[img width=320 height=319]https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ7mbm8DA5I/V9ia0dkxMYI/AAAAAAAAAio/WtKi97rPwPYPzJULNyQxLyjv_ub3RGgBgCLcB/s320/Cosmo%2BTank%2Bbox.jpg[/img] Image shamelessly stolen from GameFAQs. Similar to Solar Striker, the logo image for Cosmo Tank is so metal.
In the year of our Lord, 2016, Atlus is known for 2 things. First, for being the foremost developer keeping the Japanese RPG, or JRPG, alive in the west. Second, for having been purchased by Sega, and having been, thus far, largely left alone to do what they do so well. However, prior to becoming a go-to RPG powerhouse, Atlus dabbled in a number of different genres. They've published puzzle games, platformers, beat-em-ups, and a number of other games. Keep in mind, some of these games were developed in-house by Atlus, and some were not. One such example of an early game that may have had some bearing (or not) on the RPG direction Atlus would eventually settle into is Cosmo Tank, developed by Asuka Technologies. Curiously, Cosmo Tank is the only game attributed to the studio, and it's a shame, because while Cosmo Tank is flawed, it hints at what could have been, and shows that, in the right hands, the Game Boy can do impressive things.
I recently had the chance to travel to New York for work and I knew I wanted to visit Nintendo NY. Located in New York City in Rockefeller Center at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, the two-story, 10,000-square-foot store is a must stop for any Nintendo fan. I started my journey by mapping out the subway lines, and after getting lost a couple times, found the store.... ten minutes after they closed. I left disappointed, but I was not giving up. I made it back early the next day and would like to take you on a tour.
There's just something about going to a live event that's special. Seeing so many people gather with friends and strangers alike to share their passions, and seeing those passions take shape in all sorts of fun, creative ways, is powerful. It's encouraging and uplifting to be able to step away from the all-too-common toxicity of the internet at large to see the best of what a fan base can be. This is even better when the event is local. I've traveled to shows and expos in the past, and while that's fun and carries with it an added layer of traveling adventure, it can also get expensive. A local event gets you all the excellence of a good con without the potentially prohibitive cost of a flight, gas, and/or hotel room.
So it's with this in mind that I'm going to break from the norm and hold off on writing an October/Halloween post for the time being. Instead, I wanted to share my experience at the 2nd annual Cleveland Pinball and Arcade Show I attended a couple weeks ago. I went to the first CLEPIN as well, and I'm happy to say there were some fantastic tables on display this year, making for an even better show than in 2015.
When Shovel Knight first came out, it reminded those of us that had forgotten, or maybe those that had never experienced, what pure bliss retro gaming could be. The simplicity, the sprites, the level design, the challenge and wow, those chip tunes! It was really something special, and as a primarily retro gamer, it was really exciting to see just how well it was received. After playing it at a friend's house and instantly getting drawn in, I got very excited and eagerly awaited the physical release for my Wii U so that I could play through it again. What was even better was that this version included the Plague of Shadows DLC on the disc!!
Alundra is a game that I think I would have really liked as a kid. Unfortunately, I don't recall ever hearing about this game at the time, so I must have never crossed paths with it through friends, magazines, or rental stores. It is usually labeled as either an action-RPG and/or a Zelda clone, and, being a huge fan of both of these types of games, this seems like a title that would have been right up my alley. I have owned a copy for a few years, and it has been on my mind for a while as something I should really get around to playing, so I've finally decided to pop the disc in and see how it holds up.
There have been many games that didn't click with me when I first tried them. For whatever reason, the game and I were on different wavelengths, speaking different languages, or in different moods. Oftentimes, I will revisit those games because I believe people change or evolve over even a short span of time, even a year or two. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised to find that the game clicks and sometimes I affirm the result of my precious experience with the game. However, I have never been absolutely convinced that a game wasn't for me to the point that I completely wrote it off, to then go back and give it just one more shot...and have everything completely fall into place to the point where I play that game every single day and love every minute of it...until Destiny.
In recent years, I've gone from being a console gamer, to a mostly PC gamer, to a totally PC gamer. I could go on and on about why I finally decided to be a PC-only guy, but it doesn't really matter - at least not for this blog post. Instead, I thought we'd explore the many options that PC gamers have in the area of controllers. Truth be told, I probably end up using the mouse and keyboard for the majority of games I play anyway. And yet, I've got controllers scattered around this room everywhere I look.
Now this post can really only be as thorough as my own experience goes. I mean, ultimately the options are nearly limitless. Basically anything with a USB connection is fair game, right? And pretty much any Xbox 360 device is going to be plug-n-play on PC. Not to mention the fact that nearly every classic console controller has some kind of USB adapter you could use. However, for the purposes of this article, I'll just focus on the major controllers just to scratch the surface of the options available.
For years, one of Japan's great series of role playing games was almost completely unknown in the West. The Megami Tensei series began on Nintendo's Famicom; the first one was an adaptation of a popular trilogy of horror novels of the time, Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei by Aya Nishitani. A sequel unrelated to the novel was then developed and released. When the Super Famicom released, Atlus was gearing up to develop a new game in the series, but there was no more source material to draw from. Nishitani worked with Atlus on a completely new story in the same universe, and it took on the Shin Megami Tensei moniker. These early games stayed locked up in Japan, due to Nintendo of America's vehement censorship of anything and everything religious. A game where you talk to literal demons from various global mythologies, recruit them, and use them as your party members never had a chance of being released outside of Japan. Western gamers did not even see the Shin Megami Tensei name on a game until the Playstation 2 had been out for a few years. The third game in the main series finally released in 2003 in Japan, and it followed in 2004 in Western markets. Atlus has been toying around in the shadows for decades.
Extra Life Day 2016 is less than two months away (November 5th 2016), and I thought it may be interesting to give the community an insight on what it takes to run a successful event...and also, so that I can have a space to vent about how much work / craziness goes into setting up one of these ridiculous events.
First, for those of you not familiar with it, Extra Life is a fundraiser similar to events such as walks for cancer or bike-a-thons. Essentially, you sign up via their super user friendly website and then get friends, family, and people on the Internet to sponsor you. You then play games instead of getting all sweaty and exercising (ewwww). Most events go for 24 hours, but you make your own rules regarding the length. Finally, all the money you gather goes to your local children's hospital (through Children's Miracle Network). What is not to like?! Play games, Raise money, Heal kids!
Posted on Sep 19th 2016 at 05:10:20 PM by (monkees19) Posted under pokemon go
For those of us who stuck around through the initial fervor and are sticking with this mobile game despite many writing it off as a fad, you have finally been rewarded for your patience with the Pokemon Go Plus.
Sort of.
Ending a sentence with a preposition aside (sorry Mrs. 4th grade teacher) this little device has its ups and down in terms of build and overall usefulness. Because I like things to end on a high note, I'll begin with its cons, downfalls and drawbacks.
The wristband in itself feels nothing different than you made in your elementary school days as friendship bracelets. It's solid, if not mind blowing, but for $35, you'd probably expect something better. The way you transform the device from it's out of box belt clip form to it's "watch" form harkens back to the days of the Pokewalker. The battery cover needs to be removed with a precision screwdriver (Phillip's head, to be exact) and replaced with the backing that is on the band. Once this initial step of set up is done, you likely won't be swapping back and forth, but if you planned on it, have that screwdriver handy.
Moving on to it's in game uses, when it flashes and vibrates it is notifying you of a nearby Pokemon or Pokestop, green for the former, blue for the latter. You only get one shot at capturing your new friend and the game will use a single, standard Pokeball only. So if you pass by that 1300 CP Pinsir, your odds of success are slim to none and after this one go, he's gone, never to return. I have yet to see what happens if you have zero Pokeballs and only Great Balls because I'm a true Pokemon Master, but early indications are if will not even make an attempt. The device responds with red if your attempt failed and flashes green/white if it succeeds.
While the game can now run with your screen off, it does require Bluetooth to function, which doesn't do you too many favors. It is better than having the game open at all times but it's not as nice as one could hope for in terms of saving your battery life. But, if you already were using Bluetooth, this is a bonus.
That said, it is a good way to even have a shot at Pokemon you normally wouldn't even get a chance at, like ones on the side of the road while you're driving because you're a responsible player and heed the warnings Niantic laid out for you. Assuming you have Pokeballs to spare, why not at least take a chance at that hitchhiker? And, as an added bonus, it works very well with Pokestops on the go so no more trying to time it while you're driving by. Not that you would do such a thing, I've just heard about it.
It also works very well with egg hatching and the buddy system. While your screen is powered down, both eggs and buddy Pokemon gain distance walked. This is a major boon for us breeders and for getting those precious few candies needed to evolve that dang Grimer.
The battery is an easily replaceable C2302 battery you typically find in an SNES cartridge so when it eventually goes, replacing it will be inexpensive and easy to find.
Just writing this, I have had four encounters alone. Two were successful, two weren't. I'm the proud new owner of my 8,000th and 8,001st Pidgey, but it also helps with farming that oh so valuable Stardust.
Reading through this a second time, I thought, I had mixed feelings in my 2 days with the device, but it's clear there are far more positives than negatives. If you can find one and have $35 to spare, it's worth the time and cash if you're still a daily player. If you were looking for a reason to get back into it, it might not be enough for you to jump back in just yet, but it is a nice addition while we wait for those highly anticipated features.
[img width=500 height=366]http://d2ydh70d4b5xgv.cloudfront.net/images/a/6/nyko-perfect-shot-for-wii-wiimote-gun-controller-adapter-set-of-2-used-377e590a5c0dcffc309c64b55f5c5951.jpg[/img] image from terapeak.com
I have always loved light gun games. All the way back to playing Duck Hunt on the NES as a child, I have always felt that light gun games were special. Though these games can sometimes be lacking in creative gameplay ideas because of the nature of the a gun peripheral, I love the pick up and play aspect of a light gun game, as well as the direct physical correlation between aiming the actual gun and the actions on the screen.
I remember finding out way back when that light guns do not work on high definition televisions. I was disappointed that I would no longer be able to use the light guns I owned at the time for the NES, Xbox, and Dreamcast. Luckily, the Nintendo Wii eventually came along to rekindle my love for the light gun genre. Let's take a look at a few of my favorites.
Back in the day, I managed to beat the overwhelming majority of the video games I played, but there were a few titles that remained above my humble gaming skills, so playing for completion was a hopeless effort (like smashing your head against a wall). Blaster Master was one of those games. I loved playing Blaster Master, but the ending always seemed unattainable, like the summit of the infamous K2 mountain in winter. Now, just over twenty-five years later, and I feel ready to climb that mountain again. Being older and generally less skilled at gaming than in my youth, do I have a chance to finally beat this notoriously difficult game?
If you have yet to play it, you probably know No Man's Sky for two things. First, for the gigantic expectations surrounding it. And two, if you believe a collective online mantra, an apparently gigantic let-down.
I'll be direct; if you are caught up in the first, you may fall into the second. Not because No Man's Sky is not worthwhile, but because that's just how expectations tend to play out. Considering four out of five members of our family are hooked on No Man's Sky (and the fifth is too young to play, so he just watches) it is safe to say our house has an incredibly positive opinion of the game.
But I'm not writing this to repeat Crabby's excellent article about enjoying a game despite a common antagonistic theme against it. And anyway, No Man's Sky is doing well and already has some ardent defenders. I'd like to write about what my boss said when I asked if he had yet played No Man's Sky: "Yes," he sighed, "Way too much. I've spent so long playing that game already. I don't know why I keep playing it." He's also said the same of his time in World of Warcraft and a few mobile games he plays frequently.
Jaws was one of the August community playthroughs here at RFGen and it was the first time I had played this particular game. I have to say, it's a bit of an oddity. The majority of the gameplay is non-scrolling horizontal shooter, but there are a few different mechanics thrown in to change things up a bit. On paper, the game doesn't sound impressive - an LJN published tie-in to the fourth (and arguably worst) Jaws movie, Jaws: The Revenge. But how does it play?
[img width=320 height=318]https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kAyGzRAku1I/V8G4oy90YLI/AAAAAAAAAf8/KPkZDqxY6fQNSsgQuJgFKcjOY5GbZlkMgCLcB/s320/Castlevania%2BAdventure%2Bbox.jpg[/img] Image shamelessly stolen from the Castlevania Wikia page. When I was a kid, this was the baddest looking box art in all the land when it came to Game Boy games. And by bad, I mean AWESOME.
Nostalgia can be a very powerful force. It can make adults look back fondly on all sorts of things that, viewed objectively, probably aren't as great as we remember them. For a child of the 80's, that can be almost anything. From VCRs and teased hair, to classic cartoons and our favorite movies and video games, there are times when it's hard to take a step back and look at those old favorites with a more critical eye. Sure, that one Poison album might be one of your favorites of all time, but musically, does it still hold up? What about your favorite childhood cartoon...could you watch it today without cringing or thinking it's nothing but pure cheese?
Now think about your favorite video games as a child. Sure, some of them probably stand the test of time. But for every Super Mario Bros or Contra, there's always a handful of games that we may still hold in high regard and still have much affection for. If we could set aside our own memories and youthful experiences, would we still hold those works in the same esteem? For me, one of those games is Konami's Castlevania: The Adventure on the Game Boy.
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.
