RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.




Posted on Sep 1st 2013 at 08:57:18 AM by (ReddMcKnight)
Posted under Trading, Story

Greetings, friends and readers. Today, I bring you a not-so-fun tale...a tale of a disgusting habit, regret, and re-acquisition. Listen...

NOTE: This is a true story. Those of you with weak constitutions may want to turn back now.

Trading Video Games...a disgusting, dark, messed up habit that may bring many problems. Why? Here's why...

Sometime back, I had an Atari Jaguar with the works. What are the works? A working CD Unit, several great games, lots of memorabilia, and then some. I loved that thing even more than my NES for a time. I played it by myself most of the time, but sometimes, I would hook it to my capture card, and play games for the users here, and for the users of AtariAge. I had a blast with it, plain and simple.

So what went wrong? Real life got in the way. I was short on money, and I needed it to live, as we all do. I had sold/traded games before to live, and as such, trading and selling them became a bad habit. I eventually started doing it just for thrills. I don't know how it got so out of control, it just did.

However, I eventually managed to break the habit, but then I needed money again. Sad as it was, I had to sell my precious Jaguar, and everything that went with it. This saddened me. Not only did my disgusting habit rear it's ugly head again, but now I no longer had the device that provided me with endless hours of fun.

Perhaps that sounds strange to you all, considering most people hate the thing, but as I'm sure you all know (and agree), everyone has they're own opinion on what fun is.

Well, fast forward to now, about 2 years later (or so, I wasn't counting), I found a Jaguar with the works in the local Retro Game Store. To make it mine, I have agreed with the owner to pay Layaway on it. As of this writing, I am about 150 Dollars away from the prize.

Despite needing money, I ultimately regretted giving the thing up. I learned a harsh lesson through all this: If I need money that bad, I will sell a more common console, or find some odd jobs to do. I am a Freelancer after all.

So here is some advice for you all: If you have a game you truly love, and appreciate, something that has done it's job and given you a fun, entertaining experience, KEEP IT. Never let it go for anything. You WILL be sorry. Take my word for it. To this day, my habit still rears it's ugly head once in a while, trying to make my gaming life harder. That being said, I will continue trying to break said habit.

Thanks for reading.

P.S.
Once again, this is a true story. If you think it's a pathetic one though, keep it to yourself. I don't need the criticism right now. Thank you.



Posted on Aug 31st 2013 at 11:32:26 AM by (GamerNick)
Posted under Collecting, NES, PAL Games, Misc

Hey everyone.  It's been a while since I posted a blog or felt like blabbering on about things.  As I know there are a lot of collector's that like to collect PAL items I am actually one that wants only a few pieces of PAL in my collection.  I did obtain a few PS2 titles locally at a Pawn Shop here in Omaha, Nebraska of all places.  Yeah they are cool nice to have some nice art work, the blue cases are pretty sweet.  But Honestly I am not a huge fan of PAL sorry to those who are. 

NOW don't get me wrong PAL is pretty cool nice to collect for but it's just not a huge thing for me, now Japanese heck yes, USA or NA releases of course, and sadly not really into Mattel release or even certain Canadian releases, as some look as though there is cluttering on the label.  I love NES stuff but I'm not even a fan of Asian/Hong Kong stuff I mean if someone offers me stuff sweet I'll take it sure...same goes for PAL or Canadian. 

I am not trying to be mean by all means I am just stating how I feel.  I DO HOWEVER admire anyone who collect PAL, Canadian, Hong Kong, etc.  As some of that stuff is just awesome, especially the PAL collector's edition of Majora's Mask!! Mighty sweet. 

Here is a list of stuff I would love to own in my collection from PAL Releases mostly NES Stuff.
-Asterix - NES - CIB
-Aladdin - NES - CIB
-Beauty and the Beast - NES CIB
-Lion King, The - NES - CIB
-Noah's ARK - NES - CIB
-Adventure Island 2 - NES - CIB (Love the box art for this one)
-New Ghostbusters 2 - NES - CIB (Would love to get my hands on this one and not a repro)
-Asterix - Atari 2600 - CIB
-Pretty much anything Asterix and Obelix related as I am a fan of that series of games.  I would love to have all of the SMS games that were PAL
-Another note on SMS - ANY PAL Game would be awesome to have as there is so many that were never released in the USA
-Also big on C64 Cassettes for PAL as well. 

SO see not so bad I do love PAL Stuff but only certain things just don't see myself having a huge section of it but those things I do want you bet I will try to get them!!!  I am proud of those who do collect NA, PAL, Japanese, so on and so forth for a complete total overall stuff.  Keep it up!  I just wish I had to room to actually buy a ton of PAL stuff that looks cool especially some RPG's that were never released here or even some pretty sweet collector's editions.



Posted on Aug 30th 2013 at 02:11:53 PM by (slackur)
Posted under 2DS, XBox One, Wii U, I cant say Wii U without thinking of Kung Pow Enter the Fist

(With the kiddies back in school, I've finally gotten a chance to sit down and return to my fun job; writing for RFGen!)

I can easily follow the internet collective's double-take on the 2DS.  As has been commented      (predicted? Wink) here, the 2DS comes across more like Nintendo's engineering department accidentally following up on discarded notes from R&D's drunken April Fools party.  When offical pictures of your product look photoshopped right out of the gate, with a concept pulled from the punchline of an old joke, it's easy to question whether any publicity (bad) is still good publicity.

And yet, as I shook my head over how wacky Nintendo can be, I quickly realized who they intended to buy this thing;

Me.

After the touch screen to our original Mario Kart DS system lost sensitivity, I gave it to my six-year-old (whose favorite game, Mario Kart DS, didn't need the touch controls anyway).  He carried it around everywhere, and despite my consistent warnings, he'd carry it by pinching the corner of the top half.  Sure enough, after one drop the hinge broke off, and then later the top screen gave up the ghost and went all-white.  Now its in a corner of my project room, waiting a resurrection as a modified GBA.

Which means my son fits squarely in the announced demographic for this new wedge-shaped oddity.  Will we get this new square peg for our little square hole?  (That felt weird to write.  I gotta get an editor.)

Truthfully, probably not.  At least, not soon; our Wii U Zelda Edition was just pre-ordered (family Christmas present to each-other) and with the 2DS announced at $30 past that magic number 99, I'll loan him the DS Lite for awhile.  But for the holidays, this newfangled contraption actually fits a niche more than we may know.  Its no more designed for the folks making fun if it than a Leapster or Jitterbug Phone.  Its sturdier and purposefully more disposable than our sexy 3DSXLs or Vitas.  Its Nintendo doing what Nintendo does; finding a market that could be better targeted and going after it.  We here at RFG may be mostly 'core' gamers, but when Angry Birds and Just Dance are two of the best-selling franchises of all time, businesses are more interested in where the money is coming from now and where is the next potential source of  revenue.

Its the same reason the XBox One was not primarily designed with the 'core' gamers market at the, well, core.  'Core' gamers no longer pay the bills; the millions of Netflix and Cable/Satellite subscribers are now the bigger, and bigger paying, market.  There is simply not enough money to be made in a console exclusive to games in today's 'connected' world.  When a developer sees the crazy money made from service providers, mobile games, and FTP models, it becomes impossible to justify to their investors a model that, at best, won't pull in the same revenue numbers as the competition.  I hate to say it, but the Wii U's biggest hurdle is not the ridiculous name, the confusion of whether it is a new system or an upgrade, or market awareness; the problem is that all it really does is play games.  No Blu-ray movies, no fancy TV watching, limited social media integration, no real life outside of gaming.  (Netflix may be present, but its so ubiquitous now it almost doesn't count.)  The success of mobile gaming has taught game developers what marketeers have always known; the largest, most lucrative demographic will sacrifice quality for convenience and accessibility every time.  (Hello McDonalds, Subway, etc.)  The reason Microsoft has spent decades trying to get a 'One' service provider box into the home is obvious; most folks will eventually forget (and not put money into) an extra box they do less with.

I'm excited for the PS4 and Wii U (now that the game library is picking up steam [not Steam, but boy, talk about a killer 'app']) precisely because I prefer a gaming system for gaming, but I'm well aware of how, and why, the gaming industry has changed.  The backlash on the XBox One shows that the 'future' of gaming is not quite here, but it is inevitably coming.  We're no longer just seeing the signs, we're already turned on the off-ramp and picking up speed to merge onto the highway.

Hey, if we're already on this road, someone in our car will much more likely be playing a 2DS than a phone game...





OK, maybe some Words with Friends.






Posted on Aug 29th 2013 at 10:09:37 PM by (TraderJake)
Posted under Nintendo, 2DS, 3DS, Ripoff

Hello all. It's been a while. Some of you may not even know me. Let me reintroduce myself. I am David Murnan, and was the former Site Director. Much of what you see is my creation. Ah, memories, but that's not why I am back. No, I am back because I called it. I freaking called it.

In 2011, RF Generation decided for a day that it would be the in extra special 2D. We went so far to announce the Nintendo 2DS over two years early!
[img width=300 height=294]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/17636Nintendo%202DS.jpg[/img]

There it is, our concept, created none other than by our resident graphic artist den68. So imagine my surprise yesterday when Nintendo Officially announced the Nintendo 2DS. Deja vu, anyone? I mean, we called it in 2011. 3D was just so ahead of its time. Too, out there. Too, headachy. Either way, it appears as though someone at Nintendo saw our mock up and decided to create their own, final version.

The thing is, after Nintendo officially announced the 2DS, the internet sort of went apeshit. Some people, including major gaming blogs, noticed our concept, and well, we are flattered. Did Nintendo rip us off? Nah, I simply think they took our concept to the next level, and I thank them for doing that.  Thank you internet for also taking interest in den68's concept design. You all truly are the best.

We have since come to our senses and realized that 3D is perfectly okay. But, again, it's nice to see that people are taking notice of our day in extra special 2D.

Keep it on channel 3!



Posted on Aug 27th 2013 at 02:14:55 PM by (Fleach)
Posted under Community Playthrough, DuckTales, Capcom, Remaster

Image credit: @thomasjones_89  Click the poster to view his twitter feed and see some of his art

Community Playthrough Discussion Thread

Thanks everyone for making the July and August Community Playthrough of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars so much fun. Pat yourselves on the back for restoring order the world and allowing people's wishes to come true.

As you may remember, thanks to Shadow Kisuragi's vast knowledge of the game, we were able to offer you with a slew of achievements to tackle while playing. It was a close race between Addicted and singlebanana for the biggest achiever, but Addicted just squeezed ahead with one more achievement. Congrats Addicted!

For being the RFGen member with the most achievements he earned himself a say in the selection of the next game for us to play through together. Addicted must have loved platforming and puzzling through those 16-bit Disney games, because he proposed we play the new DuckTales Remastered and the Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse remake.

DuckTales is available now digitally on Steam, PSN, or the Wii U eShop for $15. XBox Live Arcade will receive DuckTales Remastered on September 11. Or if you like game cases (and snazzy pins) "physical" copies containing a download code are in stores as well.

Castle of Illusion will be released via PSN on September 3rd.

If anyone is feeling lucky Capcom is holding a contest to give away 150 DuckTales Remastered press kits. More information can be found here.

Here's to another Community Playthrough.

DuckTales! Woo-Oo!



Posted on Aug 23rd 2013 at 01:38:31 PM by (Duke.Togo)
Posted under Collectorcast, Bioshock Infinite, podcast, spoilercast

Collectorcast
Episode 16.5 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...rum/index.php?topic=12494

Get the show at http://www.collectorcast.com
Follow the Collectorcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Collectorcast
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Collectorcast
On Stitcher (enter Promo Code RFGeneration): http://www.stitcher.com/RFGeneration
On iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/u...collectorcast/id524246060
On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DukeTogo74

In this special episode, we team up with Twitter follower @GamerCents to dig into the depths of BioShock Infinite. We take the time to pull the game apart, and walk through our thoughts piece by piece. What did we all think of the combat and game mechanics? Did the plot twist our brains into knots?

We hope you enjoy this special episode, and make sure to let us know your thoughts. Did we get it right? Do you agree, or disagree? We would love to hear your theories as well!

Show notes:
Gamer Cents on Twitter: @GamerCents
Gamer Cents blog: http://gamercents.blogspot.com/
Songbird theory video: http://youtu.be/QUCZ9ViN47A



Posted on Aug 21st 2013 at 12:56:49 AM by (A8scooter)
Posted under Atari 8 Bit Gamer Channel, Gamer Blog, Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Finds, garage sale

Hey everyone. Ive been working on my new video game channel on YouTube for a little while now and wanted to talk a little bit about what you are seeing and can plan on seeing in the weeks and months ahead. Most of my videos are Atari 8 Bit related ( hence the name ). But I also try to include games from other consoles that I collect.


Some of the systems I collect and you may find on the channel include the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, 8 bit computer line, NES , SNES, Gameboy, Genesis, and any other system that is cartridge based.

Each week I do at least 2 videos.

- One based called "The Gaming Moment Back In Time" which focuses on a game from my collection that either I grew up playing and enjoyed or something Ive added to my collection and has been overall a big hit to play.

- The other video is my Thursday pick up video that covers all the finds Ive picked up from flea markets, garage sales, eBay, and video game forums like this one.

The channel can be found here : http://www.youtube.com/user/atarian83

I hope you all will enjoy these videos and like usual it's a learning process for me. Feel free to subscribe, like, comment  or share personal memories of the games featured. Also I'm learning as I go and sometimes make mistakes; feel free to drop a line with comments, suggestions or ideas. The more I can learn and share the more everyone benefits.

Look forward to sharing amazing memories and gaming finds.

Jason aka A8Scooter aka Atari 8 Bit Game Hunter



Posted on Aug 21st 2013 at 12:26:19 AM by (A8scooter)
Posted under Super Mario World, SNES Mario Yoshi

This week's gaming moment takes us back to the days of the Super Nintendo and its earliest pack in game. Even as a simple pack in game it took a life on of its own. Im sure every gamer can remember playing this title at one time or another. Please subscribe and comment on the channel as next week Im gonna work on putting a little give away for those who are subscribers to the channel.





Posted on Aug 20th 2013 at 05:22:17 PM by (TheSegaSaturnGuy)
Posted under Gaming

Alright so I finally got around to getting my new Saturn memory card. I bought a disc only game on a whim off eBay just because it was cheap and this was months ago. Well, I found the game while rummaging through a box looking for my Saturn 3D controller for NiGHTS so I decided to pop it in. The games title is Dark Legend, now just from the title I was thinking "I bet this has a gloomy mood" and the disc art had a character who reminds me of Goro from Mortal Kombat. I went into the game expecting a dark first person style dungeon crawler but boy was I wrong. Dark legend turned out to be a beautiful arcade fighter, everything is very colorful, the character movements are smooth, and it is very action packed! The way I found best to describe the movesets would be to combine Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter together. Some of the moves require a ton of directional button presses before it can be executed so there is some research to be done and a lot of practice to become good at it. This does not take away anything from the game and there is a lot of fun to be had. So basically what I am getting at is you can't judge a game by its cover... HAHAHA. Have any of you had this happen to you?

SSG Out!



Posted on Aug 16th 2013 at 12:40:47 AM by (A8scooter)
Posted under Atari Racing , Adventure Intl, 8 Bit,

This week I picked a game I just got in this week. Didnt know if it was going to be a great new title or a dud. As soon as I plugged Rally Speedway in and gave it a shot, was I surprised by how awesome it turned out to be.  Heres my take on it in this week's Gaming Moment Back In Time.





Posted on Aug 14th 2013 at 02:27:17 PM by (Fleach)
Posted under Site News, RFG Thanks, Submissions, Stats,

[img width=455 height=227]http://vinnieh.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/i_thank_you1.gif[/img]

In case you were wondering what happened to RFG's news updates, there's no need to worry. We haven't forgotten about you guys. Here is a quick recap of the action the database saw over the last two months.

In June we saw a total of 3720 submissions which comprised of 3503 games related submissions and 217 hardware entries. July was only slightly quieter with 2028 in total. 1900 of which were games and 128 hardware submissions. Big thank you to everyone who made it happen!

The top submitters for June were Tynstar (760), ApolloBoy (537), and Shadow Kisuragi (340).

July's top three were ApolloBoy (447), thegreatska (303), and douglie007 (150).

Great work guys! Thanks for your efforts!

June and July were busy months and our database is chock full of new submissions thanks to great community members like yourselves. We've got a total of 29,718 submissions this year to date and there are still four month till the end of 2013 to hit our goal of 50,000. Keep at it!





Posted on Aug 13th 2013 at 10:43:01 PM by (Fleach)
Posted under RPG, Grinding, Western RPG, JRPG, Gameplay, Mechanics, Skyrim, Yuji Horii

If there are any aspects of Role Playing games that have the potential to polarize their players grinding is likely to top that list. Some gamers soak up ever ounce of it while others cringe at the mere thought. One thing is certain though - if you want to get anywhere in an RPG you will have to grind.

[img width=400 height=500]http://chicanery.fibergeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/grind.jpg[/img]

Before even looking at how this gameplay mechanic is used it is important to understand the meaning of the term in question. To grind can be defined as sharpening by abrasion, but could also refer to being oppressed, tormented, and crushed. Two totally different meanings, but they are both so appropriate to describe a Role Playing game staple. By looking at the definition alone one can see where the polarization occurs. Repetitively battling enemies to gain new items and levels both hones the skills of the character while tormenting the player with a seemingly endless chore.

When looking at Western RPGs and their Japanese counterparts it becomes apparent that both treat grinding differently and implement it for unique reasons. Western Role Playing games, for the most part, and most notably, Skyrim, utilize this gameplay element as a reason to explore the game's world and mythology. In doing so the player can completely bypass the main plot in order to gain full freedom to discover hidden items peppered throughout the land that colour the game's lore. Grinding is absolutely optional but is in fact an added incentive for the player to try to enhance their gaming experience. In this case the act of grinding becomes synonymous with discovery. The treasure is out there should the player choose to seek it. This ultimately contributes to greater immersion by offering players the uncover the game's secrets.

[img width=700 height=392]http://bensrpgpile.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/larg_r52_chest.jpg[/img]

Japanese RPGs, on the other hand, exploit level grinding in a very different manner. The role which grinding plays becomes a critical component of the game and the development of characters' statistics. This is all well and good on the surface, but it can have deleterious effects on the player's view of the game as a whole. By forcing a player to repetitively perform the same task, be it battling or playing a mini-game, he or she can actually lose sight of the plot and the primary objective of the game. This will usually result in forgotten plot points or even player resignation leaving the game to never be played again.

While leveling up in such a way often feels like a chore the tedious act does have underlying benefits. Evening out the playing field, especially in preparation for boss battles, gives the player a chance to develop skills - both strategic concepts that can be used in-game and improved character techniques - that allow spikes in difficulty to be overcome with less frustration. The same can be said for grinding in multiplayer online RPGs as well. By level grinding the player can keep up with fellow gamers and gain access to once unattainable areas or items. However, in typical Japanese fashion, grinding is not just a shallow game mechanic. It ties into a state of mind which is associated with overcoming life's hurtles.

[img width=500 height=333]http://kodjoworkout.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/life-obstacles.jpg[/img]

The way JRPGs use grinding adequately reflects both meanings of the word. The honing of one's talent will translate into the dominance of oppressive barriers. Much like studying or training the body, grinding carries a special philosophical weight along with it. Father of the Japanese RPG Yuji Horii claims:
Quote
In the real world there are so many difficulties people are facing. Sometimes, there are no rewards... at least in the game, we want to make sure they [players] will be rewarded. In Japanese style you have to try, try, try - and then you can finally get a reward. It is like climbing a steep mountain - you have to keep climbing, climbing, climbing and then at the end you finally get to the top, and you see the beautiful view.

In this way level grinding reassures the player that their time and hard work will pay off. Be it the acquisition of superior items, the improved statistics, or the pleasure of defeating more powerful enemies, this gameplay mechanic in fact teaches players to not lose hope in their endevours, more importantly, that with persistence and determination any goal is achievable. Despite being very taxing on the player, grinding levels and equipment is a backbone of the RPG genre. It is implemented in many games and in as many unique ways, but its philosophical teachings and in-game rewards make the experience so much greater. So keep trying, keep climbing those mountains because whether the experience comes in the form of points or fond memories, nothing comes without effort.



Posted on Aug 7th 2013 at 01:08:32 AM by (A8scooter)
Posted under Nintendo Final Fantasy Mystic Quest

Each Tuesday I do videos on different games from back in the day ( so far all have been Atari 8 bit games till this week ), and this week I thought Id mix it up a little with something from the NINTENDO ranks with this oldie but goodie. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.



Feel free to check it out  and comment on this week's game.  Also Thursday's I do my weekly pick up video which covers all different finds throughout the all aspects of retro gaming. Im new and developing so please bare with me as I grow this Vlog and rebuild my collection ( it was once mighty but sold it for a classic car).  I hope you all enjoy this week's video and subscribe to my channel. Thanks again.

Jay



Posted on Aug 3rd 2013 at 02:45:58 PM by (noiseredux)
Posted under PlayStation 2

[img width=550 height=781]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-072/bf/U-072-S-00030-A.jpg[/img]


Activision Anthology
2002, Activision
PlayStation 2


Remember when you were a kid and you’d wake up early Saturday mornings for cereal and cartoons while your parents slept? I’ve developed a similar habit recently. There’s something about coffee and old 2600 games that really goes well with the weekend.

I personally have a very soft spot for the Atari VCS, as it was the first real console I owned (unless you count a C64 and small stack of edutainment titles). I acquired my VCS in the mid-80’s along with a big box of second-hand games. And although my household would have a NES not long after, it was those Atari games that seemed to really define gaming for me early on.

Sadly, my console and games are long lost to time. I honestly have no idea what ever became of them. Yard sale most likely, as my mom moved several times since I moved out of her house. I did eventually pick up another heavy-sixer at a yard sale a couple of years back, but ultimately decided to flip it as we were living in a small-ish apartment and didn’t have the room to keep it hooked up, nevermind start another collection of games. Because of all this you can probably understand my fondness for these sorts of Atari collections. Without taking up much shelf space, I’ve got access to lots of 2600 games thanks to Activision Anthology (and a few other similar compilations). But Activision Anthology in particular really nails the potential for such reissues. No matter your take on retro compilations, there’s a lot to admire here. So let’s take a look a bit at what Activision Anthology does right.


[img width=640 height=480]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2002/playstation2/activisionanthology/a_screen014.jpg[/img]


Presentation is of course a big deal to a compilation such as this. By the time the PS2 came along, emulators were mainstream. That meant that just dumping a folder of a ROM’s on a retail disc wasn’t going to impress anyone (although that still hasn’t entirely stopped some publishers from doing just that). But Activision went above and beyond with their Anthology. Rather than just a menu, you’re greeted by a virtual bedroom. Here you can choose your cartridge from a phsyical stack (you can also examine the box art or read the manual for each game), you can view your collection of patches (basically achievements modeled after the actual patches you could get from Activision back in the day) and you can choose your music.

Oh that’s right - the music! Certainly you can choose to just listen to the original game sound effects if you so choose, but your room also has a boombox. And as such, Activision went ahead and licensed a dozen or so popular songs from the period to sort of put you in the context a bit more. Meaning, you can feel like you were back in the 80’s listening to your stereo while you play your VCS. It’s really a pretty brilliant idea that I wish more compilations featured. And as I said, it’s also optional. You can adjust the volumes for the games and soundtrack as you wish which is also a welcome flexibility, as you're never “stuck” with one or the other.

It may also be obvious, but thankfully Activision Anthology keeps high scores for your games. I say thankfully because it’s shocking how many retro compilations are released that don’t have this very simple (and highly desirable) feature.


[img width=640 height=480]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2002/playstation2/activisionanthology/a_screen001.jpg[/img]


If all this weren’t proof enough of the labor of love that is Activision Anthology, I should also mention the myriad unlockables. By reaching various achievements within all the cartridges you will unlock all kinds of interesting extras including developer interviews and original TV commercials for the games. These visual extras are excellent bonuses for video game history buffs and are definitely motivation to keep playing games just to unlock more.

So there you have it... except we haven’t even talked about the most important part of this collection: the games! Nearly fifty games are included here including a handful of homebrew titles (which is another stellar addition by Activision). So of that fifty, I’d like to highlight some of the ones I’ve been spending the most time with lately.

Fishing Derby is a unique game where you and an opponent race to see who can catch the most fish. The tricky part is that there’s also a shark swimming around trying to eat the fish that you’re reeling in. And then there’s of course some strategy considering the deeper the fish you catch, the more points they’re worth. I kind of think this game would appeal to me a lot more if I was playing against a human opponent, but the concept and scoring itself is still very impressive.

Surprisingly Ice Hockey has been a favorite that was new to me via this collection. You might think that hockey wouldn’t work well on such primitive hardware, but the programming behind this one is mind-boggling. The game is setup as a two-on-two where each play has a goalie and a skating player. How this works is your goalie and your opponent’s player is on the top half of the screen and vice versa. The puck’s placement vertically on the screen determines if you control the goalie or your player. This might sound confusing, but it’s actually flawless in its execution. It’s really amazing how perfect it works. Add to this that puck-handling, shooting and even hitting your opponent are also extremely intuitive.


[img width=640 height=480]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2002/playstation2/activisionanthology/a_screen005.jpg[/img]


Pitfall! is of course a classic - though amazingly one I had not spent much time with until just a couple years ago. I still find the complexity of this one staggering, and certainly can see it as a platforming milestone. Though I must admit, I’ve still never managed to beat it.

And a special shout-out to Demon Attack, another game I only discovered thanks to this anthology. Obviously I’m a big shmup fan, and although I’m a bit picky on early shoot-em-ups, this one is awesome. I love how much variety there is to enemy attacks and behavior. This one should really be played by any shmup fans that have overlooked it.

I should end by saying that even though I’m raving about Activision Anthology, that isn’t to say there aren’t any missteps. There’s actually a few games that originally used a paddle (Kaboom! for instance) that should not even be included here as they’re virtually unplayable with a DualShock. (Side-note: why did nobody release a paddle controller for PS2?) And this isn’t a problem with the set, but why the heck is Tennis so impossible? I mean Activision nailed the AI on a lot of their other competitive games, but I have no idea how you’d ever get a point scored against the computer in Tennis. But nitpicking aside, I can’t really see how any retro fans could go wrong with Activision Anthology. Even if you own every single one of these carts (doubtful considering stuff like Kabobber and Thwocker), all the extras really make the package well worth owning.




Posted on Jul 31st 2013 at 06:55:34 PM by (Charles R.)
Posted under video game xd, x domain

Hey if anybody is reading this please check out my video game facebook like page and official YouTube dedicated to all things video games.

http://www.facebook.com/videogamexdomain

http://www.youtube.com/videogamexdomain


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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We are a community of collectors, gamers and the likes, and some of us enjoy to let the world know what is on our mind. For those members, we have the community blogs, a place where they can publish their thoughts and feelings regarding life, universe, and everything. Some of those members might even choose to write about gaming and collecting! Whatever they write about, you can find it on their blog. You can either see the latest community blog entries in the feed you see to the left, or you can browse for your favorite blog using the menu above. Interested in having your own blog hosted on RF Generation? It's rather simple, first be a registered member, and then click the "My Blog" link that you see in the navigation above. Following those two steps will certainly get you on your way to blogging.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy our entries, rantings, and completely unrelated series of thoughts. We write for you to read, so we certainly hope that you enjoy our material.
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