|
The next generation of consoles is upon us. PS4 and XBox One will make their way into living rooms across the world this holiday season. We now know what to look forward to and we're buzzing with excitement. The games we will soon be playing, the heroes we will be meeting, the experiences we will be sharing; all this wonder and adventure await. Without looking at what games lie on the horizon and focusing only on E3, we all know it: Sony stole the show at this year's press conference. No DRM, offline compatible, acceptance of used games. This is all great news for gamers and now that the two giants have put their chips on the table it comes down to us. Who will we side with? Who will come out victorious?
Of course I'm ready to vote with my dollars, but a question burns in my mind. What will the next generation bring with respect to Role Playing games? No doubt we will see graphical advances, more frantic battles, and temples so realistic you'd think you're actually there. But what about the stories to be told? The lessons to be learned? The emotional bonds to be formed?
[img width=640 height=360]http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mission/files/2012/04/Ni-No-Kuni-Mom.jpg[/img]
What I'm really asking is will future RPGs make me care about what's going on within the worlds they present? To put this into perspective I am emotionally invested in Ni No Kuni's , Oliver because I feel his love for his mother echoes my love for mine, but I don't really feel like I will gain anything from seeing his story through to the end. Oliver seems to be a likable young boy, one with manners, respect, and a level head. But his friends are not as deep, and they appear to be merely tagging along for the ride. I mean their stakes in the journey aren't as compelling as Oliver's. On the other hand, I felt driven to guide Tidus and his companions to the conclusion of Final Fantasy X. Tidus needed Yuna and her guardians just as much they needed him. They completed each other and together they completed the story. It was a perfectly symbiotic relationship that created a masterpiece video game.
Like a novel, a game must follow a satisfying narrative arc if it is to be worth our time. During gameplay and cutscenes which the player has earned the gamer has to learn about the hero's motivations and, upon the end credits, have made a connection to the cast and story. Film can accomplish this in two hours while some games fail to do so over forty hours. RPGs must use their medium expertly to convey their messages clearly and succinctly or they will fall by the way side. If the audience is intelligent enough they will glean from the story, the message needn't be shoved in our faces. Setting, conflict, and drama will be lost if they're shallow or gratuitous. I will still gladly enter a fantastical realm of monsters and magic but it must have meaning. Summoning fierce deities will still be fun, however I want to earn this power instead of receiving it as a means to continue the plot. I want a juicy steak with my gravy. The upcoming RPGs must deliver on this or else their fate simply doesn't look promising. If an Action-Adventure set in an fungal virus infected apocalypse promises more of an emotional roller coaster ride, RPG developers have to shift gears to avoid becoming cliche romps through beast riddled caverns.
I've saved the world from hell-bent rivals hundreds of times. Now I want to look inside so as to make sense of the outside. Rescuing a character from a descent into madness or teaching the faithless heroine to be able to love will be enthralling. A demonic backdrop would still work. The monsters confronted during gameplay would be physical representations of the protagonist's inner turmoil. If we must continue to analyze the world around us consider defeating an alien race which would in turn teach of the dangers of misanthropy or a tainted moral compass. That would make for a wonderful story.
[img width=700 height=500]http://www.andytyra.com/userfiles/cont6.jpg[/img]
The oral tradition is a characteristic trait of humans. We need stories as they are the vessels used to relay culture, values, beliefs, and morals. The genre is by its very nature conducive to story-telling and as such I know these kinds of games can very well be the modern equivalent of Aesop's fables. Inasmuch I believe these games need to be thought provoking in order to earn their place among the greats - to stand the test of time. They need to be significant if they intend to be relevant. It's been twenty years since Secret of Mana hit the SNES and it's still relevant today. We're still discussing Final Fantasy VII after sixteen years. We will look back on Dragon's Dogma with as much admiration in five years time? Perhaps the Mass Effect trilogy will be the exception, but those are only three games from a vast console library. Will the Role Playing games of the early 2000s be as essential as those of the early 1990s?
I accept that the halcyon days of RPGs ended long ago, but could there be a resurgence of great games just beyond the horizon? Will Noctis (Final Fantasy XV) or the hero of Capcom's yet-to-be-named game make their way into our psyche? It's time RPGs break the shackles they put around their wrists and take note from other video game genres, even film and literature. The future leaves us with many questions but that is to be expected. We should not fear the unknown, nor should we tread these uncharted waters with hesitation. Embrace the wonderment that is set to grace our TVs. Should we be disappointed, remember that we have two power weapons at our disposal. They are our voices and our wallets. I won't go so far as to say the future of gaming, and RPGs in particular, is bleak but it is uncertain. Uncertainty, though, is exciting. Just like coming home to a surprise party, loading the next epic journey could be just what we wanted.
Playing Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms, the Brittania campaign. I have primarily Welsh ancestry so decided to see what I can do since you can control them vying for continued independence against England's sword. You can also play as Scotland (and get a badass free army when William Wallace enters the history books).
Chapter 1: Llywelyn The Great
With Wales you start off with Llywelyn the Great, basically the Welsh cultural equivalent to William Wallace. He is an insane general in the early game, and his heir Prince Dafydd is not far behind. Beating the English with Llywelyn early on gives the Welsh immense pride and you get small free armies that pop up around the countryside. I built 2 extra big armies with these initial free troops. One was lead by Prince Dafydd, and the other a young 2 star general I wanted to give some experience to named Ieuan of Clynnog Fawr. Llywelyn's veteran troops continued their march South, Dafydd began conquering to the East, then turned to the North, and Ieuan marched Eastward to Oxford.
More men rose to the cause of war in the countryside, and English resistance was weak to the overwhelming rise of Welsh pride and might. These new men were used as the basis of the garrisons for the conquered English towns, being some of the best early Welsh units.
Llywelyn conquered Cornwall and raised his banner in the region before passing on due to a mysterious illness.
Chapter 2: King Dafydd's Rule Begins
Dafydd was crowned new King of Wales, and Welsh expansion soon began to halt temporarily. Dafydd, showing that he was more than a conqueror, began a nationwide focus on building up the infrastructure of the vast lands he now ruled. Everything from Cornwall in the South, to Oxford in the East, to Cumberland in the North was under Welsh dominion. Prince Edward of England soon departed for the Ninth Crusade, giving King Dafydd time to accomplish his goal of building defenses and expanding the economies of his new lands.
Wales and Scotland announce an alliance. William Wallace emerges and induces fright in the remaining English and Norwegian lords of the North. King Dafydd feels his position continue to strengthen, and turns his attention to building up a navy. Welsh fleets soon dominate the Irish sea and blockade the remaining English ports in Ireland. However, Edward returned from his Crusade and is crowned King Edward I. The new king begins planning to retake lands that are now in King Dafydd's hands, and has a big army of Knights Templar at his back.
Chapter 3: The Battle of Kingsroad
The inevitable battle happens on the road between Chester and Lancaster. King Dafydd surprises King Edward, and has extra reinforcements from the North. The Welsh and English army stare each other down while Dafydd places his reinforcements on his right flank, angling them towards Edward's forces. Edward finally moves, English longbowmen and Templar crossbows running in range of the Welsh archers. The Welsh advantage in arrows created some chaos in the English army, and most of the longbows and half the crossbows were lost in the first large skirmish.
King Dafydd then executes the second part of his skirmish plan, marching his two units of javelin skirmishers towards Edward's weakened front line. With the added javelins the archers march forward, getting in range of the rest of the English army now. Both flanks begin to cave in for Edward. Dafydd realizes he is outnumbered on horse, and the heavy armor on the rest of Edward's Templar forces shows him that his arrows will be less effective. So he begins the charge.
Most of the Welsh infantry is lightly armored, and Dafydd knew that many would die to defend their new lands. He uses his weaker melee units to do as much damage to King Edward's line as possible, keeping his own heavy infantry back for the moment. The rangers used the rest of their ammo during the melee, but most of the Welsh melee was cut down and routed. It looked like Edward could still come out on top, but he was still outnumbered, and the English cavalry superiority was now evened out.
The final Welsh charge began. The rangers pulling out their melee weapons now. Dafydd used his numbers to run his remaining infantry around the remaining English, surrounding Edward's forces, using his remaining heavy infantry as the anchor of the final charge. Edward keeps his final guards outside of the Welsh circle, and charges into the rear of a Welsh archer. Edward soon found Dafydd's own cavalry smashing into his rear flank. King Dafydd then slew King Edward in a one on one melee. The very few remaining English soldiers instantly surrendered. The battle had largely been even. 700 Welsh fell in the Battle of Kings. But they took an equal number of English with them, more importantly, powerful Templar units. The largest victory that day was felling King Edward, which left King Dafydd of Wales the undisputed power of the region.
Chapter 4: The Sack of York
After the dust settled from the Battle of Kingsroad Lord Ieuan began to mobilize once more. In a rather memorable battle against the English Lord Edward Dangerfyld, Lord Ieuan ordered his catapult to open fire on the English line. The first stone that the catapult fired smashed into Lord Edward, killing him instantly. Lord Edward was the first casualty of this skirmish for Oxford. Lord Ieuan emerged victorious and kept the fortified center under Welsh control.
After Lord Ieuan's victory King Dafydd began to mobilize for a force of his own and marched on the English stronghold of York. With Edward out of the way and his defensive lines holding it was time to strike! The Welsh king's forces broke through the border defenses and took York with little trouble, sacking the rich haven in the process.
Chapter 5: The English Marches
Even with King Edward dead the English did not give up on their goal to take back control and conquer the Welsh. Small strike teams penetrated into Welsh territory, being beaten away from Oxford continually by Lord Ieuan. A young English Lord Alan Hayway almost made it to ancestral Welsh borders, from before the marches of Llywelyn. Lord Alan was stopped by a young Welsh Lord Meilir Idwal, and a battle occurred near Shrewsbury Castle. Lord Alan fought valiantly but the Welsh lines held and the English noble fell in battle.
Every Lord the English sent to take back their cities from the Welsh fell in battle, it was a true slaughter. More men fell to King Dafydd's sword as they tried to retake York. Another English Lord, Walter of Glastonbury, began a siege of the Welsh garrison at Gloucester. The Welsh Lord in charge of the defenses was Tiernan of Bangor. Both lords fell in battle, and Gloucester remained under Welsh dominion.
Chapter 6: Ieuan the Honorable
While King Dafydd recovered from the Siege and Sacking of York, Lord Ieuan finally managed to march South and take Winchester from English control. The two pronged assault of English land from King Dafydd and his loyal vassal Lord Ieuan the Honourable of Clynnog Fawr, was resoundingly successful, and English domination of the British Isles was slowly slipping away from the English crown.
Before Lord Ieuan could fully recover from his conquest of Winchester he found himself besieged by an English army. Despite the battle Ieuan still had the larger overall force and managed a successful defense, keeping Winchester under the rule of Wales.
Lord Ieuan's defense was considered a piece of tactical genius and risk. Ieuan charged his own cavalry out and took out England's catapult men to open the battle. He then used England's own battering ram to protect his skirmishers. By the time England's melee units made it to the Welsh line they were under arrow and javelin fire, and would retreat quickly.
Chapter 7: Politics of The British Isles
King Dafydd managed to strengthen his alliance to the northern Scots by marrying off his daughter and gaining the devotion of the young Scottish Lord Cormac Bell. Bell's trip to Wales has been delayed due to Scottish military movement towards the South.
[img width=700 height=388]http://whydidiplaythis.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/cormac-the-unfortunate.png[/img]
Cormac the Unfortunate
The English King William was in a precarious position since the fall of York. King Dafydd's conquest of York left him trapped just to the North at Newcastle, with almost no backup. Surrounded by Scots to the North and the army of King Dafydd to his South, and the garrison of Cumberland to his West, the King of England was forced to wait for reinforcements.
The Irish tribes were knocking on the doors of English control of Ireland as well, having an army just outside of Dublin, where English trade was blocked by the dominant Welsh fleets of the area. A complete Celtic pincer was pushing the Norman nobility of England aside, and re-establishing dominance.
[img width=700 height=393]http://whydidiplaythis.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/rhys-the-spy-lands-in-ireland.png[/img]
Rhys the Spy lands in Ireland
A rebellion of English lords was also spotted by King Dafydd's agents just outside Dublin as well, making both the Irish and rebel armies direct threats to the English stronghold.
Chapter 8: A King Deserted
King Dafydd left his post at York to chase down William's reinforcements, lead by the English Lord Aston Courtnay. Now Dafydd's army was much more balanced, having a large cavalry presence, as well as plenty of melee and his typical collection of archers and skirmishers.
Lord Aston stood little chance, his own bodyguard was ravaged early in the battle. Dafydd's cavalry sealed the battle by charging into the rear of the English infantry during the melee. King Dafydd broke away from the cavalry battle to take out the men using Lord Aston's catapults. The left flank of the King of Wales had almost collapsed by the time the cavalry fighting was over, but the crash of Welsh cavalry in their rear flank broke them instantly.
King William was now alone, with little to protect him, and the mighty Welsh King on his doorstep.
Chapter 9: The Siege of Newcastle
After the battle King Dafydd took an abandoned English fort near the border to Newcastle, resting before marching towards Newcastle Upon Tyne, where King William was trapped. The Welsh king quickly opened siege to the final English stronghold in the North.
[img width=700 height=393]http://whydidiplaythis.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/the-celtic-alliance.png[/img]
The Celtic Alliance ft. Cormac the Unfortunate
There was an English garrison to the North of Newcastle in a fort on the border to Scotland, which was besieged by a large Scottish force. King Dafydd took this opportunity to begin his assault on the King of England. With the Scots to the North Dafydd was confident in his position.
Chapter 10: Newcastle Falls
King Dafydd opened the battle by pushing his siege ram and tower to the walls, knocking the gate down and storming the walls. The battle of Newcastle's walls did not last long, with the veteran Welsh force triumphant. Many of the Welsh men with ladders were Dafydd's rangers, so he held them back until his melee was on the walls, then charged them forward and let them take positions to open fire once on the walls.
All of these movements were successful, and Dafydd looked to be well on his way to easily capturing Newcastle and killing his second King of England. However, once on the walls Dafydd felt the ground begin to shake. William's siege weapons had opened fire, but were hitting the buildings of Newcastle at first. The poor church would lose its tower and catch flame.
King William fell in battle while fleeing, being claimed by Welsh arrows. However, King Dafydd fell just after watching the King of England fall, to a flaming boulder launched by one of William's catapults, dying instantly along with a few of his men.
The Welsh forces proceeded to victory, then began to mourn their fallen King.
RX8084 - Hardball!
(c) 1987 Atari Corp.
[img width=383 height=461]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-034/gs/U-034-S-01000-A.jpg[/img][img width=565 height=304]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-034/ss/ts/U-034-S-01000-A.jpg[/img]
[img width=320 height=240]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/photo_11_zpscf7d979f.jpg[/img][img width=320 height=240]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/photo_21_zps6039771e.jpg[/img]
[img width=320 height=240]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/photo_31_zps118530c2.jpg[/img][img width=320 height=240]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/photo_4-1_zps320daa2e.jpg[/img]
When talking about baseball games that allow to control your team what do you think of ? Maybe MLB The Show? Perhaps the Triple Play for Genesis or Suepr Bases Loaded for SNES? How about VR Baseball or MLB for the Playstation series? Well which ever game you come to mind I bet they owe alot of their gaming ideas to the game Hardball!.
Made by Accolade in 1985 and released by Atari for the 8-Bit series in 1987 this game has it all. When you plug the cart in and start it up you have a basic black screen with white text and you might be thinking this is gonna be lack luster at best. Never judge a cart by its intro screen. Pressing start will open up a world of choices that will make your head spin. Before I dive into that first I need to say something about the music. Even on the Atari computers the music brings the sound of baseball into your living room, right down to the chanting music you would hear mid inning during a rally.
On to the choices you can make. Starting at the intro screen you select being the home or away team. Set if player 1 or 2 is which team ( red is player 1, blue is player 2 ). You can set up which team the computer will be in 1 player action. Hey if your an American league fan, why not add more fun and scroll down and play some DH baseball. Or you can play National League style and let the pitcher hit. Once you get this all sorted out your off to manage your team, you can replace hitters, change the batting order around some, change the position of your players. Your in control. Same for your pitchers pick who you want to start if you don't like the default setting. Check out the realistic stats , it will allow you to pick who will be your better choice for at the plate.
Controls are strait forwards each pitcher has 4 pitches from fastball! fastball curve ball off speed, slider. have fun thinking how to get the batter out. And on the batting end your directional arrows will allow you to pick how you want to swing to hit the ball away inside up or down in the zone.
Ever had a game where nothing is going right? You've burned through 90% of your pitching staff and your not getting the job done? Call in a 3rd basemen to pitch ( all his pitches say Fat Pitch) but heck you can be a positional player and pitch. ( Hey didn't the Yankees do that before a few times just for fun?? ).
This game brings it all to the gamer and still leaves room for more fun with any extra innings you might have to play. Personally Ive never had to play more than 21 innings in a game but it's good to know the game will just keep on going.
I know this has more pictures than in the past reviews but this game has so much going on and menus that are easy and almost fun to use that I wanted you to have the full experience before going out there and buying a copy for yourself.
Like always if there is an Atari 8-bit Computer cart game you would like to see featured on this Blog feel free to send me a message to my inbox or email me direct at Braves1545@aol.com.
RX8089 - Desert Falcon
(c) 1988 Atari Corp.
[img width=564 height=292]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-034/ss/ts/U-034-S-00630-A.jpg[/img]
Here is an interesting title from Atari Corp. in 1988 called Desert Falcon. Kinda an obvious name for what it is ( I was expecting something military air fighter game with a title like this, but I would be wrong). I'm not sure which desert this game is suppose to be set in but by the characters you fight in the game I would say Egypt would be a safe bet.
You are a bird flying around being shot at by other flying objects. You do have the ability to shoot back at the flying objects as you go along. Starting with 4 lives you take to the air to defeat obstacles in your way. If you recall my Blue Max write up you may remember comments about how it was impressive scrolling from southwest to northeast, and this game is similar in that respect ( even though not as a major degree).
As you play you can also land and walk around picking up objects along the way called "Hieros". For the game you are looking to find 3 of them. One of the interesting objects you need to shoot and defeat is a Spinx cat statue that comes alive. Even though your are taking on the Spinx the flying objects coming at you still comes in waves. After you defeat the Spinx, there is a bonus level that you can pick up items within a 20 second time limit between levels.
Overall this is an interesting game that might not be as graphically amazing as other titles but it holds its own in game play. The adding of walking around picking up objects brings something extra to the game that makes the whole game more challenging.
Here's a youtube video of the game play
Episode 15 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...rum/index.php?topic=11973
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
As many of us evolve from mere gamers into collectors we eventually have to deal with our innermost demons. Great moral quandaries force us to question our very way of life up to that point. These ferocious moral dilemmas manifest themselves as private struggles that fuel our nightly insomnia. Your personal interrogation might represent itself in the form of a simple question, something like: Should I open it...... or just keep it sealed?
If you've been collecting for any amount of time you've probably run across a situation like that. An occasion where your collector mentality clashes with your gamer mentality. Each video game collector has their own uniqe combination of gamer and collector within them. A lot of times the two are in sync with each other and can both thrive, but on occasion the two collide and its not always obvious which one should win out.
The 3 of us will explore the transitory feelings of gaming and collecting by looking at what we feel are some of the common pitfalls to arise and cause these two parasitic mentalities to be knocked out of harmony.
And as always there are several hours worth of small scores for you to either cheer on your fellow collectors or curse the day they were ever born!!
Music: Power Blade & Power Blade 2 (NES)
Intro - 00:00:00
Small Scores - 18:10:00
Topic - 3:10:15
Outro - 4:49:45
When I think back to my childhood and playing video games The Atari XEGS comes to mind first since it was my first system ever. Being from a family on a limited budget we could only afford a handful of games for the system. If I recall properly 7 games total ( Pacman, Flight Simulator 2, Blue Max, Hardball, Bug Hunt, Real Sports Football and another title that is slipping my mind. Of these games I used to play one game stood out to be the most fun and graphically advanced in my view..... Blue Max.
As many would remember this game did come out on 5.25 disk way before it made it to the XE line of carts and crossed a few other systems ( C64 comes to mind). I can sit remembering playing it for hours trying to get to the final area bombing the 3 buildings before making my way back to the landing area and wonder things like what would happen if you bomb the side buildings in the final area. Now to this day its fuzzy in my head what does happen when you do that. I think they do look like any other building gets bombed but I dont think you get points for it. ( maybe you get 50 i dont remember).
I loved how the south west to north east scrolling with minimal 3D graphics ( by today's account) was worked into the programming of this game. It was something you really didnt see many games and when my friends would come over ( friends with NES SNES Genesis and such this would be one of the games that they would love to play. That I think says alot for how the game aged even on a older 8 bit unit when NES and Super NES ruled the streets.
Game play was pretty trait forward. You could do 2 things shoot and bomb. Dropping below 21 on the altitude level and you risk crashing or hitting trees, bridges, and buildings. If the bottom bar goes blue it means you can shoot the other planes down ( or they can shoot you or run into you , funny how we always forget that) .
Bombing things with [ + ] gave you extra points due to the fact that they were key buildings or bridges that you should take out.
But by far shooting was the most fun here. You can shoot out ( between 21-25 on the alt level) land to air missile launchers, shoot boats in the water ( you can bomb em too but shooting is so much more fun). You can shoot the little cars trucks tanks on the bridge or roadway. Little attention to detail things like that really makes it stand out that the programmers took the time to do it right for the gamer to enjoy.
When you go deep into the enemy lines you can shoot out cars and tanks still, bomb buildings but the cool fun part is trying to shoot out the hanger for the enemy ( which is harder to do that you would think) and the airplanes lined up in the runway. Its not required to do that and might risk you crashing but when your at war why not blow up more stuff than needed. Might as well do as much damage as you can.
Even today being 26 years later this game is as much fun and graphically holds up well than many other titles for the system. My gf gets intrigued by the game. Not that air plane shooters interests her much ( more a centipede pacman kinda gal) but just that its a refreshing looking game.
This Blue Max is a special part of my 8 Bit collection but this game brings me back to a day when Nintendo and the big name companies may have the hot new titles but kids appreciated games with cool looking graphics and interesting game play and didnt factor in who made it or is it the in thing to play. Good was just plain good.
Over 8000 submissions this month? What could have possibly created such a huge influx of submissions? Maybe it has to do with that contest thing going on. Yeah, that's probably it. With the awesome prizes, I don't see how anyone could resist making hundreds of submissions, or in Crabmaster's case, thousands of submissions...
Apparently, Crabmaster really wants another RFGen T-shirt and his choice of a game valued up to $60. Because he was the top submitter in May with 3,272 submissions. But, if you want that shirt and game, there's still hope for you in the contest. You have until June 8th to make more submissions.
Crabmaster isn't the only competition this year though, plenty of people have been kicking butt this month. Rounding out the top ten this month for submissions we have Bildtstar, Madir, ApolloBoy, ericeskapade, Tynstar, Izret101, ixtaileddemonfox, Shadow Kisuragi, and Addicted.
As always, all those submissions would just sit in submission limbo without our crack team of reviewers. The top reviewers this month were Tynstar, Bildtstar, and Shadow Kisuragi.
So thanks to everyone who has submitted and reviewed submissions this month.
And if you're wondering what your odds are of winning the contest, I'm not telling you. But I will let you know who is winning, but you'll just have to guess how far behind you are from the leader. And if you want to win, just keep those submissions coming, you've got a few days, which is actually enough time to make enough submissions to win. You may have to give up some sleep and food, but you can still submit while you're using the toilet, we won't even know the difference.
The ten members with the highest scores as of this writing are as follows: Crabmaster2000, techwizard, Bildtstar, ericeskapade, ixtaileddemonfox, Zagnorch, Madir, Addicted, h1ghw1nd, and A8scooter. If that's you, then congrats, you're doing pretty good so far. But if you want to do better or if your name has a "2000" in it, you should keep those submissions coming in, you never know when you'll get passed up in this intense competition. And if your name is absent from that list, you still have a shot, don't be discouraged (hint: screenshots are a great way to get a ton of points). That T-shirt can still have anyone's name on it at this point!
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/r1LBrNF.jpg[/img]
Want an excuse to play some cool 16 bit Disney games? For the month of June, the RF Generation community will be playing through
Aladdin
The Jungle Book
The Lion King
Goof Troop
If you would like to play, just say hello in this thread
You will find the list of other participants, achievements, discussion about the games, etc.
Hint for July's Game...
Fleach and I decided that since July is month seven and we think everyone should have a super time, there was really only one choice when it came to the game for July. We will reveal the game as soon as someone guesses it.
In light of the rather pessimistic slant of part one, full of DRM, games that will be in inaccessible over the long term, and the overall damage being done to gaming's potential cultural impact, it is equally important to ponder the brighter horizons of gaming's future.
The PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii have been hanging around longer than a typical console cycle. The big 'what's next?' question has been on "core" gamer minds for some time and Kinect, Move, and Motion Plus offered little distraction or relevance. Not to mention the concern that the folks in game development/publishing were not listening to what most gamers wanted. Given the reaction to Xbox One, that concern seems quite founded. Factor in the current market focus on games developed for phones, tablets, and browsers, and... wait, weren't we trying to go somewhere positive with this?
But these trends in gaming do in fact have benefits for us "core" gamers, for many reasons that may not be immediately apparent. Let's start with the Xbox One. It's the true, unfettered, undisguised vision Microsoft has been coalescing since their first console; a single living room box through which Microsoft becomes the middleman service provider for entertainment. They've slowly unclouded that goal over the years, though its never been a secret, and us gamers who are grumpy about a dashboard full of stuff besides games (even on a paid service, no less!) are at least partially guilty of looking at a cat and expecting a dog. This has been Microsoft's purpose all along, and while we don't have to like it, it does us little good to expect a company that has spent billions to realize this longterm strategy to alter its course for "core" gamers that largely got the Xbox platform where it is. We're not the ultimate market they've been after, and we never were; just like the Wii, we are not the ultimate target demographic, because "core" gamers cannot financially support the gaming industry behemoth, not to mention the lucrative service provider vision Microsoft is after. I'm not as ready to write off MS for gaming as many; they will undoubtedly provide some excellent games in the future. But that's a train I'll be hitching onto at my convenience and price-point, both which will reflect the fact that MS and I are expecting to travel to different places, with paths that will occasionally intersect. I'll play my new Halo and Gears games later rather than sooner.
The Xbox One strategy is actually a benefit for gamers, as either a success or failure. If the system takes off, more money will be provided for the outrageous AAA game development costs that, more and more, cannot be sustained by the current business model. Basically, all those folks using the machine for TV and Sports will be funding my new Halos and Gears. On opposite end, if the model is a spectacular failure, (and it would be wise for all of us predicting such to remember the unprecedented success of the Wii, which no one expected) it will serve as a precautionary tale for other companies to not follow such a route, at least not to the exclusion of "core" gamers.
Next up is Sony; while I'm historically skeptical of the giant, recent years and a slight corporate humility have placed the company in the best position to care for "core" gamers since the beginning of the PS2 era. If Sony does indeed have an ear to the ground over the Xbox One backlash, as recent Twitterverse chat suggests, it is the perfect time to capitalize on gamers almost ready to sit on the fence for the next few years of new gaming. Whatever Sony does, this moment highlights the fact that, more than any other time in gaming, gamers have a loud voice and new channels by which to be heard. It can be easy to assume that no-one is listening, but that cynicism belies the responses received. From tweets by corporate heads that show they are aware of internet responses, to free downloadable expanded game endings (which, whether or not we like, we have to remember it came from the company's own dime and time, and had to meet approval of the same business heads we envision with dollar signs in their eyes.) We gamers now live in an age where our dollars and internet umbrage vote stronger than ever. From Kickstarter to online petitions, blog articles to indie developers, gamers have more power in their own industry than ever before.
And no company seems more in tune with this lately than Sony. It's been a long trip from expecting gamers to "pay for steak instead of hamburger" to the playful DRM trolling of "Death Ray Manta." More vocal support of the indie platform, a greater focus on games themselves, free online play, and the game rental service of Playstation Plus shows that, at least over the last few years, Sony seems to be picking up the pieces Microsoft has been breaking off. If the PS4 launches at a competitive price-point and forsakes restrictive DRM, Sony may yet retake the throne it once firmly held in the PS2 years.
Which leaves us wondering what to think about Nintendo. While the Wii U has been largely dismissed by many "core" gamers as an underpowered gimmick, so was the DS, which went on to become the second-best selling console of all time (as of March 2013.) Once Wii U price point drops, and as Nintendo continues its history of creating excellent gaming experiences built around the hardware, there is little doubt the console will have some great games in its lifespan. The second screen may indeed prove key to its success, since games built for it can give completely unique experiences compared to the PC-inspired hardware race of the competition. Much like the Wii before it, if a gamer focuses on the games built for the console and not the ports, many excellent experiences await.
And lets not forget about the 3DS and Vita. Lately, I've enjoyed my 3DS library at least as much as my console library. Adventure Time, Bit.Trip Saga, Code of Princess, SMT Soul Hackers, Super Mario 3D Land, and many more have kept my 3DS XL from ever powering down. While I can't say the same for my Vita, there is a slow but steady stream of great games building for it, and the promised PS4 connectivity has a lot of potential. Portable gaming is no longer a second-class experience; as long as watered down console ports and shovelware are avoided, there are many gems to be discovered on our eighth generation Game-And-Watches.
I've said it before, and I still believe it; there has never been a better time to be a gamer. The future of our industry may not be as connected to our personal preferences as we would like, but our industry has also never been more in our own hands. The aforementioned precipice of cultural relevance that video games are approaching means we are in an exciting time, where our newly relevant voices can make a difference. Gaming is valuable for many reasons, not the least of which are fun, artistic display, and community. If any of these are continuously promoted, gaming's relevance will be on display.
RFGeneration is not just a niche community for hobby enthusiasts. We are a vanguard of passion for the experience and worthwhile nature of video games. Sites like ours exist because we enjoy playing, sharing, and being involved with the gaming community. Some exclusively use the collection tools, some may pass through and just leave a few posts, and some stay to become an integrated part of our ever-changing community. But no matter how the future of video games turns out, we here at RFG will be hanging around and enjoying ourselves, the great Meta-game of video gaming, the MMO of life. I hope you are as excited about the multiplayer here as I am. 
The Collectorcast is coming to the TooManyGames expo at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center from June 14-16! Bil and Duke will be hosting a live Collectorcast panel on Saturday from 1-2 PM to talk about all the great pick-ups from folks at the show.
If you plan to attend, be sure to comment here: http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=11942. We'd love to plan a meet-up with fellow RFGenners. Also, at the show be sure to tweet your scores to @collectorcast to be a part of the panel discussion. We look forward to seeing you all there!
 |
Posted on May 25th 2013 at 09:48:53 PM by ( Reps911) Posted under Collecting, Thrift,Yard sale,rare,bargain,games,consoles,SEGA,Playstation,Atari,Virtual Boy,Odyssey |
--- 05/19/2013 - 05/25/2013 ---
A very slow week as expected but I still manage to acquire some stuff. GrayGhost81 had some Odyssey2 games he was tired of looking at so I offered to give them a good home. And my son got a new game for the WiiU but I'm gonna claim it as mine
RFgeneration Forum - Odyssey2 Games
Paid only Shipping for the lot
- Las Vegas Blackjack Boxed
- Football! Boxed
- Cosmic Conflict
- Baseball
- Freedom Fighters
- Alien Invaiders
- UFO
Nintendo WiiU
- Need For Speed Most Wanted
I didn't even have to leave the house this week! The Odyssey2 games came from GrayGhost81 and even though he was only charging shipping for them, he packed them very well and got them to me safe and sound. I'm not quite sure I'll have anything to post next week as money and time are still tied up around here. Things should be back to normal next month though...
Weekly Totals
Games = 8
Hardware/Accessories = 0
Other = 0
Current Gen = 0
About a week or so ago my main TV that I've been gaming on since the early days of the PS2 finally bit the dust, kind of. I could have fixed it with ease but I would have needed to buy a new socket set as my smallest socket was still too big for the hex nuts my old CRT had.
Enter Goodwill. Well, I entered Goodwill and finally decided to really check out the CRT collection they've been building. My dream CRT, a Sony Trinitron with a nice stand and glass shelves attached to it, popped up at another thrift store, it was not for sale at all. Sad times.
That said I found a nice JVC CRT that has ports that are a massive upgrade compared to the S-video peak of my old TV. This one, as you can see in the pictures below, has all the ports we as collectors want, component, s-video, 2 composite inputs, and even an RF input.
Here are some pictures and fun facts for the old TV.
[img width=700 height=418]http://i.imgur.com/aorg2Zd.jpg[/img]
The last game it played was Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. This was the first game the JVC played.
[img width=700 height=418]http://i.imgur.com/yGBwoJD.jpg[/img]
Such beautiful picture quality. Even composite looks better on the JVC than the Sanyo before it passed.
[img width=700 height=418]http://i.imgur.com/kvudInM.jpg[/img]
The Sanyo's ports, as you can see the best option on this TV was S-video.
[img width=700 height=418]http://i.imgur.com/LaJkjAe.jpg[/img]
Dat component. Mmm. I can't wait to get a converter box now!
[img width=700 height=777]http://i.imgur.com/gFcMq1N.jpg?2[/img]
The best part for this upgrade was the price tag. $3.
The gaming industry is in transition, one as important as dedicated machines to removable cartridges or black and white to color. I believe that once a decade has passed, gaming insiders and outsiders will point to this transition of gaming hardware and use it as the reference point for how the industry changed going forward, the 'Napster' moment of gaming if you will. Where even though the signs already pointed where the momentum was heading, here we have the objects designed to capitalize on the inertia.
It was, future analysts may say, this time period that solidified the cultural insignificance of video games.
After making such a fatalistic, even crass statement, let me first say that I look forward to the game experiences of the future. Only the first few months of 2013 brought me Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite, Etrian Odyssey IV and Gears of War: Judgment's addictive Overrun mode, and the rest of the year includes many excellent looking games I am very much looking forward to. I'm certainly not against playing modern games. And no matter my critiques of the new hardware, I'm a gamer; one day I'll buy the newer shiny box to play on.
But now that the 'Big Three' have launched their initial salvo into the upcoming console war, the landscape of the battlefield has become visible, as well as the target areas that will be hit hardest. And, much like real war, by the time the dust settles, the victors will be forced to wonder about the prices paid.
My opinions on these giant corporations contain no real loyalty; I've been called a fanboy, but if anything I'm overly critical on each. I have no illusions that these companies exist to satisfy my entertainment desires. Even the artists, writers, and content creators behind the indie scene have to eat, and are forced into Byzantine restrictions on their creations. Not to say the inspiration doesn't come through, but without PR figureheads, interviews with game developers often highlight challenges during the creative process that had little to do with the actual artistic creation and more with the difficulties of creating a game in the modern market.
Still, what artist has not had to deal with money and politics? And so many of us involved with gaming want it to be recognized as a medium of artistic worth, of cultural significance, on par with other media considered to posses real value. For as many books, movies, and recorded music produced that seem to have little significance, no one questions the value of these forms of media. As the relatively new kid, video games have had an uphill battle to show importance beyond, at best, 'kids toy,' or worse, 'murder simulator.' With more focus on narrative and abstract storytelling, and easier-to-use tools that have taken game creation outside of the laboratory or office and into the living room, the medium of video games has never been in a better position to take its place alongside other forms of culturally significant forms of media.
Which is why this new generation of gaming consoles can be so very dangerous to achieving that end.
Not because of sequel-itis, out-of-control budgets, or immature content. These issues are rampant in other media and they have not been diminished to cultural insignificance. The problem facing modern video gaming is one of philosophy. Games are, more and more, developed as a consumable and not as a product.
We are no longer buying a video game, we are leasing an entertainment experience.
Movies, music, and literature are also following this trend, of course. But they are established, the culture universally accepts them, and while their distribution methods are following a parallel path to video games, their individual product permanence is much more assured. Vinyl warps, cassettes wear out, CDs deteriorate, even digital media can be wiped out, but we find enough worth in the original creations to continue copying the material as newer storage methods develop.
In the last decade, a growing realization has emerged in gaming culture, an awareness that we are losing history every day. This has lead to a groundswell among collectors to preserve our heritage, and even big publishers have capitalized on the trend by releasing retro compilations. Emulation, much as it can be reviled in game collector mentality, has been crucial in preserving gaming experiences that would otherwise be lost. Now, anyone who witnessed a 70's Pink Floyd concert will tell you that listening to a CD is a far cry from the original experience, and it is much the same in classic gaming. From the original Star Wars sit-down arcade cab, to spinning a real steering wheel while slamming the pedals in Crazy Taxi, to wielding an assault rifle in Space Gun, some games will admittedly never reproduce the original experience on a different platform. But if the gaming industry wants to be held upon the same ground as other culturally significant media, some level of tangible reference has to be available for both shared and personal experience. The video game providers' transition from producing an item to developing a service effectively puts a sharper timetable on the total lifespan of each video game produced.
It is impossible and perhaps undesirable to capture every gaming experience for anyone to see, for all time. But that's not really the point; as video games continue the trend of requiring online activation for single player games, content only stored 'on the cloud,' and gaming data pieced out and paid for individually, we are paying for a service, not an object. And, one day that service will discontinue. Servers will be permanently shut off, even for single player activation. Some will have workarounds, often developed by a passionate community, but not all. Some won't be worth the effort, and some just won't be possible.
So what? Why does it matter that there are arcade games that cannot be MAME'd because of coded batteries that run out, or that in a few years the complete Mass Effect Trilogy will be impossible to experience because some of the DLC stories were on servers and not discs. There will be new games! Games on phones, tablets, contact lenses and refrigerators. Our gaming content will not be tied to slow, clunky physical media. Good riddance!
Games won't go away. But their significance will dwindle, and so too their ability to have artful, cultural significance.
Say what you want about the original Star Wars trilogy. Love it or... love it less than others, the cultural significance of it is undeniable. Same with iconic music from, say the Doors, or Mozart. Now, imagine that these were developed on ethereal media that shut down forever after a few years. There will be memories of them for awhile, perhaps spiritual successors later, but if they were preserved at all, it is only by a small, niche, dedicated community. Would these champions of their media be as loved and appreciated by millions of people if they were allowed to just fade away, replaced by the new, 'better' thing? It is not that all we want is more Star Wars; we want Star Wars to hang around long enough to impact and inspire other content creators; not to be simply consumed as the next thing is coming. We want these things to co-exist in the same space; Game of Thrones only exists because Lord of the Rings existed long enough to inspire it.
We are cutting off gaming's ability to stay culturally significant because we are moving away from the ability to produce a stored thing to be appreciated for generations, and instead moving toward a temporary fix to be consumed and then replaced.
But isn't this also true for movies, books, and music? Who even buys a CD anymore? The move to digital hasn't killed the ability to keep a song forever or rendered music as culturally insignificant. But the difference is twofold. First, books (literature), music, and movies are much more entrenched as universally accepted media of value, while much of the population could still care less about the cultural aspect of video games. Second, barring a few examples, the content in music, literature, and movies are perpetually copied and passed down. Modern video games are moving away from that, onto services that will eventually lock everyone out of experiencing games that were once digital-only or required server-based DRM certification. These techniques are so obtrusive and slowly becoming so quickly and widely accepted that in a decade, while we'll likely still have access to the majority of literature, music, and movies created in that time, many video games made in the same era will be completely inaccessible. Not just MMOs or the multiplayer of Call of Duty, but the new Shadow of the Colossus, Portal, Bioshock, or Super Mario. Once that DRM server or Download is gone, so is the game, likely forever. Those assuming that there will always be services like the Virtual Console and Steam to relive those memories only have to remember how many excellent old games we're still waiting on, likely to never arrive.
Some say its no real loss; we need to forget the past and play new games. Hey, most of those games weren't nearly as good as our modern ones; worse graphics, control, awkward mechanics, etc. But to those of us that truly desire to see video games treated as relevant as other media, our past and present (and the ability to experience it) is as importance as our future.
Video games won't go away; even during the Great Crash of '83, there was never a real danger that video games would just completely disappear. The greater threat, and possibility, is that video games are here to stay, but no-one really cares.
|
Posted on May 20th 2013 at 05:26:13 PM by ( Reps911) Posted under collecting, Thrift,Yard sale,rare,bargain,games,consoles,SEGA,Playstation,Atari,Virtual Boy |
--- 05/12/2013 - 05/18/2013 ---
This past week I was busy and due to some unforeseen expenses I had to hold back on unnecessary spending until things get sorted out (also why this post is a little late) Unfortunately that made me pass up really good local deal 
I did manage to score some stuff early in the week. On Monday I went to a Goodwill near me that I haven't been to in a long time and found a Virtual Boy in the box with several Import games. I had to hunt down all the pieces as someone before me (probably a kid) opened the box and scattered everything throughout the store. I found the Head unit on top of a piano, the stand by the Books, The controller on top of a TV, one game (Mario Tennis) next to the VHS Tapes and the box was with the toys! I could not find the eye shade though...
Inside the box were 6 Import games. The price on the box was $9.99 but the color of the week was purple and it just so happened the virtual boy had a purple tag, so my total price for The console and 7 games came out to $5 I also picked up Outrun for The Sega Master System for $5.
Nintendo Virtual Boy
$5 for the lot
- Nintendo Virtual Boy Boxed
- Virtual 3D Shooting Game (Red Alarm) Import
- T&E Virtual Golf Import
- Tobidase! Panibon Import
- V-Tetris Import
- Vertical Force Import
- Virtual Professional Baseball '95 Import
- Mario's Tennis
SEGA Master System Game
Not too much this week but for what I got I think I did well. I was really surprised to find the Virtual Boy at a Goodwill, I guess not all of them are as bad as I thought...
Weekly Totals
Games = 8
Hardware/Accessories = 1
Other = 0
Current Gen = 0
Another Odyssey^2 game has found it's way to my home.
I can hear my millions of readers asking, "Didn't you have them all?"
And I'm like, "Nope, still searching for Atlantis."
"Oh, so you found Atlantis?"
"No, I got a Super Cobra."
[img width=480 height=640]http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3808/8754296927_f696dffec2_o.jpg[/img]
The writing on there is either Klingon or Korean, either way, it's a made up language.
I've been causally keeping an eye out for good deals on O2 stuff from other regions. It's not a big concern but there are a few exclusives and the art is very different from none-US games.
Super Cobra is one of the games which never made it to the US (or Japan) on the Odyssey 2. It only came out in Europe and Brazil. There is a different variation for both of those regions. The game came out in 1983 and is supposedly rare, I don't know if it is actually rare in Brazil or it's just that American collectors think of it being rare.
The game play is a side scrolling shmup. Here's a short video I found:
As you can see, it looks exactly like Gradius.
For some reason ebay doesn't seem to track the game quite right. If you search for old listings they don't always show up. Therefore, Price Charting doesn't list old prices right.
http://videogames.pricech...ame/odyssey-2/super-cobra
At the moment Price Charting lists it as worth $51. That's actually about right for the game, loose. CIB it goes for most of $80 or so. There have been a few auctions I've watched over the last few months and the game gets several bids, I don't remember seeing it go for less than $50 in any condition.
I saw mine shortly after it was listed with a 'buy it now' of $15
|
|
|
|
Blog Navigation
Browse Bloggers | My Blog
|
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.
|
|
Hot Community Entries
|
|
Hot RFG Blog Entries
| |
|
