[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/smyW80D.jpg[/img] pic from Bo News
So for the first time, you see this very attractive and interesting person from a distance. Later you find yourself with the good fortune to begin a conversation with this person, and also find that they are fun to talk to and seem to have some points worth considering. Things are going great, and you are considering arranging time to hang out more with this new person. And then, in the middle of the conversation, for no discernable reason, they quickly rabbit-punch you in the nose and continue talking as if nothing just happened.
Blinking, disoriented, and in at least a little pain, you are confused as to what just happened. But you continue the conversation, desiring to dismiss the random event in light of how well everything else is going. Besides, maybe it was an accident or easily explained later. You reinvest your attention into the other person, a short time passes, and your concerns start to assuage, then *BAM*! Again on the nose.
It doesn't take much more time for you to seriously question if investing in this relationship is at all worth it. And sure enough, this becomes a pattern, an understood factor to any time you spend with this person: interesting conversation, some fun thoughts, and then sharp, immediate, frustrating pain for no real reason.
Recently, there has been talk between Sony and Microsoft about implementing cross-platform gaming. Though no sort of agreement has been reached yet, and there is only speculation as to what these talks have consisted of, even the slightest notion that these two video game giants have taken the idea into consideration is HUGE! The climate for console developers has drastically changed over the course of time, and while Nintendo still goes its own way, it does so without feeling the need to get into squabbles or spend millions in advertising to inflict insult upon its competition. But, as we all know, this hasn't always been the case.
As a child of the 80's, I remember these targeting ads well and can look back today and see their overt influence over the console choices made by my classmates and I. The feud that Nintendo and Sega started was hotly contested and equally debated on the playground in my day. Nintendo's dominance in my community was so pronounced that no one dared to admit to owning a Sega console for fear of ridicule. What gaming system you owned or didn't own could have socially ruined you among your peers. If you owned a Sega, no one wanted to come over to your house because they couldn't bring their games over, and there wasn't a chance that you could swap games for a few weeks (...sometimes to never have your games returned, but that's another matter all together). In reality, it was a somewhat milder form of bullying, and let's be honest, it still exists among some fanboys/fangirls today.
The Sega CD is a somewhat underrated, or at least overlooked, console. However, it's home to a number of unique games that are worthy of attention, one of the best of which is Snatcher. Snatcher was developed by Konami and released for Sega CD in 1994, six years after its original release in Japan. It's a visual novel with adventure elements whose story borrows heavily from movies such as The Terminator and Blade Runner. The game is one of Hideo Kojima's earliest works, but it highlights his unique style - the humor in the game is often bizarre and self-referential, the influence that cinema has on the game is evident, and he loves sexy, pixelated women. Though mechanically Snatcher can be somewhat awkward at times, it is a game where the whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
This video review is a bit older, but I think it's one of my best and I wanted to make a strong start for my first post here at RF Generation. Give it a watch if you're interested in hearing more about Snatcher.
[img width=400 height=283]https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WRhxcDmKK8Q/Vs_Ep0ZTKuI/AAAAAAAAAaI/nSjdWI-y9QA/s400/Game%2BBoy%2Badvertisement%2B01.jpg[/img] Image shamelessly stolen from USGamer. This ad really shows the diversity of the Game Boy game library. Represented here, we have 2 puzzle games, 2 racing games, an action/platformer adventure title, an action puzzler, a beat-em-up, a shoot-em-up, a sports game, a light-hearted action title, and a puzzle/adventure game.
I work in healthcare. More specifically, I'm an "IT guy," one of those overly geeky "computer nerds" who takes care of all things technology. I work for a hospital, and we work, in turn, with a local nursing home. I was visiting that location a few weeks ago, when I was struck by a conversation I overheard. There was some apparent shuffling that needed to take place of some people within the organization, and the woman who was doing most of the talking stated that they need to effectively "play Tetris" with some people and some rooms. This woman is probably a few years younger than I am, and she was speaking to another person who is several years older. Both parties knew what the other was talking about, and the Tetris comment was clearly understood. This isn't the only gaming-related phrasing or metaphor I've heard from people I wouldn't consider to be "gamers" in the traditional sense, but as I've begun to collect a large number of Game Boy carts, and consumed a lot of related content on the Internet, it got me thinking about the long-term cultural impact of the Game Boy, and the legacy it has created.
In this blog series I will be focusing on the Atari 5200. I will be covering the console itself first and then move on to the games. This series will be one half information such as history and background info on the console and the games. The other half will be a review of the system and the games from my point of view after playing them. I will make it through each game for the Atari 5200, as long as I have it. This is going to be a long series of blog posts, and have quite a few games to get through. I have about 25 games left to grab for the console, but I will review those as I get them. I appreciate comments and hope you have as much fun reading this as I will writing this. Please pardon for any typos and incorrect writing conventions.
So without further ado, I give you my first blog post and an inside look into.....
The Underestimated Atari 5200
Part 1
The first post in this series will cover the console itself. The background information such as the history, technical information, and library information will be brief. I would rather focus more on the review and my thoughts about the console itself.
Brief History:
The Atari 5200 also called the "Supersystem" was released in 1982 exclusively in North America. What we got was a console capable of giving the public great ports of great arcade games. Despite the great games the console suffered due to controllers that were notorious for not working, competition from the Colecovision, and in 1984 the video game crash finally finished the Atari 5200 off.
Technical Information: The Atari 5200 was based off of the Atari 8 Bit computers (Atari 400/800). The Atari 5200 uses a 1.79 MHz Processor, and has 16kb of RAM. Although, the Atari 8 Bit computers had a more powerful 10k operating system compared to the 1k "monitor system". The Atari 5200 has a max resolution of 320x190 Pixels. The console used ANTIC and GTIA chips for graphics, and a POKEY chip for sound. Two versions were released. The first version included four controller ports, and the second release had two controller ports. The four-port version had a strange way to hook it up to your tv, with a power adapter connecting into the RF box. The two-port had a more traditional setup.
Controllers & Peripherals: The 5200 controllers were 15-Pin controllers that were a combination of a joystick with four fire buttons, a start, pause, and reset button. The controller also included a numeric keypad. The joystick was a 360 degree non-centering joystick. The Pro-Line Trak-Ball controller was also released for the console. Other controllers were in development by Atari but never released. A few third party options were released. WICO released the Command Control a 9-Pin controller that came with a Y-Cable to make it compatible with the Atari 5200. The Command Control also came with a keypad. Masterplay released another adapter that allowed the use of any 9-Pin controller with the console.
Nowadays, you can find repair kits and upgrade kits to fix the classic Atari 5200 controllers. The gold-plated parts are the best ones to pickup. They are more expensive but definitely increase the controllers life by a mile.
Games: The Atari 5200 has a library of 69 games. Homebrews, Repros, Multi-carts, and Hacks are available for the system as well. About half of the games released were from Atari, and the other half are from several third party publishers. The rarest game for the console is said to be Bounty Bob Strikes Back the sequel to Miner 2049er. Some popular games include Pac-Man, Mario Bros, & Frogger. I will cover more about the games, when I review them in later posts.
My review of the console:
I am not doing a review where I give a rating, its more of my thoughts and ideas on the console. Let me first say I wouldn't be doing a multi-post review if I didn't like the console. So do expect some bias there. I will do my best to give it an honest review.
My first exposure to the console was through watching the AVGN review of the Atari 5200. I had never played it, or was interested in it before watching his review. He mostly covered the console and did not show any of the games in his review. I was still enamored by it. I wanted to try it out for myself.
A few years ago I was able to pick one up off ebay. The auction included the console, two controllers, and a handful of boxed games. This was the start of my goal which was to pickup every Atari 5200 game in box. A very ambitious endeavor, I found out later. Its not out of the realm of possibility but a few games are quite difficult to find even loose. But I digress.
When I got my Atari 5200 in the mail, I plugged it in, and started playing. My first reaction was that the games look amazing. Pac-Man looked almost arcade worthy. The other games I got with it, looked great as well. The controllers I received did only work partially, but they worked enough to play the games. They did later break all together. I repaired them several times before they eventually couldn't be fixed anymore, without picking up upgrade replacement parts. I am now in the process of waiting on my Y-cable to come in the mail for my Wico Command Controller. So with that, I do agree the controllers are the major setback for the console. Although with some amount of investment the controller problem can be remedied. But, the controllers being unreliable is my only complaint about them. I heard many people say the non-centering joysticks are a major problem. I disagree, I found the feel to the joystick very responsive, and comfortable in my hand. I didn't feel I had a whole lot of difficulty controlling Pac-Man, Frogger, or the car in Pole Position. The button layout felt great, and having a pause feature is a great addition to playing Atari games. I enjoyed playing the games with the Atari 5200 controller until it broke for good. I do understand though that reaction time is delayed at times because of the non-centering. The non-centering joystick however does not make the games unplayable, it just something you have to get used to. Although, I would much rather use a Wico Command Control. They are just better, bar none. Its too bad the console did not last long enough for them to rectify the problem. You could tell they learned their lesson when they made the Atari 7800.
(I want to add that opening, repairing, and doing maintenance on the controllers is quite easy but you may want to view a guide, so you don't break any parts inside the controller. I unfortunately broke one of controllers while opening, making it completely unusable. So just a word to the wise, always view a guide before working on the controllers.)
I am a big fan of the console despite its problems. The look of the console definitely shows its age, which makes it appealing to me. The Atari 5200 featured a great small door on the top of the system, used for storing things such as pens, pencils, spare change, D20 dice, & juice boxes. The games are easy to insert and take out. With the two-port model, it is easy to hookup and start playing. The console is quite large and one might have a hard time trying to find a place for it. I have found that the console itself is very reliable. Every game I put in it, booted up on the first try. Since I have not had to fix mine, I do not know yet, how hard they are to fix.
When compared to its competitor the Colecovision, it runs a close race. Colecovision does have a much larger library of games, and the controllers are more reliable. Although the Colecovision controllers just don't have the same great feel the Atari 5200 controllers have. I like a good ole trusy joystick, compared to that flat dial. The Atari 5200 is a worthy rival to the Colecovision.
I think that about covers it for now
I will go more into the individual games later, but all the games I have played are great. The colors are nice and bright. You get the classic Atari sound effects, and music. The Atari 5200 even has a built in voice module. Which is a pretty nifty bonus when you play some of the games.
I know this is a brief overview, and review of the Atari 5200. For this series, I am hoping to focus more on the games and not the console. I will probably touch more on the console as I go about playing the games but for now, this is all I want to say.
I hope you enjoy this review, and keep coming back for later installments.
[img width=525 height=350]http://www.presspassla.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Observatory-2.jpg[/img] Pic from presspassla.com
Another Episode of The Observatory (ThOb) is here, meaning that I have more time to waste with y'all, although I would hardly call it wasted. My boss might, and although he is here with us today, he is in the other room, and since my work is BYoC (bring your own computer), it's all good. So then, what should we talk about?
If you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember that nearly two years ago my business butted heads with my local city government. Once we successfully put that behind us, I was hoping to not hear from them again outside of renewing my business license each year. Turns out that was just wishful thinking.....
Crabby has returned, so we're geting caught up and answering plenty of your questions! Also, we talk Batman Vs Superman including plenty of spoilers, so if you haven't watched yet, see the timecode listing to skip.
PAX East is the best all around gaming show in the NorthEast. It is a weekend that remains circled on my calendar all year long. From the drive home from PAX East until the next PAX East, I am excited for PAX East. Here is a little of what I did last weekend.
When I picked up Fire Emblem: Awakening in 2012, I had no idea I was about to play what would become not only my favorite 3DS game to date, but one of my favorite games of all time. I had never played a strategy rpg, but I was aware of the Fire Emblem series' reputation as both a quality franchise and also a brutally difficult one. I might not have gotten into Fire Emblem if it weren't for the controversy surrounding developer Intelligent Systems' decision to make the series' trademark permadeath completely optional.
I will be the first to admit I was a stupid kid. Between 1990-92 I made a series of shameful visits to the Toys R Us "budget wall" section, where NES games could be had for a pittance. Or $20, which I guess wasn't a pittance. Some of you may remember an earlier article where I detailed the psychological damage caused by purchasing and playing Hydlide in 1991. Would you believe that I had been burned before that piece of horror, not only from a game on the same wall, but in the same way, while looking for an inexpensive version of another game. With Hydlide I was trolling for a RPG experience. This time - the first time - I was looking for something with some action and adventure in it (an action/adventure game, if you will). But I guess there is no point in delaying, as you have already read the title of the article as well as seen the picture above. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you a tale of disappointment and discovery; Budget Wall Chronicles - King's Knight.
We all know the feeling. You find a great deal on a retro game system and discover that it doesn't have the power supply. Before checking ebay or heading to a local electronics store check your collection. You might be surprised to know that you may already own a compatible adapter.
The Sega MK-1602 power supply works nicely with many retro consoles such as:
Ah, video games. I love em. Love playing them and collecting them. I think that is obvious considering where this is being posted. I love watching my kids playing and seeing their eyes light up when they discover a new one.
But, what I don't get is how defensive and combative people get when you do not prefer the same gaming platform that they do. You are labeled a fanboy (I HATE that word.) No matter how right you are, you're wrong. Such is the way of the Internet. Listen, you're entitled to your opinion just as much as I am.
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.
