|
A rather interesting development has been happening in the world of Gamecube homebrew lately. Before, the PS2 and Xbox were the only last-generation consoles to be able to load games from a hard drive. The poor little Gamecube was left out in the cold, cold world of writable optical media. It has been many, many years of waiting for 'Cube fans, hoping that some day, some bold developer would attain mastery of one of the Gamecube's many data ports, and give the system the backup loader it deserves, with an actual hard drive. Various new developments in Gamecube homebrew could finally make this a reality. First, let's talk hardware.
[img width=300 height=225]http://cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/30789303/300.jpg[/img]
This is the Gamecube Hard Drive Loader. It works by connecting through the memory card port, as shown, as opposed to any of the 3 ports on the bottom of the system. It works essentially the same way as does the SD card .iso/.gcm loader, except, obviously, in lieu of a solid state card, an IDE hard drive is used. This will allow you to keep your entire Gamecube collection on your hard drive. Since it can only access data at the speed of a memory card slot, you probably can't expect better loading times, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a convenient way to store your collection. Now the bad news. The accessory is currently unavailable and out of production, and has not been in production for some time. If you want one, you will either have to build your own, or ask reeeeeeeeeaaaaaalllllllyyyyyy nicely to buy one from someone who has one. Also, the compatibility is only as good as the SD Card loader, but the good news is that compatibility for both is always on the rise, with most major titles being playable. Speaking of .iso loaders, let's take a look at the software that makes this possible.
[img width=251 height=183]http://gbatemp.net/images/news/1296605456swiss.png[/img]
Primarily, the new piece of homebrew meant to load any game from anywhere. Swiss-GC [AKA "The Swiss Army Knife of Gamecube Software"] is meant to load .iso/.gcm files from either the disc drive, SD Card, or Hard Drive. The compatibility list is quite good compared to other SD Card loaders, and the speeds are playable. The program can also rip disc images from Gamecube discs to the Hard Drive and SD Card. There are more minor features to the software, but the focus is to make the biggest homebrew loader possible for the system, like it should have gotten in its heyday.
The Gamecube has tons of untapped potential left in homebrew, and this is another important step. A hard drive is an indispensable accessory to a modern console, and it is good to see that the 'Cube can still hold its own in this regard. Hopefully, development will continue to go smoothly on both of these projects, and that someday, all Gamecube enthusiasts will be able to have the HDD be a total replacement of the disc drive. Long live the Gamecube, even after death!
Sorry that I have not been writing a whole lot lately; I have been finishing up High School, so I had a lot of things to take care of. But, now I am on summer vacation, so I will have a lot more time to write for my blog! Thanks for everyone who has been reading so far; I really appreciate it when people like my articles!
This is Lisalover1, and this post does not encourage piracy in any way, shape, or form. Gamecube games are cheap anyway, so you really have no excuse.
[img width=480 height=640]http://i.imgur.com/xDHxbl.jpg[/img]
This month's Together Retro game club pick over at http://Racketboy.com was Zoop. Now let me guess -- you've heard of Zoop, but never played it. You vaguely remember a magazine ad for it, but aren't really sure what it is. Am I right? Probably. That's generally how it went. Zoop was a puzzle game released in 1995 and it was ported to just about every platform available at the time. It made its way to SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, PC, Mac, Saturn, Atari Jaguar and the PlayStation in an honest-to-goodness attempt at being the next Tetris. Indeed it was even marketing as "America's Largest Killer of Time!"
Perhaps what's more interesting about the game's place in history is that it was designed by a team called Hookstone. Though that name may not ring a bell, most of the members of Hookstone went on to form Mobius Entertainment, who you probably know better as Rockstar Leeds. That's right, the same team responsible for bringing Manhunt and the Grand Theft Auto series to the PSP had its humble beginnings in a simple puzzle game.
[img width=300 height=300]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/2/586002_70514_front.jpg[/img]
[img width=200 height=200]http://ui23.gamefaqs.com/1366/gfs_70514_1_1.jpg[/img] [img width=200 height=200]http://ui05.gamefaqs.com/1892/gfs_70514_2_1.jpg[/img]
Originally my plan was to play the Game Boy version, but I found it to be a bad idea. You see Zoop is all about a little triangle that's inside a big square. And all these multi-colored shapes are attempting to get in the square. But the triangle can turn into each color, and then take out like colored rows. Maybe you see where I'm going with this? Yeah, a game where color is important just isn't going to work so well on a monochrome system. So I soon decided that I'd pick up the PlayStation port instead. Some of my fellow Racketboy forum members actually played and enjoyed the GB port. Well, more power to them. Personally it just confused my eyes.
[img width=300 height=400]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/1/573801_46087_front.jpg[/img]
[img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/lG136l.jpg[/img] [img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/SYlK9.png[/img]
The PlayStation version was very good. At least I assume it would be just as good as any of the other console ports at the time (Jaguar, Saturn, etc.). The controls were responsive, the colors were vibrant and thanks to the newly implemented CD technology, the music was really great. I personally wasn't great at the game. In fact that's my high score in the picture up above there. But what was really nice about playing this month is that so many members got really into the game. It's really fun to go back and play a game with a bunch of people even though it's not handing out achievements or syncing trophies.
Truthfully, I lost interest in the game about halfway into the month. But in fairness, it was my birthday this month which means I got a lot of new games and all of them were begging for my attention. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't come back to this one. In fact Zoop certainly has a certain appeal to it. That kind of timeless replayability that makes games like Dr. Mario or Tetris so addicting. If you haven't played Zoop yet, you've really got no excuse. I guarantee you own one of the systems it's available for.
So I had a long hiatus from this site and actively collecting games. Long story short, I had real life stuff that needed taking care of, and I was pretty busy for a long while. But, now things are calmer again, and I can begin to actively collect games again! I did manage to pick up a few new additions though in my hiatus. Full details in a later post.
[img width=550 height=754]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/redsteel2cover.jpg[/img]
Continue reading Unloved #25: Red Steel 2
[img width=256 height=519]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/UForce.png[/img]
Today, I'm here to review the weirdest controller ever created for the NES, the U-Force. (Mine is pictured above).
The U-Force is a very unique controller for the NES that was created by Broderbund Software Inc. It uses sensors in the "screens" it has to perform actions on-screen in the game your playing. It has a "Power Bar" (The thing below the U-Force in my Picture) so it can be used for games like Punch-Out. It also has a "Control Stick" for other kinds of games. You can also use the U-Force without these items by folding it downwards so it sits flat.
So how does it work? Look at the picture and take note of the four red switches on the bottom-right of the U-Force. (The two black switches control turbo functions). By switching the four red ones to the right positions, the U-Force will enter a "Mode". There are six modes: A, B, C, D, E, and F. Each mode is used for a different kind of a game. One example is Mode A, which is good for 1942. To use Mode A, you would flip Switches 1, 2, and 3 upwards, and flip Switch 4 down. All the Modes, with the exception of F, are used in some way or another. F is not used because it was designed for the "U-Force Series" of games, which were never released.
But how well does it work? That depends on the game your playing. I found it to extremely difficult to use with Platformers like Super Mario Bros. On the other hand, for Games like Punch-Out and Rad Racer, it was very easy to use. I found it to be especially responsive with Rad Racer.
So how did the public take this thing? Not so well. Many people hate it. Myself? I love this thing, and I feel it could really be handy for playing certain games.
Well, that's it for this Review. Thanks for reading! 
.Hi guys i've been holding on to a sealed PAL copy of tomcat alley for sega mega cd for many many many years now. I have been several offers in the region of 30 to 50 pounds for this mint condition game but i feel that it would be worth a lot more should i wish to sell it,so i was kind of wondering if there where any retro game buyer guides or booklets out there like there are for record collectors?
[img width=400 height=300]http://sydlexia.com/imagesandstuff/1985_nes_launch/kungfu2.png[/img]
Happy Rapture Day! All you remaining sinners can read about how my day went. (mandatory punishment for anyone who didn't directly ascend to heaven today.)
Today, stuck at home with my little 3 year old brother, I decided to finally beat Kung Fu for NES. I've been trying to do this for a while now, and it seems that I always get pulled away (read: girlfriend bought me New Vegas, and lil bro wants to play RC Pro Am all day). That isn't to belittle the difficulty...Kung Fu is a pain. Not hard, but a pain.
The fire-breathing dragons suck, the bugs are a pain, and THE FREAKING MAGICIAN who you can only CROUCH PUNCH! Who am I? Johnny Cage?! Why is punching this guy in the balls the only way to kill him? and Why does his head poof away when you hit him!
[img width=258 height=226]http://www.x-entertainment.com/pics/kung10.jpg[/img]
this guy = jerk
even more confusing is the main character's name. WHAT JAPPANEESE KUNG FU MASTER IS NAMED THOMAS! Trains are named Thomas!
[img width=250 height=231]http://bohyou.vis.ne.jp/neogeo/aof/eban01.jpg[/img]
I doubt his name is Thomas. Go ahead...ask him. I'll call the hospital in the meantime.
Ok enough ranting for now. I've gotta get ready to loot the homes of those who ascended into another world...they won't need their fancy blu-ray player anymore!
Till next time, try not to be eaten alive by a rabid wolverine.
~Neo
Official Backlog Count: 212
[img width=415 height=616]http://hardcoregaming101.net/book-front.jpg[/img]
I make no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of http://hardcoregaming101.net. It's probably my favorite site for video game reviews out there. Ever since I submerged myself in the world of both collecting video games, as well as become increasingly interested in their history I have read and re-read the majority of HG101's articles. It is an amazingly thorough and impressive wealth of information.
Over two years ago HG101's editor, Kurt Kalata began editing a monumental project -- a definitive guide chronicling the "golden age" of graphic adventure games. As one might expect, the resultant tome is something to truly be awe-struck by. It certainly aspires to live up the "101" part of the site's namesake. Certainly if there was a class about adventure games, this could be your text book.
Weighing at just under 800 pages, I am honored to announce that at least one of those pages is penned by myself. Kurt graciously allowed me the opportunity to write the small section on Scooby-Doo Classic Creep Capers, a truly wonderful Maniac Mansion-style game for the Game Boy Color. Faithful readers of the blog no doubt have seen me mention it before. So of course it means a great deal to me to be part of this amazing project.
For those of you interested, the book can be ordered through Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Har...TF8&qid=1305828364&sr=1-3
The Gamecube has always been a controversial console amongst gamers, mainly because it was a very experimental console for Nintendo. They were trying a lot of new concepts during this period, and came out much wiser from the experience. In the process, many fans felt like their favorite series strayed too far from their paths, and became too different than what they are used to. This happened to Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and yes, also Kirby. All these series received Gamecube games that were radically different than previous games in their respective series. While all of these were arguably great games, the latter franchise's Gamecube entry always gets the most flak among this crowd. The game of which I speak is Kirby Air Ride. Many fans have dismissed it for being too simplistic, even for a kart racer. Also, of course, for not being a traditional platformer. But, does it really deserve all the hate? Is Kirby's Gamecube debut something that should be overlooked by gamers? Well, to put it bluntly...
[img width=243 height=150]http://s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/photos/images/original/000/070/111/halolz-dot-com-nope.avi.gif?1283697184[/img]
Gameplay
The main point of contention for Kirby Air Ride was that it is essentially a one-button game. Yes, all of the game's racing functions can be performed with the Analog Stick and "A" button. Mario Kart used multiple buttons, so gamers were wondering why Nintendo decided to take an even more simplistic route. Well, just let me say that it is always better to build a game around the functions it was designed for, rather than try and shoehorn in a bunch of different ones. There is a reason why Kirby Air Ride technically only uses one button; it only needs one. Your character automatically accelerates to the fastest speed over time, and the A button is either used for breaking and boosting, or is context-sensitive based on different parts of the track. Sound confusing? Well, I will admit that it did take some getting used to, but the end result actually ends up being one of the more intuitive control schemes I have seen in a Kart Racer. The game employs a "Boost" system, which, when you press the A button, slows you down, and a meter builds up at the bottom of the screen. When the meter reaches the maximum point, you can perform a speed boost. This allows the button to function as a brake, as well. The game's tracks allow for some rather clever exploitations of this mechanic, as well. Braking and boosting around sharp turns, or boosting when you are on moving portions of the track are ways that you can use boosting creatively. As I said, the A button can also be context-sensitive. If you press the button while over a flashing green arrow on the track, you will automatically boost, even at full speed. Pressing the button over curious-looking patches of track can open up secret passageways, shortcuts, or generate different power-ups. The implementation of all these functions into one button would almost certainly spell disaster in most games, but Nintendo's masterful game design shines through as clear as day in Kirby Air Ride. All the tracks are designed in such a way that the times in which the button does not do what you intend are few and far between, creating a brilliantly simple yet adaptable racing experience.
Kirby Air Ride has three gameplay modes, all of which support 4-player multiplayer. The main mode, Air Ride, is the racing game that most people were expecting to get. There are nine tracks to choose from, and over a dozen vehicles to ride. Other than the notably well-designed and intricate tracks, there is not much else to say about Air Ride mode. If you have played a kart racing game before, then you know what to expect: Fast, fun, and cartoony racing action. Although, I have to say that the tracks in Kirby Air Ride do have a very different feel to them than ones in Mario Kart. In Mario Kart, your racer is, for the most part, not going to leave the ground throughout the whole race. Kirby Air Ride, however, has vehicles that allow you to fly for a short period after jumping, and even one that allows you to fly from anywhere. This means that you will not only be able to explore the lateral areas of a track, but the vertical ones, too. It makes the tracks feel very 3-dimensional by allowing this degree of freedom. The second game mode available is called Top Ride, a single-screen, top-down racing game reminiscent of games like RC Pro Am or Speed Sprint. The tracks in this mode are short but nicely-detailed, and should be more than sufficient for fans of this subgenre of racing games. I personally am not a fan of this kind of game, but I know that people who are say that this game mode is very good, and has a lot of personality. The last mode is possibly the best on of them all, called City Trial. This mode puts you and 3 other racers in an open city area to explore and collect power-ups for a brief period of time. After time is up, you race your upgraded vehicles in a randomly-chosen arena, track, or mini-game. I cannot stress how much fun this mode is in multiplayer. You and three other friends battling over power-ups, stealing items from one another, or even another person's upgraded vehicle makes for some hilarious and competitive gameplay. Random stage events also occur throughout the course of a City Trial match: A giant monster comes out of nowhere and wreaks havoc on the city, the nearby volcano erupts, etc. If this mode ends up being total chaos in multiplayer, then you're doing it right.
Gameplay: 9/10
Story
There is no story in Kirby Air Ride. Absolutely none. Not in the main game, not in the end credits, not even in the instruction manual. There is absolutely no explanation for why Kirby is racing with clones of himself on Warp Stars. I was kind of expecting to find something in the game, but now that I think about it, there are actually very few racing games, especially kart games, with stories to them. In fact, the only major kart racer that I remember to have a real story to it was ModNation Racers, so maybe racing games don't need a story. I am not going to be able to say much more here, as I can only stall for so long before you realize that I just wrote a whole paragraph specifically about nothing, so I will just end here.
Story: 5/10
[img width=700 height=437]http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/5500000/Kirby-Air-Ride-Wallpaper-kirby-5558741-1280-800.jpg[/img]
Sound
I was pleasantly surprised by the music in Kirby Air Ride. Like Star Fox Assault, most of the music is orchestral, and very well-done. Kirby's music however, has a much more lively and perky tone to it than Star Fox. Every track is well-written, and is perfectly suited to each track. I greatly enjoyed listening to the music, and it stands out as one of the best parts of the game. I don't think I will ever forget Kirby Air Ride's soundtrack. I am hesitant to say this, but it may be worth getting the game just to hear the music. The audio quality is astounding, and uses the Gamecube Disc's enhanced storage capacity to the fullest. If you have a good speaker setup in your gaming den, then prepare for some serious ear candy. HAL put their heart and soul into creating this game's music, and it shows by passing with flying colors. It is just a shame that there was never an official soundtrack released, because I would buy it in a heartbeat. As for the sound effects, they are all crisp and clear, but my only complaint is that some variety in the effects would have helped. Different crashing sounds, etc. But, that is a minor complaint.
Sound: 9.5/10
Graphics
Kirby Air Ride features some awfully respectable visuals for a Gamecube game. The environments are detailed with features that often go deep into the fantastical and give each track its own distinct personality. The lava dragons in the Magma Flows level, the futuristic lighting in the Machine Passage stage, and plenty of other things make the game feel alive. The character models are quite good; Kirby certainly looks as puffy and round as ever, with none of the jagged edges that were in the beta version of Kirby Air Ride when it was still a Nintendo 64 game. Yes, the graphics were completely revamped for the Gamecube final version, and I am certainly glad they did. The game's textures could have used some work though; you can still see the boundary lines on the edges of some tracks, which looks awfully bizarre when compared to the good character models. If you have a component cable for your 'Cube (and you really should by now), the game can run in 480p, which helps smooth things out even more, and makes for a much cleaner picture. I will say it again; the Gamecube has probably the best-quality 480p of the past generation. Kirby Air Ride isn't the best demonstration of this higher resolution, at least, it doesn't use it as well as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, but it is a nice touch that I like to have in Gamecube games. As this is a racing game, the game has to be able to handle a lot of action on-screen at once. Thankfully, I never saw Kirby Air Ride drop in framerate even once while playing it, even in multiplayer! Behold the processing power of the mighty Gamecube!
Graphics: 8/10
[img width=377 height=300]http://img.neoseeker.com/screenshots/R2FtZXMvR2FtZUN1YmUvUmFjaW5nL0dlbmVyYWw=/kirbys_air_ride_image4.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
There is something interesting in this game that often gets overlooked, but I always regard as an important inclusion. It has somewhat of a precursor to achievements, in that by completing certain hidden tasks, you can open up squares on a grid. Some squares give you unlockables upon clearing them, such as new vehicles, characters, tracks, modes, etc. There are a ton of things to unlock, so you can be sure that there will always be something to do in Kirby Air Ride. Nintendo later re-used this unlockables grid in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. I don't think many people will ever legitimately complete this game, but that level of replay value certainly means you will get your money's worth. It should also be mentioned that this game was one of the few Gamecube games to support multiplayer LAN play, allowing you to hook up 1-3 other Gamecubes, and play over the wired network. I have not been able to try this, as I do not have two Gamecubes with Broadband adapters, but I can assume that it is quite fun to play. Don't forget that with the help of a program like Xlink Kai, you can actually play Kirby Air Ride online by tricking the Gamecube into thinking it is connected to a local network, when it is really online. The Gamecube's online scene is still alive and kicking, so get a friend or two to join for an online match together. If you all have Gamecubes with Broadband adapters, that is. Kirby Air Ride is currently selling at Gamestop for $20. That is certainly a bit more expensive than I expected, even for a first-party Gamecube game. This is an excellent game, but I am not sure if a used copy is worth that much. I recommend buying it, just find somewhere where it is cheaper.
Extras/Value: 7.5/10
[img width=605 height=388]http://firsthour.net/screenshots/kirby-air-ride/kirby-air-ride-checklist-filled.png[/img]
Overall
Nintendo is arguably the king of kart racing games with Mario Kart, which all but invented the genre, but Kirby Air Ride is a good enough and unique enough game to stand on its own. It is still a kart racer at heart, but it does things different enough that it is a worthy contender for Mario Kart and other games of the genre. It is absolutely worth your time, and should be in every well-rounded Gamecube library. Nintendo may have lost the console war in the last generation, but that doesn't mean that it didn't show the Gamecube all the love that they could while it was around. Games like Kirby Air Ride show that trademark Nintendo gusto and heart that reminds us why we became gamers in the first place.
Overall: 8/10
This is Lisalover1, wishing on a shooting warp star for a maxim tomato.
I want to begin by apologizing for my lack of production on the blogs recently, but some current life changes (i.e. moving into a new house, a family plagued with upper respiratory infections, and the preparation for a new baby) have forced my hand into worlds of both joy and displeasure. However, on a more fortunate note, the new house came with a gigantic playroom on the 3rd floor (a converted, fully-finished attic) for the kiddos and a nice separate "office".....errrrr, game room for yours truly. So in the midst of all the moving hubbub, I have decided to chronical the progress of my game room from start to finish. The purpose of this blog is to communicate with other gamers about ideas for my room to help me decide what the overall finished product will be. Hopefully, with all of the experience on this site, I will determine what changes might benefit my room and ultimately what things other people have tried that didn't work, which I can avoid. I hope this portion of my blog is a slight bit entertaining and please....please give any feedback you feel is necessary.
To start off, I'm just going to provide pictures of different parts of the room and give you my ideas as to what I think may happen over time. Any suggestions/warnings are greatly appreciated.
Continue reading UnoNanerCade 2011
[img width=339 height=481]http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MikeRubino/TheWizardDVD.jpg[/img]
Today, I'm here to review the Movie known as The Wizard. Described by most as a "90-100 Minute Commercial for Nintendo", it's actually a lot more than that. It's a really good movie, but it's certainly not perfect. Here's why:
Story: The story is this, a Young Boy wants to go to California, but because of some emotional trauma, he can't get there alone. His mother puts him in a home, and his older brother breaks him out so they can get to California. They later find out from a girl that a Video Game Tournament, Video Armageddon, is being held in California. The older brother, Corey, finds out that his little brother, Jimmy, is good at Video Games, so to prove that he doesn't need to be placed in a home, he decides to enter him into the tournament and win the prize money. The girl, Haley, agrees to help them for half of the money, and they agree, which begins they're grand adventure to California.
Video Quality: Being an older movie, you wouldn't think that the quality of the movie would be that good, but it surprisingly is. The color is bright and clear, making this one pleasant on the eyes.
Sound Quality: The sound quality isn't as good as the video quality, but it's still good. It's just above average if you ask me. I don't have any samples from the movie, so you'll have to watch it if you want to hear it.
Fun Factor: This is definitely a fun movie to watch. While it does have some sadder, more emotional moments, it also has it's funny and heartwarming moments. It can also be cheesy at times, especially during the famous "Power Glove Scene". (Video at the bottom of this post).
Would I recommend it: Yes, I would, especially if you like Video Games. This is NOT a family movie though. There's lots of foul language, and a bunch of comic mischief.
Final Score: 8.0/10
2 Points taken off for:
1. Sound Quality
2. The sadder moments. I don't like sad movies. 
Well, that's it for this review. Thanks for reading.
Power Glove Scene:
NOTE: When I said I "had no samples", I meant of the DVD. I think this footage is taken from the VHS Tape.
Ah, the 16-bit era. The two major systems in North America during those years were home to amazing shmups, RPGs, platformers, fighters and pretty much every other genre. What title would finally hold the honor of closing out the retail market? What magnum opus could serve as the cross-platform release to end the glory days of 2D gaming? The answer, surprisingly, was Frogger.
[img width=200 height=279]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/genfroggerc.jpg[/img][img width=199 height=138]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/snesfrogger.jpg[/img]
Frogger, of course, had been a hit when it launched in arcades in 1981. In the years afterward, it would be ported to every computer and home console imaginable. According to Wikipedia, for example, there are over 20 Frogger clones for the ZX Spectrum alone. There was certainly not a frothing demand for a Frogger game when Majesco and Hasbro collaborated to bring the game to the Genesis and SNES in 1998, but that is exactly what they did. By most counts, Frogger was the final retail release for both of these systems.
[img width=320 height=224]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/genFrogger.png[/img][img width=256 height=223]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/Frogger-Ingame.gif[/img] The Genesis and SNES versions, respectively
The two games are actually quite different in terms of graphics and playability. The Genesis port of Frogger is widely hailed as one of the best ports the game has ever seen, and though it fails to really take advantage of the Genesis hardware, it is extremely faithful to the arcade version. It offers no high score tables, no difficulty settings or other options, but it is nonetheless Frogger.
[img width=320 height=239]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/3f7a35d4.jpg[/img][img width=320 height=239]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/d0fa7cf8.jpg[/img]
My copy of this game shows how cheap the Genesis packaging had become by the end of the Genesis lifespan. Long gone, of course, were the clamshell cases...but this is even cheaper than the slide out cardboard games from the latter half of the Genesis run. Theres also a lot of red border and text surrounding the box art, something which detracts significantly from the look of the packaging. From the pictures available of the SNES box (I dont have a copy), it looks like there is a little more uniformity with the rest of the library.
[img width=256 height=223]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/Frogger.gif[/img] Even Frogger himself looks depressed by this shoddy port
The SNES box art may have been the best part about that release of the game, as not only are the updated graphics a travesty for the eyes, but the control and sound are a mess as well. It seems that the folks at Majesco wanted to make a different version of the game for each console but it is hard to imagine what they were thinking with the SNES port.
[img width=350 height=350]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/ps1frogger.jpg[/img]
As an interesting footnote, Frogger received a near-simultaneous release on the PlayStation and PC as these 16-bit versions. These versions place Frogger in 3D perspective and offer a lot of interesting additions to the game. The PS1 port is especially worth a look, if you are a fan of Frogger (it even spawned a sequel).
[img width=700 height=243]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/4.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=437]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/3.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=362]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/2.jpg[/img]
[img width=659 height=284]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/1.jpg[/img]
Impressive, huh? I'm getting close to 100 Games!
Number 2 already? Yeah, this year has been going slow, very slow. This time last year, I was up to . . . 2? Wait, last year started out slow too. The year before that, I was up to six by this time, yeah that sounds better. So this year has been slow, very slow in fact. I fully blame the weather though. We were in a near constant freeze through March, and as soon as the temps got above 40, it started raining and has only stopped a few times since. But luckily, I was able to get some game hunting in during those precious dry days.
Continue reading Treasure Hunt Chronicles 2011 - #2
One important thing that I forgot to mention was my mini gaming bio.
Ive been gaming pretty much since any logical recollection. I remember playing Streets of Rage 2 for the Sega Genesis with my Dad. The combination of the music, the gameplay, and the fact that it was the rare occasion that I got to stay up uber-late (9 pm!!!!) firmly cemented the game as one my favorite games of all-time. After the Genesis my Dad received a PlayStation for Christmas, promoting me to de facto-caretaker of the system. The PSOne was the first instance in which I went hardcore into gaming, namely reading about games in magazines, playing over my friends houses, purchasing my own games, and discussing them during lunch breaks at school (in addition to when I wasnt supposed to). From there I later got a PS2, the first system that I officially owned, paving the way for my current tastes in gaming. Along the way I picked up a Dreamcastthe holy grail of hardcore gaming, and later a Xbox 360 riding on the hype-wagon of the release of Halo 3 (and being thoroughly disappointedforeshadowing my ire for the system). Of course handhelds have also made a massive impact, with the Gameboy, GBA, SP, and DS intermittently scattered throughout.
In the summer of 2010 I officially started collecting: i.e. no longer trading in games to GameStop, scouring bargain bins, fleamarkets, Goodwills, and buying from Ebay and Amazon. Currently I have around 250 games, with my final goal of acquiring all of the games on my wishlist (which consists of another 300 more gamesfairly limitedfor now).
My gaming genre preferences are quite broad: RPGs, FPS, third-person Action/Adventure/shooter, puzzle, arcade, and fighting. I absolutely will not tolerate sports games, and with the only exception of the Burnout series and the Midnight Club series, will not touch racing games. I always am willing to purchase quirky titles, and always on the lookout for hidden gems. With that said, I will play any game as long as it seems interesting, and has at least one good game mechanic, I treat reviews as a ballpark estimate not a definitive source of a games worth.
I also like to think that I am liberal in my company allegiances. While Nintendo is my least favorite company (I generally hate Mario and his affiliatesmore on that in later entries), some of their franchises I do enjoy like: Metroid, Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Kirby, and Legend of Zelda.
Even though I do own only a 360, Sony and Sega are by far my favorite companies. And despite the many headaches attributed toward the 360, it still a great selection of games, and in my opinion the pinnacle of gaming controllers. So in all I am relatively balanced, but Ill let my entries speak for themselves.
So in all I look forward to interacting with this community, ranting about how developers should do what I say, and learning a few things along the way. Share some of your own gaming stories. Thanks for readingand until next time: Hira-SUGI!!!
I can also be found on GameSpot, GameInformer, and Youtube under the same name (and of course this fine site).
|
|
|
|
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
| |
|
