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I have a confession to make.
No, I don't just make up games to put in my collection, 'The Earth Dies Screaming' is a real Atari 2600 game.
No, I'm not a figure skater in real life.
No, I don't buy every copy of Halo Wars and destroy them in a
fruitless attempt to make the price of mine skyrocket.
No, I haven't forsaken my DS and PSP for a N-Gage. But you're getting warmer...
I have, sitting on my shelf, Mass Effect 2, Bio Shock 2, AVP, Darksiders, and Dante's Inferno. I've put a few hours into each, and very much enjoyed my time. But they've all sat on the shelf collecting dust for two or more weeks, despite my excitement to play each title.
Why?
I can't believe I'm typing this, but-
My name is Jesse Miles, and I'm an iPhone Game Addict.
This coming from the guy who, until a few weeks ago, never played a cell phone game more complicated than 'Snake' on a tiny keypad seven years ago.
It started innocently enough, with my wife wanting an iPhone. Now this awesome chick never asks for much of anything for herself, especially techno-oriented. So, when she researched the iPhone and genuinely wanted one but thought it too expensive for her, it made the perfect birthday present. And since it was contractually cheaper for me to replace my own worn out brick of a phone, I got one too.
A month later and she can safely pilot the Space Shuttle through orbit with hers, and I was delighted to find that mine has a calender. (disclosure- I'm not tech-illiterate, I just don't care. It's a phone. I call people. I don't need to command an army of NES R.O.B.s with the thing. Although there's probably an app for that.)
So, I'm researching game sites as per the norm, and I read a review for N.O.V.A.
-FPS for touch controls? No thanks.
-Art design and characters inspired by Halo? Moderately interesting.
-Mix in Dead Space inspired enemies and level design? Um, really?
-Full on multiplayer including Wi-Fi and local? *sits up*
-Generally solid framerate and southpaw control option? Yeah, but it's just a game on a phone...
-Decent campaign length and only $7? *runs out to buy an iTunes card*
It's good. Not just for an iPhone game, it's just good. Sure it's derivative of previous franchises, but it's fun. I liked it better than Moon, Dementium, and even many console FPSs. And the virtual dual analogs work worlds better than I ever assumed they could.
Suddenly I realized, for the first time, the potential of the market. I ALWAYS have my phone on me. I try to keep my DS or PSP along, but I'm always paranoid of breaking them or loosing something, or forgetting Metroid Prime Pinball when I NEED TO PLAY METROID PINBALL. Yes, that's happened. But it's a mute point if this was a one-in-a-million game.
Then I got Plants Vs. Zombies and played. All night. Over and over. You don't understand- I could have slept some of those nights when my 6 week old finally conked out, but I needed to play another round. My entire family could suffer from this game, but it's alright, I got my wife to play it too. If you see our family disappearance on Unsolved Mysteries, you, my friend, know the real truth.
Now I just got Transformers G1 Awakening. Imagine Advance Wars, except replace the characters and plot with the characters and story from the first two seasons of the original Transformers, where the plot is replicated through the mission structure. With great graphics. And a 2 player option. The best Transformers game ever, on a PHONE?!?!
Last night I had a few hours to play, and I was excited to finally get to Bioshock or AVP multiplayer. But I had to see what plant I would get next in PVZ. And it hit me- I was hooked so much my iPhone games were competing with my consoles. I couldn't believe it.
But apparently Shamu jumped out out the water and ate a trainer, so the world's a little topsy-turvy right now.
P.S.
My condolences to the trainer's family, I know she wasn't eaten, it wasn't the actual Shamu, and it is rather sad. But you got to admit that headline made you're eyebrows furrow and wonder if it's thursday because nobody gets the hang of thursdays.
This is how it all began into a downward spiral into the VG collecting scene. This is how I acquired my first Genesis.
"Soo. Here goes nothing"
It was about Mid March of 09. The weather in NC is amazing this time of year. Me staring at my computer with nothing to do. I hear a knock at my room door. My mother asks if I wanted to help her with some errands. With no car and no job to boot. I say what the hell, I need to get out of the house sometime today.
With that in mind I get ready. At the door my father says now hes going and also needs to get out of the house as well.
So we go on about our weekly trip to wall-mart and some place to eat.
After which my mother then admits there is one more place to check out. That being Goodwill.
Personal note:
While I was living back in MD. A couple of my friends would get lucky on there finds @ goodwill every once in a blue moon. Though me being me. I take that with a grain of salt. This trip on the other hand to goodwill would change how I shop @ goodwill forever.
When we arrive at good will. I ask my 5 year old little brother if he wants to go to the toy section.
You already know the answer 5 years old + toys = YES!
This is not to hinder my mother and father while they find him play clothes and other things.
So we go back to the toys/electronics section.(thank god there a rack apart) With the little one in eye sight. I glance over the used junk. I was kinda looking for an old system of sorts or anything video game/computer related. I felt like they had nothing to offer and moved on.
I noticed the used audio section. Looking at the old portable CD players(walkmans). I was thinking to myself about how big they were in the 90s. I push a couple to the side and ruffle through until my hand slips inside the back on one. I'm thinking to myself "wtf! a handle at first". Pulling it out from the very far back of the shelf. I noticed the cd lid open. I'm still in the blind nostalgia of how big these old CD players are. That is about when I shut the lid. I took my hand out of what I thought was the handle. (Mind you, I was trying to keep and eye on the little one and look at this thing.This is NOT EASY).. I put the Cd player down to go chew my brother out about touching the glassware and go sick my father on him. When I come back I noticed a sega logo on the back of that CD player. I picked it up in shock and noticed "CDX" on the cd lid. That is about where I did a sort of victory dance in some respects...
With that in hand. It dawns on me that this possibly takes a different type of power brick then the standard Genesis. I look frantically for it but its nowhere in sight. Then I remember seeing a tub of AC adapters on the other side of the shelf. This tub was just about every wire they had in the store, unwrapped in a Rubbermaid tub. It was a unorganized cluster-f**K and would make any grown man with OCD, cry deeply. I seriously spent like a extra 10 mins undoing each Brick and checking to see if any of them said, that iconic SEGA logo. I grew wary and hunted down my mom to see if I could get just the CDX. Rushing down the isle I run into my mom. I ask "Can you get this for me?" without even breaking a sweat. She then asks "what is it?". That is about when I explain its a "rare Sega genesis". My dad then pops around the isle and says "Sega! another Dreamcast" in a disappointing tone. (Just to note: my dads outlook on Sega was with the failure of the Dreamcast.)
He turns back around and says "If you want it, get it".
With my victory securer then the social security of the US. I let them know I'm going back to look for the power brick. My dad says "hurry it up". I nod and rush back. Looking in more of the terminator style of motion. This time I was on a seek and find mission. I knew it was here if the system is. I then move my attention over to the antique section. Something I missed before just because you never know. Then in the corner of my eye, top self black ac power brick with a White SEGA logo. Not the standard genesis power brick that I'm use too. I read more on the brick just to make sure.
"Class 2 Power Supply For
Use with Genesis CDX"
That is when I exhaled a F**k yeah! and rushed back to check out.
With the sound of the register I ask what's the damage on the of the CDX.
Total=$12.50(US)
You know when you were younger and got something you couldn't wait to get home to play or tinker with.
Well that was me. In the car ride back home.
I lit up a cigarette in the back seat, thinking I hope this works.
As soon as I walked in the door. I got my stuff and scurried to my man cave(aka room). I plugged it in knowing it didn't have any controllers or AV cords. I figured I could check and see if it played CDs OK. I jacked in my klipsch speakers and powered on the unit. To my delight I herd the Sega CD boot music. So I figured it should be ok. There is a Sonata Arctica cd on my media shelf. I grab it and play the disk. The music comes rocking out.
This right here is about where that announcer from Mortal Kombat would have been perfect for that
"Flawless Victory!"
About 2 months later I move back to Baltimore,MD.(I'm working, on my own, and in the process of getting a car now!)
Sadly though I couldn't show my little brother the wonders of the genesis before I moved back.
That doesn't mean I can't on the trip back up there in May for his B-day(he turns 7 then).
Thanks for reading.
-Darren
A part of what makes collecting videeo games so much fun is that getting a package in the mail is exciting. It's always been this way for me. And it goes back to those elementary school days when I would receive my monthly issue of Nintendo Power. Each magazine would be filled with rumors, reviews, tricks & tips about all the latest Nintendo games. And of course there would be feature-length walk-throughs, with screens cut and paste (literally! cut and paste!) of entire levels. Back before the days of the internet and it's endless FAQ's, all we had was Nintendo Power and our friends on the playground.
Two years after the release of the Game Boy, the editors of Nintendo Power released a book that served as an inventory of every Game Boy game released up until that point along with some collected walkthroughs.
[img width=500 height=500]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61KTJNY7DKL._SS500_.jpg[/img]
Game Boy: Nintendo Player's Guide (1991, 176 pages) is a must-own piece of history for any Game Boy enthusiest. Although I generally tend to stay away from FAQ's, I feel like the walk-throughs contained in these pages are fair game. There's something extremely fun about an old-school paper walk-through straight from the nerdy writers at NP. The back of the book contains cover art and brief reviews of over 130 Game Boy games, which makes for a truly great pick-up-and-thumb-through coffee table (or bathroom) book.
The games that receive In-Depth (generally 6-8 pages) reviews and walk-throughs are:
Batman
Castlevania: The Adventure
Cosmo Tank
Days Of Thunder
Dr. Mario
Double Dragon
Duck Tales
F-1 Race
Final Fantasy: Legend
Fortified Zone
Gargoyle's Quest
Golf
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Kwirk
The Hunt For Red October
Nemesis
Operation C
Quarth
Revenge Of The Gator
R-Type
Solarstriker
Solomon's Club
Super Mario Land
Super RC Pro-Am
Sword Of Hope
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall Of The Foot Clan
Tetris
Ultima: Runes Of Virtue
[img width=500 height=500]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ASSTENR6L._SS500_.jpg[/img]
Three years later, a companion book was released entiteld simply Super Game Boy (1994, 72 pages) which is a little less necessary, but certainly interesting. It mainly focues on the concept of the various color palettes that were made available through use of the SNES Super Game Boy adapter. However it also contains some extended analysis (usually 4-6 pages) for some games that were released after the first book, and especially ones that contained enhanced features for use with the Super Game Boy.
Games outlined:
Alleyway
Donkey Kong
Dr. Mario
Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby's Pinball Land
The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Metriod II: Return Of Samus
Super Mario Land
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land
Tennis
Tetris
World Cup
Yoshi
Okay book club, let's read and discuss!
[img width=456 height=650]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/gunstarbox.jpg[/img]
I hope you're as excited as I am for March. We are going to tackle the most stylized game we've chosen yet!!
Continue reading Off The Shelf: Gunstar Heroes
As a VG collector newbie.
I've begun to start a pretty impressive collection in six months.
Mostly of what I'm collecting for is the Genesis/Mega Drive. Its a system that has the most nostalgia to me. I feel like I missed out on a lot of really great games in my younger days.
So With about 50 Genesis games in my collection(as of typing).
I noticed I have a long,
long,
long way to go..
So I will hunt @ flea-markets.
Look in every nook and cranny @ Goodwill.
Raid someones yard-sale.
Play operation sting on Craigs list and ebay.
Dumpster dive if I have to..
Until I have just about every US release for the Genesis.
(But that doesn't mean I will pass up other games on other systems.)
Now what set me off on this whole collecting deal on the Genesis.
Well that's a "epic find story" for another blog entry.
"AND always Thanks for reading"
-Darren
The Diversity of Gamer Breeds | 
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The level of enjoyment of any multi-player gaming experience is heavily dependant upon your fellow gamers. Whether it be teaming with a bud in a co-op couch game of Contra or joining an online bout with hundreds of unnamed souls in Worlds of Warcraft, it still boils down to the same - are the people you are interacting with cool? This was never so evident to me after the massacre I stomached during my recent online gaming experience (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2). Gamers come in all shapes and sizes as well as dispositions. This mirrors the varied communal landscapes that we respectively reside within. The diversity of the players truly make the gaming experience, but let's face it - they are those that we would be A-OK to never see or hear from again. The following pokes a little fun at the each of these types by describing the pros/cons of playing with them.
| | The BFF-Wannabee
a.k.a. Overly Friendly Dude | The Gaming Posse / Clan
a.k.a. Brothers Fo' Eva' |  |  | | Pros | o Pretty affable and easy to get along with
o They are always encouraging even if you suck | Pros | o Their good teamwork can really rock the score
o Sometimes their bantering can be humorous | | Cons | o Tend to get on your nerves rather quickly
o Talks way too much during a gaming session | Cons | o Can have a self-driven, elitist mentality
o Slow to make a decision - no alpha wolf present | | The Overly Charged
a.k.a. The Cry Baby | The Night of the Living Dead
a.k.a. Catatonics 'R Us |  |  | | Pros | o They'll definitely keep the team objective focused
o No question as to what they are thinking/feeling | Pros | o Good team players and receives direction well
o Doesn't clutter the airwaves with useless musings | | Cons | o Easy to throw off their game with a little goading
o Constant whining is akin to that of a 9 year old | Cons | o Hard to tell if they are even alive and breathing
o They are about as much fun as a 24-hour Dentist | | The Serious Joe
a.k.a. Too Smart For My Own Good | The Big Easy
a.k.a. Laisser-faire United |  |  | | Pros | o These achievement whores will carry your team
o Will take 'point' on difficult tasks/objectives | Pros | o Goes with the flow - never makes waves
o Open for any variation of the game, at any time | | Cons | o I Am An Island (they don't really care about you)
o Most are basically egocentrically a-holes | Cons | o Sloooow player... this isn't chess holmes!
o Easily loses focus while admiring game scenery | | The Flirt
a.k.a. Anonymity Rocks!! | The Drunk & Stoned
a.k.a. Pass The Cheetos Dude! |  |  | | Pros | o Always nice hearing a sexy sounding female voice
o Gets imagination thinking it might be Jessica Alba | Pros | o This guy is a riot to play with when not puking
o Easy to send in as the sacrificial guinea pig | | Cons | o Unnecessarily distracts your hard-up teammates
o Jessica Alba is NEVER on the other end of the mic | Cons | o Leaves the game every 5 minutes for munchies
o Asks many questions; forgets own name allot | | The Unfocused Multi-Tasker
a.k.a. ADD Sufferers | The Hater
a.k.a. Mad At The World Guy |  |  | | Pros | o Juggles multiple team assignments well
o Pretty OK when changing games | Pros | o Fun to rile them up - easy target for verbal abuse
o Hmmm... I honestly can't think of anything else | | Cons | o Usually never knows what the heck is going on
o Spends time dicking around instead of playing | Cons | o Always making excuses and blaming others
o Basically they are a pain in the ass | | The Legend
a.k.a. The Old Fart | The Child Prodigy
a.k.a. The Most Hated of All Gamer Types |  |  | | Pros | None, unless you are are looking for...
o ...a history lesson on games like PONG
o ...a true Alpha Wolf to make decisions (j/k pups) | Pros | None, unless they are your kid and can have them...
o ...fetch your favorite beverage during a session
o ...set you up for life by winning game tourneys | | Cons | o Leaves game every 5 minutes for the bathroom
o They ARE the 24-Hour dentist
o Basically sum of Cons above, just a bit different | Cons | o They don't even have to try to beat you
o You will never be as good as they are at age 10
o Trash talk, show-boating, etc. Need I go on??? | |
What Other Gaming Types Did I Miss??
Which One(s) Would You Consider Yourself?
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Obviously this writing plays upon some common stereotypes and associated personality quirks. We all have our unique peccadilloes and probably can honestly pick a few of the Pros / Cons from the various types depicted above. Special thanks to the anonymous pictured in the above public domain pictures featured in this article for allowing us to have a little fun.
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Unless we were independently wealthy, had a successful bank robbing career, or googled 'time machine' in the future so we could learn how to build a time machine so we could go back in time and buy stock in 'Google', most of us gamers in the nineties probably only dreamed of owning a Neo Geo.
Of course, in the nineties I was also dreaming of swimming in two hundred and fifty dollars worth of pudding in the kids swimming pool at Slacker House, but that's another story. And that didn't actually happen until near the end of the nineties anyway.
Activities that make your hair smell terrible aside, I always assumed a Neo Geo was going to be out of my league. Even if I somehow did sell my sister and got the console itself, each game was going to cost more than the Super Nintendo I traded twenty NES games to acquire. And some of those Neo Geo games I could beat in twenty minutes in the arcade- not the kind of staying power my then-current F-Zero and Final Fantasy II (IV) could provide.
While visions of Magician Lord and King of Fighters danced about my bad haircut, I shoved them aloft with the other fanciful "if I get rich" scenarios that accompanied my dreams, like owning KITT from Knight Rider or actually selling my sister.
Well, it's been a decade and a half since then, and things have changed. I didn't get rich, I realized I liked owning a Subaru more than a talking Trans Am, and my sister and I are pretty good friends who no longer try to sell each-other. But my collection still begged for a Neo Geo, and after a little bit of research and realizing I still didn't want to pay hundreds of dollars for so many games in the library, I down-scaled my interests into the CD version. After a few weeks of searching and trades, I am now the proud owner of one Neo Geo CD!!
I already picked up Double Dragon in anticipation last year, and it came with King of Fighters 94,95,96, Fatal Fury 3, and one controller.
Ahem. ONE controller. For a library of 2D fighters. That's like a hermit buying a copy of Atari's Combat to go along with his copy of Pong. Makes as much sense as buying a Jaguar for RPGs.
I've got another controller on order, and hopefully it will arrive before I snap the first one in half over some of the notoriously cheap AI.
And now I've come to the realization that, as much as I always wanted one of these things, with BlazBlue, Street Fighter IV, and Soul Calibur IV on my shelf, and all of my SNK fighter friends moved away, I need a reason to play this thing. I don't even get achievements for tackling Geese Howard or exclusively using Mai. It still belongs here in the collection, but I gotta find some shooters or Final Fight clones fast, or its just going to go back into a box until I build my Gamer Dungeon 2.0, and that's just kinda sad.
I'll hit up the forums and see what people have for sale. Any suggestions?
p.s.
If you do manage, somehow, to get that much pudding in your hair, find a public pool that'll let you in. The chlorine strips out the smell, and then you can take a normal shower to not feel as sticky.
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* """""""""".......
""""""""The More You Know.............
[img width=296 height=298]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/3/585623_38530_front.jpg[/img]
The title Battletoads is synonymous with pure infuriatingly cheap anger-inspiring difficulty. The original NES game is generally considered one of the hardest games to be released on the system. Maybe ever.
In January, the forum over at http://www.racketboy.com decided to play the NES cult-classic as part of the monthly Together Retro game club. Obviously I took this as an excuse to massachistically expose myself to the Game Boy version.
As it turns out, the NES version was eventually ported to the Game Boy under the title Battletoads In Ragnarok's World and eventually even spawned a crossover sequel called Battletoads & Double Dragon. However I tackled the self-titled Game Boy cart, which turned out to be a completely original game that was very obviously inspired by the varied levels -- and of course difficulty of the NES game. Here's how I did:
The first level is a rather straight forward 2.5D beat-em-up stage. It's been an extremely long time since I've played the NES game, but I'm pretty sure this level is very similar to one from the original game. Nothing too difficult really. Level boss is a big cow.
The second level is already proof of the effort that went into making this little black & white cart into a game as compelling and varied as the original. It's a shmup stage! There are checkpoints that help keep you going, but it gets really hard, really fast. There's a part where you need to keep squeezing very tightly into a small hole in a series of walls. And it goes fast! But if you memorize the layout of the wall holes, then you should be able to pull it off after a few play-throughs. The end boss is a mouse-robot-spaceship, which is maybe the most awesome Darius ribbing ever.
Next up is the ice stage, another platformer. This is actually a bit of breather after the high-speed shmup level. If you're any good at platforming, then you should have no problem with this one. I got through it no problem.
The fourth stage is where things start to get out of control. The jet ski level. This stage is actually a lot harder than the shmup stage was. It took me a while to get the hang of the jet ski -- which also goes really fast. But eventually I pulled it off. The level boss is super easy.
Fifth stage is where I really start dropping the F-bomb. This stage sucks. Big time. You gotta run through this ant-farm style maze level while this big testicle/brain thing chases you like in Temple Of Doom. It's awful. If it touches you once, you die. And the level is not that short. No checkpoint. Just start over from the beginning of the level. I actually only beat this level once.
Sixth level is a lot like its NES counterpart. I can't go into much detail, because I died before the endboss, and I've only made it up to here once. Apparently there are three more levels after this one. And there's a good chance I'll never see them, as the thought of firing this game up for any more punishment just seems rather out of the realm of possibility for me any time soon. But really, I could never see myself getting rid of this game from my collection after puting such effort into. Sure it's demanding and brutal, but it's also extremely rewarding when you finally beat each level. Who knows, maybe I'll try again next year? Or the year after that...
At any rate if you happen upon this little grey cart, pick it up! It's a very complex game packed into a small monochrome package.
First week in this newbies collection, and I'd say it was a pretty good one. Actually sold some of my other non-video gaming related collectibles (my awesome guitar), but I think it was well worth it. First, a brief background on me and why I wanted to start collecting video gaming memorabilia. I was brought up on gaming. I've had just about every Nintendo system there was since the NES except a Virtual Boy (though I might get one from a friend). I was practically born with a controller in my hands. I had a dream about a week ago. What was it about? You guessed it, I was a video game collector. I don't know why I had it, most likely the fact that I went on a retro gaming spree playing some games on my PC with emulators, but that's besides the point. All the sudden, an emulator wasn't enough, I wanted the real thing, I wanted an original square shaped NES controller in my hands as I played Super Mario Bros. I wanted to own the physical essence of the game, not just the digital form. I started collecting. My goals are simple, nab any thing game related I possibly can, and try to complete as many game catalogs as possible, with priority on the Nintendo 64, then other Nintendo consoles, then all else. Now a week later, let's look at how far I've come.
New Additions -
Bought an NES bundle that came with 3 games: Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt, The Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll, and 10 Yard Fight. Soon after, I came across the gold cartridge versions of Zelda 1 and 2, sweet. I also obtained A link to the Past in that deal, though I don't have an SNES, yet. The very next day (or it could have been the same, either way) I obtained a Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Party 1. I later scoured eBay and came across Zelda: Ocarina of Time limited edition gold cartridge. I bought it. That should be arriving sometime in this next week, needless to say, I can't wait!
So that was my week one, not bad for a newbie, right? I'll try to keep this blog semi-weekly, depends on when I get new stuff. If I don't post anything, I didn't get anything new. Until next time, bye.
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HEY EVERYONE THAT'S IN THE OMAHA AREA!!! We are having a gaming tournament this Saturday from 3pm to 7pm at CD TRADEPOST on 180th and West Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
The game we are playing is SUPER DOUBLE DRAGON on the Super Nintendo!!!
The player with the most points at the end of the day will win a GRAND PRIZE of a FREE MOVIE OR GAME of their Choice!!
You can call (402)-614-4656 or come in and sign up!! For anyone who participates that day will receive a 15% discount on anything they purchase!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!
SO STOP ON IN AND PLAY TO WIN AT CD TRADEPOST!!!
ADDRESS:
18204 Wright Street
Omaha, NE 68130
PH#: 402-614-4656
TIME: 3PM to 7PM
I've been toying with the idea of this blog for a while now, so I've decided to finally give it a go. Basically, I'd like to try to shed some light on some overlooked, forgotten, awesome, or weird games from the gigantic library of my favorite console -- the Nintendo Game Boy Player.
[img width=200 height=284]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/E-076/bf/E-076-S-00780-A.jpg&sizex=200[/img]
Yes, you read that correctly. The Game Boy Player is my favorite console of all time. Though I grew up with the NES and SNES (among others), I've realized that I've had some sort of Game Boy system for nearly 20 years. Therefore, almost every major game franchise that has been released in the time has been ported to a Game Boy sytem of some sort. Mario, Donkey Kong, Link and Mega Man are well accounted for, but it's not just Nintendo. When you combine the libraries of Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance (not to mention the Gamecube itself) there's a staggering amount of games to discover. There's Sonic and Bonk and Master Higgins and a ton of other amazing little ports and sequels and oddball releases out there to investigate. And what better way to do so than with this:
[img width=200 height=288]http://www.rfgeneration.com/PHP/watermark.php?ID=U-076-H-00200-A;type=bf;sizex=200[/img]
I love the Game Boy Player... it's so bad.
Well, it was all just a matter of time, I suppose. One of our LAN 360s finally red-ringed for the umpteenth time, and after being in the shop three times already, I'm giving up on it.
We were a few waves into a night of ODST Firefight, and suddenly a huge fireball blew up from our 3rd LAN setup and incinerated Walter and three bystanders. Firefighters worked fourteen hours to contain the emerging Balrog but were also consumed in the end and now the flame elemental is destroying Pittsburg.
Actually it just locked up, but with 360s notoriously kicking over your grandmother and stealing your ice cream when you start to trust them again, I thought I'd imagine it a bit more dramatic.
So now I have to decide if it's worth looking to pick up another box, since Friday Night Firefights and other weekend LAN gaming are a house staple, or be fiscally responsible and just ask friends to bring their own extra time bombs.
Since I often buy more than one LAN-able copy of games for multiplayer, I'll probably just stick it out for now and stay with two machines. Any other suggestions?
By the way, if you live in the northeastern part of the U.S., there's a knock at your door and you smell something that is not entirely unlike smoky plastic, stay on the couch and glare knowingly at your own 360.
*also, for all of the Sony Fanboys that'll type '360 sux by a PS3', I'll have you know I had to buy another one of those already because of a faulty Blu-Ray drive that was out of warranty. This current HD generation has not impressed me in terms of reliability.
Top five reasons I'm starting a new blog on one of my favorite web sites:
5.) My 6 week old has kept me awake long enough to watch figure skating when I could be playing new copies of Mass Effect 2, BioShock 2, and AVP.
4.) I said FIGURE SKATING.
3.) I'm a glutton for starting something I'll get too busy and forget about. *Stares mournfully at walls of RPG games*
2.) Promised myself a treat when I got up to the biggest collection on RFGeneration, and I'm all out of Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream Ice Cream.
1.) Someone might actually read this and then I'll be accountable for whatever my mind spews out after sleep depravation, my wife will get on and notice, she'll critique my spelling and bad grammar, we'll argue and then make up and feel even closer together after I confess to her how much I really spend on video games this month.
Wait, why am I typing when I could be playing?...Oh yeah, sleep depriZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz
*snore*
The Online Gaming Leveler
The Answer To Being Competitive in Today's Virtual World
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My little brother (age 35) has been pestering me for months to get with the times and pick up a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. I was extremely hesitant - getting beat on like a piñata by a group of 'any' year olds is not my idea of a fun time. He promised that I could ease into it with the help of his online posse (team CoDa). I reluctantly agreed and picked up a copy this past weekend. 
Once logging in and becoming acquainted with my new 'squad', I have to admit that I was feeling rather stoked! "I love the smell of napalm in the morning... Smells like... victory" kept playing over and over in my head. With my newly found confidence, I marched proudly alongside my Band of Brothers onto the virtual battlefield. The action was furious, explosions were breathtaking and the adrenaline rush I experienced was one of the best I have had in quite some time. The end result: Marriott_Guy --> 0 Kills, 1 Assist, 19 Deaths |
Of course I knew the upcoming verbal assault I was about to endure would dwarf the shellacking that ‘earned’ me those numbers. They did not disappoint – the comments were fired out at a rate to rival the M240 machine gun. My personal favorite: "Dude, no offense, but are you 'special' or something?". After taking my medicine like a man (much like the round after round of head shots I recently absorbed), I quietly exited the PS3 playground to console myself. I am no match at all for today's gamers.
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Being an older gamer (43), I fully accept and understand that I will not be able to master any of the newer titles due to my limited time resources. However, I would like to think that I could at least be somewhat competitive and not be viewed as 'dead money' every time I enter the virtual arena. There has to be a way to level the playing field for the old guard. I am extremely analytical and attempted to statistically dissect this (a.k.a. my own futility). Here are the results: 
Statistical Sample Size = 1 (me)
As is clearly evident from the above, I just can not keep up with the ever increasing number of Controller Action Buttons (and associated combos). This button escalation mirrors the expansion of the general obligations and responsibilities in my life. The net result of these two corresponding phenomenon equates to less time for gaming for us old farts. I don't know about you, but being the glutton of punishment every time I venture into an online gaming session is not my Cup o' Joe. Fear not grey beards, a solution does exist - the Online Gaming Leveler (OGL). Here is how it works: ( | Total Hours Gaming Per Week |  |
| ) | = | OGL | (Age) X (# of Controller Buttons) |
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The OGL is a percentage that is used as a multiplier against the maximum level for a certain game statistic (i.e. Health Points). Basically, this provides a handicap for the less experienced player (blue hairs and casual gamers). The following table will demonstrate this in action: Sample OGL Demonstration | Game Information | Game Name | Name of your game | Platform \ System | Microsoft Xbox 360 | # of Controller Buttons | 10 | Player Information | Name | Marriott
Guy | Young
Buck | Little
Brother | Da' Old
Man | Age | 43 | 16 | 35 | 62 | Hours Gaming Per Week | 10 | 30 | 15 | 2 | OGL | 2.33% | 18.75% | 4.29% | 0.32% | Leveling the Field - The OGL Modified Statistic | Max Health Points | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | Less OGL | 23 | 188 | 43 | 3 | Net Health Points | 977 | 813 | 957 | 997 |
I arbitrarily chose 1,000 as the being the Maximum Health Points for the example in the table above. I used a variety of ages to compare the control group (me) to show how the OGL formula works. I am sure you will agree that the advantage of having 16.42% more Health Points than the Young Buck would have at least assisted me in being more competitive. On the other hand, I should give a bit to Da' Old Man since he doesn't play that often and he truly is older than dirt.
This same OGL modifier can be applied to a variety of game statistics to further even the playing field: +/- Amount of Gold achieved from victories (Action RPGs) +/- Experience gained per kill (RPGs) +/- Number of bullets in your standard ammo clip (FPS) +/- Rate of speed of incoming objects (all genres) +/- Number of Ships\Lives (Shmups) +/- Time to make a play call (sports)
Here is what the sample game screenshot would look like with OGL being implemented: 
Yes, this article is somewhat of parody and just my way of venting a bit after the trouncing I recently endured. But then again, go ahead and try out the formula - it does work with most scenarios. Click Here for the worksheet for you to play around with. I am a normal guy. I don't kid myself thinking I am the sharpest pair of skates on the ice, but on the other hand I know that I am not a dullard (contrary to the comments made after my CoD MF 2 debacle). I have responsibilities and the like that severely deters the time I can invest in my passion (gaming). If the OGL system were in place, I might have been a playa this past weekend instead of the beaten farm animal. But in all honestly, I think my lady friend hit the nail on the head after she read this article prior to being published. She said that OGL was not really an abbreviation for the Online Gaming Leveler. It was really just my way of coping with middle age - Old Guy Logic. I always knew there was something I didn't like about her.
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Let's have some fun with this (albeit at my expense).
What do my fellow grey beards think of this idea?
What other game statistics would you have modified if the OGL System were in place??
Is this really just Old Guy Logic??
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I wanted to make this blog when the work had been completed but it is taking much longer than expected. As some of you have noticed the PlayStation database has changed somewhat significantly.
A very special thanks is owed to Jason Dvorak (aka dangerboy) over at Game-Rave.com for allowing RFGeneration the use of his information. To help in keeping our(aka your) collection tool the most comprehensive AND accurate on the internet.(If not the most we are quickly closing the gap anyways  )
The bulk of the changes came in the form of variations. Though there have also been quite a few new titles added also.
When this project started we had roughly 1750 titles in the PS database. As of this blog we are just over 1900 entries and should easily eclipse 2000 and possibly even 2100.
In the same vein as the NES and 2600 updates everyone might want to check to make sure that their online collection matches their real world games. There are still some more changes to come. I will post further updates here so that everyone can easily check specific titles.
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