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This weekend was a little slower than the last couple weeks, but I'm glad it was as it gave me a little break to sort through the haul from last week. Still, it wasn't a bad week at all, the quantity wasn't great, but I think the quality of the treasure I found was pretty great.
There's only one new auction this week. I spent the better part of the week going through the Atari systems, only to realize I didn't have any boxes large enough to ship them in once I had finished. But I did have time to list the PlayStations! Bidding starts at $10, and the winner gets 4 systems, 4 games, and 3 controllers.
And don't forget about last week's auctions. There's an NES with 20 games for $30. And there's a Genesis with 4 games for $8.50.
Continue reading Treasure Hunt Chronicles 2011 - #4
Bear with me if the format just isn't right, considering that this is my first blog post.
As I was physically reorganizing my collection tonight, something really struck me. As I was aligning consoles with games on their respective shelves, I realized that I really didn't need or want to display a NES console on that shelf. I want to display the controller that I enjoyed for so many hours. Yes, I liked my NES in the 80's. but I loved my NES Advantage. It really does bother me that I left it stashed in a box when I joined the Army. So much of my stuff was missing by the time I got back home, and my NES and accessories were part of the missing. For years I convinced myself that a controller meant nothing, but the moment I held another NES Advantage and enjoyed another great game, I realized how wonderful an "accessory" can be. Do you have a favorite controller, gun, etc.? Tell me about it.
[img width=314 height=194]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/system.jpg[/img]
Welcome to a special co-production of the Transitions Blog and Game Boy Player Land. We teamed up to investigate the launch of the Game Boy Advance, a system which was released ten years ago this week in North America and went on to sell over 80 million units worldwide over the next decade.
Continue reading on dsheinem's blog: http://www.rfgeneration.c...y-Advance-Launch-1772.php
Welcome to a special co-production of the Transitions Blog and Game Boy Player Land. We teamed up to investigate the launch of the Game Boy Advance, a system which was released ten years ago this week in North America and went on to sell over 80 million units worldwide over the next decade.
[img width=314 height=194]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/system.jpg[/img]
For gamers that can walk into a GameStop in 2011 and still buy GBA carts, it is hard to imagine that there was ever a time when the Game Boy Advance would have seemed like a risky proposition with an uncertain future. When the system launched in June of 2001 (March in Japan), there were legitimate questions about the viability of 2D handheld gaming in an era that was championing 3D. To put it in perspective, the GBA launched a year after the release of the PlayStation 2, almost two years after the release of the Dreamcast (which had just been dropped in North America by Sega in January) and just six months ahead of Nintendo's own GameCube console. Financially successful 2D games had been all but eradicated by the previous generation of console hardware, and the Game Boy's slumping sales coupled with poor international showings from the Wonderswan and Neo Geo Pocket Color pointed to an uncertain future for handhelds. So when Nintendo introduced a unit that offered the functionality of a portable Super Nintendo, there was some apprehension in the air.
So, let's consider what it would have been like to stand inside your local retailer of choice at midnight on June 11, 2001. What would you see? What would you be thinking? You probably knew to bring two AA batteries with you to start playing, but what might you bring home to play?
Part 1: The Games
At launch, Game Boy Advance games sold for between $29.95 and $39.95 each, and the lineup of seventeen titles in North America was more than what had been seen before for any handheld launch in history. The titles spanned a wide swath of new and old IPs:
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/aa.png[/img]
Army Men Advance As the millennium turned, there was a successful run of games in the Army Men series across several consoles. So when the GBA launched in 2001, it was perhaps no surprise that the series made an early debut on the handheld. While the isometric game is lacking in many aesthetic areas such as graphics and sound (especially compared to later games in the same series on the GBA), it stands out in the launch library as the only completely new title that allowed the played to run around and fire a gun (Earthworm Jim was a port). Players could revisit levels of their choice using a password system, and those who struggled through the more technically impressive later levels were rewarded with a congratulations screen at the end of the game (which, incidentally, could be accessed from the main menu).
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/cm.gif[/img]
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - There's a good argument to be had that this was probably the most anticipated launch game for the GBA, and by most counts it did not disappoint as it was probably the best reviewed launch title for the system. As the first 2D Castlevania game since 1997s Symphony of the Night on the PlayStation and Saturn, the game delivers all the Metroidvania action you could crave along with the kind of distinctive artistic style that has marked the best entries in the series. Though the game was a bit dark (and thus more difficult to see on the launch model GBA compared to later models), it offered a showcase for the abilities of the system, an intriguing story, gameplay with depth, and battery backup!
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/cc.jpg[/img]
Chu Chu Rocket - There was something dirty about placing a cartridge bearing the Sega logo into a piece of Nintendo hardware in 2001, but any unease associated with that once-unholy pairing was soon erased by starting up this gem of a game. Like most puzzle games, ChuChu Rocket is probably most at home on a portable console. While the GBA version doesn't feature quite the same level of polish as the Dreamcast version (released just a few months before in the US), there are enough added features (such as multiplayer support from one cart and 2500 user-created levels) to more than make up for any loss in visuals or sound. Given that it was the only true puzzle game at launch (why the GBA didnt launch with a Tetris title still confounds), this was a great release day choice.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/ej.png[/img]
Earthworm Jim - If you have played the SNES port of this classic 2D platformer, youve essentially played the GBA version. Everything about the game (down to the lack of a save feature) is included here, and that's pretty much it. It is impressive that this was the only SNES game ported directly to the GBA at launch, as it may have been fairly easier for lots of publishers to get started on the system with one of their older classics. Thats what Shiny did here, and it helps to round out the launch with a little bit of familiarity.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/fz.jpg[/img]
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity - Other than a Mario title, this was the only first party game Nintendo had ready for the GBA launch. Like Earthworm Jim and Pitfall, F-Zero felt like a 16-bit console port (even though it isn't a straight port) and helped establish the idea of the system as a portable Super Nintendo. That means that your feelings about this game will closely mirror those of the SNES original, as the control and difficulty closely match that title. The graphics actually look a bit nicer, though, and having something so fast on a small screen was a bit dizzying at the time.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/fp.png[/img]
Fire Pro Wrestling This long-running series had already published almost thirty entries in the series before the Game Boy Advance launch, and so its inclusion in the launch library didn't come as a real surprise. This edition of the game featured many of the things that have made the series great the ability to create your own wrestlers, a deep roster of available players, a smart grappling engine, and enough production quality to make it seem like a polished release. Since there was no other realistic fighting game at launch for the GBA (Ready 2 Rumble doesn't count) and no sports games aside from racers and Tony Hawk, a wrestling title probably looked alluring to a wide variety of consumers looking to scratch their competitive itch on launch day.
[img width=314 height=189]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/gt.jpg[/img]
GT Advance - Gamers in 2001 may have had to do a double take when they threw GT Advance into their GBA. The combination of mode-7 style graphics and some excellent shading work really make the game pop off the screen. The pseudo-3D effect is really quite something, and the selection of cars, colors, and other customization options meant that this game was an innovation in handheld racers upon its release. The password system (instead of a battery save) is a real pain in the ass, though it would have been nice to just use a battery backup. Nonetheless, the controls feel very good, the amount of racing that you can do is impressive, and this was one of the few launch titles to feature link play capability. Give that the only other racing options at the GBA launch were an F-Zero game (futuristic) and Konami Krazy Racers (kart racing), this would have been a strong choice for someone looking for something more realistic.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/i3.gif[/img]
Iridion 3D -The 16-bit era had been regarded by many as the heyday of the shmup, so you could forgive gamers who picked up Iridion 3D while looking to find a GBA launch title that might deliver on the rich history of SNES games like Axelay or Phalanx. Unlike the excellent sequel, however, the original Iridion game is a 3D corridor shooter that has more in common with the Genesis' Galaxy Force than it does with any of the great 2D shooters of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The graphics and sound are certainly passable in that they showed off what the GBA could do, but the core gameplay is quite boring and pretty frustrating.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/kk.jpg[/img]
Konami Krazy Racers - If you've ever wondered who would win in a race between Goeman and the Octopus from the Parodius games, then Krazy Racers is for you. Although Mario Kart Super Circuit had been announced at launch, Konami beat Nintendo to the punch. This charming little Super Mario Kart clone is actually a blast for fans of the SNES classic kart racer and borrows heavily from it. Everything from terrain to coins and Mode 7 scrolling is present. However Konami enthusiasts will love all the fan-service with appearances from beloved franchise characters, music and even the Twinbee! bells returning as power-ups.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/nc.jpg[/img]
Namco Museum - No system would be complete without Namco repackaging a handful of ROM's from their pool of classics. This GBA collection is decent but underwhelming, and certainly not a launch game that showed off what the GBA system could do. While gamers could rejoice to have such nice portable renditions of Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position and Dig-Dug, it must have also been disappointing considering the small collection of games offered. The lack of a battery feature to save high scores would just kick retro-enthusiasts while they were down.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/pb.jpg[/img]
Pinobee: Wings Of Adventure - A prime example that lush, colorful graphics do not make a great game. Pinobee is actually pretty sub-standard platforming fare. The controls are awful and the levels, though gorgeous are extremely boring to actually play through. There's not a whole lot of challenge or even reward to motivate you to play through the game. Though certainly a fine tech-demo, Pinobee perhaps should have not made it to the launch lineup.
[img width=314 height=231]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/pf.jpg[/img]
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure - Based on the SNES game of the same title, this platformer looks nice but really doesn't play all that great. Not only does it commit the cardinal sin of making B the jump button but it also goes overboard with stage design that's all style over substance. Its as if there was so much intention to show off what the GBA was capable of graphically that often the flow of a level is confusing -- you can pass in front of one tree, but another that looks just like it proves to be a roadblock. Ultimately its a frustrating game in a rather long series of letdowns.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/rm.jpg[/img]
Rayman Advance - Whereas the GBA was touted as a portable SNES pretty much out the gate, Rayman Advance was one the few launch games that argued it could actually be a lot more than that -- in this case a portable PlayStation. This port of Rayman is absolutely gorgeous. More importantly, it plays remarkably well and may have been the best platformer available upon the GBA's launch.
[img width=314 height=205]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/r2r.jpg[/img]
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 - For an arcade style boxing game Ready 2 Rumble is surely a bit of a fun. It looks impressive for such an early GBA game using scrolling to give a slight feel of 3D movement in the ring. It also uses some nice voice samples to add a touch of realism to the sprites as well. However the controls are also quite laggy, which can lead to frustrating gameplay as punches are often thrown after a bit of delay which makes strategizing rather hard. Its not quite game-breaking, but its awful close and can often lead to resorting to button-mashing out of frustration.
[img width=314 height=208]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/sdb.jpg[/img]
Super Dodge Ball Advance - This port of the classic Kunio-kun sports title is bittersweet. While it retains the fantastic gameplay of the original -- mixing a bit of brawling in with everyone's favorite Phys. Ed. pastime -- for some reason the developers, Million decided to complete re-design the Kunio-kun appearance of the sprites. Certainly this won't sit well with fans of the long-running series of games, but the upside is that it's still as fun to play today as it was at launch.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/sma.jpg[/img]
Super Mario Advance - Though its no surprise that a new Nintendo system would launch with a Mario platformer, it is odd that a remake of a rather infamous black sheep would be one of them. Super Mario Advance is just that, a somewhat upgraded version of the NES Super Mario Bros. 2, which adds in the welcome addition of a save feature but also adds in a lot of infuriatingly horrible voice samples as well. If you can get past the voices though (or at least play with the volume turned off) then its still a pretty decent take on the game and features some very bright, colorful sprite work which was especially welcome on the original GBA's overly dark screen. Perhaps Nintendo figured it would use the GBA launch to give players a chance to reevaluate this oft-overlooked sequel.
[img width=314 height=209]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/th.jpg[/img]
Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 - The first Pro Skater game was released on the Game Boy Color, but didn't resemble the console versions at all. Instead it was a horribly stripped down mess that couldn't even redeem itself as a decent Skate Or Die clone. So when Activision rolled out the sequel on the GBA it was amazing to see how well they had captured the PlayStation/Dreamcast versions of the game. Pro Skater is presented in an isometric view that works beautifully on the handhelds small screen. And though obviously there are omissions to the graphical detail and soundtrack, the game really plays excellently. The same game engine would later be used to bring the cult-classic Jet Grind Radio to the GBA as well.
Part 2: The System
The system launched for $99.99 in North America, $10 more than the original Game Boy fetched upon its release in 1989.
Hardware: The system had some interesting similarities and differences to both the Game Boy/Game Boy Color systems and to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that had launched a decade prior. The most obvious change was the number of buttons. The GBA introduced SNES-style shoulder buttons that had not been there on the original line of Game Boys, though Nintendo decided to stick with only two primary buttons on the unit's face (the X and Y buttons wouldn't make their debut on a Nintendo handheld until the DS). The most damaging similarity to the GB was a screen that lacked any backlighting, meaning that gamers needed to shell out for worm lights and the like for any nighttime gaming plans. Luckily the system only needed 2 AA batteries to run, and could last for as many as 15 hours under the right conditions.
Furthermore, even though the GBA was actually a 32-bit system, most launch games shared more in common (from a technical standpoint) with Nintendo's 16-bit console. This was good, as most games looked remarkably improved over even the most technically impressive GBC titles, but also contributed to a misconception about the system that it was only able to do SNES-level graphics, a view that dogged the handheld for its whole life. To combat this, Nintendo stamped "32-bit" prominently on many of the retail boxes, hoping to convince consumers that they were getting high-end graphics in a handheld for a bargain price.
[img width=285 height=235]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/RF/GBA/box.jpg[/img]
Wide Compatibility: One of the major selling points for the system was that it would support all previous Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges. Furthermore, like the Game Boy before it, the GBA would continue to be a region free console. These two decisions effectively extended the library of games available for the system into the thousands. The system even offered options for screen stretching and color palette swapping via the use of L&R buttons. In many ways, it was like the GBA has a built-in Super Game Boy.
Connectivity: Like the Game Boy series before it, GBA units were able to connect to one another for multiplayer gaming, something that titles like Chu Chu Rocket took advantage of from the get go. In addition, they launched with the promise of future connectivity with the Nintendo GameCube, something that was instituted very well for several of the games in that system's life.
Part 3: The Launch
As mentioned above, there was some trepidation in the air over the launch of the GBA.
Audience: Much of the press covering the launch emphasized the unit's appeal to children it was seen by much of the mainstream media as a purchase that parents would be asked to make. For example, USA Today held a focus group of young kids to review the consoles the week before the system's US launch. The article emphasized that
The latest version of the most successful game system ever, the $100 Advance (in stores Monday) wowed our testers, ages 9 to 13 and all Game Boy veterans, with a combination of compelling games and realistic graphics.
The next day The Washington Post explained that
Parents concerned about what all these games might cost them -- or kids worrying about how to stretch their own allowances -- do get one break with the GBA. Not only can gamers link up to four handhelds with an optional Link Cable, they can also share certain games with friends with only one cartridge on hand.
At a time when console games had clearly broken through to an older audience (after a half decade of struggling to do so), handheld gaming was still largely considered by mainstream media coverage to be toys for kids to play with on car rides in the back seat. In some ways, over its lifetime the GBA would work to change that perception, but at launch the designation of "toy" was very much a real problem for Nintendo.
Ads: Nintendo ran a series of bizarre ads in 2001 promoting the GBA, some of which can be seen here:
These artistic ads, featuring CGI and high end production, certainly oversold the capabilities of the GBA. However, they also gave it a certain "cool factor" for older gamers, as these ads weren't aimed at the young children suggested by the press coverage above: they were aimed at older teens and young adults. The unit itself was only featured briefly in these spots, as was any footage of actual gameplay. Instead, Nintendo was selling an image of the company and of the handheld that looked to break from its more traditional image and, perhaps, to blend better with the marketing that existed for its console contemporaries.
Availability: Reports in the days after launch suggested that the unit was selling out at many locations, and any fears about its initial success were quickly dashed when the unit passed the one million units sold mark by July of 2001 (by contrast, the 3DS took more than three months to hit that milestone).
We hope you've enjoyed this retrospective on the GBA launch but there's certainly more to be said...Were you there on launch day? What did you pick up and why? What else do you remember about the system's marketing and sales? Speak up and share your stories in the comments below!
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Posted on Jun 15th 2011 at 11:00:00 AM by ( Zagnorch P. Welinskivich II, Esq.) Posted under Summer, mario, ratchet, sonic, tecmo, bowl, challenge, wii, fit, psp, ds |
Greetings from Terra...
Between trying to make my temp job permanent, shaping up, sprucing up the Zagnorch Ponderosa, and getting the ol' lemon running properly, I figured I wouldn't be able to get in on the RF Generation summer gaming challenge for lack of time to devote to it.
But then I realized I have a ton of games I'm either part-way through or this close to completing, and I figured I could take care of 'em in my sparse spare time. I know it's something of a cop-out, and a lazy way to go. But, given the situation, it's the best I can do.
And away we go:
[img width=700 height=392]http://www1.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/4154d5867a99eb3360aafc5a5bd9721c26e5fc5c1a460a33aefb300c5fa9918c5g.jpg[/img]
Super Mario 64 DS: 134 stars down, 16 to go.
StarFox Command (DS): I'm stuck on that level where you use the stylus to clear away part of the cloud cover to reveal where the enemy is hiding.
Bomberman DS: I've yet to get past the boss on Level 8.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES): It's been so long since I last played this, I've forgotten where I left off...
Tecmo Super Bowl (SNES): All I want to do is get the 49ers to win a Super Bowl on three-year mode. My last three-year deal saw me lose two consecutive NFC championships before getting waxed in the Super Bowl in season three...
...by the Buffalo Bills.
THE FREAKING BILLS!!! WHAT THE #3LL, MAN!!!
CrossworDS: I've been chipping away at this one for the last couple years. While it also includes word search and anagrams, I'm focused on finishing just the crossword puzzles.
Sonic Rush (DS): Forget about the d@mn fourth chaos emerald-- it's the fershlugginer seventh one I'm having a #3lluva a time grabbing...
Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World (GBA): I still haven't gotten past that level where I hafta let Yoshi plunge to his death to save my own sorry @$$. I've killed enough Yoshis and Marios on this level to fill a virtual Grand Canyon. O, the soul-crushing guilt...
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP): I've been neglecting my PSP lately, so I figure I should finish up Size Matters before it sics child protective services on me.
Wii Fit Plus: Actually, I haven't started this one yet. Never the less, I figure I'd give it a go to supplement my efforts to shape up this summer. I'm not so sure there's a way to properly beat or finish it, though. I suppose I can consider it "beaten" when I make my goal weight.
And there you have it. For the most part, I'm aiming to complete a buncha fruity handheld platformer-adventure titles I've been procrastinating on, with nary an uber-hardcore title in the lot.
G0d, I am such a chick...
'Late
Why Did I Play This: Volume 3
Final Fantasy II
Oh man. Black sheep of classic RPG gaming franchises, you got your Phantasy Star III, the grand ocean faring Suikoden IV, *cough* Dragon Warrior VII, umm Ultima II, and not last nor least, Final Fantasy II. Now I'm not talking about the American FF2, or as we should all know, really FF4, oh no that's a good game. I'm talking about the Japanese NES FF2, or rather the first release it got in America.
[img width=580 height=378]http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110127180018/finalfantasy/images/2/2b/FFII_NES_Logo.jpg[/img]
Oww, even the original logo hurts.
Now at one point in my life I was a Final Fantasy FREAK. I had gotten hold of my second gaming system ever after much parental persuasion, the Sony Playstation. And back when going to Blockbuster to rent movies and games were cool, I tried out many recommendations from friends that also had the system, of which a shortage did not exist. I rented Final Fantasy VIII, yes I was a bit late, but still to this day I've never bought a system at launch, and actually loved it for the time. Looking back I could actually be typing up an entire blog post about FF8 myself, but I chose the earlier entry as I could not stomach it back then, and still cannot now.
[img width=512 height=446]http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060224060953/finalfantasy/images/c/c7/Final_Fantasy_II_JAP_Battle.png[/img]
Time to get owned.
So we all know that Squaresoft was on its last legs when Hironobu (The Gooch) Sakaguchi saved the company with a little game called Final Fantasy for the Famicom and NES when it came stateside. But they opted out of releasing the second and third entry of that series in the USA. So my first introduction with this game came with the Final Fantasy Origins pack for the PS, as I was at that age where I ate up all of those FF games. I went back to buy FF7 and was blown away like many youngsters were, buying my own copy of FF8, then looked forward to FF9 (which is still my favorite in the series.) Then my first real game hunt began as Final Fantasy Anthology was nowhere to be seen in my locality until we got a couple used games stores open up in the area. I bought the first copy I could find, then waited anxiously for the release of Final Fantasy Chronicles, then Origins.
[img width=597 height=600]http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/2/23/Ffobox.jpg[/img]
Amano = Awesome
So imagine my surprise, when after I beat Final Fantasy in the Origins pack and go to fire up the second game for the first time and start my epic quest following Firion, Guy, Maria, and Leon... and get my backside beat up and down the first battle screen. Then I get saved by a random badass Princess Hilda, minus Leon, the only decent character out of the four! The Emperor is actually quite the sinister villain, even poisoning an entire city's water supply. This act was so awesome, so intense that it was in fact copied by fan favorite villain Kefka!
So you just run around, fighting the oppression of the evil Empire of Palamecia, going dungeon to dungeon with a random plot based fourth character, some you wanted to keep but were not allowed to, you had to get Leon back in your fighting group. Finally you reunite with Leon after the party and him meet at the Palamecian castle and watch the Emperor turn into El Diablo himself and summon a new home up from the pits of Hades to help him devour this world! Quickly stop him!
[img width=700 height=525]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4U1wlPLQ_bk/Te9gPLofU7I/AAAAAAAAAHA/zoQlkj0t9Us/s1600/diablo1st0.jpg[/img]
El Diablo noooooooo!
For the time this was actually a well thought out, very well executed storyline given the technological limitations of the NES. The game was prettied up for re-release after re-release starting with Origins so it was quite easy to look at with pretty, well detailed sprites that barely made the PS even try to think very hard. But this game suffers from such crippling gameplay flaws that I could not even force myself to sit through the story, I kept hitting a brick wall because of something so important to an RPG being completely broken and random half the time!
Yes that's right, leveling is completely broken in this game. In the 8-10 hours I managed to torture myself by playing this game I had no idea how to level up stats, then it finally hit me, you level what you use! But how do you use HP, which all my characters seemed to never have leveling up? You take damage, a lot of damage. I ended up having half the party get killed off during random battles because their HP was so low they would get one shot! The only two worth anything in the game were Firion and Guy because of their high strength to do massive melee damage. Maria literally went half my playtime without once getting an HP boost. What the hell? I think I got as far as the Dreadnought because I kept getting owned and no amount of grinding was helping me. No matter how high your healer's magic score is it does not matter when she literally has 40 HP and gets hit for 60. Even if Guy and Firion are overpowered they will eventually get overwhelmed after I run out of items trying to escape the dungeon.
[img width=512 height=464]http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/5/5c/Final_Fantasy_Origins_Final_Fantasy_II_Battle.png[/img]
Much prettier, but I'll still die.
The broken leveling was such a deal breaker and let down for me that I have yet to pick up FF2 since I put it down, as my PS2 days came along I went for trying almost any RPG experience I could get my hands on, and I wish I still had them all but hey it gives me future goals of rediscovery. Anyway in conclusion FF2 suffered the problem that many second entries were infected with during the NES days, too much experimentation, cool ideas that could only be poorly executed, all while keeping the overall feel of the original source material. It featured a great story that was bogged down with literally endless grinding as you hoped that you took that extra point of damage or did that extra damage to get your individual stat boost. The most important feature of the game was royally messed up during the experiment of Final Fantasy II, and no amount of nostalgia can save the game as there is literally none for the NES young ones, or even those like me who had a horrible gaming experience on the PS Origins release during the younger years of existence.
Until next time. I might even go back to a game I've long forgotten sometime on this blog and remember how awesome it is.
As many of my friends know, I absolutely despise Critics and everything about them. They're stupid, and everyone agrees with them no matter what.
Where did this all begin? It began when I first read Gamespot's review of Mobile Suit Gundam Crossfire. They were completely harsh on this game, and because of they're review of it, everyone judged the game unfairly, when in reality, there is a fun game here.
My point is this: Whenever a Critic says something is bad, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE agrees with them, even if they're opinion is different. People would rather be wrong than be different, for whatever reason. It annoys the hell out of me how things work with these people.
Am I a Critic? Yes, I am. I review Games and Movies, but I differ in the aspect of reviews in that mine are opinionated and that very few people agree with them. Critics like IGN and Gamespot just put what the people want to see, as opposed to writing what they truly feel. In short, they don't know what the hell they're doing.
For example, did EVERYONE hate the House of the Dead movie? No. Did it get judged unfairly? Yes. Why? BECAUSE OF CRITICS!!...Sorry. Anyway, I really don't like critics, and that is final.
Disclaimer: This is just a rant. If your going to agree with me, fine. If your going to disagree, at least keep your argument civil and under control. I don't need any flame wars happening here.
Oh, and Duke Nukem Forever does not suck.
This is ReddMcKnight, signing off!
I'm sure some of you have noticed the Summer Gaming fever running around rfgen and racketboy. It got me too!!
Here is the list I'm currently attempting to complete before the summer is over:
1. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wii)
2. Vay (Sega CD)
3. Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
4. Wario Land (VB)
5. Battletoads/Double Dragon (SNES)
6. Panzer Dragoon (Sat)
7. Kung Fu (NES)
8. Gex (3DO)
9. FFVIII (PS)
10. FFXII (PS2)
I wanted to make sure I got a good variety of systems included in there and I think I achieved that. Genre-wise there are quite a few Platformers and RPGs, but also a couple shooters and a beat em'up.
First game I crossed off the list was Kung Fu. I had about an hour to kill and decided to finally sit down with it for more than 5 minutes. Turns out it didnt take much longer than that to finish it off. Even had time to finish it on Mode A and B. Was decent, but not something I'd go back to often. Might be a fun one to try with the U-Force controller though so I should give that a try some day.
Next game to go down was Super Mario Sunshine. I tried playing it many years ago and got about 30 stars in when I gave up on it. I was more determined to beat it this time though. I found the lack of direction very frusterating. Luckily after mentioning it over at racketboy one of the members let me in on a secret...... In order to get to the last level you have to beat the seventh star in each level. Why wouldnt they ever point that out at some point during the game? I spent a lot more time than I should have on this title by collecting Blue Coins and stars in Delfino Plaza. I expected some event to trigger when I got X amount of stars. I found the lack of long jump to make the game feel sluggish compared to any other 3D mario I've played also. The platorming was basically non-existant thanks to the hover nozzle on your back pack. The music, setting, enemies, missions all felt out of place for a Mario game. And to top it off the camera had some major issues depending of the type of mission and level I was playing.
Really wasnt a fan if you cant tell. At least its over and done with now though. I dont have to be curious any longer.
Right now I'm around 16 hours into FFXII. At first I wasnt really enjoying the battle or levelling systems. Somewhere along the way though they have grown on me a bit. I am enjoying the story and characters (with the exception of the main character) and that is mostly what is motivating me to keep plugging away at it. I continously find myself getting lost and having no idea where to go or doing something unnecessary (like grinding in order to fight a boss that turned out to be optional). While a bit frusterating I'm finding my party is quite overpowered because of it, so when I eventually find my way I can rocket ahead.
Once I'm done FFXII I'll probably dive into FFVIII. In the mean time I havnt decided if I should start Gex, Sin & Punishment, or Panzer Dragoon to go along with FFXII. Any suggestions?
You may have noticed that swell little section over on the right side of the front page, the one titled Site Statistics, well look at what it says for Total Scans. That's right, over 70,000! That's way more than nine thousand.
Of course, that wouldn't be possible without the thousands of members who have helped by submitting scans of their games. If you've added one of those scans, pat yourself on the back and then thank anyone else who has added a scan. And if you haven't added a scan yet, what are you waiting for? Its very easy to do and your name will be forever immortalized on that game's page here at RF Generation. Everyone who looks at that game page will be looking at your item. If you don't have a scanner, no problem, we also accept photos of items as long as they're high quality.
It looks like the 70,000th scan was for Crusader: No Remorse submitted by y2richie. Congrats y2richie for making history here at RF Generation!
Thanks again to everyone who has made a scan submission.
After a long hiatus, I am back at last. Why have I been gone? Recent events, such as a passing in my family, and events with friends, prevented me from returning sooner. All things considered, I'm actually doing alright. Now, enough about my life, onto the article.
The Power Glove: A controller (if you will), that is hated by everyone. Well, except for myself. As far as I know, it was only released in the USA and Japan, but have you ever stopped to think that there may be differences between the US's and Japan's? If you have, then your correct. There are differences. We'll start with some information and pictures:
US - Made by Mattel
JP - Made by PAX
[img width=700 height=283]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/PG2.jpg[/img]
US - Does not have Words or Symbols
JP - Does have Words and Symbols
[img width=456 height=706]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/PG3.jpg[/img]
[img width=666 height=529]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/PG4.jpg[/img]
US - Has white material inside
JP - Has black material inside
[img width=700 height=405]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/PG5.jpg[/img]
US - Uses NES Input
JP - Uses Famicom Input
[img width=308 height=382]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/PG7.jpg[/img]
[img width=440 height=410]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/PG6.jpg[/img]
US - Junction Box has logo and help-line Phone Number
JP - Junction Box has logo only
[img width=700 height=296]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/PG8.jpg[/img]
But do the Gloves work differently from each other? Just a little bit. They both have the same Program Inputs for every game, but the big difference is this: The JP one works better than the US one. After testing several games with both, I found that the JP one was generally more reliable than the US one. The JP one has slightly better centering, and it's general functionality is better.
Well, that's it for this entry. This is ReddMcKnight, signing off!
[img width=300 height=300]http://i.imgur.com/dNzkOl.jpg[/img]
So the first of my Summer Gaming Challenge titles can now be ceremonially crossed off the list. This morning I beat Mr. Driller. Now disclaimer: when I say "beat," I mean I got to the end credits. I actually beat the Arcade Mode on Beginner. In this case I feel I can consider the game beat because well, it's a puzzle game. And the Arcade Mode on Expert is the same exact thing except you need to get through double the levels of Beginner. I'm sure if I stuck with it long enough I could do that no problem. In truth, I played Mr. Driller for the first time this morning. And a couple hours later it was beaten. The other reason I really don't feel I need to attack Expert for this challenge is because really my goal is to get through these games to see an ending and feel that I've experienced them. In this case, I feel that playing through the Beginner Arcade Mode was enough to know I've experienced the game.
[img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/udvx9l.jpg[/img] [img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/YBmVTl.jpg[/img]
So what did I think of it? Well, I thought it was pretty great honestly. I'm a fan of puzzle games to begin with, and this one hit the spot. It had a really good blend of strategy, where you have to kind of try to be patient and plan your moves mixed with urgency, because if you hang around too long you'll run out of air (basically a time limit that can be extended by finding Air Items throughout the levels). Visually, I thought the game looked fantastic. The bright candy-colored levels and cutesy design of Mr. Driller himself was really a great visual style for a game like this. Considered a spiritual sequel to Dig-Dug, I'd say I far prefer Mr. Driller to be totally up-front. I do think it could have benefited from a 2-Player mode, though. Just a thought.
[img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/Np7NGl.jpg[/img] [img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/ebVJll.jpg[/img]
Chrono Trigger
Dead Or Alive
Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown
Mega Man X4
Metal Gear Solid
Mr. Driller
Myst
Ridge Racer
R-Type Delta
Silent Hill
So moving on... I'm actually very far into Mega Man X4. As in all the way up to the last boss, so I expect to finish that one soon. I'm about six hours into Chrono Trigger, which really I'm not sure how far into the game that is. I've also dabbled a bit in Ridge Racer and Dead Or Alive. Really I've just been trying to bounce around between the games based on my mood. At any rate, it feels good to finally have one finished.
Just a little spoiler alert before we start.
A game that I like, is the Another World.
Wiki: The protagonist of the game is Lester Knight Chaykin, a young, athletic physicist. Lester arrives at his high-tech underground laboratory in his Ferrari during a thunderstorm, and continues to work on his experiment using a particle accelerator. Right before the particles reach their intended destination, lightning strikes the laboratory and interferes with the accelerator, causing the unforeseen teleportation of Lester to a barren, alien planet.
Recently, I was looking at some nostalgic youtube clips from this game.
Intro and a longplay showing the whole story of Another World:
Final stage and Ending of Another World:
I guess the ending was left open for the player to imagine what happened to Lester.
Questions...
When I finished looking through the videos, I noticed the comments to the video, saying that there was a Sequel to this game.
-Ah, Flashback, I thought to myself. I knew Flashback wasnt the real sequel, it was simply released after Another World and had similar gameplay but a completely different story.
But... the comments mentioned something called "Heart of the Alien"!
I had never heard of this game before. And to my great surprise it was a sequel/side story to the original Another World game.
Wiki: Heart of the Alien is an action-adventure video game that was made by Interplay and released in 1994 for Sega CD. Heart of the Alien is a sequel to Another World (although it was made without the participation or approval of the original game's designer) and continues the story directly from where the original ended. The game switches the player's role from Another World; this time the player takes control of Buddy, the main character's alien ally from the previous game.
Heart of the Alien intro:
Wiki: The story picks up immediately after the end of Another World. Buddy lands the pterodactyl in the ruins of his village, lays Lester down on a cot to rest and walks through the village, thinking of his past. This sequence contains many flashbacks of events that lead up to Buddy's capture and his and Lester's escape from prison.
Scene in the middle of the game where Lester dies, when saving Buddys life:
Heart of the Alien Ending:
Wiki: Buddy then sets off on a mission to find his electric whip and kill the red-eyed alien. Later, Lester joins, but is quickly separated from him. The red-eyed alien soon attacks Buddy, knocks him out, and then gets ready to shoot him. Lester sneaks in and is just about to attack when he gets noticed. The alien fires at him, but he retreats with the still-unconscious Buddy. Lester checks him and then suddenly jumps at the red-eyed alien, clinging to him, attacking him. The red-eyed alien eventually throws him into an electric chamber and drops and rolls with Lester getting numerous electric shocks before finally collapsing. The red-eyed alien then checks Lester. Knowing that he is dead, the red-eyed alien escapes unharmed.
Buddy soon awakens. Noticing that the red-eyed alien is missing, he goes out in search for him. Later, the red-eyed alien attacks him again, but he quickly fights back with his whip until he is over a grey floor. It tilts and the red-eyed alien falls to a lower floor. Walls reveal heckling prisoners. The red-eyed alien's jaw drops when he notices a beast in a locked-up den. He yells for the prisoners to quiet, strikes a fighting pose, and then nods. Buddy then throws a switch and the beast's den opens up. The red-eyed alien starts beating up the beast as it launches out until one of the prisoners suddenly kicks him. The beast strikes back, dripping blood, and then drags the screaming alien into the den. Freed villagers suddenly break into the slave prison, setting fire and killing guards. Cells open and prisoners run free. While trying to get out, Buddy comes across Lester's body. He feels his forehead, only to realize that his alien friend is dead. He carries his body to his home village and puts him in a cremation coffin.
In the newly rebuilt village, Buddy hangs up his electric whip, pets his happy beast, and then eyes Lester's coffin, which has yet to be buried. A wide shot of the village is then shown, with the destroyed slave prison in the background.
Lester Knight Chaykin died, helping his friend free hes people from slavery.
And as I see it, ultimately, he reached his mission. He found a way Out of that World.
Addition: Could Lester still be alive?:
The fact that our main caracter "Lester" died in this second game made me a bit sad.
I was thinking, Could Lester still be alive? Do we really know what happened to him?
Looking back it all began with a particle accelerator experiment that went wrong, when lighting struck and our hero woke up in this otherworld.
A big hole was left where Lester and the computer was. He was somehow transported to this "parallell" world but could he still be somewhere else or "stored" in that experiment-computer?
Longshots. But Im just thinking if this was an ultimate death or if there is any way to "pull an Alien 4 resurrection" on our hero here.
Maybe that electric shock that killed him in "Heart of the Alien" brought Lester back from that world, back to his home on earth.
The electric lighting bolt in the 1st game brought him to the otherworld. An electric shock could very well bring him "back" home, leaving an empty shell behind, that Buddy and his people later buried.
-Thus honoring the "Heart of the Alien" Lester who saved their people from slavery.
So, what do you think? Is Lester Knight Chaykin dead, or did he infact manage to get Out of this World?
-Im going to try and get hold of this game to the Sega CD and try it out.
[img width=500 height=177]http://www.racketboy.com/images/gba-shmups.png[/img]
Just a quick heads up! An article I orchestrated for http://Racketboy.com is now up. The piece is an overview of the Game Boy Advance's library of shmups. We tried to be really thorough and go over imports as well as compilations and even borderline shmups.
Check it out here: http://www.racketboy.com/...ce-gba-shmup-library.html
It's been a while, and for once its not because of a lack of deals. In fact, the deals kind of became a hindrance of getting this written. I know, I know, I'm either not getting enough deals or I'm getting too many, whah whah whah. Maybe some day I'll get just enough bargains to make a worthwhile write up will not overloading my game room with boxes to sort through. Actually, a nice sealed Stadium Events sounds like a good thing to look for in that regard, maybe I'll pick one up next week while I'm out.
But, enough about what's going to happen next week, you want to know what I found this week. Well, I'll get to that in a moment, but first, a change and an addition to Treasure Hunt Chronicles. Which do you want me to explain first? It doesn't matter what you want, this was written days before you read it, and the order in which I explain them is already set. But, if you said "I want to read about the change first" then you're in luck, because that's what I'll explain first. Its a simple change, but Treasure Hunt Chronicles will now be posted on Thursdays. This gives me a few more days to write them up, and it allows room for the addition to the series.
That addition is actually a pretty big one, and involves all of you out there. Starting with this installment, the stuff I buy at garage sales from now on will be available to you for the prices I pay for it! Here's how it works. When I buy a lot of systems/games, I take out and keep whatever I didn't already have, the remaining stuff gets put up on GameGavel.com with the starting price being what I paid for the lot. Now, if I buy some massive lot, I'll split it up into manageable size lots with appropriate starting bids (most likely the price I paid divided by the number of auctions I make it into). And if I buy a lot and keep most of it or the valuable parts of it, I'll lower the starting bid to a below reasonable price or add some other items to it.
The auctions will run 10 days and have no reserve price. I'll generally be auctioning off items from the previous week's hunt, so what you saw last week will be available this week, and what you see this week will be available next week. At least that's the plan, we'll see if it actually works out.
Now, onto the deals!
Continue reading Treasure Hunt Chronicles 2011 - #3
Since I've seen everyone else posting a "goal sheet" for the summer, thought It'd be nice to set one of my own. Since
I'm at home most of the summer however, I'm gonna make a goal sheet of 20 instead of the usual ten. I'm going to lay out 15 solid titles, leaving 5 spaces for games i will inevitably buy.
1) Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (360)
2) Metroid Prime (GC)
3) Deus Ex: The Conspiracy (PS2)
4) Sonic Spinball (Gen)
5) Perfect Dark (N64)
6) Front Mission (DS)
7) Halo Wars (360)
8 ) Ico (PS2)
9) Kessen (PS2)
10) Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GC)
11) Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (GC)
12) The Lion King (Gen)
13) Sonic 3 (Gen)
14) Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (xbox)
15) Deus Ex: Human Revolution (360)
Now I've started a few of these, so it shouldn't be too bad. I'll prob emulate the GEN games on my ds so i can play them wherever i go + SAVE! I'll keep updating as i go along.
~Neo
Official Backlog Count: 210
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We are a community of collectors, gamers and the likes, and some of us enjoy to let the world know what is on our mind. For those members, we have the community blogs, a place where they can publish their thoughts and feelings regarding life, universe, and everything. Some of those members might even choose to write about gaming and collecting! Whatever they write about, you can find it on their blog. You can either see the latest community blog entries in the feed you see to the left, or you can browse for your favorite blog using the menu above. Interested in having your own blog hosted on RF Generation? It's rather simple, first be a registered member, and then click the "My Blog" link that you see in the navigation above. Following those two steps will certainly get you on your way to blogging.
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