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Good tidings fateful Game-philles and Master-sword enthusiasts, welcome to my first blog post ever.
Game collecting can be quite an enjoyable hobby, with a nearly limitless expanse of games, undiscovered gems and rarities just waiting to be played and appreciated for their role in the larger advancement of the median as a whole at the time of release. Like the wide-eyed awe from the English major experience the grand libraries of Oxford and Cambridge, so too is the game collector digging through Goodwill bins, and garage sales to finally find that rare historical gem. However like most collecting hobbies it can be quite an expensive endeavor, particularly for serious PlayStation One collectors (such as myself), since that market is ballooning even despite the weakened economic state of the US. With that stated alternate avenues and concessions must be made in order for one to have any hopes of complete their collection. Even though I only began officially collecting games for about a year, I have made particular observations that some uninformed may find useful. The main problem that I want to tackle today is coping with the often egregious price inflation currently on the market (with of course an emphasis on the PSOne price bubble phenomenon) understanding the inner workings of these market shifts and, planning accordingly to maximize the dollar of the collector community.
This interested me unofficially at the beginning of the year. After almost a year of scouring my local area, expending all known sources accordingly, I finally made the move to the online nether-regions of eBay and Amazon. While compiling my list of PSOne classics and gems that I was hotly anticipating I was confident that the price margin would be no larger than about $40 US dollars, or the highest price that I say for a particular PSOne game out in the wild (outside of the domestic, or online retail establishments). Imagine my shock when I ventured on Amazon planning on scoping ten or so games for at the most $50, only to realize the futility of my preconceptions. Not only was $40 considered a normal price point for most PSOne RPGs of merit, some products were as high as $150 (Suikoden II is and continues to be the bane of my existence ~-~). Having done thorough research before hand on what exact titles I had plans on purchasing (the number staying consistently at 54 titles), and having around half those titles being of a RPG nature, makes for quite a hefty sum total at the end of the day. So naturally I started asking questions of how I can get these at a discount. Well to save from needless deliberation, no one in the history of the Internet has found out a solution to the problem. Perhaps during the days in which markets were dictated locally, instead of globalization one may have had a chance at snagging these treasures from unsuspecting sellers. However the truth of the matter is, the ones selling, have done their homework, and will follow the flow of the market. And before anyone shots Objection! and refutes that flea markets, thrift stores, and auction lots are feasible options, these endeavors are of an undecidedly randomized nature, and differs irradically in terms of completeness and condition. So for the sake of brevity we will not entertain this as a viable option. The short answer to this conundrum:
You have no choice but to pay the price so save up your pennies peasantsthis may take awhile.
With the futility of chasing the value specter of the past out of the way, instead us collectors need to look forward. The video game market, like almost all markets have a deprecating curve in value. Most video games follow said curve at a consistent rate, however some show signs of exponential growth depending on certain attributes. Growth may in some cases curb the rate of decline to 25% as opposed to 75%, or in rare cases increase the value beyond the initial market value. The purpose of this series of entries is to take a laymans approach to identifying these attributes, and predicting these price curves to finally overcome the curse of inflation. Only by preempting on these choice items will we be able to truly save money on the items we want, not being at the mercy of arbitrary Ebay lots or tyrannical sellers. I claim to be no expert on the matter, and actually have little interest in economics, but I do have passion for my hobby (and I find saving money kind of fun). My love for collecting means that I need to be able to sustain such a pricy past-time so that I can do this for years to come. Join me in this exploration in addition to some other random gaming commentary/gushing/complaining. I hope both I and my audience may learn from each other; and off course save money as well 
Until next time "Hira-SUGI!!"
And yes there is a story behind that name keep reading to find out!
In this post, I will explain how to region mod an NTSC Nintendo 64. This mod will allow you to play either Japanese or North American games on your console. This mod will not work with PAL consoles, which have a different internal chip that will prevent PAL games from working on another non-PAL console. North American and Japanese N64 games are compatible on either console, so the "region-locking" consists of a small bit of plastic in the cartridge slot. There are converters that will allow you to play a PAL game on an NTSC console, but I believe that they are not fully compatible with all PAL games.
This is definitely a mod that anyone can do with the right tools. All it entails is removing the little tabs in the cartridge slot, or simply removing the entire piece itself. After the mod, you will be able to play nearly any game on your console. There are only 4 PAL exclusive titles (F-1 World Grand Prix II, F1 Racing Championship, Premier Manager 64, and Taz Express), so you won't be missing too much.
Tools Needed: - 4.5 mm security bit and a bit driver (or a pliers to grip the bit)
- Philips head screwdriver set
- Safety goggles (If you are using a Dremel. I trust you won't poke your eye out with a screwdriver)
Optional Tools: Dremel with cutting bit
Time Needed: 5-10 minutes
Difficulty: 1/10
Continue reading How to Region Mod an NTSC Nintendo 64
[img width=700 height=439]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/100_0884.jpg[/img]
Today, I'm here to show you one of the coolest NES Controllers around! (The one in that Picture above is mine).
The Joycard SANSUI SSS Controller is very unique, in that it lets you use headphones while playing your NES. How does it work? You plug it in Controller Port 1, plug the Red Composite into the Red port on the right side of your NES, plug your headphones into the controller, and bam! You can now play your games without disturbing others!
That's not all it does! It also features multi-function turbo switches for the A and B buttons! If you look at the picture, you can see that the switches have three options: Normal, Turbo, and Super Turbo.
But wait, there's more! On the bottom of the controller, there is a "Sound Shift" switch. When turned on, the sound in your headphones will switch sides depending on what side of the screen your character is on! Neat, huh?
But wait! There's STILL more! It even has a volume slider if the sound is too quiet or too loud for you!
But how does it control? It does a very good job, actually. The controller is well built and durable, making it easy to play games. It has very good response time.
The controller was made by Hudson Soft Co.,LTD. It was made in Japan, but I'm unsure if it was made exclusively for them. It resembles a Famicom Controller, so it's possible, but due to the Famicom's lack of a Red Composite port, it's unlikely.
This thing is one of the best controllers for the NES ever made, and I personally love using it. I highly recommend this thing. That is, if you can find one.
This is ReddMcKnight, providing the Internet with cool stuff since 2002! See you next time!
[img width=700 height=436]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a136/DarkTheThief/TT360.jpg[/img]
Perhaps one of the most interesting controllers for the NES is the Turbo Touch 360 (The one you see above is from my own collection).
Created by a Company known as Triax, this controller is unique in that it features a Touch-Sensitive Control Pad, as opposed to a regular D-Pad. It also features turbo buttons for the A and B buttons.
But is this thing any good? I personally think, yes, it's alright. It's certainly not perfect though. Here's the 411 on this thing.
It was advertised as a superior controller to regular, first party ones (Commercial at the bottom of this post). However, a lot of people didn't like it for whatever reason.
Using it myself, I found it to be easy at some points, and hard at other points. A perfect example is "The Adventures of Bayou Billy". The Turbo Buttons are handy for fighting the extremely tough enemies, especially when it comes to the first "Street Fighting" Boss in it. Now the Driving Stages, on the other hand...I could not get through them to save my life. The directional pad is VERY sensitive, which caused me to drive the truck like I was playing Twisted Metal. Needless to say, I lost all my lives pretty quickly.
Now, for the street fighting stages, the directional pad is okay. It's a lot easier to maneuver around using it, as opposed to a regular controller, but it CAN get annoying sometimes, having nothing to rest your thumb on.
Would I recommend this controller to my friends? Yes, I would, but I would NOT use it for driving games, unless you like crashing. 
Well, that's it for this post! Thanks for reading!
Oh, and here's that commercial I mentioned earlier:
[img width=480 height=640]http://i.imgur.com/9w3kSl.jpg[/img]
Ever since I first started this blog, I have always wanted to offer things to readers. I've actually had various surprise projects in mind for quite some time. And finally the first finished one is here. I present to you all Mega Man: Game Boy Powered-up Levels!
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If you're not aware of Capcom's wonderful PSP release Mega Man: Powered Up, then you don't know what you're missing! It was an amazing remake of the original NES Mega Man title that uses a bit of a 2.5D perspective, a super-deformed character design and adds in lots of excellent flourishes that really add to the game while never losing what fans have loved since day one. However, the most remarkable thing about Powered Up (and the reason for this blog post) is the Construction Mode, which allows you to not only create your own levels, but also share them with friends.
This is where Game Boy Player Land comes in. You see I loved the creative possibilities of Powered Up. And considering it was this really unique and awesome portable recreation of a classic game, that still had this very retro feel to it I really started to draw parallels between it and some of the old Game Boy Mega Man games. And then it hit me: what if someone were to recreate some of those original Game Boy levels for play in Powered Up?
[img width=300 height=300]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/3/563283_28968_front.jpg[/img] [img width=200 height=200]http://ui25.gamefaqs.com/1496/gfs_28968_2_3.jpg[/img]
So that's exactly what we decided to do! Mega Man: Game Boy Powered-up Levels is a four-stage downloadable remake of the first four levels from the classic Game Boy release Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge. Though the levels will all eventually be made available to download via the PSN servers, for now I've included all of the links and directions you'll need to download them right here.
The Levels
In order to play these levels you must own an official copy of Mega Man: Powered Up. The four levels are available via PSN. Simply search for these codes within the game's menu:
44645843-005
44645843-006
44645843-007
44645843-008
The Cover Art
As an added bonus, you can also download the printable artwork and make your own UMD case for Mega Man: Game Boy Powered-up Levels. The case looks awfully handsome sitting on your shelf rubbing elbows with the rest of your PSP collection!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=C2B4IW16
Obviously we hope you enjoy these levels. Feel free to drop any and all feedback, and keep your eyes on the blog for other future projects like this.
*A huge thanks goes to the two recruited members of the GBPL dev team on this project. Although I came up with the idea and basically directed the project it was my good friend Flake who did all actual level design. And graphic designer extraordinaire sevin0seven is responsible for the amazing cover art.
Hey everyone! I'm new here so i thought I'd say "Hi"
Hoping to use the blog space here to keep a record of any of my gaming related finds / completions. If you look at my collection, you'll see a folder marked backlog...all the games i have that haven't been beaten...at least not to my satisfaction. With over 200 unbeaten games, I'd better get to work!
Well, it's been a long, rather tedious quest, but I FINALLY have a working NES.
As you all may remember from my previous "Hunt For NES" Post, I bought one that didn't work, despite it supposedly having a *new* 72-Pin Connector. Anyway, I finally bought a new Connector, and now it works flawlessly. Well, ALMOST flawlessly. I still have to depress the games to make them work, which kind of worries me, but it definitely works for the time being, and that's just fine with me. 
Well, excuse the short post, but I'm off to play Super Mario Bros. 3.
Is your Nintendo 64 controller joystick loose and worn out? If so, you will be pleased to know that it is very easy to replace a loose joystick with either a replacement one, or a good one from a donor controller. In total, this swap will take about 15 minutes if you're switching joysticks between two controllers, or half that if you have a replacement.
I have always used joysticks from used Grey or Atomic Purple controllers, simply because they are plentiful and cheap as most people tend to use the colored controllers more often than their "boring" brothers. I have never used a replacement joystick, so I cannot comment on their quality.
After the swap, you will have an N64 controller with a nice tight joystick, and if you used a donor, one with a loose stick. I will usually sell the loose controllers for what I paid for them, around $5, so that no one feels ripped off. The buyer gets a cheap official controller, and the seller gets his money back.
Tools needed: Philips head screwdriver set
Time Required: 5-15 minutes
Difficulty: 2/10
Continue reading How to Swap an N64 Controller Joystick
Welcome to my first blog post here on RFGeneration! In this blog, I hope to keep track of my goal for a complete Nintendo 64 collection and any rare or unusual Nintendo 64 related stuff I find either online or in the wild. Hopefully, you will also learn something new about one of my favorite consoles.
I also plan to deviate from the N64 eventually for variety's sake. I hope to do a few blogs on another of my favorites, the Virtual Boy, and who knows what else. My next few blogs will most likely be a few simple ones, such as how to swap out your N64 controller's loose joystick and how to mod a North American console to play Japanese games. I also plan to finally take pictures of my collection. I will try to make this an informative and entertaining blog, so be sure to stay tuned to Channel 3.
[img width=640 height=933]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/0/587550_39729_front.jpg[/img]
There are a lot of games you can play really well with a Power Glove, but one of the funnest ones to play with the peripheral is Rad Racer.
Rad Racer, or Highway Star, as it is called in Japan, is a Racing game developed by Square (Yes, you read that right. The King of 8/16-Bit RPGs made a RACING game). It is often seen as Square's answer to Sega's Out Run, another racing game. In Japan, it is one of the few titles for the system designed for use with Nintendo's Famicom 3D System peripheral for 3D experience. In 1990, Square followed up with an exclusive North American sequel, called Rad Racer II.
So, why use a Power Glove with this game? Well, for one, the Power Glove has a Program installed into it for this particular game. I guess the REAL reason one would try to use a Power Glove with this game though, is because in a movie called The Wizard, a Character called Lucas Barton uses the Power Glove to play it. It's very likely that a lot of older gamers saw this movie and that particular scene.
People often complain that the Power Glove's control is awful, yet in that scene in The Wizard, Lucas uses the Glove very well, and after trying it myself with this game, I must say that it does indeed work well. It may seem hard to control at first, but it becomes easier as you practice.
So, how exactly does it work with this game? Much like a steering wheel actually. You use your hand to simulate turning a steering wheel, and since your hand is (almost) always locked into a fist, your car will never stop. Sound bad? It's not! Your camera is ALWAYS behind the car, so you can always see if your coming up behind another car, giving you the opportunity to turn and evade them.
Well, that's it for this entry. Thanks for reading!
There's a lot of talk right now about the new PS3 release of Mortal Kombat. And though I hate it when a game re-uses a title, rather than just being a proper sequel or spin-off, I have to say that everything I've heard about this new reboot of the series is rather exciting. I was a big fan of the original Mortal Kombat on the Genesis. Of course I was also fourteen years old at the time, so any game that came with a warning to parents and a "blood code" was going to be great in my book. Hindsight actually tells me that Mortal Kombat was a pretty lousy game. But hey, I'm not going to ask for the hours spent enjoying it back. In fact the second and third entries in the series actually turned out rather good. Enough so that I can still revisit those with no reservations. But sometime around the fourth, I just stopped caring. Or more precisely -- when the fourth game came out, I just stopped caring. I'm just not a big fan of 3D fighters, so any transition that a classic 2D game makes to 3D is going to feel suspect to me. It's funny, but true. I'm more prone to enjoy a 3D fighting game if it never originated in the 2D realm. Call me silly. I am what I am.
And that brings me to another point. I am what I am. And what I am is a total sucker for bonus discs. Now I don't mean like a demo disc tacked on and call it a day. I mean serious extra material. Stuff that makes your collection glow a little brighter. And although I'm not all that into Mortal Kombat: Deception or Mortal Kombat: Armageddon on the PS2, I am a bit of a fan of the premium editions released for each. You see strangely, the bonus discs and extra content actually seems to be a much bigger gift to fans of the series than either game can rightly claim to be.
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Mortal Kombat: Deception's Premium Pack is actually a pretty cool package. Its outer cardboard box opens like a book and houses two DVD cases. The first disc houses the standard version of Deception, the better of the two Mortal Kombat titles we'll be discussing today. In fact, rumor has it that it's possibly the best 3D Mortal Kombat title to date. Of course, I don't know about all that. I just know that it has a similar feel to me as DOA: Hardcore, which is something I can deal with. Though I did find the addition of weapons a bit odd, and maybe reactionary to the success of the Soul Calibur series, I really can't say that I had any issues with Deception in the grand scheme of things. Sure it's missing that classic 2D feel that I grew up with, but as far as 3D sequels go, I could point to far worse examples.
Besides classic Arcade Mode, there's also a Konquest Mode which is a surprisingly good tutorial that's set up like an adventure. You must train and win fights based on certain goals -- all of which are there to help you learn the game. Really kind of a nice addition.
[img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/IRiBPl.jpg[/img] [img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/Wbyo8l.jpg[/img]
There are also several bonus games included with Deception. The first of which is a game entitled Chess Kombat, which is (in case you're really thick) a cross between Mortal Kombat and chess. To a certain degree, this could have been brilliant. It could have just been a game of chess using MK-style visuals -- a middle-finger to those who say that there is nothing cerebral about the series. But sadly, Midway dropped the ball on that idea. Instead they offer chess which requires you to then play actual MK battles in order to see which piece takes each square when colliding. Perhaps the strangest thing about this is that the battling is what ends up feeling tedious, as it breaks up the concentration of playing an actual game of chess. So although it's high-action, it tends to disrupt the strategic flow of what could have been a very cool looking chess game.
The next additional game is Puzzle Kombat, an unabashedly obvious rip-off of Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter II which uses the same format of super-deformed characters duking it out via dropping gems. Sadly, Puzzle Kombat just does not have the same level of perfection. Instead, it comes off as a pretty sub-par puzzler, made only slightly fun by the fatalities at the end of each match. It's sluggish and stiff and really not a fun puzzle game, instead feeling like a bit of a chore to get through.
The bonus disc is really where Deception's Premium Pack shines, though. Even though I pointed out that the original Mortal Kombat is really not a great game (it's certainly the worst of the original trilogy), there's no denying its importance to 1990's arcade history. Unfortunately back when Midway released their Arcade Treasures collections on the PS2, the emulation for Mortal Kombat was a bit buggy. Though both the second and third games were included in Volume Two, the original MK was left off. As such, this Deception bonus disc is the only way to obtain the original Mortal Kombat on the PS2. And really, it's a rather good emulation. I have no idea what it was specifically that held back its release on Midway Arcade Treasures, but it is nice that Midway cared enough to get it right.
The disc also contains some nice video footage. Not only is there twenty-five video character bios, but there's also an interesting documentary on the entire Mortal Kombat series leading up to Deception. If you're a fan of the franchise, or just a video game history buff, then in many ways this documentary will mean more to you than the entirety of the first disc altogether.
[img width=300 height=400]http://i.imgur.com/9AKTol.jpg[/img]
[img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/wsmTOl.jpg[/img] [img width=300 height=200]http://i.imgur.com/AaI3bl.jpg[/img]
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon followed close on the heels of Deception. However it was widely panned as a major low-point for the series. This is major considering the existence of Sub-Zero Mythologies. As far as the fighting goes, it's somewhat similar to Deception, but just not quite right. It's hard to put a finger on, but it's just not as comfortable to play. And then there's the odd omission of Fatalities. Seriously.
Luckily the focus of this blog post is actually more about the extras in these editions. Much like the Premium Pack for Deception, the Premium Edition of Armageddon has a lot to offer. The limited edition packaging this time is a thin, metal casing similar to that of the Premium Edition of Final Fantasy XII. Konquest Mode makes its return from Deception, as does online play and even an addition of a Kreate-A-Fighter feature. Of course the value of all of this will rely heavily on how much you enjoy the game proper.
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The first bonus game on the first disc is Motor Kombat, a ridiculous Mario Kart clone. The game actually doesn't play too bad. And it offers up some nice graphics to be fair. But strangely, like Chess Kombat and Puzzle Kombat before it, Motor Kombat just feels slightly off and boring. The intentions are obviously good, and the effort is evident. But something is just not right, and instead of getting into each race you tend to loop around each track wondering when the game will finally give the sweet relief of ending.
Though the extras on Armageddon are far less in number than on Deception, the remaining ones on this set actually far outweigh the main game. Perhaps the biggest draw being the other bonus game on disc one: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. In truth, this game will probably give you far more enjoyment than Armaggedon. The roster is huge. The sprite work is great. It plays excellently -- oh, and this is the only way to obtain it on the PS2.
The bonus disc is somewhat anemic, however. It's actually a DVD rather than a PS2 DVD-ROM. And though it offers three bonus features, two of them are in regards to character "trading kards." The far more interesting inclusion is that of a documentary on the history of fatalities in the series. Here you get to hear many of the games' creators discuss the origins and making-of many of the franchise's favorite finishing movies. Babalities, Animalities, and so on -- they're all addressed. To a certain degree, this is my favorite part of this entire set.
Well, that was slightly exhaustive and yet I'm sure I've only scratched the surface. So what do you all think about these games, these editions, the series as a whole or the value of bonus discs? Remember: discussion is like exercise for our brains!
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Posted on May 3rd 2011 at 04:06:17 AM by ( KBirdy86) Posted under finds |
The wife went to a few sales last week. Picked up couple carts.
Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt
Super Mario Bros 2
TMNT
all in really good shape for a buck!
I snagged and original X-Box system CIB and 19 games inc Dead Or Alive 3, Crimson Skys and Spiderman and a few other RPG's and sports games for 70.00
I have been having a blast playing Tiger Woods PGA Golf Tour 2005.
[img width=420 height=588]http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/bestselling-games-2006/3434-1.jpg[/img]
The history of licensed games has not been good. That is a generous way of saying it. Very few games based off movies or TV shows have a chance of being acceptable. I must admit that this game I will be reviewing is not a great licensed game like Goldeneye or Scott Pilgrim Versus the World, but I will say that it is certainly a good game, and it is worth your time. Also, it is a game you would never expect to be good, and exploring the nooks and crannies of the Gamecube library to find the diamonds in the rough is what this blog is all about. Well, it isn't so much of a diamond as... let's say a jade, shall we? Okay, enough with the metaphors; let's examine why KND is worth your time.
Gameplay
I have always maintained that for a game to be good, first and foremost, it MUST have solid gameplay. Very few remembered and respected games ever released have had universally-recognized poor gameplay. In fact, if done right, a game can be carried almost entirely by solid gameplay. Indie games have proven this time and time again. While this is not entirely the case for KND (it has a few other redeeming features worth noting), its solid play mechanics and tight controls are certainly the best part of the game. Throughout the game, you play as 5 characters, each with different abilities specific to them, and while none of them are particularly unexpected or new, they add a good level of depth to the game through skill-specific puzzles. The game as a whole is just very well-constructed and has a inexplicable addictive element to it, and is a case study in excellent execution of game mechanics over everything else. Most of the game switches between four genres through the aforementioned 5 characters: Third-Person Shooter, 3D Beat-Em'-Up, 3D Platformer, and the most interesting of the four, 2D SHMUP. The 3rd-Person Shooter is rather generic, but the levels are generally fun and challenging to even things out. The Beat-Em'-Up stages contain the most puzzles, and have enough variety in them to keep things fresh. The 3D Platformer stages are probably the least interesting, but put a large emphasis on exploration. This changes things up and makes you re-think your strategy about how you approach a level, but for some reason, these levels feel half-baked. The final level type is perhaps the best of them all. The 2D SHMUP stages are well-designed and present a good challenge and utilize a bullet-absorbation system similar to games like Ikaruga in which you use a shield to absorb enemy fire and release it later for a super attack. These levels are always the most rewarding and fun to play, and actually measure up quite favorably to other SHMUPs on its own. Finally, the final boss battle comes out of nowhere, and is a 3D giant robot battle on the surface of the moon. It's as fun as it sounds. The game actually plays more like an N64 platformer, if that makes sense. It has that "early 3D experimental" vibe to it that makes it feel rather charming.
I do have some criticisms about the game, though. As I said, the game certainly doesn't do anything new, but instead just does what has already been done very well. Also, many of the levels tend to drag on, and generally last about half an hour. In some levels, this means unnecessary waves of extra enemies that serve only to fill out the level. Also, two of the characters you play as have essentially the same type of genre, and could have stood for one more type of level to make things even more interesting. Other than that, I have little complaints with the gameplay.
Gameplay: 8.5/10
[img width=640 height=461]http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/662/662056/codename-kids-next-door-operation-videogame-20051031044150160_640w.jpg[/img]
Story
In the game, you play as 5 operatives in the worldwide military organization known as the Kids Next Door, who fight against various villains who symbolize the tribulations of childhood. For example, one villain, Stickybeard, is a pirate who "sails the seven suburbs" stealing candy from kid's houses. Another is Knightbrace, an evil dentist who controls an army of hypnotized retainer-wearing kids to do his bidding. You certainly can't fault the game for a lack of imagination in story, despite just being based on the TV show. When the game starts, you learn that all the villains have escaped from the KND's high-security moon prison, and you have to go recapture them all. Sure, it's a rather simplistic and silly story, but it suits the gameplay and the show it is based on quite well. As for the dialogue, most of the lines feel rehearsed and cheesy. There are a few good lines, and even two Star Wars references at the end of the game [I swear that I heard someone repeat "It's a trap!" in context during one of the last SHMUP levels set in space!], but for the most part, don't expect much out of the character's lines. Many of the villains are actually somewhat clever in their portrayal of things that kids hate. I named a few before, and even though they are from the show, and not made specifically for the game, they prove to be amusing and comical.
Story: 6.5/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/662/662056/codename-kids-next-door-operation-videogame-20051031044157909_640w.jpg[/img]
Sound
The soundtrack in KND is nothing special at all. It sounds like stock tunes slightly remixed and repurposed for the game, and are few ear-catching tracks; the ones that you do notice are ones done in an intentionally gaudy, 60's spy movie style that actually feel pretty appropriate. Other than those odd few tracks, the soundtrack is uninspired and bland. Th sound effects are only a little better. Just like those few good songs, the sound effects are silly and overdone, but given the nature of the game, they fit very well. Try to think of it like the sound effects in an old Batman of Hanna-Barbera cartoon. I like to think that the developers did this on purpose, but I don't think I would go that far. Overall, don't expect any ear candy from Codename: Kids Next Door. One last thing; I wasn't able to find any of the music for this game uploaded anywhere, and I'm too lazy to rip the audio myself, so I was unable to put in a sample for you in this review. I hope that's alright; here's just another screenshot. Sorry.
Sound: 5/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://cdn3.spong.com/screen-shot/c/o/codenameki184468l/_-Codename-Kids-Next-Door-Operation-V-I-D-E-O-G-A-M-E-GameCube-_.jpg[/img]
Graphics
Another bland part of the game. The whole presentation is about what you would expect from a licensed game. The game runs in 480i in 4:3, the standard for Gamecube resolution. The character models are simple, but fluidly-animated. Everything looks smooth and cartoony, but that still is not excuse for a lack of detail. The framerate seems to dip when there is a lot of action on screen, which is pretty disappointing, considering the capabilities of the system. However, the game was also released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, and assume that it was mainly programed for the lower-end PS2, and the GC and Xbox versions are ports. A little platform optimization never hurt anyone. Nothing really stands out about KND's graphics. There were only a few real "wow" moments, and they were all on the last few levels of the game. While they were really neat, it was because it was in contrast to the rest of the game. The graphics are certainly not bad, but they're not good. They're passable, which, as I said, is about what you would expect from a licensed game. No more, no less.
Graphics: 5/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/662/662056/codename-kids-next-door-operation-videogame-20051031044152300_640w.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
Hey, some good news! Codename: Kids Next Door has a ton of secrets and extras available in the game. In each level, you can collect things called Rainbow Monkeys (the game's equivalent of Mario's coins or Sonic's rings) which unlock various things once you collect enough of them. You can unlock concept art, training arenas, weapon upgrades, character costumes, and even the ability to play through certain stages as the villains and their minions! A game like this reminds me of early 3D platformers that had no end of secrets and extras; another reason why I believe this game plays a lot like an N64 platformer. There is a mountain of unlockables, and some do not come from collecting Rainbow Monkeys, and instead force you to scour each level to find them. Unlocking these can unlock entirely different modes, like boss rush, etc. While I don't think the unlockables are incentive enough to replay the entire game, they do entail some level of replay value, and certainly gives you a rewarding feeling to unlock them. As for the value, I found my copy of the game for $3. I don't believe any game is bad enough that it is not worth $3. Gamestop is currently selling it for $6, but I would wait it out for a better deal, if I were you. Six dollars is still a pretty good deal, but I did better, and you can, too.
Extras/Value: 9/10
[img width=550 height=686]http://images.wikia.com/knd/images/d/d9/B51a17.jpg[/img]
Overall
If you go into this game expecting greatness, you will be sorely disappointed. There is no reason to think that this game is a tragically-underrated beacon of quality. What you will find, though, is a perfectly good game that will entertain you for several hours, and keep you hooked until the end through steady pacing and fun level design. There are just times when a game is just supposed to be fun, and this really is one of those times. If you can spare some pocket change and a few hours of your life, then I doubt you will be disappointed with Codename: Kids Next Door. It has a charming personality and plays on and with the tropes of platformers in a very good way. KND is a game that you would probably have never have even considered picking up, which is why I reviewed it in the first place. What I am trying to say is, if you play KND, you will easily get your time and money's worth, and it will probably put a smile on your face, too.
Overall: 7/10
This is Lisalover1, making high-level artillery out of soup cans and 2x4's.
***We interrupt the normal Transitions Blog to bring you this shameless collection boasting thread***
I shot some shoddy video of my collection with my iPhone and thought I'd share them with the readers here at RFGen. I also took a ton of pictures to post to a thread in the collection section of the racketboy.com forums and have included a few of them below to give you a taste. Follow this link to see the rest, since you probably can't make out a ton of titles from the video alone.
Anyway, I have tried to make this something of an annual practice to document everything, so expect another one of these in a year or so. I know there are plenty of folks here with much bigger collections than mine, but I am pretty happy with the size and scope of my own collection currently. Enjoy the video and photos and feel free to ask any questions!
VIDEO: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 PICTURES (many many more here).[img width=564 height=640]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/lb1-1.jpg[/img] [img width=640 height=480]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/32xall.jpg[/img] [img width=484 height=640]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/sg.jpg[/img] [img width=640 height=463]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/ps17-1.jpg[/img] [img width=639 height=252]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/sticks1.jpg[/img] [img width=640 height=584]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/ps21-1.jpg[/img] [img width=639 height=387]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/o2system.jpg[/img] [img width=640 height=581]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/cgse.jpg[/img] [img width=638 height=283]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/duo1.jpg[/img] [img width=639 height=626]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/COLLECTION/pca.jpg[/img] [img width=630 height=372]http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq17/dsheinem/8ee4131e.jpg[/img] ***We now return you to your regularly scheduled coverage of Launch Games and End Games***
So I have had a very interesting year so far. My wife was pregnant and ended up getting and HELLP Syndrome http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HELLP_syndrome and had to have a C section at 26 weeks, that was January 2nd of this year. My baby, Lilith, has been in the hospital since birth, she was 1lb 10 oz at birth, she had problems breathing so she now has a trach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracheotomy and now she is having problem eating because she was on a vent for 3months and just got a G tube for feeding. So you may be asking what does this have to do with gaming, well to de-stress I just go and play a game my wife fells that its escaping from whats going on. I don't know what to do, Lilith is coming home on the 5th of May, she is our first child. I want to do whats best for her but also still need time for myself. How do you other gamers/ Parents deal with everything and if anyone has experience with special need babies any and all input would be awesome.
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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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