I am the first one to admit that I was wrong about my initial impressions on handheld systems - they are not just jealous little rug rats of their technically superior big brother consoles. They do have their unique appeal and I have found that this attraction was not limited to the specific 'handheld fan-boy' target audience. I have learned that console gamers of all ages typically have a portable system or two in their back pocket and enjoy the gaming experience on the small screen just as much as they do with a title being displayed in Hi-Def on their 56" LCD. The drivers of this cross-over enjoyment tend to focus on three main areas - portability, convenience and unique software releases. I admit that these items were also the primary reasons for me changing my tune regarding these 'mighty-mites' (I finally 'get it'!). But this personal admission/discovery is not the point of this article. Having the best of both worlds is my focus along with my hardware solution.
While hanging out at the Memphis International Airport during a layover, I found myself pondering a very simple question - why had I been so reluctant to test out a handheld system in all my years of gaming? Being a console hardware fanatic, I initially thought the technical limitations of the portable machine would be the primary culprit behind my former 'handheld racism' beliefs. In reality, a much more intimate 'friend' turned out to be the nemesis - my OCD condition, or 'tendencies', as I prefer to phrase it.
I am not the type of player that has 18 games going at one time with a slew of carts/CD cases strewn all over the floor in front of my Toshiba DLP. I am definitely a 'focused' gamer - I like to get very involved with one game and primarily play it in its entirety. This personal fact, coupled with my preference for the superior graphical capabilities that a console system provides, is the crux of my anguish. I spend 95% of my game time with console releases, due to their (usually) heightened content and superior visual/audio output. If I am going to get engaged in a title, I want my time to be invested in the best technology has to offer (for the time/console period). I realize that the fun factor and not the bells and whistles are what make a software title truly successful (no need for that sermon playa's - you would be preaching to the choir). Sure, there are console/TV adaptors that will deliver my handheld output to the big screen, but I want it all - the technologically advanced console experience with the ability to take it on the road (along with my game saves) to continue my adventure. I can't do that with today's Next-Gen systems.
There have been systems that have allowed this in the past, most notably the NEC Turbo Express and the Sega Nomad / MegaJet. These were released after their parents (NEC Turbo Grafx 16 and the Sega Genesis) and were the byproduct of enhanced electronic engineering/development - same software/media format, same system, just squeezed into a smaller box. The problem is that newer technology was arriving on the scene as both of these were released. With all of the strides that the video gaming industry has made in this technical area, why can't they do that today right out of the box when it is released? This is my idea, and the point of this writing. Develop one system that provides the advanced offerings of the console and includes a portable, compatible gaming device to continue your gaming experience on the road or out on your back patio.
Let's take a look at the design/workings of this fictional machine, which I will refer to as the SX2. Now bear with me since I am not a graphic designer at all - the referenced picture I threw together using MS Publisher and is only meant to point out a few features. Also please note that I am not an electrical engineer and do not get into any detail in this arena (though all are plausible). Also, cost is not a factor in this exercise (but will be addressed later). The following picture shows the layout of the front face of the SX2. This would be angled at a slight 10 degree angle to allow gravity to assist with the docking of the Portable Gaming Device (PGD) unit. The face of the PGD would be proudly displayed. The rest of the console in this design is as basic as you can get. The point I want to focus on is the PGD Docking Station.
The Docking Station serves two purposes - to recharge the batteries of the PGD and to interface directly with the main hardware. The PGD would have a pretty big hard drive (say 10 gigs or so) along with built-in Wi-Fi and the standard multimedia capabilities (MP3, etc.). The size would be a little big larger than the Sony PSP. There would be no media input slot for this unit, with the exception of a memory card slot. Everything would be downloaded to the PGD through the Docking Station from the SX2 main system, including software. Here is where it gets tricky.
The standard media format for the SX2 would be the Blu-ray disc (storage capacity of 50 GBs). A software title would in essence have two versions: High-Def (for main system playing) and Low-Res (for use on the PGD). The two systems would have the same core programming architecture/OS so much of the game coding could be utilized in both versions contained on the disc. The big difference in the two editions would obviously be graphical resolution and audio performance. I have a little background in programming as a hobbyist but I am the first to admit almost complete ignorance in this technical area. That being said, some of the following might not be at all possible.
Game development would obviously be focused on the High-Def version for the main system. Once this has been done, the Developer's Conversion Tool (DCT - I made this title up) for the SX2 could then be used to lower the resolution of all, or select, existing graphic files, thus creating them for use in play on the PGD. I guess the best example I can give for this idea is 'crunching' a picture file - it retains the same file association and technical uses but loses some of the originals sharpness, depth, etc. The DCT would be developed and provided by the manufacturer to incent game developers and lower their cost.
Another integral part of the DCT would be the management of disc space allocation - what must be ported to the handheld device to ensure the same gaming experience delivered by its 'big brother'. The file size for downloaded games to the PGD would be a maximum of 2 GBs. This would allow 5 full titles to be stored on its internal hard drive. The DCT would manage this process for the game developers and guide them in making decisions on what might need to be left on the editing room floor for the Low-Res / PGD version (like some FMVs or other non-critical item).
As to the actual gaming experience, saved game data would be consistent and shared between the main system and the handheld via the Docking Station. This would be a two way interface, with a check for which saved game data file is most recent. Since both versions use a compatible data format in this area, your game would pick up at the same point on either platform - you would have all of your warrior's stats, gear, etc. and be placed at the same location in the actual game world.
The controllers would have to be somewhat similar - this programming item is critical and the button mapping requires a great deal of code at times. I do see this as one of the drawbacks and have no answer for this.
I guess we would have to discuss costs for this beast. I have no idea what the R&D would be for a project like this, but I would have to think that for an existing manufacturer that most of it would be invested in my fictional DCT application. Just looking at the hardware and using absolutely no scientific formulas, I would estimate it retailing for $500 or thereabouts. This automatically would put it out of the price range of many consumers.
Yes, there are many flaws to this brainstorm of mine including, but not limited to, technical obstacles, programming nightmares and lest not forget a company's desire to be profitable. I do think this could be successful on many levels though. Handheld and console systems have for all intensive purposes lived in separate realms. Why does it have to be that way? I am sure the think-tanks at Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft have considered this in the past and have decided not to 'muck' the waters by developing a product like this. I am the first to admit that this system would dilute their respective target audience for the hardware they currently manufacture.
The same thing occurred in the early 1990s when there was the craze for developing all-in-one multimedia devices. Systems like the Philips CD-i, Panasonic 3DO, Memorex VIS and the Bandai Pippin (amongst others) all met rather tragic deaths due to trying to be 'everything to everyone'. It is interesting that what failed in the 1990s is a basic standard in what we enjoy today in the Xbox 360, PS3 and the Wii. Timing is everything which is evident. Perhaps this idea will catch on down the road in some facet and become "The Way of The Future".
I know this writing completely exposes myself to being picked apart and beat on like a farm animal. I don't profess to be an expert in any area that was touched upon - it is only my intent to share an idea and hear your thoughts on this matter, which are always welcomed as you know.
To those of you not in the club, I will give a quick rundown of how I came to be in the situation I am in. I joined club Nintendo recently, and they have a system that rewards you for purchasing their DS and Wii games and registering them online using the inserts found in certain DS and Wii games. For each game you register, you get "coins" to use to purchase Club Nintendo exclusive items. (I recently used my accumulated coins to purchase a set of Nintendo's Hanafunda cards).
After reaching the 600 coin mark in a single year, they deem you a Gold Member, and after 800, a platinum member. After a year has passed, they offer a free reward to Gold and platinum members. As a platinum member, they offered me my choice of two items, a choice I have been contemplating for almost a week now...I can't choose, and I am asking for the help of my fellow collector's to help me choose and figure out which one would be worth more down the line.
My choice is between an official and exclusive true-to-life replica Mario hat. The hat is the classic red hat with the trademark Mario "M" and is one size fits all for adults. Made of cotton and polyester, this hat would fit perfectly into any gamers collection as an extremely rare and awesome piece. The other item is a club Nintendo platinum member exclusive Wiiware title, "Doc Louis' Punch Out!!!". The game plays just like the recently released "Punch Out!!!" for the Wii and is simply a one-on-one bout against your in-game coach and mentor, Doc Louis, which for anyone who has played the new game, or either of the originals, would be a real treat to experience.
I am just so torn on which to accept as my reward, I am looking forward to your input!
(Additionally, to any who are wondering, the Gold reward is a much simpler one. It is an exclusive 2010 Club Nintendo calendar, which actually appears to have some pretty cool and unique pictures from more than a few Nintendo titles for each month.)
This week was full of garage sales. On Friday we went to around 6 neighborhood/street sales in addition to a ton of regular garage sales. It took until 2:00 before we ran out of sales to go to in the area. Saturday was very much the same thing, but it started to rain about 1:00 and we didn't bring umbrellas with us, so we called it quits a little early. Despite the fantastic amount of sales, I didn't find much. It was better than the last couple weeks, but it still wasn't a great weekend.
Some things defy explanation. This video is one of those things. Did you ever think you'd see a pixelated Mario urinating behind a pipe? No? Well, it gets stranger, much stranger. I could explain all the wonderful / weird things that occur in the video, but perhaps it's just better for you to take a gander yourself. You'll find it in its relatively NSFW glory, after the jump.
Before I begin, let me say that I know fully well about the stupid practices done in the US at Gamestop and how unfair there prices for trade ins and selling "new" games, but if you think you have serious problems over there then you are dead wrong.
Not planning to do much this weekend as my wife and I are expecting our baby boy any day now and she isn't able to take the long walks, early mornings, and hot temperatures as well lately, so I took a stroll downtown for Powell's annual "Crazy Days" sidewalk sale. In the small local game store, today's deals were simple, everything in the store, (new or used) is 20-50% off depending on the system you are buying your software for. Hardware was also priced accordingly, but I already have what I want...although picking up a wii for $199.99 or a 360 Elite for 319.99 would be awesome. the deals on the games aren't great at all to begin with; however, I was able to pick up a couple games for what I thought, were good deals.
First I found Blinx 2: Masters of time and space for the XBOX priced originally at 4.99, and was able to score 50% off taking it to 2.49.
The other find was Star Trek: Invasion for the PS1. I have never seen this game before today, and figured with the recent release of the new movie Star Trek, it would be outlandishly overpriced. To my surprise, it had a price sticker of $1.99 and with a 25% discount, was taken down to $1.49. I have no idea whether of not it is a rare find, but for $1.49, I deemed it worthy.
I doubt I will blog anymore until after my son is born and old enough to sleep through the night. I will be on the site checking out everyone else's blogs and reviews though, so I won't be gone totally.
On Saturday, went out with Father-in-law and Brother-in-law to check out the festivities and the owner of the local game store bought a decent wholesale lot of games for the store. Distracted by the rush of people coming in once opening the store, the owner had told me that anything in the boxes of new stuff all belongs on the 50% off tables, so I looked through them. He had his son price the games that morning on the trip into town, so they were pretty cheap. (He uses Gamestop.com to price his games, but the son just put whatever he felt the games were worth on the covers.)
I was able to snag 4 games all marked $1.99 for 50% off, leading to a 4 dollar haul of 4 xbox games. The games included Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Otogi: myth of demons, Phantom Dust, and Kung Fu Chaos.
In case you've been living under a rock for the past two weeks, pop music legend, Michael Jackson, has passed away. One thing the Thriller superstar was known for was his giant Neverland Ranch, which was foreclosed and auctioned off last year. As part of the auctions, the arcade in Neverland Ranch was sold. The Orange County Pinball Lab website got a look inside and took several panoramic shots of the arcade. Check it out here: http://www.pinsane.com/pi.../events/MJ_09/index.shtml. Or if you prefer, you can view the arcade's contents in the auction catalogue here: http://www.juliensauction...el-jackson/icatalog4.html
Some of the highlights (for me) include:
Giant Lego Darth Vader
Darkstalkers arcade machine
Super Street Fighter II
Sega R360 (That thing looks freaking awesome)
NBA Hangtime (LOVED that game as a kid)
Galaxy Force (I remember playing that game in the arcade as a kid and how awesome it was that it spun and tilted)
Several kiosks including N64, 3DO, PS1, Virtual Boy, Saturn, SNES, Genesis, Dreamcast,
Mocap Boxing (It's like Project Natal!)
Guitar Freaks
Dig Dug
Donkey Kong
Neo Geo MVS
Marvel Vs Capcom
Quite the collection I must say. I don't know if he was a gamer, but I'm sure a lot of guests were. Creepy, no?
This week almost turned out to be a complete bust. There were a total of maybe 40 garage sales listed for Friday, only about half of those being close enough for us to go to. I didn't buy a single thing that day, I didn't even see much that looked interesting. Saturday was pretty much the same, we went to another 20 or so sales and I only found one thing during the day. Sunday's flea market was also slow. My current trading partner wasn't there, but the guy I used to trade with was, but he didn't have any games. I did manage to find one game at the flea market. I was severely disappointed with the results but kind of relieved because it will make moving the game room that much easier. However, on our way to another flea market (we used to go to it every week, but it's been getting smaller and smaller every year and is out of the way for us) and a garage sale in the area that was to start on Sunday, we passed another garage sale and that sale had the treasure that saved the weekend for me.
Happy 4th July and Independence day to everyone, I know I'm late. I got some cool finds including a Sega CD game which came in the post. Continue reading to see what I got.
Welcome to a world where a game's physics engine doesn't dictate what happens. Welcome to a world where damage means nothing, or everything. A world where random spawns are the norm, where accidents DO happen. Welcome to a world of Glitches. Welcome, to The Glitch Files, where you will encounter some of the strangest, most bizarre, and downright odd glitches of the gaming world. Not only will we show you footage of the glitch, but will give directions on how to exactly preform said glitch for yourself!
Today's special features the Evil Swingset Glitch or Swingset of Doom, from the recent game released for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3, and PC, Grand Theft Auto 4. In this glitch, you touch the 'evil swingset', and are then flung inside your car into the air, causing much damage and hilarity to ensue.
Now, for a visual representation of the glitch by XxSoupaSebxX.
This glitch is one of my personal favorites as well, ranking up in my personal list along with the Black Hole Glitch. Your car gets crushed, or sometimes even skewered along itself to a point when it glitches and cracks in half, but stays together, rendering the car totaled. Sometimes, upon impact with the ground, you may get a magnificent explosion, which adds to the 'Ooohs' and 'Ahhs' of the glitch.
Now, for the nitty gritty instructions. You will need a copy of GTAIV on some platform of your choice for this to work (of course!).
Steps:
Start the game as normal, get into a vehicle, and navigate to Firefly Projects, as shown in the video.
Once you have reached the park area, drive your vehicle into the area with the swingset. It most likely will NOT work. Try reversing into it. It should work. No one knows why this is, but after all, it is a glitch.
Reverse into the swingset, hold the e-brake to stop yourself, and let go of everything, and await the throw. Once thrown, you can jump out of the car in the air, or stay in the car, depending on your tastes. You can also exit the car before it is thrown and watch the car fly away from the ground.
Remembering that you cannot just drive into the swingset, in Party Mode, you can drive into it either way, and not have to worry about losing money. This is the recommended way of carrying out the glitch. Experiment, and of course, have fun with it!
This glitch is certainly a strange one, isn't it? We would like to hear from you now! Tell your stories about the glitch after you test it out! Do you have an amazing glitch you with to share with the Rfgeneration community? Private Message logical123 on the forums and give him your idea; you may end up seeing a blog devoted to it!
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Reviewed on the Microsoft 360
Work has been a bit brutal as of late, so I scheduled a three day weekend for myself to recharge the internal battery a bit. What better way to do this? Pick up a new game, score some beverages and a big handful of those monster-sized Slim Jims and dig in for some gaming. Being a big RPG fan, I checked the new release calendar and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel for the Microsoft Xbox 360 jumped out at me. The decision had been made. Armed with my rations and new software title, draperies were closed, gaming chair/table positioned and I was ready to do battle. With all of this preparation, I was desperately hoping not to be disappointed since the title received good but not great reviews thus far from some of the big gaming websites. Quite to the contrary, I have been pleasantly surprised thus far.
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is an open-ended, action/adventure RPG set in a typical fantasy medieval world called Ancaria. You have a few different gaming options, including two separate offerings for the primary single player mode - a Light and Dark campaign. Online multi-player mode is also available. You are presented with a choice of six (6) character classes in which to customize your Hero (or Villain), none of which really stands out on their own but I have seen much worse. Let's take a deeper look at this truly epic game.
Character building is an integral part of any RPG. While Sacred 2 does not introduce anything fresh to the genre, it does incorporate tried and true past practices quite well. There is an exception in this area - Skill Allotment. This is tricky to say the least and is essential to get it right to ensure your warrior does not end up with a grave marker above their head. I won't get into great detail here, but ensuring that both the selection of and investment into the correct Skills is critical. My tip - invest heavily into the Enhanced Perception skill early and often. More on this later.
The storyline is pure vanilla ice cream - the standard thoroughfare of Good vs. Evil (or vice-versa). In all honesty, it does not even merit further text. Usually the backbone of any good RPG, Sacred 2 is still successful without this core ingredient. The actual game world of Ancaria is the complete opposite - it is well developed and incredibly HUGE. Think Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and multiply that by 10 and that will give you some idea. There are literally over 1,000 locations to visit spread across nine (9) different lands with 600 quests to take on. Each of these 'continents' are unique and expertly detailed to deliver the appropriate atmosphere. The huge expanse coupled with open-ended game play may be daunting to some. The map system is good and quest indicators are provided. The world itself is 'unveiled' as you discover it - portions of the map are revealed during your exploration (ala Two Worlds). It will take you around 30 hours to complete the main story - over 100 to complete all of the side quests.
The game itself is played from an isometric viewpoint and the controls are tight and easy to learn/master. Often times you are attacked by hoards of creatures/monsters/foes. There is some button mashing required to repel these assaults but all in all I have not found this to be tiring in the least. Enemies will randomly re-spawn (both in type/location) and there is never any shortage of heathens to slay. Your farming efforts will net you plenty of coin, experience and the best part of Sacred 2 - the spoils of war.
This game is all about 'da loot', plain and simple. You will amass countless items including armor, weapons, potion ingredients, books, etc. I admit that I am a junkie for games like this - Balder's Gate, Diablo 2, Champions of Norath, etc. None of those comes close to fulfilling my primeval hunter/gatherer instincts quite the way that Sacred 2 does. You can stockpile sets of armor that provide additional stat bonuses, legendary weapons and unique items. Dealing out mass destruction and the ensuing leftover carnage definitely pays dividends – more importantly it is a BLAST! As mentioned earlier in this article, investing into the Enhanced Perception skill will result in better drops from the miserable minions you put to their deserved death. Managing the acquired conquests of battle is another matter.
The inventory management system in Sacred 2 is brutal. It is rather clunky and does not have any type of 'sort' feature, which is a colossal omission in this area considering the focus of this game. Most items are automatically categorized according to their respective type (i.e. Helmet) but there is no other option to sort them further - like by strength. There is an 'auto-equip' function to clothe your fighter with the best armor you have in your inventory. This works pretty well, but does not take into account any of the attribute enhancements most pieces offer (which most often will outweigh the standard armor rating).
Game graphics are very good, though not spectacular. There are instances where items will be drawn before your very eyes in the more intricate environments (usually occurring during map teleportation). A few times you will receive the 'Loading' icon while in certain towns - once again this is due to the complexity of the city. These I found to be a minor annoyance compared to my overall experience. In general, I have been very pleased with the graphical performance of Sacred 2.
Audio performance is also somewhat average. NPCs do chatter a bit in the background and your Hero does have their fair share of sayings. Like most games, these tend to become rather repetitive but does not deter from the overall gaming experience. I will admit that I have been pleasantly surprised at times by the dry humor that is liberally used during character dialog. Sound effects are generally very good but nothing to write home about.
I started writing this article over a month ago. Needless to say, I have had to repeatedly restock my gaming beverages and munchies many times while enjoying this truly epic game. Yes - the story is rather bland and the game itself does have some minor flaws, but the pure enjoyment of this title is excellent. Isn't that what it is all about anyway?
Overall I highly recommend Sacred 2: Fallen Angel to anyone who is a fan of the following games:
o Two Worlds (Xbox 360) o Diablo 2 (PC) o Champions of Norath (PS2) o Balder's Gate (various platforms)
As always, I welcome your feedback and comments. Thanks!
Xenon 2 was one of my staples back in the University days, although then I played it on a pc. Now I've got the Mega Drive version I find it's almost identical, from the pounding Bomb the Bass track Megablast to the Super Nashwan firepower upgrade that's totally useless.
The game is a vertically scrolling shooter, with just about everything including the scenery being an enemy. Find yourself trapped in a cave and as the screen scrolls to the bottom and no way to back out and you've lost a life. As is common with most of these shooters the enemies arrive in predetermined waves and always fly the same pattern, which means that to extract the best out of the level you have to play it and play it and play it so that the patterns become second nature.
Each swarm of enemies destroyed creates bubbles on screen that when collected translate into money that you can then use for upgrades, some of which can be found floating around various levels anyway.
There's a real knack to getting the best firepower for each level and the game restricts you to what you can carry, for example you can't have both side and rear guns, but you can have an insane amount of front facing weaponry. Some of the levels have a plethora of side attacking enemies, some come from the rear.
Each level ends with a boss fight, and it's really only here that the game shows any break from swooping attack patterns as the bosses, whilst usually stationary, can actually aim and take proper shots at you. Each one has it's own weakness to be discovered, and once you do it's pretty straightforward to repeatedly exploit this until it explodes into a mass of bubble coins.
During each level and again at the end you're able to visit the shop to buy and sell upgrades and it's vital that you make the right choice here - buy a side shot on a level where everything happens behind you and it makes for a very frustrating experience indeed.
The game is quite short, taking about and hour to play to the end, but the memorization required to achieve anything like a decent high score is phenomenal and will take many more hours.
I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone wanting to play a simple shooter that doesn't require the reflexes of todays shmups, and fancies a bit of 80s electronica as background. A word of warning though, the only music track is Megablast, and after about 30 minutes of playing it my kids told me to 'turn that damn noise off'. I expect they'll be shouting at me to get off their lawns next.
It looks like it's finally going to happen. I'm finally going to move my game room again. Ironically, it's going to the same room it was originally. So, I thought I might as well do a blog on what's going on with the move and how it's working out.
But first, I'm going to give a little background on the history of my game collection and how it got to be where it is today.
The Guardian reports that there's a documentary in the offing from the BBC about the rivalry between the ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro and the rise of home computers during this period. Now some of you know that I have a particular passion obsession for stuff from this era, so needless to say I'll be keeping a close eye out for it. Probably not of much interest if you don't live in the UK though.
So, this is an epic tale, just kind of a little comedic Blog to get people to chuckle. Everything from this point on is 100% the truth, no joke, but yes, it is funny.
So, as many know, I sold my Nintendo Wii in order to purchase an Xbox (yes, with an an) 360. I purchased it for $209.90 on ebay with free shipping on June 25th, which is not that bad of a deal for a 60GB model with the HDMI ports. The link is here if you want to check it out. So, I await this package, and it comes on the 26th of June. I hook it up, get it working great, and couldn't be happier.
At around the same time, I purchased a copy of Burnout Paradise, for $15 shipped on GameTZ, a fairly good deal as well. It was shipped out on the 26th. Being myself, I am a habitual 'Mail Checker' in that I get anxious awaiting a parcel in the mail. I checked the mail, as well as outside and in between the screen door and front door every day, including Sunday.
Today comes, and when I get home from summer band, I immediately go to the front door to check if the game came. It did not. However, I spotted on the porch a box, covered in a plastic bag, to prevent water damage. I lift the bag up, and see that it is addressed to me, Robert. The return address is GeekDeal, the same people that sent me my 360. I rushed inside with it and open it up; another 360. That's right. They had some sort of communication error (or SOMETHING) and ended up sending me TWO! I freaked out, and immediately asked my good friend Adam B. (bickman2k) what the heck I should do. He told me to do the right thing, and contact them. But, if they wanted ME to pay return shipping, say no way and keep it.
So, I called their office and left a message, and I await their return phone call. I just thought I might share my story with you. I think that this can be summed up in "EPIC CORPORATE FAIL", would you not agree? Would you have done the same thing, in contacting them? Would you have kept it? Let's hear those thoughts, and I will keep you updated!
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.
I am not the type of player that has 18 games going at one time with a slew of carts/CD cases strewn all over the floor in front of my Toshiba DLP. I am definitely a 'focused' gamer - I like to get very involved with one game and primarily play it in its entirety. This personal fact, coupled with my preference for the superior graphical capabilities that a console system provides, is the crux of my anguish. I spend 95% of my game time with console releases, due to their (usually) heightened content and superior visual/audio output. If I am going to get engaged in a title, I want my time to be invested in the best technology has to offer (for the time/console period). I realize that the fun factor and not the bells and whistles are what make a software title truly successful (no need for that sermon playa's - you would be preaching to the choir). Sure, there are console/TV adaptors that will deliver my handheld output to the big screen, but I want it all - the technologically advanced console experience with the ability to take it on the road (along with my game saves) to continue my adventure. I can't do that with today's Next-Gen systems.
Game development would obviously be focused on the High-Def version for the main system. Once this has been done, the Developer's Conversion Tool (DCT - I made this title up) for the SX2 could then be used to lower the resolution of all, or select, existing graphic files, thus creating them for use in play on the PGD. I guess the best example I can give for this idea is 'crunching' a picture file - it retains the same file association and technical uses but loses some of the originals sharpness, depth, etc. The DCT would be developed and provided by the manufacturer to incent game developers and lower their cost. 
Yes, there are many flaws to this brainstorm of mine including, but not limited to, technical obstacles, programming nightmares and lest not forget a company's desire to be profitable. I do think this could be successful on many levels though. Handheld and console systems have for all intensive purposes lived in separate realms. Why does it have to be that way? I am sure the think-tanks at Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft have considered this in the past and have decided not to 'muck' the waters by developing a product like this. I am the first to admit that this system would dilute their respective target audience for the hardware they currently manufacture. 
In case you've been living under a rock for the past two weeks, pop music legend, Michael Jackson, has passed away. One thing the Thriller superstar was known for was his giant Neverland Ranch, which was foreclosed and auctioned off last year. As part of the auctions, the arcade in Neverland Ranch was sold. The Orange County Pinball Lab website got a look inside and took several panoramic shots of the arcade. Check it out here: 
Xenon 2 was one of my staples back in the University days, although then I played it on a pc. Now I've got the Mega Drive version I find it's almost identical, from the pounding Bomb the Bass track Megablast to the Super Nashwan firepower upgrade that's totally useless.
There's a real knack to getting the best firepower for each level and the game restricts you to what you can carry, for example you can't have both side and rear guns, but you can have an insane amount of front facing weaponry. Some of the levels have a plethora of side attacking enemies, some come from the rear.
During each level and again at the end you're able to visit the shop to buy and sell upgrades and it's vital that you make the right choice here - buy a side shot on a level where everything happens behind you and it makes for a very frustrating experience indeed.
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