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 This is by far the most important Free Game of the Week feature I've ever done. Read on...
Alright guys, the on-demand gaming service Gametap (which just added its 1000th game, by the way), has added the Tim Schafer classic, Psychonauts, to its free service until December 31st. If you know me, you'll know that Psychonauts is easily one of my five favorite games of the 2000s.
In Psychonauts, you play as Raz, a ten year old boy with psychic powers who was raised in the circus. The game revolves around Raz and the other children at the Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp in which Raz has run off to. Along the way you'll meet a large cast of characters, each with their own very unique and hilarious personalities, and uncover a deviant plot to steal the minds of these young children and use them for evil purposes.
But don't take my word for how great this game is, check out this video review of the game by The Escapist's Yahtzee Croshaw. I apologize in advance for any pain inflicted by this review.
All you need to do in order to get free access to Gametap is download the client (click here: 35mb download), install it, and create an account. Once you've done that, launch the client and start downloading Psychonauts (about 4GB, so sorry those of you with dialup). And while you're at it, check out some of the other great games up on Gametap for free. Right now some of the games up for free are Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts, Bloodrayne, Second Sight, Myst Online: Uru Live, Bubble Bobble, Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2, realMYST, Metal Slug, last week's free game of the week: Sam and Max: Episode 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die, and many many others, all for free. A listing of all the games available for free can be viewed here.
So, you have a long Thanksgiving weekend coming up. Why not spend some of it at the Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp and get to know Raz, Dogen, Lili Zanotto, Agent Cruller, Sasha Nein, Bobby Zilch, and all the other people at the camp? Oh and don't forget about the milkman, who's milk is delicious.
[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-027/ss/U-027-S-00360-A.jpg&sizex=150[/img]This week is special for a lot of us. Families are getting together to remember everything they're thankful for, a good meal, some board games with the cousins, or some good shopping deals. The anticipation for that turkey to come out of the oven is great. Well, what better game to feature than Anticipation for the NES?! I know it's not one of the best NES games (nor is it in the top 100 most likely), but I felt that this was a great time to feature it! It plays like a board game on your TV. Read the review for my take.
Our featured image is from Family Feud on the SNES. As I sit here watching a little TV, I see that Family Feud is on reruns right now. It's starring that Al guy from Home Improvement. It's basically the exact same show as 30 years ago. Pretty amazing that it's still around in a similar form (...please, please return Wheel of Fortune to it's simpler, better days without hundreds of bonuses and crap quick puzzles).
Our featured hardware is the new Nintendo Wii glove from Nintendo themselves. Maybe the TV market will start to die off since they may not be throwing their WiiMotes mindlessly. Nevermind...people still will.
The featured collection is from shaggy. Shaggy works extremely hard to keep his collection clean, organized, and complete. I think he's slowly compiling a great collection!
Everyone, please have a safe, happy, and wonderful holiday. Remember everyone that is in your life to allow you to eat that turkey this Thursday. And when you've eaten your fill, come over to RFG to talk it up!
[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/1342659547474245a680030Animal.jpg[/img]
There is this comic hitting the internet today. It tells a tale, and it is done in a rather moving manner. To say that it affected me would be a gross understatement. I really encourage you all to check this comic out. Cherish your loved ones, for they certainly love you.
There are two ways to check out this comic. There is the ytmnd that you can check out, or you can view the comic in its entirety here.
This is the most moving thing I've seen in a really long time, I hope you find it's story moving too.
Animal Crossing is Tragic
Comic Design: This is Game
Hosted Here via Kotaku
As most of us in the US know, this upcoming Friday is considered Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. The day which stores open very early and offer insane deals on the hottest items for the holiday season. Now, these deals are not just limited to Tickle Me Elmo and power tool sets, video games are included as well, and there are some great deals that will save you money if you're looking at buying for a loved one or getting a little treat for yourself.
Well, I have taken the liberty of compiling some great game-related deals that you will find this Friday so you you can plan your full-scale retail assault in advance.
Hit the jump to see the full list of deals. For your convenience, I have bolded what I think are the best deals.
Continue reading Black Friday Video Game Deals
[img width=468 height=60]http://logo.cafepress.com/nocache/2/2216302.jpg[/img]
You've asked for it, and after planning and design, here it is. The RF Generation Store, in it's fully mercheriffic(R) glory. Want a RF Geneation branded shirt, mousepad, or hat? Well, we have it here. Check out our wares, you may find something you want. You can find the cafepress hosted RF Generation store here. It's permanent link is found in the about section links and also under the community quick links.
We hope you enjoy our wares, and appreciate any patronage that you are willing to give. All sales will help to fund the betterment and operation of the site.
Cheers!
 In 1995 electronics giant, Casio, made a second unique venture in gaming, after their first failed attempt. (ルーピー, Rupii) Loopy - My Seal Computer SV-1000 was the first game console marketed entirely towards young females. Like the PV-1000, this console also failed to gain popularity; though it does have some curious features. First off, there is only one controller port, limiting any possibility of two-player gaming. Also, the console itself has a built-in "Seal" printer, or thermal sticker printer, that uses heat to burn an image onto chemically treated stickers. This seal process is similar in function to the Game Boy Printer, but not in black-and-white.
The controller is quite simple with a single D-pad, a start button, and four buttons arranged in an arc to the right side. The alternative peripheral was a mouse controller, which was sometimes bundled with one of two games. The only other hardware items available for the Loopy were replacement Seal cartridges.
The Loopy game library is almost a joke in itself. Casio published all 11 titles throughout the console's short two-year lifespan. All games also tend to have the same themes. Painting, dress-up/makeover, and romance stories are all that were offered. The art programs make the most use of the Seal printer, and seem to have little value otherwise. While the system claims uses 32-bit RISC processing, it appears technically unimpressive due to the nature of the software available.
Nothing gives a better impression of the Loopy than a look at the game offerings available.
Continue reading Girly Console Review: Casio Loopy - My Seal Computer SV-1000
Well Mike, you would have turned 23 today. Of course, you would have always been 20 to yourself. Hope the afterlife is being good to you. We certainly miss you here on earth, but we seek solace knowing that you are in a better place.
Cheers to you Mate, while you may be eternally 22, today we celebrate your life on your birthday.
The Xbox 360 is not known for its first-party support, yet the undeniable, record-breaking sales of Halo 3 have pushed console sales to outsell both the PS3 and Wii for the months of September and October. At $30 million in development costs, Microsoft Corporation found return profit, multiplied ten-fold in the first week alone. Sales were more than a once-off phenomenon, as the game has managed to consistently sell more than all the console versions of the hit game, Guitar Hero III, every week since release.
Now, it seems they're giving it away, at least to the poor original Xbox owners who are still living in the last generation. This promotion is more than a replacement for your scratched LE discs; this is the full deal.
Once again this is a promotion for original Xbox owners with an Xbox LIVE account. To register, go to the registration page and follow the instructions outlined below.
Current paid Xbox LIVE members on the original Xbox console (not Xbox 360), here's how to get your Halo 3 game: 1. Buy an Xbox 360 console between November 21 and December 21, 2007. 2. Convert your current paid Xbox LIVE account to an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription. 3. Register here between November 21 and December 21, 2007 with promotional code XBX7777, with your new console serial number, and a valid mailing address. 4. Look for your copy of Halo 3 in your mailbox! |  |
NOTE: The registration page has been down frequently since details of this promotion have been introduced to the internet. It took me a few visits to find a time that the site was up. It has since gone down again. Good luck! Also, why did I even register!? I didn't have a paying LIVE account for the original Xbox, nor do I have a Gold account. Save yourself some time and read the promotion terms of use.
Source: Xbox.com
I encourage you to check out this kick ass marching band routine put on by Cal. Band geeks doing video game tunes... what is geekier than that? It's too cool. I wish my high school marching band did a show like that. The only interesting theme we ever did was Halloween Themes. What is scarier than Thriller? I digress. Here is the video:
[youtube=425,350]EuRfQlMu2VY[/youtube]
[img width=300 align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/hardware/J-112/hw/J-112-H-00010-A_00.jpg[/img]Notable game developer Bandai was very involved in hardware development and manufacturing beginning in 1977 with its popular line of TV-Jack pong based consoles (six total releases within two years). Building on their mild success in this arena, the Bandai Super Vision 8000 debuted in 1979 and was the very first programmable game cartridge system released in Japan. This timeline (1979) and notoriety (initial entry and the developer, Bandai) may be a surprise to some simply due to the fact that Japan has been a leader in video game technology for some time, with big hitters Nintendo and Sega in the fold.
While the video game player in the USA had been exposed to the new programmable game cartridge systems (Fairchild Channel F, Atari VCS, APF MP-1000, Bally Professional Arcade, Odyssey 2) beginning in 1976, pong based consoles enjoyed a prolonged following within the Japanese market. This initially retarded the growth, development and embracement of new technology. The release of the Super Vision 8000 was a small, but significant, step taken by Bandai in changing the atmosphere within the hardware gaming market in Japan.
Constructed of hard, thick plastics, the light grey chassis of the Super Vision 8000 is accented well with classic black molding resulting in a clean, crisp look. Cradles for the two included controllers flank the respective sides. This console will never be mistakenly described as being small. The Super Vision 800 is a healthy sized piece of hardware, relatively rectangular in design with a gradual incline of roughly 15 degrees from the bottom to the top. The seven (7) confirmed games were rendered in 16-bit color across three sound channels, graphically in between the output of the Atari VCS and the Mattel Intellivision. Powered by an 8-bit NEC D780C running at 3.58 MHZ that was complimented by a AY-3-8910 coprocessor, this advanced piece of hardware was quite revolutionary, as well as expensive, at that time in Japan. With an initial offering of around 60,000 yen ($560 USD, $1,300 USD comparable in 1979), the Super Vision 8000 was priced out of the reach of most Japanese gamers.
[img width=300 align=left]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/hardware/U-013/bf/U-013-H-00010-A.jpg[/img]This console is often mistaken for being a clone of the Mattel Intellivision, primarily due to controller design. However, the exact opposite actually applies. The Super Vision 8000 was released prior to the Intellivision, and the internal hardware specifics are completely different and not compatible at all. The story behind the controller similarity is varied, with half of those with actual knowledge of both systems siding with the thinking that Mattel was the original developer, the other stating it was Bandai. There seems to be more historical data to side with the former in this debate.
Though the hardware technology at the time (1979) in Japan was not as advanced as that in the USA, there is evidence that the Super Vision 8000 was developed independently, and prior to, the Intellivision. Further, there are claims that Bandai was going to sue Mattel for patent right violation(s) when the initial Intellivision was displayed at a gaming demonstration forum. There seems to be some validity to this story since Bandai gained the rights in 1980 to be the sole manufacturer of the Intellivision console in Japan. With the Super Vision 8000 not selling well at the time (due to the high price and a changing Japanese market), Bandai focused their efforts on production of Intellivision units. This eventually lead to the cessation of production and development for of the Super Vision 8000 within one year of its release.
[img width=300 align=right]http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/images/1970s/79_Bandai_Super_Vision_8000/79_Bandai_games.jpg[/img]
Bandai, though mostly known now as a great game developer, was a big player in the video game hardware industry in Japan and paved the way for juggernauts like Nintendo and Sega. The Super Vision 8000 is an extremely rare system and is considered to be a holy grail amongst console collectors. Games for this system will run you around $80-$100 USD due to their rarity. The system itself was not sold in great quantities. Finding one at all (working or non) is quite a chore. To land yourself a working, CIB unit, expect to lay out $700+, plus S/H. This is definitely a system that should be targeted by only the most serious of console collectors.
  Sweet mother of double jeopardy backstroking in butterscotch! In celebration of Season Two of their critically acclaimed Sam & Max episodic game series, Telltale Games has released Episode 4 from last season, Abe Lincoln Must Die!, for free! That's right, FREE!
The game continues the adventures of the Freelance Police: Sam, a detective dog, and Max, a "hyperkinetic rabbity thing". This time, they must travel to Washington DC and take care of the President who is enacting federally mandated group hugs before sporting events, putting an embargo on pudding, and requiring mandatory gun registration! Along the way, you will encounter many hilarious situations, such as Max becoming president of the United States, an incredible musical number, and the Soda Poppers becoming the Governors of North Dakota, South Dakota, and West Dakota (newly formed).
This game is a must play for it's sharp writing and intelligent humor, both of which are very rare to find in gaming (or any other media) these days. You can download the game direct from Telltale Games for free. If you like this episode, be sure to buy Sam & Max Season One from Telltale ($30 for a download of all six episodes, plus a free bonus DVD with the episodes and a ton of bonus features) or the boxed retail version from The Adventure Company/Dreamcatcher Interactive ($30 as well, but you don't get as many extras). Also, remember to check out Season Two, which just started on both Gametap and Telltale's website.
Seriously guys. This is by far one of the best games out there right now. I urge each and every one of you to try it out and see what you think.
 Celebrating the fifth year of Xbox LIVE service, Microsoft is offering up a free download. The LIVE Arcade title Carcassonne will be available for only 48 hours, starting 12:01AM PST November 15, and ending 11:59PM PST Nov. 16. Also, if you have been a member of the Xbox LIVE community since 2002, you will receive an additional gift from Microsoft of 500 MS points, free.
This comes with the news of the Xbox original titles to be offered after the December 4th fall update. The only titles mentioned so far (for the U.S. at least) are Halo, Crimson Skies, Fable, Psychonauts, with others planned for future releases priced at 1200 MS points.
Play and Win. The big GIMME GIMME event being held is the Xbox LIVE is 5IVE Play & Win Sweepstakes. Players who register their gamertags and play on Xbox LIVE on Nov. 15 will be entered to win free prizes.
Game with Fame. The other gamer treat is the opportunity to play against the development teams from a number of games on their own turf. These games will be hosted throughout the day of November 15th, so check out the schedule for times.
UPDATE
Xbox.com currently lists as the first Xbox original dowloads (for the U.S.) as being: Burnout 3: Takedown, Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies, Fable, Fuzion Frenzy, Halo, and Psychonauts. Also, there will be no achievements.
 Starting on Decmember 4th with the fall update, you will be able to purchase and download games from the original Xbox from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Among the first games offered for download are Fable, Indigo Prophecy (the best of the initial offerings, in my honest opinion), Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Burnout 3, and some other TOTALLY OBVIOUS game which need not be mentioned here. These six games will run you 1200 MS Points (that's $15 in real money), and obviously will not work on the Core/Arcade model unless you have a hard drive added in.
I think that while it's nice that they are adding downloadable games from the original Xbox, I think that $15 is too much to pay for them, especially when you can go to Gamestop or the local pawn shop and get those games for a much lower price than $15. Seems kind of a waste if you can get the game cheaper and can get the physical media and manual as an added bonus. In addition, these games will probably be up to 7GB in size, which means you won't be able to store very many on a 20GB system. So that means you'll have to take the Nintendo-recommended approach and delete games from your hard drive that you aren't using.
It should also be noted that all of the games up for download are currently backwards compatible with the 360. Why sell them for $15 then? Probably so MS can try and capture some money from the sale of secondhand games is my guess. However, I am happy they are doing this because it will be nice to have a catalog of the original Xbox games up for download when they become harder to find.
Source: EuroGamer
 For his 15th birthday in 2004, Mega Man (or Rockman, if you prefer) recieved the special treatment and had all 8 of his original games bundled up and re-released with some special extras on the Xbox, PS2, and GameCube. Fortunately (or unfortunately) each version has unique exclusives, making no version inferior to the others (that includes you, GameCube). If you're a hardcore Mega-Maniac and that still isn't enough, there's always Mega Man X Collection gathering up all the other titles.
Whatever you call him, the blue bomber always delivers the right technique, and should he defeat you... he will assimilate your specialty move into himself, further expanding his arsenal. Just look at the lineup of bosses little Rockman conquered in Mega Man 2, he means business.
There are few "Mega" things that can rock as hard as Rockman himself, but Sega knew how. Affectionately called the Mega Drive in Europe and Japan, this 16-bit system ushered Sega into the golden age of gaming in the early 90s; with an edge that showed even mighty Nintendo that the stakes were raised.
Finally, we acknowledge a collector with fairly even-spread numbers for most of his consoles. All games in silentscythe's collection are childhood favorites, and likely get some play every once in a while. A healthy helping of RPGs and adventure games always catches my eye, and are a welcome addition to any collection.
That's all for now. Check out chat tonight, and tune in to channel 3...
[img align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/4790319754737ba3ac4734old_TV.jpg[/img]
So, in between my Pavement Problems I've been playing Guitar Hero, but today I noticed something as I was up close to the game. Sound was only coming out of the center speaker of my sound system. Nothing in the subwoofer, rear, or front speakers, just the center speaker. I didn't think much of it, as my receiver does DSP, which I promptly turned on. How humorous then is it when Tondog sends me a link mentioning that the Wii version of Guitar Hero III was in fact shipped with only Mono Sound. For a game that touts the music, certainly this is a low blow, and this screw up should have been caught in the really stringent QA that I guess Activision really does not have. Here's to you, Activision. Charging $90 for a gimped product, I certainly hope that the money you saved on skipped QA time will cover the costs of this screw up.
Cheers.
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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.
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.
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