|
In 1982, the "fad" known as video games had reached an impossible high. Arcades were popping up everywhere. Beloved video game characters were being turned into toys, breakfast cereals and Saturday Morning cartoons. Pac-Man was suddenly as recognizable as Mickey Mouse. I was only six at the time but I was mesmerized by these endless digital wonderlands being presented. I knew what I wanted for Christmas that year: an Atari 2600.
But my parents, always better at researching their purchases than chomping ghosts, knew that there was a new product on the horizon. One that was supposed to put Atari and Mattel's offerings to shame. They decided a Colecovision was the best use of their holiday budget. How could you blame them after seeing this ad?
That Christmas morning my older sister and I were greeted with a new Colecovision, complete with Donkey Kong cartridge, and a second game - Mouse Trap. I distinctly remember being shocked I had to actually control Mario instead of him doing fancy stuff on his own. Again, I was only six. That being said, I learned fairly quickly.
[img width=625 height=359]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/davemmr/ColecoVision_Boxed.jpg[/img]
As time went on, my library increased. I don't remember there being any particular clunkers in my collection. We'd spend an entire afternoon trying to figure out how to get past the force field in Zaxxon. We'd play Smurf Rescue in Gargamel's Castle until the score rolled over to zero. We'd take turns using the steering wheel (Expansion Module #2) to get as far as possible in Turbo, cursing the dreaded "icy road" part. We'd spend evenings playing Ken Uston's Blackjack/Poker pretending we were big shots at the casino (while simultaneously mocking the dealer's weird facial expressions when busting our virtual bankrolls.)
[img width=512 height=384]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/davemmr/bjpoker.png[/img]
It's funny how blissfully unaware we were of the Colecovision's weak points we've only realized years later. The controller was a horrible, fragile little monster. The 12-second delay on the first party games seemed excessive. The power supply had it's own zip code. Didn't matter. The Colecovision had what seemed to be an endless supply of entertainment. Even in my young mind, I knew that this was going to be the console of the future.
Except that future would never happen because of two rather nasty events that were arrows piercing straight into the heart of the beloved Connecticut Leather Company.
First, there was that nasty Video Game Crash of 1983. Like most young gamers, I was complete oblivious to the business problems going on at the time. I never thought twice as to why my parents were able to pick up more games as gifts not realizing they were in clearance bins and purchased for next to nothing.
Secondly, while Coleco could have been a contender in the burgeoning home computer market with their Adam add-on, it had a serious fatal flaw. Due to a design oversight, the computer's magnetic field would thoughtfully erase your software when booting it up. Combine that with a price tag unable to compete with the wildly popular Commodore 64 and the company was suddenly on life-support with only Cabbage Patch Dolls to keep it breathing.
[img width=500 height=375]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/davemmr/coleco_adam_computer.jpg[/img]
I ended up with one of those Commodore 64 computers a year later, my parents again wisely seeing that the Adam computer I asked for was destined for paperweight status. The Colecovision, slightly hobbled by a broken joystick port and seemingly outdated, sat collecting dust. It saw only very little action when I wanted to play Mr. Do! or Time Pilot. But mostly it was hard to go back. Why play a five minute game when I could boot up the likes of Impossible Mission or Zork I and have my entire gaming evening laid out for me?
Years went by and I moved onto the newer consoles. During the peak of the Nintendo Entertainment System's popularity, the family and I took an expedition into New York City. I gather up some of my allowance money to see if I couldn't find a new NES cartridge for the venerable console. The stores weren't selling anything different than my local Toys R Us. But then I saw, on the shelf of some tiny electronics shop, something really awesome: a completely new-in-box Colecovision. I remembered the time I spent years earlier and how the one I currently had that busted controller port. I decided to use my hard-earned allowance money and relive the "recent" past.
[img width=586 height=374]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/davemmr/Colecovision_System.jpg[/img]
That evening, instead of playing some throw-away third party NES game, I played every single old cartridge I had, suddenly remembering why I had so much fun. Sure the games weren't as complex as Super Mario Bros., Zelda or Contra but they had an undeniable charm to them I couldn't ignore.
Admittedly, the Colecovision went back to the corner soon thereafter. It was the age of titles like Ninja Gaiden and Mike Tyson's Punch Out!, with new, exciting releases around every imaginable corner. But I kept it around for those little gaming fixes I needed every now and again. A quick round of Q*Bert beats Milon's Secret Castle any day of the week.
[img width=500 height=375]http://diamondtrustgame.com/boxes.png[/img]
There is a good chance you may not know of 'conflict diamonds,' and the politics surrounding them. There may be a slightly better chance you know of Jason Rohrer. Both are things best to have awareness of, which brings us to Diamond Trust of London.
Perhaps the most famous aspect of this game is not its setting or even its notable creator; Diamond Trust is the first DS game launched from Kickstarter.
(http://www.kickstarter.co...6/diamond-trust-of-london)
It took several years, and according to Rohrer, many a fortunate situation, but the game is now available, though only through the website: http://diamondtrustgame.com/buy.php
It comes with a typical DS case and manual, and everything included is very professional and pretty much the same as buying any new DS game from retail. As for the creator:
If Jason Rohrer's name just sounds to you like Scooby Doo trying to warn you of Friday the 13th, I highly recommend looking the man up. For a coder/programmer/engineer/musician, the guy practices 'simple living' with a family of four coming under 15k a year, has a number of interesting political and sociological theories (as his lifestyle suggests) and his games are mostly free experiments. I can't say I'd agree with the guy on everything, though I respect him for standing in his beliefs (see if you can catch his somewhat veiled criticism of circumcision from his personal website, or his interesting defenses of natural habitats.)
Most relevant here, Jason Rohrer is an award winning game designer, and his takes on game design are often cited when referencing video games as a medium to be used beyond typical base entertainment value. Works like Passage and Sleep is Death are designed to push our buttons as much as we push buttons on a controller.
Much more 'typical' a game is Diamond Trust. Though the setting is political and contemporary, it never moves past the background to become preachy (if you have no idea what the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is, Rohrer is not about to use a game to tell you.) The design is an almost standard board game, and the strict two-player limit (an AI opponent is available, though the game's own manual desires the player to seek out someone else to play as soon as possible) keeps the focus razor sharp. This is a game about bluffing, bribing, resource management, and second/third/fourth guessing your rival.
If you normally read board games as 'bored games,' know that Diamond Trust is a tighter, faster paced, meaner version of the games you fell asleep to during family reunions or the backup entertainment for those college nights when the power went out and so did the LAN party. Simpler than Monopoly, darker than Catan, and far cheaper to acquire than Dark Tower, if you have another human whose wit you want to match, I can think of fewer alternates as fun.
Only one copy of the game is required, (you send a download copy to another DS) and the DL copy only looses the nifty chiptune music during play. My beloved and I sat down with it the night it arrived and we didn't want to stop playing. Considering the kids were in bed already, giving us some precious alone time, and this is what we wanted to do with it, I can't think of a better way to recommend Diamond Trust of London.
[img width=640 height=648]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/5/913945_47368_front.jpg[/img]
As I continue to work my way through my Dreamcast collection, it starts to get more interesting. You see I'm forcing myself to play games I probably wouldn't under normal circumstances, and Quake III Arena is a perfect example. I'm not a big FPS fan to begin with. And the whole idea of an arena-style FPS is completely alien to me. But before I delve into the game itself, let me first talk a bit about controls. As many of you far more versed in first person shooters are probably well aware, there is a certain... shall we say snobbery regarding control methods within the genre. There's a group of purists whom claim that keyboard-and-mouse is the only way to play -- a residual effect of the genre growing up on PC's I assume. And let me just say that my first experiences with the genre as a whole were indeed on PC. I logged many hours into the shareware versions of both Wolfenstein 3D and Doom using the old kb/m setup. But nowadays, I have no idea how that younger version of myself did such a thing. It just makes no sense to me.
And as the genre matured, so too did its control scheme. Later games would start to include aiming on the vertical plane as a thing which only confused me further when a keyboard and mouse were thrown into the mix. Though I grew up dabbling in PC gaming, it was consoles and their controllers that I was at home with. In recent years I've attempted some console FPS games wondering if maybe I could feel more comfortable with a controller. A good example is Borderlands. I mean wow, what a great looking game. I spent several hours flailing my ass around Borderlands never to beat the first boss. It's all kind of embarrassing really. But it's true. My brain has serious trouble understanding how one analog stick is movement and another is aiming. Generally, I can only concentrate one or the other which often resulted in me standing still when I should be running or fumbling awkwardly with the camera to aim at something. Quite the mess.
But recently I decided to try the leaked Dreamcast port of Half-Life because I had found the Prima guide for it. Here was an FPS game not only put on a console with the limitations of its controller, but of course the Dreamcast is lacking that second analog stick. Instead of the left stick being movement and right being aim, we had the left stick for aim and four face buttons for movement. For some strange reason this made a lot more sense to me. Four flat buttons (IE: Up, Down, Left, Right) just clicked in my brain rather than trying to make sense of the four directions in a 3D-space because of an analog stick. When I brought this subject up on the Racketboy forums a member there suggested that perhaps the southpaw control scheme would work better for me when playing FPS games. I was intrigued. You see, I'm a right-hander, baby. Far from sinister. But perhaps in some weird way, my gaming brain is a lefty? Either way I find it appropriate at this point to plug a wonderful blog post by slackur on the plight of the left-handed gamer: http://www.rfgeneration.c...the-SouthpawClaw-1463.php
And now on to Quake III Arena...
[img width=562 height=460]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/Quake3/q3_rev_screen008.jpg[/img] [img width=562 height=460]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/Quake3/q3_rev_screen018.jpg[/img]
I should start by pointing out that my knowledge of the Quake series is small. And I'm guessing that this particular game does little to change that. Quake III Arena is of course meant as a multiplayer game. It's all deathmatch and capture-the-flag, etc. with no room for a single player campaign. Again, this is quite foreign to me. But finding the controls so similar to the intended Half-Life release, I was able to jump right in and have myself a pretty good time.
The game itself runs great on the Dreamcast hardware. It looks fantastic and has a silky-smooth frame rate. It's fast-paced and has lots of weapon upgrades to keep it interesting. And yet, I'm not sure I could put myself through the entire single player experience. Since really I know all I'm doing is running around killing computer-controller enemies, it kind of loses its luster after a while. And honestly, I'd kind of prefer to just be experience the original Quake on DC instead.
[img width=562 height=460]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/Quake3/q3_rev_screen024.jpg[/img] [img width=562 height=460]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/Quake3/q3_rev_screen039.jpg[/img]
Oh but there's something I forgot to mention! There are actually still a handful of Dreamcast games that still have some level of online support. And Quake III Arena is one of them. Although the official server has been shut down for some time, Q3 actually has various private servers still supporting the Dreamcast port. And as it happens, I have my Dreamcast hooked up to a phone line, and configured to work with Juno as a free ISP (remember Juno? It's still around!). But sadly my efforts to play Q3 online have so far been a wash. I've checked into various online communities (like the excellent Dreamcast-Talk or OnlineConsoles) and written down a slew of IP addresses of private servers. Yet every time I take Arena online and input the server addresses... absolutely nothing happens.
I still have some reasonably high hopes for this game. I feel like if I could get connected to a server somewhere then it could be a blast to play against human opponents. But until that happens, I'm sadly stuck with a pretty cool multiplayer game and no multi-players to play it with.
Well, the summer here in the good ol' U.S. is almost at an end. As I type this a cool breeze is drifting in through my dining room window for the first time in months, and while it has not officially ended (per se), summer knows that it's annual time is drawing to a close. While there may be more high temperature days left (at least in Michigan), it is assured that the nights will be cool and crisp.
I've turned 35. I own a house, lease a car, and have a full-time job. I'm married to a beautiful woman and have two smart and adorable children (one who is demanding cheese and "pink" milk at my leg now). I am still a gamer. Those four sentences felt good to write together. I am a gamer. Not was, but am. This morning I fired up, much to my distaste, Total Recall on NES. Fifteen minutes later I rode down a bunch of fools on my warhorse wielding a flanged mace in Mount & Blade on PC. I am a gamer.
Originally I wrote a short article after I finished Ironsword, but neglected to post it. This procrastination bit me in the behind, as I lost the photos when my phone took a crap on me last week. Disappointing yes, but at least I finished it. I will be deleting the original article, but for the record I did enjoy Ironsword, but I ended up missing the Spectrum-colored ( or coloured, if you please) mess with minimalistic backgrounds that was the first game. C'est la vie.
With that I now call a close to my Summer Game Challenge. While it was a failure in the end I feel that I accomplished more in finishing NES games than I have done in years. I plan on finishing Ultimate Stuntman this weekend (I've pre-played this one and am calling it an early finish), but the others I'll call a draw for now. I think next time I'll try for more variety instead of picking just a few games from two different platforms.
On another note, I've almost finished revamping my game room. While it still lacks the aesthetics of many of yours, it does have quite a more functionality than it did previously. I now have a "main" gaming area with a couch (another "Basement Find") and "SD" consoles hooked up to a 40" CRT, and a "gaiden" gaming area for "HD" consoles (Dreamcast, GC, and original Xbox) hooked up to a fairly powerful 22" LCD monitor. I still need to consolidate the wiring into something more reasonable (utilizing my college-trained wiring skillz), but everything is functional.
Adieu, everyone. I plan on putting something together for a very early Halloween, but I won't call it until it happens, I think.
Conquest of the Crystal Palace
Ironsword
Dr. Chaos
Total Recall
Ultimate Stuntman
Tombs and Treasures
Swords and Serpents
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Driver: San Francisco
So I've been slacking on my NES playing lately. I spent a little bit of time in the modern world again playing my newly aquired Persona 4 Arena (which I would highly recommend checking out) and revisiting Batman Arkham City working my way towards a platinum (still a couple trophies left to clean up). But I can never completely ignore my NES hunger so I jumped back in with an interesting title, Dirty Harry.
Dirty Harry is an odd game in that the first level is completely different than the rest of the game. In the first stage you wander through a fairly confusing city scape trying to search down certain items and special entrances to other areas. Its quite difficult at first, but with a little practice becomes a bit more manageable as you learn the correct path to travel. The second and third (also final) levels of the game are straight forward side scrolling action. Thankfully there was a password system so I didnt have to revisit stage 1 after finally figuring it out. The ending was fairly unique though. It had a decent sized digitized voice clip of a very recognizable line from one of the Dirty Harry movies.
[img width=640 height=480]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/DirtyHarry-Ending.jpg[/img]
More importantly than beating Dirty Harry was that I beat my 200th recorded NES game since October 2011!!! I'm quite pleased with that number! Another interesting number that I'm pleased with is 50,000. Thats how many views I exceeded on my youtube channel thanks to my 40 subscribers (many of which I recognize from rfgen!). Looking forward to getting to 400 games now!
Here is the full list for you guys.
Beaten Since Oct.8th /100
(click on a title to see the video)
Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 2
Super Mario Bros 3
Mega Man
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 4
Mega Man 5
Mega Man 6
Castlevania
Adventures in the Magic Kingdom
Duck Tales
Duck Tales 2
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2
Felix the Cat
Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout
Ren and Stimpy Show: Buckaroo$
Double Dragon
Contra
Super C
Contra Force
Power Blade
Power Blade 2
Dynowarz: The Destruction of Spondylus
Metal Storm
Journey to Silius
Air Fortress
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Blaster Master
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turltes 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3
Legendary Wings
BreakThru
Commando
Guerrilla War
World Games
Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular
Caveman Games
DK Classics
Jaws
Ninja Gaiden
Where's Waldo?
Bonk's Adventure
Panic Restaurant
Bubble Bobble 2
Dr. Mario
Bubble Bobble
MC Kids
Batman
Circus Caper
Roller Games
Widget
Tiny Toon Adventures
Tiny Toon Adventures 2
The Jetsons
The Little Mermaid
Monster in my Pocket
Gremlins 2
Kirby's Adventure
Kickle Cubicle
Kung Fu
Yo! Noid
Xexyz
Puss 'N Boots: Pero's Great Adventure
Wall Street Kid
The Karate Kid
Archon
Golf
Super Dodgeball
Super Spike V'Ball
Jakcie Chan's Action Kung Fu
The Three Stooges
Ice Hockey
Tecmo Bowl
Track & Field
Mario Bros
NARC
North and South
Barbie
Battle Chess
The Simpsons: Bart vs. The World
The Flintstones: Surprise at Dinosaur Peak
Snow Brothers
Little Samson
Sky Shark
Ninja Gaiden II
Mike Tyson's Punch Out
The Simpsons: Bart Meets Radioactive Man
StarTropics
Little Nemo: The Dream Master
River City Ransom
StarTropics 2: Zoda's Revenge
The Jungle Book
Castlevania III Dracula's Curse
Mario is Missing
Blades of Steel
Hogan's Alley
Wild Gunman
Burger Time
Silver Surfer
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones
Ghosts n Goblins
Tetris
Pro Wrestling
Gradius
Zanac
Adventure Island
Karnov
Trojan
Excitebike
Baseball
Spy Hunter
Adventure Island II
Tennis
Battletoads
Shadowgate
Battletoads/Double Dragon
Pinball Quest
Section Z
Godzilla
Hydlide
Marble Madness
Back to the Future
Darkman
Terminator 2
Robocop
Total Recall
Predator
Robocop 2
Robocop 3
Hudson Hawk
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Batman Returns
Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters
Die Hard
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Krion Conquest
Adventures of Dino Riki
Ultima: Exodus
Legacy of the Wizard
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar
Darkwing Duck
Ultima: Warriors of Destiny
Legends of the Diamond
Pro Sports Hockey
Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball
Yoshi's Cookie
Kick Master
Zombie Nation
Stadium Events
Super Jeopardy!
Joust
Yoshi
Dance Aerobics
Adventures of Bayou Billy
Pipe Dreams
Ski or Die
Werewolf: The Last Warrior
Simpsons: Bart vs The Space Mutants
City Connection
American Gladiators
Roundball 2-on-2 Challenge
720
Athletic World
Super Team Games
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Gumshoe
Bases Loaded
The Addams Family Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt
Kings of the Beach
The Blues Brothers
Volley Ball
Lode Runner
3D World Runner
Twin Eagle
Dragon's Lair
The Adventures of Rad Gravity
Break Time: The National Pool Tour
Bases Loaded II
Rainbow Islands
Conquest of the Crystal Palace
Peter Pan And The Pirates
Kid Kool and the Quest for the Seven Wonder Herbs
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dragon Strike
Slalom
Wrath of the Black Manta
Race America
Treasure Master
Krusty's Fun House
King's Knight
Mighty Bomb Jack
Bases Loaded 3
Castelian
Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll
Dirty Harry
BONUS GAMES:
Assimilate
Future Plans - Cleaning up my last few Batman Trophies and then I'll dive back into NES full force.
Well, this update will in no way compete with OatBob's additions to his Dreamcast collection for August, but I had wanted to keep track of my growing collection each month so here goes. Besides, maybe he and I will help motivate each other to further our collections even more.
August was really my first full month getting back into seriously collecting Dreamcast stuff. And when you look at it that way, it was a pretty impressive month even if I was only mostly picking up commons (read: cheap stuff).
First up is the big batch of additions to my US licensed library:
[img width=700 height=933]http://i.imgur.com/1iQxi.jpg[/img]
Most of these were obtained via trades, with just a handful of them being purchased from a friend. This purchased lot includes Mars Matrix which was one of my top priority wants for the system. Though I think maybe Gunbird 2 makes me slightly happier, as I now have the US version whereas before I had the Japanese import which meant I couldn't actually follow any of the story.
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/AiJxZ.jpg[/img]
Inhabitants is one of the indie games released by Goat Store, and picked it up in that same lot that included Mars Matrix. Last Hope and Cheats N Codes were via trade. Last Hope is of course the recent-ish import shmup that was also released for Neo Geo. I managed to get the original release (complete with spine card) which is less sought-after than the Pink Bullets re-release. But it was a good deal. The Cheats N Codes disc is a Gameshark release with all kinds of cheats on it, but more importantly it's an easy import-loader disc. I prefer to use a commercial import-loader rather than burning one.
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/pvvQA.jpg[/img]
And a couple of strategy guides... I'm not usually a big collector of guides, save for fighting games for easy access to move-lists. However, I do find something appealing about collecting DC guides as they remain part of the time-capsule. These two are both exciting additions to me. Half-Life is obviously awesome as the game never officially got released. And House of the Dead 2 is probably my favorite lightgun game of all time.
[img width=700 height=933]http://i.imgur.com/jfzPF.jpg[/img]
Finally, I found this little guy at KMart for $5. How could I pass him up?
[img width=640 height=640]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/5/367585_50654_front.jpg[/img]
Let me just put this out here right away: I didn't expect much from a 3D Frogger sequel.
The original Frogger is of course a classic. But it's also one of those classics that I tend to only find fun for around five minutes or so. Even when I've had the chance to play it on its original arcade hardware, it's more a game where I'm like "oh I can appreciate why this was cool at the time." Then I think about the Seinfeld episode. And laugh. Then I get pissed at how hard it is. Then I get bored and move on to something else. So what reason would I have to think that a 3D sequel would be anything special?
So when I first booted the game up on my DC I figured I'd play it for a night and have a fair impression enough to write something here. But that was nearly a week ago and I've found myself continuing to play it throughout the week. Which isn't saying that it's some amazing hidden gem. But it is surprisingly fun.
[img width=558 height=468]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/frogger2/frogger2_screen016.jpg[/img] [img width=558 height=468]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/frogger2/frogger2_screen005.jpg[/img]
The game looks fairly great, with some bright vibrant colors popping off the screen. At least while you're playing it. I wasn't as much of a fan of the CGI-ish cut scenes, and really do we need such a drawn out story for a Frogger game? Luckily, you can skip these scenes so if they're not your style that's fine. Also of note is the music, which isn't the greatest soundtrack, but still manages to be catching and fitting and never annoying. But who cares about audio and visuals when you've got great gameplay to concentrate on anyway? Gameplay is where Swampy's Revenge shines.
The game takes the basic "hop one space at a time" mechanic from the original game and features it within this new 3D world. Rather than a single board to make your way across, you've got 30 or so huge levels with varying elevation, and many obstacles to make your way around. Indeed, this is pure 3D platforming fun. There's no weapons to master. There's just you hopping around avoiding things and trying to find your lost babies (who act as check-points). The levels are all well-thought out with bits of puzzle element thrown in to make each section unique -- and sometimes really something to think about how to proceed. It's not overly hard, but there is a challenge present -- mostly due to the need for trial and error to succeed. Luckily, there are also enough Extra Lives in the shape of flies for you to eat up.
[img width=558 height=468]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/frogger2/frogger2_screen010.jpg[/img] [img width=558 height=468]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/frogger2/frogger2_screen024.jpg[/img]
Seeing how the Story Mode offers at least several hours of enjoyment, the game has a handy save-feature. Also included are some extras including some retro-themed levels, though sadly an arcade emulation of the original Frogger is nowhere to be found. Of course that would have just been icing on the cake. While Swampy's Revenge might seem like just another common Dreamcast title to pick up on the cheap, the truth is it's really far more fun than you might guess. Recommended!
Wow, so many things crammed in the mailbox this month! It's one thing to just buy-buy-buy which I did  , but it is another to take a collecting habit to an entire new level. I'm talking about living the lifestyle of a Sega fan.
Continue reading Dreamcast Mania! August 2012 ed.
[img width=640 height=640]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/3/365573_50635_front.jpg[/img]
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is one of those games that I've beaten so many times yet never feels old to me. Instead, it's what I call a comfort-game. One that I can return to when I'm tired or stressed out and just want to relax and feel better. A lot of that probably has to do with how it fit into my gaming life. When I moved out on my own at the age of 18, I'm pretty sure I had never seen a Dreamcast in real life before. But my roommate in college brought one with him. Because I went to a community college initially, we lived off-campus. This was great because it meant we could smoke cigarettes and drink beer while we played this new-fangled console, what was it? Ah, yes... the Sega Dreamcast.
I had quit gaming not too long after the PlayStation had hit big. So really I wasn't sure what to expect from a new console. What I got, was hooked. Specifically on Pro Skater 2. It was just such an amazing game -- especially to someone who had been so out of the gaming scene for a few years at that point. I couldn't believe how fluid everything felt. How life-like everything looked. How kick-ass the soundtrack was.
[img width=630 height=460]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/tonyhawk2/tonyhawk2_b3_screen015.jpg[/img] [img width=630 height=460]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/tonyhawk2/tonyhawk2_b3_screen078.jpg[/img]
Actually, that's a good place to start -- the soundtrack. At the time of the game's release I wasn't really a fan of most of the music present. And yet, throughout the years it's become one of my favorite game soundtracks ever. Hearing something like Lagwagon's "May 16" or Millencolin's "No Cigar" doesn't just remind me of the game; it sounds like the soundtrack to that year of my life. That year away from parents, screwing around and having no idea what I was doing. There's a strange tone of optimistic rebellion that runs throughout those songs that not only fit a game about thrashing everything in sight, but also fit what it feels like to be 18 and wide-eyed.
But of course it's not all nostalgia that makes me love this game. The bottom line is that it's an excellent game. There's so much to it, with its two-minute runs that let you pick how to tackle your goals. It's got great level-structure with secrets all around. It's got a wonderfully addictive scoring mechanic made possible by the combo-enabling manual. It's got money to build up your skater's stats or tricks RPG-style. It's even got customizable skaters and levels!
[img width=640 height=476]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/tonyhawk2/tonyhawk2_screen003.jpg[/img] [img width=640 height=476]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/dc/tonyhawk2/tonyhawk2_screen010.jpg[/img]
My last play-through of Pro Skater 2 before this week was just about four months ago, though that was the PlayStation port. I can honestly say that while the PlayStation version controls a lot better in my opinion, the Dreamcast port is still my preferred version. And here's where nostalgia really comes in. Certainly the Dreamcast port looks better, but ultimately hearing that soundtrack and holding this clunky controller just brings back that rebellious optimism -- magically making a comfort game even more comforting.
[img width=640 height=1107]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/7/928847_68198_front.jpg[/img]
Today, I'm here to review a great PSP Game called Rockman DASH 2 (Full Title: Rockman DASH Episode 2: The Great Inheritance). Originally released on the PlayStation 1, the PS1 Version has become incredibly rare, commanding a premium price. Today, however, you can buy the PSP Version for around 45 US Dollars on Playasia, a Website that sells Japanese Games. Enough about that though, onto the review!
Gameplay: Action RPG (A-)
Rockman Dash 2 is an Action RPG...kind of. It's actually more Action with RPG Elements. Anyway, you run around in 3D Environments shooting enemies with your Buster Gun (Arm Cannon) and searching for Treasure. While doing this, you'll get "Parts" to upgrade your Buster Gun and Body Parts, making you stronger. Alongside these parts are Items to increase and restore your HP Gauge. You'll also find Zenny (Money) to upgrade the Special Weapons that you get on your Adventure. The are plenty of Side-Quests too, so you can become overpowered if you feel like it. For example, one Side-Quest has you tracking down parts for an Ultra-Powerful Weapon called the Shining Laser, which will decimate any enemy, even bosses, in seconds!
Story: Original For It's Time (B+)
The Story picks up where Rockman DASH 1 left off (or a little bit after it, really...). It begins when your Adoptive Father, Barrel Caskett, gets lost while trying to land on an island called "Forbidden Island". After you rescue him, you learn of 4 Keys that unlock a legendary treasure called The Mother Lode, which is what you are after. From there, your quest begins: Get the 4 Keys and find The Mother Lode. The story has one hell of a Plot Twist, so get ready for a good tale!
Graphics: Old-School 3D (A+)
As mentioned before, this was originally a PS1 Game, so that's what the graphics look like; that of a PS1 Game...sort of. They've been upscaled a little bit, so that it looks a LITTLE like a PSP Game. Anyway, Graphics aren't that important to me.
Content: A LOT!! (S)
This game is absolutely packed with stuff to do! It's practically Non-Linear! One cool feature is that it includes all the Content from a Demo Disc of it back in the PS1 Days. Said Demo Disc featured a Scenario that's not present in the final product, so it's a nice feature.
Final Score: A+
This game is absolutely awesome, and if you buy it, it's worth every penny! If you played the English Version of it on the PS1, Mega Man Legends 2, you'll know exactly what to do, regardless of it being in Japanese. And no, this game, sadly, did not get a US Release.
Special Thanks to:
- bickman2k for helping me track the game down! 
- Playasia for just being awesome. (Yes, I have bought products from them before.)
A recent trend on Twitter was #10favoritegames, which had my friend and I going back and forth about why we chose the ten games we did. It wasn't necessarily a heated debate, but the number of games we considered favourites quickly escalated from ten to about twenty each.
"OH, damn, forgot so-and-so" was repeated a few times between both of us, and we joked that we would need a Top 100, not a measly Top 10.
That got me thinking... maybe I *should* make a Top 100 list of my favourite games of all time. Yeah, it'd be tough to actually create such a list, but it would be fun trying!
So, thanks to RF Generation and the ability to look at my collection and wishlist (I figure that pretty much covers all my bases in terms of favourite games), I was able to narrow my collection of 550-plus games into the 100 I enjoy more than any other.
Sorting them in order of preference was a bit of a challenge, but once that was taken care of, I couldn't wait to share my own list with friends. Each entry will have a bit of the "childhood memory" feel to it like the rest of the blog was intended for, but really, I just expect a fun little jaunt down memory lane.
MY Top 100 - #100
http://www.controlpadblues.com/?p=729
Also, a bit of a disclaimer to anyone who might actually be interested in this countdown of mine... there are certain genres I've never really enjoyed playing that much, notably RPG's. The countdown will be void of anything Final Fantasy-related, or even Chrono Trigger. It'll also have a few critically panned games, but then again, we all have those games that are guilty pleasures.
Keep that in mind... on that note, I hope you enjoy my countdown!
It's been a while, but I have finished a couple of zelda games since Skyward Sword back in April. I went through the first Zelda in May and just forgot to write about it. It was alot of fun, and embarrassingly enough, it was my first time to play through the entire game and finish it. I never had an NES as a kid so I never got to play all the classic titles. I had an Atari 2600 to play with for a while and a Sega Master System. Then we got the SNES for Christmas in '92. But back to Zelda. I was having fun learning where all the dungeons were, all the secrets hidden in the game. Finding out where the fairy fountains were was also neat. I didn't have to much trouble and was going through it fairly quickly until I hit the 5th dungeon. I think it was the blue Darknuts. I just could NOT beat a room full of them. I don't remember how many times I tried, but I finally made it through. On and on I battled, eventually making it to Dungeon 9, and finding my way to Gannon. I had my Red Ring, 16 hearts, and a red potion, and actually needed to use the potion one time to beat Gannon. I finally did and was happy to finally beat the original game.
I didn't play anything over the summer, and thought I need to pick this back up if I'm going to finish by the end of the year. I grabbed my original 1998 gold Ocarina of Time and put it in my gold N64 and fired it up a few days ago. Of all the Zelda games, I know Ocarina the best. I have been through the game many many times. It took me 3 days to make it through the game playing a few hours a day. Day One was through all the child temples. I was having fun going through Jabu Jabu's belly and then my n64 froze up on me. I restarted and realized I hadn't saved since the beginning of Dodongo's Cavern  So back through everything I went saving along the way. Day 2 got me through the forest, fire, and that damn water temple. The water temple only took me an hour and a half this time, not who knows how many days. Day 3 saw me breeze through the shadow temple, spirit temple, and go through Gannon's Castle. Nothing gave me any real difficulty, and I was surprised at how much I remembered and was just automatically doing without thinking about it. I didn't go through most of the side quests, but I did kill Gold Skultullas wherever I saw them, ended up with about 30 or so and got my Giant's Wallet. I always have fun with Ocarina and this was no different.
The next game on the list is going to be Wind Waker. I beat it once and didn't go back, so this will be interesting to go back to it. Hope I remember to post when I beat it and I hope I can beat them all before the end of the year.
 |
Posted on Aug 26th 2012 at 12:34:46 PM by ( Tadpole13) Posted under games |
When does collecting become hording?
I hate using the word Collecting and Hording in the same sentence it is almost a slap in the face to collectors.
When out on the hunt most collectors including my self will buy a game they already own if the value is there and the price is right. I currently have well over a 100 duplicates when it comes to games and I hate the idea of getting rid of any of them. When you can't seem to part with games you have multiples of is that a branch of hording???
I think I would be willing to part with duplicates if it was a even trade for another game of equal value but for me to sell a game it does not happen. More or less money comes and goes and I hate the idea of selling a game and then using the money for dinner or gas or something. Now you are down a game and you are without that money. I just find it better to hold onto it so I don't regret my decisions later.
So Question's of the Day.....
1. When do you feel like it is hording if you feel that way.
2. Do you feel regret when parting with Video Games and Video Game related stuff.
3. Have any of you thought of selling of your collection to moments later realizing that it could cause severe regret or depression.
4. Have any of you went through with selling off your collection or a part of it to immediately buy stuff in it's place because of remorse?
[img width=602 height=600]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/8/250618_50584_front.jpg[/img]
As a fan of B-horror films, it kind of goes without saying that I'm a fan of the Resident Evil series. Silly plots, bad acting, over-the-top violence... it's a lot of what I adore. However, I've never been a die-hard fan of the series either. I've always been the type to pick and choose specific titles to play from the series. It all started for me with the original Resident Evil on PS1. I'm talking the original original, pre-Dual Shock version. I vividly remember borrowing the game from a friend during Summer vacation. I was 16 if I'm remembering correctly. I'd wait until my parents went to bed, bring my PlayStation downstairs on the big (whopping 27 inch!) TV to play the game alone late at night while everyone slept. And certainly I got my fair share of jumps, be it the infamous "first zombie scene" or the dogs jumping through windows.
As much as I loved that game, I somehow managed to miss out on the second and third games in the series. This is made even odder by the fact that I would actually go on to play the glorious GameCube remake, along with the slightly tweaked analog-enabled PS1 edition. But as far as the series went, I mostly overlooked it. I'd eventually get into the extremely awesome GBC game Resident Evil Gaiden, which took cues from series inspiration Sweet Home, and finally the absolutely incredible Resident Evil 4. The fourth game blew my mind -- like many a gamer -- but also seemed to change many of the things that made the original what it was. Gone was the claustrophobia and in was the vast rural landscape. Tension was pushed to the side for high energy action. And really in a way the whole Night/Return of the Living Dead vibe was replaced with something much more akin to HP Lovecraft's "Shadow Over Innsmouth" (or perhaps more specifically Stuart Gordon's film adaptation Dagon).
So to finally delve into Code: Veronica has been something of a revelation -- a reminder of a simpler, and more riveting era of gaming. I should go on to remind you here that these recent blog posts chronicling my slow discovery of the Dreamcast's library was meant to be done so with the intention that I would put in some serious time with each game before writing about each. I confess that at this point I've only played two hours of Veronica. Two hours, and I've made very little progress. I don't even have a save on my VMU at this point. And yet I was driven to write about it now.
[img width=540 height=404]http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/7/e/0/gfs_50584_2_3_mid.jpg[/img] [img width=540 height=404]http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/3/1/1/gfs_50584_2_15_mid.jpg[/img]
Let me walk you through my experience with the game thus far. I was first greeted to an amazing CGI intro that reminded me once again at the processing power of the Dreamcast. Watching the intro I found it hard to believe that this wasn't a DVD. Everything was so detailed, so believable from the visuals to the soundtrack. And then I was dropped into the game, in a dark room in need of a light. I thought for a moment that my monitor needed some tweaking. I played with the brightness, contrast, etc. Nothing. After several minutes I finally figured out that I had a lighter in my inventory. Duh.
Once I could see where I was going and the game actually began I was reminded of something: Tank Controls. Oh how disheartening. I had forgotten just how utterly terrible the whole tank control scheme was. I checked the options menu, but sadly there was no alternate control setting. So tank controls it was. Certainly it took me a while to re-acclimate myself with this affliction. But soon enough I was on my way picking up a knife, some bullet shells for a gun I had yet to find, green herb for healing and -- oh no! -- a typewriter ribbon. There it was, the other horrible device that made the original RE such a pain. Set save-points. I took a gulp, and ventured on.
[img width=577 height=463]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/8/250618/biohazard_screen013.jpg[/img] [img width=577 height=463]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/8/250618/biohazard_screen021.jpg[/img]
Now let me just side-track for a moment in case it sounds like I'm complaining too much. Here are two devices that I've processed to hate about the series; two devices that were alleviated by the time RE4 hit. Yet I can't say they are without their merit. Personally, as a gamer I hate tank controls because I just find them impossible to wrap my brain around consistently. I can never do what I want without thinking long and hard. And I personally, as a gamer hate set save-points because I just don't have the same time I had when I was a teenager. I hate making a bunch of progress only to realize that I need to get to bed and can't find a place to save. Yet as a game fan, I think tank controls are sort of brilliant within the survival horror genre. They create a sort of fumbling confusion that can really elevate the tension in those fight-or-flight moments. And again, as a game fan the set save points force you to really think about when you should save instead of always playing it safe. These are at least interesting devices within the genre.
Continuing on I made it to the first zombie encounter. It's within a graveyard where you are surrounded by five zombies. This is where I first died. And then I died again. And again. And again. I swung that puny knife so many times, fumbling around with my tank controls, flailing and almost never making contact with zombie flesh. It took me maybe five continues before I realized I could just run my way out of that graveyard and right into a cut-scene that would give me a handgun. I should also note at this point I was on eBay researching whether or not a Code Veronica strategy guide was published for the Dreamcast. Sadly, it looks as though any of them were for later ports of the game, and really I'm not one to collect strategy guides under normal circumstances but have kind of warmed to the idea of Dreamcast ones. Oh well.
From here the game started to open itself up a lot more. The path was far less linear. The "right" door was less obvious. I staggered, bleeding down a long alley before realizing there were more zombies than I wanted to deal with ahead. When I started to make my way back I was startled by zombie dogs! And just like in the original game, I jumped you guys. I mean really jumped and let out a yell that I think startled my poor wife who was trying to relax with a book. I just barely killed the dogs and made my way back to a porch that had a green herb for me. After healing up I headed inside and was forced to battle some more zombies. I cleared the room and searched it for goods before making my way into a bedroom lined with bunk beds.
And there I froze up. I'm not being dramatic when I say this, I was too tense to play any further tonight. The thought of what could pop out at me while investigating this bedroom was just too stressful. I felt it best to just turn the system off, and try again another night. Now this might sound like I don't like the game, but quite the contrary. I am by no means new to the horror genre. As stated previously, I am a huge fan of horror films. I've played my fair share of horror games outside of the Resident Evil series. But wow, this game is generally scary. I look forward to venturing on (howlongtobeat.com says it'll take me at least ten hours) and seeing just how badly it can scare me in the coming months.
[img width=300 height=415]http://images.wikia.com/egamia/images/e/e4/MontezumasRevenge.jpg[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Montezuma's Revenge: Featuring Panama Joe
Genre: Platformer (multi-screen)
Year: 1984
Publisher: Parker Brothers
Developer: Parker Brothers
Designer(s)/Programmer(s): Robert Jaeger
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 5 = Rare
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1
Average Cost: approx. $25-$30 loose depending on condition
Also Available On: Apple II, Atari 5200, Atari 8-Bit, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, Sega Master System
Tagline/Description: "Wherever there's mind-twisting mystery, hair-raising adventure, and non-stop action--PANAMA JOE is sure to be there. And in MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE, he's got more than he bargained for as you help him through 24 danger-filled chambers in the Aztec emperor's fortress. The stakes? Priceless treasure. And lots of it. But finding necessary keys, torches, swords, and amulets is no small feat as PANAMA JOE tries to avoid deadly snakes, menacing spiders, and bouncing skulls. But then disappearing floors, bridges, and laser walls are no picnic either! It's up to you to lead this undaunted adventurer through the labyrinth of chambers in an attempt to solve the riddle of the fortress and escape with the loot!"
Continue reading Montezuma's Revenge
|
|
|
|
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
| |
|
