally, what other features would you like to see more of at RFG (Example: Reviews, Articles, Interviews, Previews, etc)? As we're a retro community I'd like to see more reviews. We've got some really good bloggers now, and the quality of stuff they're putting out is great. More I say! Oh, and image submissions.
Agree, Reviews and image submissions, non-stolen images ahem, would be great. Lastly, do you have a question for the next interview?If you had to give a part of your collection away for a worthy cause what part would it be, and why?
Sweet look for that question coming up in the new interview. Thanks for your time! Below you can find Antons RFG Collection.
Click the banner below to check out more of Antons, collection, RFG Profile and many more picture of his awesome collection.
And on a last note, the end of the year is approaching quickly, make sure you add a few more submissions to get your yearly total just that tad bit higher! And always I am open to suggestions/comments and everything else. Please let me know via PM or email if you are interested in being interviewed. Thanks again!
 Fossil FightersPlatforms:Nintendo DS, DSi Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Red Entertainment Release Date: August 10th 2009 Genre: RPG Number of Players: 1-2 ERSB Rating: E for Mild Fantasy Violence, Crude Humor
Overview
On the outside, Fossil Fighters sounds surprisingly similar to a Pokemon copycat, but after "digging" a little deeper I found it more enjoyable than Nintendo's other monster battler. I found hectic and addicting as you find new fossils and begin cleaning them with a drill and hammer. If you do it satisfactory then you are rewarded with a new fossil or parts to an existing making them stronger. Sounds like it would kind of on the childish side? True, but the elements of side quests and a love interest or two in the game is exactly what it needs to appeal to the older generation as well.
Story
The game starts by you going to an island, Vivosaur Island to be exact, to do some digging, cleaning and fighting! Kind of a weak story as you meet characters along the way in the likes of Dr. Diggins, BB Bandits, a crazy guy that shakes his hips as well as a few ladies, even some strange human-like race. The story was good, not great but really wasn't a huge deal to me as I was more inclined to go after new fossils and have some more battles than really progress through the story. I actually put more hours into the game after I beat the story and decided to work on my side quests and Fossil collection.
Game Play
Game play can be split up into two different areas. The first is collecting fossils. You use a sonar which beeps when you are near fossils on the top screen of the DS to give you a general location for the buried treasure. Then it is simply wonder over and throw your pick-axe into the ground and bingo. Sometimes you may have to battle a person to get your treasure. But we can touch on that later. You can also find jewels or other rare fossils which can be sold once cleaned.
After digging a few fossils up, take em back and clean them using the stylus as a pointer. Hammer at first then the drill to clean up gently. I almost feel like a dentist after completing this part of the game
This was probably the most entertaining part of the game for me as you could always increase the strength of your "Vivosaur" by cleaning the fossil better.
The second part of the game play was the battles you take on. Some mandatory, others were not. Each player is sized up with the three vivosaurs you take into battle, and the weaker of the two players gets first turn. Status effects can come into play during battle and also attack/defense effects that each vivosaur has. Each team has different combos and can make for a pretty good time experimenting.
Sound and Graphics
Overall the sound wasn't terrible. But I am used to playing more RPG's and getting good composing etc so I think that is why it didn't really stand out to me as much. Most of the time I had it turned off and had other music on. The graphics are not good. I wasn't impressed with them at all and if you do compare it to Pokemon, you will be saddened to find out Pokemon had a large advantage. I read a review about it before and it said, "The art on the box is way, way more impressive than what you're going to get in-game. " and I would have to agree.
Trivia
Released in April of 2008 in Japan under the name Bokura wa Kasekihorida which means "We are Fossil Diggers"
Sequel also released in Japan in 2010 under the name Super Kasekihorida
Idea was thought of in 2004, and started being developed in 2005.
IGN didn't like the game much and gave it 5.3 while Gamespot gave it 7.5.
Closing
Overall I really enjoyed this game a ton. Sure it may be a little like Pokemon and the graphics may struggle slightly but it still was a blast. I spent over 57 hours playing through and still didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to. I may or may not pick it up again later but I am hoping the sequel heads on over seas for us to enjoy. Adults and kids alike can pick this up and really enjoy it.
(Trivia courtesy of Wikipedia, Screenshots from IGN, Gamespot, RFGeneration.)
In 1988, NEC released the $400 PCE-CD (or TurboGrafx-CD, in North America) without any included titles. Buyers needed to drop an additional hefty sum to actually play some games on the thing, and many probably opted for the premiere title in a series that would go on to be one of the most loved of all time.
If Fighting Street was any indication, CD-based systems and the Street Fighter series should have been dead in the water.
Fighting Street is a particularly bad example of the one on one fighting genre prior to their golden age period in the arcades of the early 1990s. Though the game included some of the same features that would go on to help define its sequels, the basic core components - gameplay, graphics, and sound - are all extremely rough compared to what would be accomplished just a few years later. Even when considered in context, the game was a mess.
As a launch game for the first CD-based console, there are several things worth pointing out:
The game included "high quality" CD-audio. One of the most marketable features of CDs was their ability to include higher quality music than would be possible with sound chips. Superior audio fidelity was driving CD sales in the music industry, and held promise for the gaming industry as well. Fighting Street does feature sound that is marginally better than most of the PCE's Hu-Card based games, but as it is emulating the soundtrack from an arcade machine, there is not the huge jump that some might expect. Of course the CD format would also become known in gaming for introducing voice acting. Voice acting is also included here, in a way. There is one recorded voice. Win or lose, a poorly recorded Japanese voice SLOWLY speaks the English words you see on the screen. Every time. You will hear this voice about every two minutes, which means that after an hour you have listened to it 30 times. Give a listen here around 2 minutes and again around 3:55.
The game actually had bearable loading times. One thing that plagued many later CD systems such as the Sega CD and 3DO were atrocious loading times. Even the fighters on SNK's Neo Geo CD suffered from long loads. Not so with Fighting Street. While the game does have some loading (usually to cue up the spoken voice), there's no waiting for more than 5 seconds or so between screens.
The game should have been packaged with a six button controller. The arcade version of the game used two buttons, and the intensity of a punch or kick was based on how long you held down the button. That set up was translated to the PCE-CD, but it just doesn't work as well as a 6-button set up might. In addition, the standard d-pad is poorly suited to this kind of game. I personally found myself fighting the controls more than my opponent, which is never something that bodes well for a game in this genre.
There was no ability to save. Feature-wise, this was one of the biggest surprises of the game. The PCE-CD had the ability to save game data on internal RAM, something that even later CD systems often neglected. The ability to save progress, high scores, settings, or other features could have highlighted this strength of the system. Opportunity lost.
The game was not good. I've made it a point to try and not do much in the way of reviews in this blog, instead focusing on specific novel features of the games I've addressed. For this game though, I feel I can make an exception: avoid paying any money for this. The bad controls and irritating sound are features that - while bad separately - really ruin the game when experienced together. It is a small miracle that the PCE-CD went on to have some of the best games of the era, and that Street Fighter would go on to the success it found. There's little here to promote the CD medium over carts/cards, and even less to encourage people to play fighters on the PCE-CD.
For the final month of 2010 the Together Retro game club at http://racketboy.com decided to travel all the way back to 1980 for the arcade classic Tempest. On first look Tempest seems overly simple with it's vector graphics and small color palette. But once you start to play the game you realize that it was actually rather ahead of its time. To start with the game is a Tube Shooter in which you pilot a ship that can actually rotate 360 degrees around the outside of the tube and fire into the vanishing point from where enemies materialize. Surprisingly the vector graphics really do create an impressive 3D feel once you submerge yourself into the game, although admittedly you really have to use your imagination to make anything out of the enemy shapes. As primitive as the whole thing appears, this game is certainly one for the hardcore. It is by no means simple, and requires constant shooting and dodging. When I first started playing the game I would often see GAME OVER in under a minute. However once you put some time into learning the nuances of the gameplay things start to make a certain sense. I can only imagine the quarters that were sunk into the arcade original while attempting to make sense of Tempest.
 
In 2002 Tempest was ported to the Game Boy Advance as part of the wonderful Atari Anniversary Advance compilation. The GBA version looks and sounds great, and is almost arcade-perfect in execution. Of course there's one glaring omission from the GBA release: the rotary controller. My original plan was to purchase the Vaus rotary controller that was package with the NES version of Arkenoid and use it with the NES-to-GameCube controller adapter sold by http://retrousb.com. However, after doing a bit of research it became apparent that this would not work correctly due to some complicated analog stuff that I don't even fully understand. Having said that, I did get rather good at the game using a Hori pad. I did also test out using a GameCube steering wheel as an alternative to the rotary controller. Though the steering wheel didn't offer full 360 degrees freedom, it did have a certain arcade-style feel to it.
 
Though the lack of rotary control is too bad, there is an exceptionally cool feature present in the GBA port of Tempest. If you hit the Select button the screen will actually rotate to display in a landscape presentation that actually represents the aspect-ratio of the original arcade cab. Now perhaps that was just a novelty on the Game Boy Advance hardware, but if you're playing it on a Game Boy Player and using a monitor that you can actually turn on its side, then this is actually pretty amazing.
I should also mention that although the original Tempest has lots of sound effects, it is devoid of music during gameplay. If this bothers you at all then I have an excellent solution to offer up. In 1994 Tempest was remade as Tempest 2000 on the Atari Jaguar. The game is generally considered the absolute best game in the Jaguar catalog, and high on its list of credentials is its wonderful soundtrack. The Tempest 2000 soundtrack features a great mix of stereotypically awesome 90's techno, and it's also still easily available. There's something really great about playing an 80's arcade game while listening to 90's rave music made for a shooter imagining the year 2000.
Even after a playing for a month I can hardly say I've mastered this game. But I do think it's a lot of fun, and can see myself playing it fairly often in the near future. Though I definitely got a lot better after a month of practice 77,380 is the best I could do. But there's much to be said for the fact that I loved every moment, no matter how difficult it was.
Welcome to a new edition of People of RFGeneration, formally written up by Izret, I would like to thank him for the chance to revive an old tradition into something more regular. You will notice these are longer and take a fair amount of time to get put together. I hope you take a chance to read them over when they are put up so you can learn more about some of the people of RFG!
First up on my list was a recommendation as well as an obvious choice, bickman2k, a director here at RFG. Read up and see what we can learn about him!
 Adam aka bickman2k
Preview
Location: Olathe, KS (near Kansas City)
Where does your screen name come from? For that story, we have to look to the future. All the way, to the year 2000...
How did you find RFG? I was using IGN to track my collection. At the time, that was mostly GameCube titles, but was quickly growing to include the NES, Genesis, among others. I was running in to more and more titles that just weren't on the IGN list. I began my search for something new and RF Generation was on the list of things to try.
What made you stay and become part of RFG? At first, I was using RF Generation as a test for tracking my collection along with an Excel sheet, Access database, Collectorz.com, and Cart Commander. I could never get the software stuff to look just the way I wanted it to. With the additions and submission system to the database, I know that my collection will always have every game in. I've never really been in to posting on forums because I felt like I was late to the party and could never get involved. At first, I sort of felt the same way (on my end, of course), but once I started posting more consistently, I realized that this is a community I really wanted to be a part of. It's really the only forum I'm constantly active on.
Have you ever met or personally know anyone at RFG? I have not, but I'm sure if Funk_Buddy ever wanted to meet, we could make it happen! I periodically check the member map, but for some reason, things didn't click until we got connected on Facebook.
Basics
Number of Games Owned (at time of printing): Including variations (hi Tynstar!): over 2200
LoL @ Tynstar comment. Number of Games on Wishlist (at time of printing): 0. The reason for this is that I rarely do much game buying/trading/selling over the Internet. Or I could cop out and say that anything that's not on my owned list is on my wish list.
Number of Systems: Including variations: over 50
When did you start collecting? Growing up, we had the NES and SNES, but when we moved on to the next system, my parents sold the older ones or we traded them in to get games for the new console. Once we hit the N64, we kept it. I was given a GameCube for high school graduation by my then-girlfriend, but didn't dump the N64 (maybe a game or two). I went off to college and loved playing GameCube games, but I had always played games on emulators (NES and SNES mostly). I was getting the itch to start getting the old games again. So, I started calling old friends and neighbors to see if they had their stuff sitting in a closet. Eventually, I got to the point of being on the hunt. I'd say the hook was successfully planted in the summer of 2003.
What was your first system you owned? The first system I personally purchased was a PlayStation from my best friend (who is now my brother-in-law).
What was your first game? I have vague memories of Major League Baseball on Intellivision, but I really remember Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt.
What was your first game you bought yourself (if different from above)? Taking out birthday presents where I could go choose a game, I'd probably have to say Super Punch-Out!!
What made you decide to buy that particular game? I enjoyed playing Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! on the NES at my neighbors' house when I was younger.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is a classic. First game you ever beat? First one I can remember is finishing all levels on both games on Donkey Kong Classics for the NES.
Have you ever broken anything due to frustration from a game? Nope.
Interview
Are you collecting now, if so what anything specific? My collecting has slowed, but I still enjoy the hunt. I just can't hunt as much as I used to. Hopefully things will change that will allow me to get back in to the swing of things.
When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector? I think that goes back to the summer of 2003 again. I've always enjoyed playing games, but it was that summer when things really took off.
What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them? I don't really have set goals for my collecting purposes aside from "get them all". I really find all games to be interesting. There are plenty of people out there that like to focus on one thing or another. I don't think I could restrain myself like that.
How many games, systems, etc. are "enough"? Again, all of them... The greatest thing about collecting is that no one can define when you're done.
What's your proudest moment as a game collector? Probably the day I realized that I had over 2000 games. There are a lot of milestones that a collector will hit. I think it starts with 10, then 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and so on by thousands on up. It seems to get easier to hit milestones once you're already getting that high. It is harder to store it all though...
2000 is a lot of games, I doubt I will ever reach that! What's your least proud moment as a game collector? After entering my collection, realizing that I have 2 boxed (maybe CIB) copies of Barney for the Genesis. Why? WHY?!?
I am at a loss for words, Barney? Honestly Barney?Remember, he loves you! Anways, where/how do you store it all? We have a small house right now, so there's obviously no room to store it all at home. I have my PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, and GameCube games that I'll play on a shelf. I also have the PS2 SingStar games at home since you can play them through the PS3 SingStar version. There is a small collection of NES, SNES, and Genesis games as well. Everything else is in a storage unit.
What's your favorite part of your collection? Probably my SNES collection. I remember some gaming on the NES, but my favorite memories are on SNES games. Although I really do love my collection of non-game gaming collectibles.
SNES did bring some good quality collection stuff, I agree with you there. What about a favorite series? Overall, it has to be the Mario series. There are a lot of series where there is a game or two that I really enjoy, but the body of work across the entire Mario series is hard to beat.
Again, I am going to agree with you. The Brothers have brought many a good time. What is the most valuable part of your collection? I'd say my SNES collection, specifically my SNES RPGs. Lots of CIB goodness.
What would you like to improve in your collection? Probably my SNES collection. I have a lot of games for it, but there are just so many more that I either used to have and want to get again or never got to play and would like to try.
I am seeing a trend, you like your SNES! What do you think was your best deal while game buying? Tengen Tetris for $5 or my free model 2 NES.
Wowzer, that is dandy of a deal. What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for? Please make me feel better about these: CIB Jaguar with all original packing material, bags, cords, and Cybermorph for $100 and Virtual Boy with 10 or 11 games, books for games and system, and hard plastic Blockbuster rental case for $100. I still think I may have paid too much for them, but I had never seen them around here before. As I mentioned, I don't purchase much from the Internet. I had also just been paid for doing some computer work, so it was extra money, which makes overpaying a little bit easier.
What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection? Batter-Up for Genesis. For those who don't know, it's a motion-sensing baseball bat that you played baseball games with.
That was ahead of its' time by a few years huh?! What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have? Well, I'm seeing that I have a manual, but no copy of Tetris for Game Boy. Yes, it's true.
That is strange, even I have that Is there any way you'd ever stop collecting? The only way I'd stop collecting would be if we had a severe financial crisis and I had to have a massive sell-off. I just don't think I could go through it all again if that happened.
Do you have a funny story about your collection? It's funny now because I could have saved myself $50. Summer of 2003, I'm working at a golf course and my best friend calls me. They are having a garage sale and they have a Genesis, Sega CD, 32X, and a bunch of games for sale. As you can imagine, $50 for it all. I get up there and purchase the whole bundle from his sister who was there. As I mentioned above, my best friend is now my brother-in-law as well. Yes, I bought my first Genesis, Sega CD, and 32X from my future wife.
Ha! That is funny, although I think I would have asked to take her out to dinner and call it even Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like? Yes. It's... not done yet. We were living with my wife's mom and stepdad for about a year before we bought our house. It was nice because we had a storage room there that we could use. Since we weren't forced out, we moved gradually, but my games stayed there because we simply didn't have the room to keep them at home. A few months ago, we got a storage unit that's closer to the house. So, I cleared out my collection entirely and as we moved things from the old location to the new, they had a stop at our house to be entered online. I'm almost done!
Sounds like a good way to go, I would be so scared to put stuff in a storage unit though. I guess I need my stuff where I can go see it and go through it! If your significant other told you no more games, what would you do? I'd laugh nervously, then wait for her to say "April Fools!" She's somewhat a gamer, too. Loves SingStar, Rock Band, and Sonic the Hedgehog (the good 2-D one).
That is good, "Couples who play together, Stay together"! What percentage of your games are still sealed? Less than 5%.
What percentage of your game have you actually played? Completed? I have no idea. It gets hard to play through an entire game (especially newer titles) when you have a kid and responsibilities and all that adult-type stuff.
Do you own any complete collections (every game for a certain system)? No, but I'm only one game away from Virtual Boy (Jack Bros.).
I am the evil interviewer with these questions....
What is your favorite game of all time (Top 5 if you need to)? I'd have to say Earthbound. If I ever fire up an emulator on a PSP or my phone, Earthbound is usually the first to get a playthrough. Really, there are so many games that I consider favorites, that the top is sort of an amorphous blob with Earthbound on top.
I would say I like your choice, although I don't own it, I remember playing it through at a friends house and totally loving it. Least Favorite? I've never played them, but, Ubisoft, please, PLEASE stop making the "Somethingz" series. Seriously? "Babyz"? "Horsez"? Let's stop this.
I agree, all those Ubisoft releases are really annoying when it comes to adding to the Database especially.
Others
Do you collect anything else besides games? I am growing into a LaserDisc collector. They are an interesting beast. We first started getting them because the art was very cool. Way better than a narrow VHS cover art and it's GIGANTIC! Mostly started with Disney titles with the intent of using them as decoration, but then I came home with a haul of 60-70 that I picked up for $10 and this past summer I got a working player!
That is interesting thing to share, I am sure most people here didn't know that you collected them. What do you outside of games? Mostly spend time with my family. I also enjoy golfing.
Golf? You need to think of a hobby, golf isn't even a sport?! Just messing! Well, I'm also trying to teach myself some more advanced web programming languages and programming for Android.
Finally, what other features would you like to see more of at RFG (Example: Reviews, Articles, Interviews, Previews, etc)? I really enjoy all of the articles that are written by everyone on the site. I really hope that the interviews take off because I really enjoy being able to learn about everyone on the site. You can pick up things in the forums, but a user-focused article lets everyone get a really good grasp on where they are coming from. The review articles are great, again, because each one is different. The topics may include similar items, but the viewpoint and experience is what sets each one apart. I also enjoy reading the finds blog entries because it's quite interesting to see just what kind of things are being found elsewhere in the country. I do get somewhat jealous because nothing cool tends to make it here...
Thanks for your time! Below you can find Adam's Gamercard and RFG Collection.
I am open to suggestions/comments and everything else. Please let me know via PM or email if you are interested in being interviewed. Thanks again!
A while back a friend of mine sent me a link for an old issue of Pocket Games that he found on eBay. Of course I'm a huge fan of books and magazines with a heavy Game Boy focus, so I made a lowball offer and ended up with a copy. As it turns out Pocket Games was actually a semi-yearly release by the staff of EGM. This Summer/Fall 1999 issue is presumably the first one, and is focused completely on the Game Boy Color, though later issues would branch out and cover various handheld systems. The more I've flipped through it in the past few months, the more I've realized how great a magazine it was.
 
Though their reviews aren't extremely in-depth, they seem to be more honest and insightful than other multi-console magazines of the same time. This of course makes sense as at the time most video game magazines were interested in the sort of powerful graphics that would come from disc-based mediums and generally seemed to consider the cartridge a dying breed. However Pocket Games rather fairly compared GBC releases to other GBC releases rather than their console big brothers. But what's nice is that they also didn't sugar coat anything as Game Boy fanboys either. This particular issue finds them ripping apart Midway's GBC ports of Mortal Kombat 4 and NFL Blitz, but also pointing out the fine work that both Konami and Capcom had done with similarly challenging ports ultimately showing Midway as a bit lazy in learning the GBC's new and improved hardware.
This particular issue also features a fifteen-page strategy guide for Pokemon Yellow, which actually sort of led to me finally seeing what was so enjoyable about the series. Though I've never been a huge fan, I decided that I'd follow the walkthrough included here and see what all the hype was really about. Since then I've played other games in the series, but Yellow (so far) remains a favorite of mine, as it has a certain streamlined quality to it, especially when compared to Red and Blue. But I digress, the point is that in this day and age of in-game walkthroughs and FAQs for every game being only a Google-search away, it's refreshing to instead have a dozen or so pages of in-depth help and wonderful pictures to just get you started in a game. Rather than showing you every last secret, these sort of walkthroughs were more for helping the player get sucked into a vast game. It reminds me of the early days of Nintendo Power, which is nice.
 
This issue also features list of Pocket Games' Top 50 Games, which features both Game Boy and Game Boy Color releases. The list is actually pretty interesting, as the first thirty titles have full paragraph blurbs explaining their inclusion on the list, and the magazine was even thoughtful enough to include import-only titles as well. Though reprinting the entire list here would be a bit much, but for the curious here's their top ten as of Summer 1999:
1. Pokemon Red/Pokemon Blue
2. The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
3. Tetris/Tetris DX
4. Metroid II: The Return Of Samus
5. Wario Land II
6. Donkey Kong
7. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
8. Final Fantasy Legend (series)/Final Fantasy Adventure
9. Super Mario Land (series)
10. Mega Man (series)
The back cover features a great Capcom advertisement for their then upcoming releases. The ad shows cover art for 1942, Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, Ghost'N Goblins and most interestingly the unreleased port of Resident Evil that GBC fans were so excited about. Though Capcom would eventually release the amazing original game Resident Evil Gaiden, this promised demake of the first Resident Evil never saw the light of day. How awesome is that cover though?
 
Also of interest is this particular review of the Hyper Zoom by Interact. Though the accessory itself is hardly worth noting, the picture of it is. Notice that the Game Boy Color seems to be running a version of the Sega Genesis RTS game Herzog Zwei. This picture drove me nuts and sent me on a crazy Google mission to find any mention of a planned GBC port of the game, but alas not even a passing mention could be found. It's a fair guess that for whatever reason the editors just decided to use a random screen in the picture, though it still seems odd to me that they wouldn't use a random screen from a GBC game instead!
 
This first issue is still the only one that I have, though I do plan to start keeping my eyes peeled for others. I'm not quite sure how many issues were actually published, but I can find proof of at least an Issue #17 being released in the Spring of 2005. Are there any avid readers of this magazine out there? Any favorite issues or features in particular?
Continue reading Unloved #22: UN Squadron
I've been playing through a GBA shmup lately called World Reborn. The game is actually a really intriguing mix of not only shooting, but also RPG elements as well. Although Namco's Sigma Star Saga was a rather brilliant merging of similar genres, I never found it all that great of a game personally. But World Reborn just seems to get everything right.
First of all as a horizontal shmup, it plays well. The controls are good, the music is excellent, the graphics are a throwback to golden-age 16-bit shooters, the power-ups are plenty and the bullets are from hell. Though it's not up to the perfection of say Iridion II, it basically offers up everything a fan of retro shmups could want.
 
On the RPG side of things you have several pilots to choose from for each level, and each can select which ship to take. Each ship and pilot have different stats that can be leveled up each time they're used. This adds an interesting depth to the game because you can choose to stick with one pilot and one ship and just max them out, or create a strategy to level up more than one for more balance in differently-suited levels. Maybe it's going a bit overboard to say that World Reborn is also an RPG though. If anything it's actually a bit closer to a visual novel. Between levels dialogue-heavy cut-scenes propel the story forward, but the level-route isn't linear. Instead you can choose which level to go to next in a sort of choose-your-own-adventure fork-in-the-road kind of way.
 
To say that World Reborn must be tried by all GBA shmup fans is an understatement. However, here's where the game's major problem comes up: it was never released. Although a 100% finished game exists, the game never actually made it to retail. This is majorly sad, and it's my hope that bringing awareness of this fantastic game into light could perhaps rectify this. With wonderful outlets like Homebrew Heaven out there, it would seem that even a limited run of this game would be a belated gift for GBA enthusiasts out there such as we.
So here's everything I know from googling and pulling bits of the developer's defunct website up using http://archive.org's Wayback Machine:
The game was designed by a development group known as NeoPong. As far as I can tell, this is the only finished title that this particular team created. Presumably they own the rights to the game as their website actually officially hosted a free download of the ROM at a time. The game was to be published by Destination Software, who is probably better known as DSI Games who was also responsible for publishing the GBA port of R-Type III. I can't seem to find any history of why the game was canceled though, so it's unknown if Destination retained any rights.
From my research I believe this is the full team of NeoPong:
Charles Galyor - lead designer/president
Robert Dean - lead programmer
Kirby Thornton - programmer
Bertrand Dupuy - artist
Eric Stamm - musician
If anybody happens to know any of these guys, I'd love to know more of the story behind the abandonment of World Reborn. I think it would be amazing if there could be even a small release of this game to finally see itself materialize in cartridge form. I suppose the biggest factor would be determining if the demand exists for such a release, though.
Hopefully this is the start of a strong come back for the People of RFGeneration! As in the past things have changed and am sure will continue to do so in the future. After this Paully3433 will be taking the lead. I appreciate his assistance in bringing back the series!
This installment is all about Paully3433. I figured he might as well get the spotlight since he is going to be writing it from here on out. Interviewing yourself might be a bit awkward...
Also in keeping with an unintentional tradition this interview is longer than previous ones.
Let me/him know what you think of the new and improved PoRFG. Also please do not hesitate to help us come up with new ideas/questions for future installments.
Alright so without further delay...Holy hell I just* noticed how long it has been since the last one!...
THE INTERVIEW!
General
How did you find RFGeneration?
I actually found RFG while being active in a Union on Gamespot. Some of the collectors I was friends with used RFG to keep track of their collections.
What made you join?
RFG seemed like a good community with tons of potential, and it was exactly what I was looking for.
What made you stay?
I stayed because I liked the way the Database was set up. I used to use Gamespot and IGN to track my collection, but it wasn't fulling me needs.
How did you come up with your username?
My username is just a name that I used to use for almost everything computer related way back in High School. So I just left it and made things easier.
Have you met or personally know any of the other members of the website?
I have not met any, although Tondog and Oatbob live within an hour or so from me.
Are you an active collector? If so anything specific?
Yeah I am actively collecting when my income allows me too Mostly RPG's and strategy games. I am trying to find some of the stuff I played when I was younger, NES and Genesis games mostly.
Whats your favorite game or series? Why?
That is, as it would be for most collectors, incredibly difficult to answer. The Final Fantasy series is pretty high up there for me. Others worth mentioning would be: Dragon Warrior/Quest, Wild Arms, Suikoden, Gran Turismo, Grandia, Lunar, Crash, and Spyro, off the top of my head. Otherwise anything Atlus, NIS or Square.
What are your passions?
Passions in collecting or otherwise? In collecting the goal is to get the games I played when I was younger, as well as the RPGs for the systems I have. Otherwise my family is my passion, I love them dearly and if it came to it, would give up my games in a heartbeat for them.
What do you do outside of RFG?
Anyways, I work as a Mason, which means I can lay block, brick and stone, as well as pour concrete. For fun, I fish/hunt, play sports, take the kids to park and just be outside. It really is amazing I find time to do what I can at RFG.
Specific
Your collection(and wishlist) is VERY RPG heavy. Do you have a favorite kind?
Hrm tough one there..... I love Turn-Based RPGs, that is why the Final Fantasy Series got me hooked into RPGs. I also am big fan of Diablo or Baldur's Gate type of games.
What makes you gravitate towards that style?
I seem to like the chance to plan out an attack. Some of the newer RPGs run in active mode and that turns me off a little. I like to think and the chance to perform a devastating combo.
What is your most valuable collection item?
Man, you make this hard If I had to choose one, I guess it would be my sealed copy of SMT: Digital Devil Saga Deluxe Box Set. Value wise it isn't extremely high, but sentimental value came when it came in the mail the same day as my daughter was born. So I doubt I will ever get rid of it. I have an opened normal version so I can play through it as well
What is your most prized part of your collection?
I like my Sega CDX system personally. Sounds dumb but ah well. Not everyone has one of those right? Another cool thing I have is a trunk that has Mario on two sides and Zelda on the other two. Very cool storage box and has gotta be rare.
What do you feel is the most unique(strangest or weirdest) item in your collection?
Up until a few months ago, I had a Ghaleon Hand puppet from one of the Lunar games. But I ended up selling it since it was taking up space I didn't have. Now I would say the SMT: Devil Summoner 2 for PS2 Doll thing that came with it. Kinda creepy looking!
What item(s) do you not own that might surprise people?
The only "Next-Gen" systems I have are a DS Lite and a PSP Slim. I do not have a PS3, Wii, or 360 and may not get any of them for sometime. My true colors are old school RPGs and not this new crap Graphics are good but not something that I need.
What has been your proudest moment in collecting thus far?
Just the fact that I keep my games in great condition and for the most part, have original versions and not Greatest Hits. I am proud of that. When I get something Mint, I intend to keep it Mint.
Your most embarrassing?
I don't really have anything to embarrassing, once and awhile I will buy a game I have already. I feel crappy when I find a game on sale that I just bought, that's embarrassing.
GAMING FIRSTS
What was the first game/system you played and how old were you?
The first system I played was an Atari 2600 that my uncle had. As for the first game, probably Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back or Asteroids, I don't remember for sure.
First console owned?
The first system I owned was Christmas of 1988 when I got the NES bundle with Super Mario/Duck Hunt Combo, I was 5
First game you bought yourself?
Gosh I don't remember for sure. I do remember begging my mom to let me spend my money on "NES Play Action Football" at Shopko. $50 for that was a rip off wowzer!
What made you decide to buy that particular game?
If I remember right, I think I rented it for $.50 at a store in town. Thought it was cool and wanted it. Like I said that was like 20 years ago
First game you beat?
Super Mario Brothers for NES
First time you wanted to destroy something because of a game?
That has been many times, many many times.... specifically I remember played Warcraft III for PC and getting so mad I through my disc out my bedroom window. Another time I remember my friend beating me on the Power Pad in Track and Field for NES. You know the running and jumping off the pad quick trick during long jump? I was so bad I refused to play that with him for weeks lol.
First game to surprise you?(by being better than you expected)
Dark Cloud for PS2 was a huge surprise for me. May not have been the first but probably the one that stands out to me. That game combined great gameplay with some cool concepts. RPG to City Building, what a great idea?
First game to disappoint you?
Remember that NES Play Action Football" story? Can we stop there again for a visit? I should have just stuck with Tecmo Bowl..... Others to disappoint were Unlimited Saga for PS2 and Final Fantasy X-2 for PS2. Both huge Square let downs for me.
Hopefully this has shed some more light on Paully for you guys He has been here for 2 years and a couple months now. While he hasn't been super vocal on the boards or blogs he is definitely an integral part of our community doing quite a bit of work "behind the scenes".
Much thanks again Paully for taking the torch. Looking forward to the next installment of this series!!
* This was actually started in/around May...
It pains me to end my part in the series but obviously I have let it flounder into near oblivion :-/. Did I already mention I am really looking forward to future interviews?
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Posted on Dec 2nd 2010 at 12:43:15 AM by ( noiseredux) Posted under news |
I would never use this blog as a means of plugging an auction under normal circumstances, but the Racketboy forum is currently hosting a charity auction to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Seeing as how we video game collectors are adults that are often attempting to hang on to a happy childhood through our hobby, it's important to remember the children who aren't making such happy memories. If you head over to the Racketboy forums you can take a look at the full auction details. The auction thread is here: http://racketboy.com/foru...iewtopic.php?f=15&t=26581
Fans of the Game Boy Player Land blog may want to check out Lot #162 (pictured above):
162. noiseredux's Growing Lot of GB/GBC/GBA Stuff
Amazing Spider-Man (GB), Antz Extreme Racing (GBA), Asteroids (GBC), Baseball (GB), Bionic Commando Elite Forces (GBC), Mortal Kombat II (GB), Solar Striker (GB), Star Wars Attack Of The Clones (GBA), Star Wars Trilogy Apprentice Of The Force (GBA), boxed GB Printer (feed drive seems jammed?), GB Printer paper (sealed), Nintendo Winter 2002 catalog (GCN/GBA), Pokemon Gold Japanese box & manual only, Purple GBC replacement case, 13 GB cartridge cases, 9 GB/GBC/GBA manuals, GBA SP box, Dialhex box, handful of possibly non-working GB games AND WHATEVER ELSE I CAN FIND TO INCLUDE
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