Each week I tell you about a game for the Atari 8 Bit system. This week Ill go into a different kind of Game cart ( well sorta ) I can consider this on some level the very first Multi Cart ever made...... In a weird way since like the Atari multi-carts now you still need to put data in so you can use it. Same goes for the good ole BASIC cart. Input programming lines Input frustration and some book throwing when you get mad and Output a working program or a reason to go out and get a drink at the local pub. Which ever way your night turns out This cartridge allows you to tap into games and programs that you would easily miss due to the fact that it wasn't released on cart, cassette or diskette.
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Posted on Jul 25th 2013 at 11:10:53 PM by ( noiseredux) Posted under 3DS |
[img width=602 height=550]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-182/bf/U-182-S-00020-A.jpg[/img]
If held at gunpoint, I'd have to say that Street IV is my favorite game of this generation. Oh sure I've had many far more amazing experiences with games like Heavy Rain or Catherine or 3D Dot Game Heroes. But Street Fighter IV is a game I've constantly come back to. In fact, it was something of a revelation to me upon its release. At a time when I thought that these new fancy pieces of hardware couldn't compare to classic sprites, it was Street Fighter IV that sold me on 'the future.' This is a real forum post I made back in 2010:
So I figured I'd be really excited about Street Fighter IV or the Capcom Vs Namco announcement or the new Marvel Vs Capcom game thats' coming out. But frankly, all the screens I've seen... they just look wrong to me. I mean sure the graphics are pretty or whatever. But the camera angles, the lack of sprites... it just doesn't appeal to me. SFIV just doesn't look like a SF game to me. Is it just me?
And then what happened was this: my wife and I were Christmas shopping that year at the mall and stumbled upon this kiosk. It was set up like an arcade. Just rows and rows of gaming consoles - Wii, PS3 and 360 - all just sitting there to try various games. I had time to kill and saw Street Fighter IV set up on one of the 360's and gave it a go. Within a half-hour my tune had changed. When I finally picked up a PS3 the next year, Super Street Fighter IV was the first game I bought. And in the two years since, it's remained one of the games I've played the most. I've even gone as far as picking up the Arcade Edition (as well as Street Fighter X Tekken) and await Ultra with open-arms.
[img width=400 height=240]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2011/018/997808_20110119_screen001.jpg[/img]
So when I finally decided it was time to pick up a 3DS this last month, I bundled it with a natural choice - Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. Indeed, the thought of playing SF4 in bed, on the couch, outside, or anywhere I desire was a huge plus for me. But how would this game fair? I mean, as far as portable Street Fighters go, it had some big shoes to fill. And I say this as a guy who's picked up portable Street Fighters going as far back as Game Boy. That said, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival on GBA is by far one of the high water marks in the portable series. And Alpha 3 on GBA was perhaps even more impressive (though not my favorite of the two) and eventually trumped by its PSP iteration.
[img width=400 height=480]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2011/018/997808_20110119_screen004.jpg[/img]
As far as I'm concerned the important thing is whether or not a portable game can deliver a console experience to me - at least as far as Street Fighter goes. And friends let me tell you that yes, 3D Edition truly does. Now I'll start by saying this - controls are going to be a factor for any of us fighting game fans. Those of you used to an arcade stick, well you know where you stand. But I've always been a fightpad guy. So the lack of six face-buttons on the 3DS hardware is of course going to throw me off. So in fairness, that's the one downfall to me here. I had to kind of relearn how to use shoulder buttons in a Street Fighter game - something I haven't had to bother with since Turbo Revival.
But at the end of the day 3D Edition gives you everything you could want on the go. The visuals are amazing, and truly justify to me that my purchase of this handheld was a wise one. The music that I'm so familiar with is here and perfect. The controls are fluid once you've gotten a grasp of the button layout. You can use the analog nub or the D-Pad as you desire. There's also some combo's you can select on the lower DS screen via touch - but that's cheating I tell you! Cheating! And perhaps the best addition - I've now finally got a portable Street Fighter game with full online gameplay. Again - I can be in bed, on the couch, outside, where ever - and be playing Street Fighter IV against someone in another state! For this alone, I am grateful and highly recommend this port.
Episode 16 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...rum/index.php?topic=12349
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As regular listeners know, the three of us tend to lean heavily in favor of the NES. In order to get a competent view of one of the most important eras of gaming, the 32 bit generation, we brought in the big guns to assist us. Dangerboy, AKA - Jason Dvorak, AKA - The Worlds Biggest Playstation Fan, is added to the mix to make sure we dont overlook the importance of the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn systems.
Being a long time collector himself he will give us his unique perspective on why this era is so much fun to collect for, and share his personal take on some of the more interesting aspects of picking up games on these systems. So take a listen as we dive into Jasons vast pool of knowledge and explore everything from demo collecting to educational games.
And as always there are many hours of RFGen small scores to enjoy!
Show notes:
Cygnus by Thunderware Games
Game-Rave
GameRaveTV
Music: Linus Spacehead (NES) + bonus
Small Scores 5:12
Interview with Jason from Game Rave 3:42:56
Outro 5:30:05
This weeks Gaming moment is going to be another one of Parker Brothers' more popular titles Q*BERT.
The rarity of this game isn't too bad and should be rather easy to obtain online but due to the popularity of this title you will be spending $8 to $12 for a copy.
Please subscribe, share, leave comments feedback and memories you might had playing this title on the A8 or any system.
Thanks everyone hope you enjoy this and check out the Thursday Pick Up Video coming up. ( Might get done Wednesday due to work schedule ).
We have dissected a number of console launches thus far in the Transitions Blog, but thus far each one has been for what could probably be considered a "successful" console. For the first time then, in this entry, we will be examining a console that, by most measures, was considered a failure: the Sega 32X.
[img width=640 height=412]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/0.jpg[/img]
The 32X, of course, is not even a "proper" console in the traditional sense as it is technically an add-on like the Sega CD before it or like other peripherals before and since which have been tied to a primary system (the Atari Supercharger, Nintendo 64DD, etc.). Nonetheless, it has its own library of games, was marketed and sold much like a system, and has a distinct set of features that distinguish it from other pieces of gaming hardware.
The 32X, to many, represents the first tragic misstep in the long-running decline of Sega. Confusingly marketed as something of a stop-gap enhancement for the Sega Genesis prior to the release of the Sega Saturn, the console was seen by many to be over priced and under-powered. Released in November of 1994, a little less than a month after the release of the Sega Saturn in Japan and a little less than a year from that system's U.S. launch, it was almost destined to have a short life from the start.
The sordid tale of the 32X has been covered many times on many other gaming websites, so this entry will attempt to do something a little different and specifically examine the official build-up and launch of the console. Even if gamers and analysts were skeptical of the systems prospects from the start, it is still interesting to think about how Sega tried to market and launch the 32X in and against this context.
The Launch Buildup
Like other consoles of its era, much of the buildup and hyping for the console occurred in the pages of gaming magazines. If you could sell the product well to readers in the pages of EGM or GamePro, you had a real shot to get them into the store on launch day. Sega of America had the most control of this message in the pages of Sega Visions, which they used to promote the 32X for several issues before its debut. Here's how they did that:
April/May 1994 Issue
[img width=480 height=640]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/1-1.jpg[/img]
Poor NBA Jam gets booted off the front page for a "Late Breaking News Blast!" about what the article would refer to as the "Genesis Super 32X." The article itself, despite its prominence on the cover, is a mere single page in the issue. On that page, readers learn interesting tidbits like "Sega has over 30 games in development and expects 60 will be released in the first year" and that the system, despite using "2x32-bit chips" that allow an arcade experience, will cost less than $150. Sega Visions promised its readers a "complete rundown" on the system and a "sneak peak" at its games in the next issue.
[img width=480 height=640]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/2-1.jpg[/img] June/July 1994 Issue
[img width=640 height=445]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/null-23.jpg[/img]
Far from the "complete rundown" that the previous issue promised, readers were greeted with two whole pages of information on the 32X in the June/July issue of Sega Visions. There's actually less information here on the whole, though some games are listed and the $149 price point is reiterated as well as the promise of "30 games" in development by Sega. In terms of buildup, there's not much new here to see other than the picture of the console.
August/September 1994 Issue
[img width=640 height=480]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/IMG_5917.jpg[/img]
Four months out from launch, this is the first issue to really provide any kind of detail on the console. 20+ third-party publishers are listed as working on games for the system and screenshots and blurbs appear for several titles. In addition to the sub-$150 price point, interesting promises include "you're gonna have a large selection of hot titles to choose from" and "by the end of the year you could be playing arcade-perfect versions of mind-blowing games like Virtua Racing Deluxe, Star Wars Arcade, or Cyberbrawl. Or any one of the other totally sensational Genesis 32X games available at launch." Most impressive is the claim that "As a matter of fact, 60 new games will ship by the first of next year." Here the hype train is starting to leave the station and go off the rails...
[img width=640 height=480]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/4-1.jpg[/img]
October/November 1994 Issue
[img width=480 height=640]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/null-24.jpg[/img]
Doom takes front and center here, and in the issue published before the 32X's release, Sega Visions offers some substantial information on the cover game, an ample amount of screen shots of the 32X in action, and pictures of 36 Great Holes, Star Wars Arcade, Virtua Racing Deluxe, Metal Head, and Super Motocross. Perhaps the overload of images was meant to take away from this little detail: the system would now cost $159, not $149 as prominently suggested previously.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/5.jpg[/img]
The boast of "an estimated 60 titles" to be released in the first year is a bit of a retraction of the earlier claim, and the five games previewed are listed as games that "should be ready when the system ships in November." Anyone paying close attention to the shifting language in the coverage from issue to issue should have noticed that things were starting to look shaky for the viability of the system even before launch.
[img width=476 height=636]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/null-25.jpg[/img]
December 1994/January 1995 Issue
[img width=480 height=640]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/7.jpg[/img]
Hitting the holiday season, the 32X launched in November 1994 in the US and Europe and in December in Japan (a few weeks after the Saturn's launch there). Instead of highlighting the system in the issue that likely would have been arriving in Visions subscribers' mailboxes around the time of the 32X's release, the staff of the magazine relegated 32X coverage to sneak peaks of four games, two of which were already released. Importantly, the 32X was the only Sega system to not feature any reviews, so subscribers were left with only hopeful previews to give them impressions of the quality of the games that had already been talked up in the previous issue. Gone entirely from this issue are boasts of the system's price or upcoming library. It seems, at the most crucial moment for promoting the system, Sega Visions itself pulled back to focus on late-era Genesis and Sega CD titles. With the already-out-in-Japan Saturn hanging over Sega of America, Visions' 32X coverage would continue to be sporadic in subsequent issues of the magazine throughout the system's short life.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/6.jpg[/img] At least it had the benefit of the vintage Sega adcopy.
The Launch
When the 32X hit stores in the US in mid-November 1994, here's a sense of how it looked
It was cheaper than the CD-I, 3DO, or Saturn but it was more expensive than the Genesis or the Super Nintendo. This is a best guess. Taking a look at this old Canadian Sears Wishbook from 1994 (where the 32X isn't even listed) and knowing that Canadian prices were usually a few more dollars than their US equivalents, you can see that the Genesis and SNES were selling for $150 and $160 CAD, respectively. Given that the US price for the 32X was $160, it stands to reason that the Canadian price would have been closer to $175 or so, making it no small investment at launch. Perhaps to compensate, the 32X did offer $10 rebate coupons towards future game purchases.
[img width=480 height=640]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/dk.jpg[/img]
It was up against some tough competition. The 32X launched in the same month as the critical and commercial success Donkey Kong Country and NBA Jam: Tournament Edition and a month after Sonic and Knuckles, Super Punch Out, and Final Fantasy III. It launched a week before the Atari Jaguar and, as mentioned, a month after the Saturn had already been released in Japan. It was selling Doom after Doom II had already been released for PCs. It was a confusing system, with a small library, released in an overly-crowded video game market.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/8.jpg[/img]
It only featured two launch games. Despite the boasts found in Sega Visions, when the system actually hit store shelves it did so only with two titles: Doom and Star Wars: Arcade. In terms of the IP selection, these are two solid launch games that made a lot of sense in 1994 when both Star Wars and Doom were still extremely popular franchises that were guaranteed to garner sales. Earlier that year, for example, the acclaimed Super Star Wars series on the SNES had concluded its run with the release of Return of the Jedi. Today, both Doom and Star Wars Arcade continue to be held in (relative) high regard as some of the stronger titles for the 32X, with especially the latter showing off its technical capabilities more than many other titles would ever do. Still, though launching with two games had happened before (e.g. the Master System) and would happen again (e.g. the Nintendo 64), it seemed an especially dangerous proposition for a console that was positioned as a stop gap measure and, in the buildup to launch, had promised much more from the start.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/9.jpg[/img]
Today, it seems obvious that Sega was promising more than they could deliver. We of course now know much more about the history of this era, the feuds between Sega of America and Sega of Japan, the botched Neptune, etc. but none of that was common knowledge to a consumer standing in the aisle of a video game department in November of 1994. Sega didn't do enough to convincingly promote the console in its own magazine, sent it out with a small set of games into a crowded market, and ultimately gave it a launch that set it up for the failure it would become.
In the end, retailers famously had to cut the system price to $19.99 to clear it out. Less than 40 games would ever be made for the system, many of which were only slightly enhanced ports of existing 16-bit titles. In a future installment we'll look at some of the end of console life 32X games, which saw its final release just 14 short months after its launch.
[img width=640 height=908]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/box/7/8/3/655783_243869_front.jpg[/img]
Question: When's the last time you sunk fourteen hours into a game, lost, and felt good about it? That's what just happened to me with XCOM: Enemy Unknown. In this day and age there seems to be a lot of bitter gamers who have various views of game-worth. I remember when my wife got me Lollipop Chainsaw as a gift the clerk told her to keep the receipt. "It's only a six hour game. He might be disappointed." But I've always been happy to take six solid hours of gameplay over twenty boring ones.
I was first introduced to the X-COM series via its second installment, Terror From The Deep. I was about fourteen or so, and my step-dad was working at a big-box electronics store and brought home a promo copy. I was obsessed with this game, but I was terrible at playing it. I doubt I ever made it past the second mission. Truth be told, I may have spent all my time on the first. But it was a blast. Many years later I'd discover a GBA spiritual successor developed by series creator Julian Gallop called Rebelstar: Tactical Command. It was great. But then out of the blue it was announced that X-COM proper would be making a comeback... as a First Person Shooter.
Well as you may know, that hasn't happened. And won't. Instead that game was shelved in favor of a proper Tactical game: Enemy Unknown with The Bureau turned into a Third Person Shooter (sigh) coming out later this year.
[img width=700 height=393]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/142/655783_20120522_screen002.jpg[/img]
Enemy Unknown turned out to be a tremendously brilliant game however. It's basically everything you could want from the series, in high-def, and with excellent controller support. But more than anything else, it brings the drama. Sure your barracks can hold up to 99 soldiers, but your squad can only consist of six. This means lots of leveling-up and growing attached. It's an emotional rollercoaster of a game that I've chronicled in bits as I've played...
[img width=700 height=393]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/065/655783_120306_screen004.jpg[/img]
I had one of those four-legged bastards that turns dudes to zombies come slink out of a building and land ONE SPACE away from my "team captain." (I call this guy the team captain as he's one of the more leveled-up skill-wise, and probably has the most kills of anyone on my squad right now.) The team-captain had already moved, and so my next character's turn was enough that even if I dashed I still wasn't super close. Instead, I moved just as far as I could while still having the ability to take a shot. 29% guys. 29% that the shot would connect. And there was the decision. Do I take the shot, miss and hope I can get someone else over there before the four-legged bastard's next move? Do I dash as close as I can get to set up a good shot on next round and hope that I can get the team-captain out of harm's way in the meantime? Well dear friends, I took the shot. 29% and it was CRITICAL. Mission ended with that kill, and a sigh of relief.
Let me tell y'all about 'Coney.' For the last 5 hrs or so, Coney has been my star. Her real name is Charlotte, but the squad calls her Coney (presumably as she's from the Coney Island area, though I've never asked). She started out just as nondescript as any of my other soldiers, but quickly rose through the ranks in 5 hrs thanks to her sharp-shooting. Even as snipers go she seemed to have a can't-miss nature about her. A little extra luck that goes above mere statistics.
In the first mission where we encountered these grunt front-line soldier aliens she was caught off guard. She had set up post looking through an open train cargo cart when one of them surprised her and positioned himself a single space away. Apparently he had dashed to get there as he didn't take a shot at her, but she had nobody covering her. I got my closest guy over in her area and he took the best shot he could. It hit, but not hard and the grunt remained standing. Coney's turn was next and she could run, get safe and take the shot - risking that the grunt would go after the soldier who had just defended her. Nah, Coney point-blanked him. Grunt goes down. Mission over.
So imagine my horror when Coney was fragged by a Thin Man during a bomb-deactivation mission. She had been holding down behind a car when he surprised her. Hit her hard and she started bleeding out. Luckily - so luckily - I had a soldier with a medkit close by. I got her over to Coney on the next turn and healed her up, and followed that by parking a third soldier with them behind that car and put him on overwatch to protect them. A sigh of relief as my turn ended and I realized that a close call had happened, but Coney would continue running up her tally of kills.
And that's when the car they were behind blew up. All three of them KIA'd while exhibiting tremendous teamwork. They had done everything right - they just couldn't do it fast enough. The squad will miss Coney. She won't be an easy part of the team to replace.
So the above should stand as back-up to just how sucked-in you really get. Which is all the more reasoning that seeing this screen was so sobering:
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/1UqXavk.jpg[/img]
Yup. After putting it two or three hours a night for a week, I lost. Seriously, I lost a game. How often does that happen anymore in games? Usually you just start from your last check-point and continue on. And in fairness, I was playing on Normal which meant I could technically start from before my last mission. But it's a lost cause. My base-management skills were terrible. My troops were a joke at this point. Many countries had pulled out of the XCOM project. It was rough. It's reason to start over again. Which is definitely a rather difficult thing to fact, but it's true.
I probably won't do so immediately. Not tonight. But Enemy Unknown is one of the most addictive games in a long time, so I can totally see myself starting over again in the near future. And more importantly, even though I didn't "beat" the game - I have fourteen amazingly enjoyable hours. The journey outweighed the destination. No matter what your outcome may be, I highly recommend you log some hours into this one.
Well guys I finally figured out how to do this in video form. Well kinda. I got the webcam part down no problem. The Iphone video format of the game play wouldnt work for me. SO there isnt any game play this week. I hope to figure out how to make that work down the road. Anywho, I hope you all enjoy the video subscribe, comment, give suggestions, ask questions I love any feedback I can get. Each Thursday I do a video displaying whatever finds I get during the previous week ( From Friday to Thursday ). Hope you check that out.
........ on to the video.
[img width=300 height=425]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-075/bf/U-075-S-06780-A.jpg[/img]
I could consider my freshman year of high school the time in which I really blossomed socially. I lost over 70 pounds which swelled my confidence and lead to my first, real, fun girlfriend. It was also a time where it was easy to go to anybody's house to play any of the 3 big systems of that time. Ah yes, I remember fondly my experiences with my own Playstation 2, and I had a few Xbox friends, and a couple of Gamecube friends.
One gaming experience that dates back to this time of my life is our game today. One of my football and wrestling teammates had this game for his Xbox and bought it when it was still fairly new. I was at his house when he opened the game and we both got to experience it for the first time with each other. Mainly because this game has split screen, hell yes! It does not make full use of the Xbox though and only allows 2 players at maximum. For my current playthrough I'm flying solo, I started on Normal difficulty but it was too easy for me, so I bumped it up to Tough (Hard).
This is one of the few examples of a game that is almost entirely unique and should be experienced by anybody looking to have a diverse gaming resume. About the only things that are not completely new and awesome in Stubbs is the literal Halo 1 ripoff driving, and loading screens. It says right on the box art that the game was built with the Halo engine. Stubbs changes the perspective from first person to third person, letting you watch our main zombie hero shuffle along his way. Stubbs does move fairly slow being a zombie and all, but compared to the zombie horde that he can control Stubbs has the ability to do a sort of sprint after shuffling in a direction long enough for a speed boost.
I can't even complain about the loading screens.
This game's title is no lie, this game takes the normal idea of the zombie game, that of being a survivor trying to escape having your brains munched on by the living dead, and instead lets you be the living dead and build zombie hordes by gorging on warm, delicious human brains. Stubbs also has quite a few nasty, gory, but effective weapons at his disposal. In the order that they are introduced to the player these weapons are Unholy Flatulence, Gut Grenades, Hand Possession, and Sputum Head. So you get an area of effect stun fart, a lethal grenade from Stubbs' giant shotgun wound, the ability to control an enemy, and can use Stubbs' head as an exploding bowling ball.
They may be undead, but they're still Americans dammit!
For style and plot, as you can see from the clip above this game runs with tongue in cheek B-horror movie inspired parodies, along with witty writing and dialogue that you'll hear coming from those pesky not undead people of the fine, futuristic city of Punchbowl, Pennsylvania circa 1959. Punchbowl is made in the style of those old 50's "City of the Future" specials that are infamous for their insane optimism and wild technology speculation.
Like robots and Star Trek technobabble.
In terms of enemies in the game there is a wonderful variety. There are 6 basic enemy types, 5 of these types have 3-5 specific enemies. The unvaried enemy type is just the easy, usually unarmed, but still delicious common citizen. These enemy types are scattered intelligently throughout the game, so you are constantly adapting to new enemies not only at the beginning of a new level, but throughout the level, and later in the game as well.
For my current playthrough of the game I'm able to experience it through an official Xbox component box and through my TV's component jack, and despite its age it looks fantastic in 1080i. The sound design is also stellar for this game. There is not much music that plays in the game outside of vehicles and areas where there are radios or TV screens in sight, or the mall. What really stands out is the quality of the sound effects, and since there is a general lack of music these needed to be high quality. The sound effects more than deliver, you'll come to love some of the pleas of Punchbowl's citizens and defenders while listening to Stubbs or one of the horde crunch down through a fresh skull and chew the softer, delicate brains.
Being asleep underground for so long leads to the most epic leak taking of all time.
Overall Stubbs is an incredibly well designed game and it is obvious to see why this game has become a cult classic, even if the game is quite short. If you have an Xbox still laying around you owe it to the system to hunt this game down and give it a nice playthrough. I got mine complete for $3 at one of my thrift stores, current online prices hover between $20 and $30 for the Xbox version. The PC and MAC versions are considerably cheaper, but the Xbox version is plentiful enough that you should hopefully not have too much trouble finding a copy for a decent price.
[img width=640 height=903]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/box/3/2/5/937325_82959_front.jpg[/img]
There's been a lot of talk this year about Aliens: Colonial Marines. Like Duke Nukem in 2011, it's been the game to hate. In fact this unanimous disgust for this game was so intense that it only amplified my desire to actually play it. And what I found was a game that was so enjoyable to me, I'm not even sure why I'd need to defend it. But then again I'm going by nothing but base reaction. Meaning I'm looking at this just as 'a game' rather than 'a highly anticipated game based on a license with rabid fans.'
Let me start by pointing out a few things that might make more sense out of my enjoyment for this game. First of we should discuss the First Person Shooter genre. Though I'm slowly learning to enjoy FPS games far more than I ever did in the past, I'm still far from seasoned. I've played very few of the modern staples. So in reality, I don't have all that much to compare this to that's been critically acclaimed (save for perhaps Borderlands).
I should also point out that while I am a huge horror fan, the Alien films have always been a bit closer to sci-fi (mixed with horror) to me. This means that while I am a fan, I'm not an obsessive fan. I don't rush out to see each film. I haven't even seen them all yet. And so the story here - supposedly cannon - really doesn't matter to me as far as how well it gels with the film series.
And lastly, I didn't follow this game's hype leading up to its release. I didn't pay much attention to the overly long production schedule. I didn't see the demos shown prior to release, so had no anticipations. Add to this that while the game was released this year, I didn't pay $60 for it on day-one, but instead picked up for $10 when GameFly was having a sale.
[img width=700 height=429]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/345/937325_20121211_screen003.jpg[/img]
Now that we got those disclaimers out of the way I can start to tell you about my own experience playing. I delved in blindly, and to my surprise I found that the game was actually very linear. Whereas this might turn off other, more-seasoned FPS'ers, it was just fine for me. Earlier this year I played through Half-Life for the very first time. And while I fell deeply in love with that game and everything new it showed me about the genre, it was really nice to now play through a modern FPS where I didn't have to constantly resort to checking a walkthrough to figure out what my next move was.
Graphically, I thought the game looked excellent on 360. It was well detailed, ran smoothly (save for some glitches I'll get to later) and had excellent lighting. Of course I've since watched videos on Youtube comparing some of the demo footage shown before the game's release compared to the finished product, and certainly the final release has been compromised. But that said, the atmosphere always seemed to work really well for me.
[img width=700 height=933]http://i.imgur.com/upxksF4.jpg[/img]
As far as the aforementioned glitches, well they were around. As seen above is a screen shot I took on my phone camera. At one point I was being fired upon by turrets and wondering where my cover, O'Neil was. He should have been right behind me, but wasn't. I decided to backtrack a bit and found him two rooms earlier... stuck in a wall.
These NPC AI glitches were by far the ones I encountered the most. Sometimes one of your partners would seemingly forget he was even alive and would just stand frozen doing nothing for five minutes or so. Other times he would shake violently as if hopped up on uppers. At least twice I ran out in front of my squad only to find them suddenly waiting for me two rooms ahead. And once O'Neil even materialized in front of me out of thin air. So yeah, in that sense Colonial Marines feels a lot more like a budget title. And who knows, had it been released as such maybe we'd all think of it more akin to Earth Defense Force and wink-wink-nudge-nudge at these sorts of shortcomings.
[img width=700 height=393]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/157/937325_20120606_screen003.jpg[/img]
But despite all that, I still found the game compelling enough to find time for it consistently over the last two weeks until it was beaten. And there were plenty of moments that really stood out to me. For example there's one section where you must escape from a rather large Xeno and find yourself sneaking around under his floor. At various moments he angrily bursts through your ceiling attempting to grab you, and the scare was effective enough to genuinely make me yell out startled. (My wife later took it upon herself to burst in to the game room screaming to shake me up a second time).
At another point you come across these aliens who can only see movement, so you must stay still when they get to close. And right as I got to an exit three of them came extremely close to me and I swore I was detected. It was actually tense enough of a moment that I caught myself holding my breath in real life.
[img width=700 height=393]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2012/157/937325_20120606_screen002.jpg[/img]
The truth is that the game's eleven missions were actually quite well peppered with such moments that really made me enjoy every hour of gameplay. Although I'm still baffled at the ball-drop that was the final boss fight against the Queen. I genuinely have no idea why my squad of marines would think it was cool to let me handle her on my own. And I'm further baffled by the decision to make the boss encounter in a room so filled with barricades to keep her away from me, and so obvious as to how to defeat her. It did seem pretty anti-climatic considering how many more difficult sections had come before it.
But at the end of the day I'm glad I played this game. I don't regret purchasing it, and in fact I'm even bummed at the reception it got which would pretty clearly say "no sequels dudes." Considering its sunken price tag, I'd at least suggest some of you out there with some interest and open minds give it a shot. I'm certainly not saying it's the best game out there, but it's certainly not the worst either - no matter what it is you've heard elsewhere.
Activision / CZ-001-04 / River Raid
[img width=450 height=483]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-034/gs/U-034-S-01660-A.jpg[/img][img width=336 height=240]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-034/ss/ts/U-034-S-01660-A.jpg[/img]
The weeks "Gaming Moment" takes us to an Activision title that has a big following on just about any console it finds it's way to. That title would be River Raid.
This top view plane shooter has you challenging over 20 levels. The object of the game is to shoot the enemies out of the sky and out of the water. with fuel stations spread out along the river way. While shooting out enemies with unlimited ammo sounds good and allows you to shoot all over the place, you do need to be careful that you don't shoot out your own fuel stations.
This game is very addicting and will keep the gamer playing for hours. I would highly recommend this game to any gamer who wants to play a fun game that challnges and excites the player through each level.
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Posted on Jul 9th 2013 at 12:44:29 AM by ( noiseredux) Posted under PSP |
[img width=640 height=1103]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/box/9/1/0/937910_84493_front.jpg[/img]
If you happened to read my recent blog post about my playthrough of the first Final Fantasy on PSP, then you'd probably know that I was extremely excited to continue on with the second game. Strangely, I got all kinds of warnings from folks. "Just skip that one... trust me" kind of stuff. But I shook it off. I'm the type of gamer that tends to look for what's good in any game I play, and often am able to find enjoyment in plenty of games that others would just rather not waste time on. Surely I could find some fun in Final Fantasy II - especially a great looking remake like this one! Right?
[img width=480 height=272]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2007/305/937910_20071102_screen007.jpg[/img]
Well I was right about one thing... it does look great. Much like the first remake, Final Fantasy II looks amazing on PSP. These new sprites and backgrounds in widescreen are really breath-taking and I think sort of what we all imagined our SNES RPG's looked like back in the day. Likewise, the re-recorded soundtrack is excellent. Unfortunately that's where most of my kind-words for this game stop.
Many of you are probably already versed in Final Fantasy II and its extremely flawed leveling system. And though I had heard about it beforehand, I don't think I was prepared for how tedious this really made the game. Rather than just leveling up your characters through experience, everything has to be individually leveled. Your weapons, your spells, your Hit Points... everything. You want to be tougher? You need to take a bunch of damage. You want to cast an effective spell? You better cast it a lot.
[img width=480 height=240]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2007/186/reviews/937910_20070706_screen002.jpg[/img]
Of course there's 'workarounds' but they suck. Basically you can do things like constantly beat up your own party on purpose or cast spells and then cancel them before your turn is over. I didn't even bother with any of that. Truth be told, breaking the game truly broke the experience for me altogether. Instead, I attempted to play it straight, and ultimately that just broke my spirit to continue.
After two or three hours of my weak party walking between two towns, I was just about ready to throw in the towel. I figured I'd take a look a guide though. This right here shows the difference between Final Fantasy I and II. For the most part, I never really had issues figuring out how to progress my journey in the first game. But here I was, still in the earliest section of II and was baffled. The guide told me how to get Minwu the White Mage to join my party. So I tried that, and he wouldn't join. I back-read the guide to make sure I had done everything I was supposed to and as far as I could tell I had. I checked another guide, same thing. Tried again and Minwu wasn't having it.
So I shut the game off in disgust. Even if I could figure out what I was doing wrong and got Minwu to join my party at this point, I wouldn't want to. Final Fantasy II seems one of the most poorly executed RPG's I've ever attempted. This coming from a guy who could appreciate the limitations of item-usage in Riviera The Promised Land! I think perhaps if Final Fantasy II could have been remade with a completely re-vamped (and more traditional) leveling-up system, it could be a game worth diving back into. But in its original form it will remain just a curio to me. I think it's time I start looking for Final Fantasy III instead.
OK I rarely do blogs on here probably cause I'm the laziest person ever... lol, but anyway lets get on with the buy and not buy in the retro-gaming universe. OK first off I'll make a list of all the third-party systems I own then I will list the pros and cons of each system and which ones are worth picking up IF you don't have an original system or want an easy portable version of that system. OK here we go:
PocketFami (Aka Pocket Famicom) (I still have this but it broke years ago.)
[img width=700 height=685]http://www.obsolete-tears.com/photos/gametech_pocket-fami_boite.jpg[/img]
FC Mobile II
[img width=520 height=400]http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/fc_mobile_ii_black.jpg[/img]
FC16 GO
[img width=600 height=424]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/12/091210-snesportaboe-01.jpg[/img]
FC Twin (NES & SNES combo System)
Supaboy
Revision 1:
[img width=441 height=332]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/jviloria/aaa_new/supaboy.jpg[/img]
Revision 2:
[img width=651 height=485]http://www.stoneagegamer.com/images/detailed/9/supaboy05.jpg[/img]
RetroGen Adapter (not really a system its used on the SNES system or any third-party system)
[img width=500 height=500]http://www.gaminggenerations.com/store/images/retro_gen_adapter_123.jpg[/img]
OK now the rundown of each systems pros and cons:
PocketFami (Manufactured by GameTech):
Pros:
Very Lightweight
Very Portable/Small
Runs on 3 AA Batteries or a DC POWER ADAPTER ONLY! (Not included)
Has external controller ports (USES FAMICOM CONTROLLERS ONLY!)
Cons:
DC Adapter not included
Very cheaply made (pin connecter broke on me the first month i had it)
needed an adapter to play US games (Included, but it was an exposed adapter with no plastic shell and also very hard to put into the pin connection which is what caused mine to break)
Very expensive (mine was around 80 bucks and now they are OOP and go for like $120-150
Sound Quality is very poor and off pitch
Bad compatibility
Overall I'd say definitely pass on this monstrosity.
FC Mobile II (Manufactured by Hyperkin):
Pros:
Very lightweight/sleek design
Very nice bright LCD display screen/Good TV picture quality, but only get mono sound of course on both system and on the TV
Very good sound/speaker quality
Can use 4 AA batteries or use the provided AC adapter to play
Includes 3 Wireless Controllers (Two Turbo NES controllers run on 2 AAA batteries, and One Wireless Zapper which runs on 3 AAA batteries also has on on/off switch. One note you can't use the Zapper on HD TV's.)
Has a headphone jack
Cons:
Wireless controllers senor can cause the controller to be unresponsive if out of range (Sensor located on bottom of the system.)
Tengen carts don't work at all (As well as other games such as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and a few others.)
If you are running on battery power, some games will not play if the batteries are almost dead.
Overall with the FCII I'd say its worth it even if you have an original NES because its easily portable and can play most of your NES library without issue on the go or to take on vacation.
FC16 GO (Model 2) Model 1 is OOP (Manufactured by YOBO Gameware Inc):
Pros
Nice loud Speakers
Uses a Rechargeable Battery (Charger included)
Includes 2 wireless controllers (runs on 2 AAA batteries, very long battery life)
Includes Standard AV Cables
Cons:
The screen usually has a dead pixel or two when it arrives even if its new. (This problem may have been fixed I don't know for sure I highly doubt it.)
Takes a long time to recharge the battery even though the battery last maybe 3-6 hours takes 9-12 to charge...
Graphical, Sound, & Control issues with some games (examples are Contra III top-view levels look washed out in white and Star Trek TNG does not work at all controls are glitchy and unresponsive)
Overall for this one I'd say get it if you don't have an original SNES and what a decent substitute for the real thing
FC Twin (NES & SNES Combo system) (Manufactured by YOBO Gameware Inc.)
Pros:
Very lightweight and compact (about the size of a Genesis Model 2)
Stereo AV cables (I believe the NES side is simulated stereo)
Great compatibility on both systems (It could even play Tengen carts)
Easily Modifiable SNES slot to play Japanese Imports Tabs are made of cheap plastic they are easy to snap off)
Can use original or third-party SNES controllers
Cons:
You can't play games that use the NES Zapper
Controllers that come with it are very cheaply made (I recommend using original SNES controllers)
Still can't play Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.
Overall I'd say this is probably the only third party system I'd recommend for at home use. I would also recommend the Retron3 or the FC3, but i don't have one although I've heard they're just as good as this, nut the controllers are very bad. On a good note it comes with a Zapper for NES games. It also has a Sega Genesis Slot.
Supaboy (Manufactured by Hyperkin)
Before I start I will be listing pros and cons of REVISION 1 not 2.
Pros:
Nice screen size
Has 2 controller ports
Has a rechargeable battery/and AV Cables
Comes with a carrying case/pouch
Comes pre-modded to play Japanese Games, and can also play PAL games (I don't know how well it can play PAL games though.
Cons:
Very bulky
Battery life is only 3-5 hours (Supposed to be better on the second revision)
Sound quality is horrible and has a high-pitched humming noise even with headphones plugged in (Confirmed to be better on the second revision, but I don't know for sure.)
Same kind of graphical/control issues as the FC16 GO (Contra III has the same issue listed above in the FC16 GO section. Although Star Trek TNG plays fine, but Batman Returns has control issues with system controls only.)
Over the Supaboy is a good SNES substitute, but I would pass on this if you have a SNES already or if you don't go with an alternative like the FC Twin or Retron3
RetroGen Adapter (Not really a system, but I'm going to talk about cause its surprisingly good with some minor flaws. To use it you need any SNES system (may work on third-parties i haven't tested it on one) unplug the AV cables to the SNES and plug in the RetroGen AV Cables into the side of the adapter and then the other side into the TV. OK now for the pros and cons:
Pros:
Easy to use
Region switch to play most if not all import MegaDrive titles (NA, PE, PAL, & NJ are all the switch settings)
Very good picture/Stereo sound.
Decent button layout (Y=Genesis button A, B= Genesis button B, A= Genesis button C, X= Genesis button Y, L= Genesis button X, and R= Genesis button Z)
Great compatibility
Region switch negates games that have a region lock (such as: Golden Axe III, Bare Knuckle III, Contra Hard Corps, and any others that are locked)
Cons:
There is no MODE button for games that require one to be held in while powering on in order to play games that only support 3-button Genesis controllers (Such as Golden Axe II)
Overall this adapter is a pretty cool novelty to have for your SNES to screw with your friends or if your to lazy to pull out your Sega Genesis and feel like being an oddball. Plus its only like 20 dollars on Ebay or Amazon. Here's a link to my video review of the RetroGen:
So in closing I would say the top third-party systems/accessories I would recommend getting ONLY IF you don't have the original systems or are intrigued by these systems like I am. Here's what I would recommend and why:
FC Mobile II - Great compatibility, Compact size, and nice bright LCD screen
FC Twin - Great compatibility, two systems in one, easy to modify the SNES slot to play Japanese Imports, and it can use original SNES controllers
RetroGen Adapter - Great compatibility, Great picture quality, and pretty awesome concept.
In closing I hope this article helps out some of you RFGeners in making a decision on purchasing a third-party system.
I recently posted a long comment on the forum and I thought it would be a great idea to blog about it. So I received my OUYA a few days ago and I was able to test it. Here's my experience by categories:
Controllers: I read that they were awful but I think they improved them since mine is pretty good. You see it's cheap plastic but it still seems solid. Connection is good, works very well. The only thing I don't really like is the "pointing device" which is a touch pad in the middle of the controller... works but barely.
Sound: Nothing to say, it's all good, in games, watching your videos, listening to online radio with apps, it's all good.
Graphics: The possibilities are there. A few games like Shadowgun, Beast Boxing turbo or Ravensword: Shadowlands have great graphics for the machine. However, most games tend to look like cellphones games on a big screen tv. Nevertheless, the system CAN show great textures, it's just underused for now.
Machine ports: sd port, power and almost everything works great. The only problem is the internet connection. The wi-fi reception is quite bad and easily disconnects or is very slow. I've tried connecting it with fast ethernet but it's also common that it disconnects and fail to see ethernet as a network. I must admit, this is really frustrating.
Games: I was hoping to see more 100% free games on this console but except for very bad ones and very few good ones, you have to pay from 3 to 20$, normally around 5-7$. Anybody can publish what they want on this system so you have good games for every style: FPS, RPG, Fighting, Shoot 'em up, racing, etc. At this moment, there's 210 games on OUYA and most of them looks like games you could use on your cellphone or play on websites like newgrounds (for free I must say). Some games look like ports of Android cellphone games on OUYA without a lot of consideration for the OUYAian gamer. Nevertheless, even though many games are crap, I must say that there's enough games that are pretty good, just rarely last-generation looking games.
So that's about it. Is it worth 150$? (bought it with 2 controllers). I don't think so. 100$ would be better with 2 controllers. However, I do understand why they talk so much about potential, because there is a lot to it. I don't regret buying it and I enjoy it, but I'm a little disappointed of the lack of real free games and ethernet problems.
Happy 4th of July, long-suffering readers of the Transitions Blog! Today we will be exploring a PS2 launch game that is apropos for the American Day of Independence: FantaVision. Let's dig in...
[img width=200 height=282]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/65/Fantavisionbox.jpg/200px-Fantavisionbox.jpg[/img]
Aside from being an especially interesting launch day choice for Sony, FantaVision is an unusual game in its own right. The basic premise of the game is to catch fireworks flares as they ascend, match them in groupings based on color, and detonate them to create a fireworks display that chains into other flares. In each level, you must do this well enough so that time doesn't expire. Racking up points and chains will carry you on to the next level. It is unquestionably a unique puzzle game, one that would still standout against the deluge of puzzle games released in the age of smartphone gaming. In my experience, it is also quite challenging. But why was this a launch game?
FantaVision showcased the PS2's graphics capabilities. FantaVision started life as a tech demo rather than a full-fledged game, and so from the outset It was meant to emphasize some of the PlayStation 2's new capabilities. The game's lighting effects, the detail in the cityscapes, the smoothness of the camera - these may all seem very basic today, and even rudimentary by the standards set in games that would appear shortly thereafter in the PlayStation 2's lifespan - but the ability of the game to "pop" (pun intended) was likely the main reason that it was included in the launch library.
[img width=600 height=450]http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/7/72276/1536029-0218_fantavision6.jpg[/img]
It was the only puzzle game available at launch. The PS2 saw plenty of action, sports, and fighting games when it hit US shores in October of 2000, but FantaVision was the only game to offer the kind of intensity that only the puzzle genre can deliver. Pure speculation: Sony may have been testing the waters for interest in puzzle games on the PS2, as the amount of puzzle games released for the PS1 had fallen off sharply in the years before the PS2s launch and, it would turn out, the PS2 had a relatively small amount of games in the genre even by the end of its run.
[img width=300 height=225]http://images.eurogamer.net/articles//a/2/1/3/9/4/4/fantavision.jpg.jpg/EG11/resize/300x-1/quality/91[/img] In contrast to the Japanese original, the US version of the game featured a two player mode.
FantaVision is an early example of Sony promoting an "indie" game.Over the past 5-6 years, Sony has developed a strong reputation for fostering in-house "independent" game development and promoting unique, innovative, projects that come from small teams. Many people cite PS2 games like those from Team Ico or from someone like Suda 51, but FantaVision has that similar kind of "homemade feel" that comes across in everything from the wacky FMV intro screens to the tutorials to the credits. It is early evidence of a long-term push towards more niche titles from Sony, even if it is really the only game from the PS2 launch lineup to illustrate this. Also of note is that it is the only U.S. launch title actually published by SCEE.
[img width=480 height=360]http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/1y6Tp8BHB-g/hqdefault.jpg[/img] The game has very unique FMV videos interspersed throughout.
It was doomed by poor reviews. If reviews are to be believed, FantaVision was a game no one was looking for/asking for in late 2000. IGN.com, for example, started their review with this:
In the hustle and bustle of the massive PS2 launch, with its high power sports, action, and fighting games, Sony's little fireworks puzzler FantaVision is sure to get swept under the rug real quick. Not because it's a bad game, and not because it's a puzzle title, although that doesn't help, but for two other major reasons. First, it's an unknown quantity (What the hell is FantaVision, anyway?) that can't be easily identified when glancing at the box; and second, it uses so little of the PS2's polygon pushing power that it doesn't really usher in the next generation of games with a whole lot of gusto.
GameSpot, meanwhile, was only a bit more encouraging at the end of its review:
Fantavision neither revolutionizes nor damages the genre, it simply comes out somewhere in between. The advantage of being the first puzzle title on the PS2, combined with the game's eye candy and two-player mode, definitely works in the game's favor. In the end, Fantavision is little more than a pleasantly entertaining puzzle game.
Famitsu only gave the game a 31/40, and it was largely seen as a launch day mistake by Sony.
[img width=418 height=293]http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Features/2008/06/Minigames/UPM99.feat_mini.32--article_image.jpg[/img][img width=418 height=293]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_xqvpHcLFqg/UE062tryT0I/AAAAAAAATTg/XfsMf87UmgI/s1600/fantavision-ps2+fireworks+game+puzzler.jpg[/img]
An interesting side note: Despite low interest in the USA, FantaVision saw a sequel of sorts in Japan (it was largely just an inclusion of the NTSC-U two player mode), but never saw any further success in the USA. While it may not have been the belle of the launch ball in 2000, I think most gamers would feel it is well worth checking out in 2013, especially on Independence Day! It is a fascinating launch title that has aged very well.
This week I was going to go high tech and do a video game of the week segment. But due to time restraints I wasnt able to get it up and running by this time. I might try to do one and get it up with this blog. Either way I do this each Tuesday so I want to make sure this gets up in time. Either way, on with the show.
[img width=587 height=307]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-034/ss/ts/U-034-S-01450-A.jpg[/img]
I figured this week to do a classic that every one has played at one time or another on some system at some point. PACMAN. From the humble beginings at the arcade to the home console here is a symbol that is recognized anywhere and everywhere.
On the Atari 8 bit this game has 256 levels that you need to figure out and complete. The idea is real simple eat all the pills on each board while avoiding the 4 ghosts that chase after you. Along the way you get 4 power pills you can eat that will turn the ghosts blue. At this point you can eat them. Also along the way you get special bonuses ( Fruit, Keys, and lighting bolts ).
I enjoy this version of the game and can spend hours playing it in either 1 player or 2 player action.
Collectors Note:
There are a few label variations for this cartridge. A black case brown label 400 style label ( CXL 4022 ) and a later re-release on the silver label 800 style ( RX8022 ).
So is the case with the manuals a REV A which shows Pacman running on the cover has a bit more info packed into the manual to the REV B which shows a more computer model of Pacman chasing after pills.
I would say since this cart is easy to find in the population its a worth while title to pick up and play.
Please feel free to let me know what you think of this title and memories from playing this game. Please check me out on my Youtube Channel : Atarian83 and as always on my website www. A8Museum.com
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