If you are familiar with the series and/or love platformers than this is probably not the game for you...
[img width=560 height=315]http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q677/izret102/WP_20150825_001_zpsmaufa1er.jpg[/img]
Image quality may reflect my over all opinion...
Giana Sisters: Dream Runners is essentially a racing platformer with power ups. You and up to three friends* (or bots) can race on nine different stages and have access to nine different power ups. Along the way, you have to dodge traps, a handful of enemies and the attacks from the other racers.
(*I specify friends because the online community appears to be completely dead already, on the XBox One at least, despite having released only a few weeks ago.)
Continue reading Giana Sisters: Dream Runners Review
[img width=320 height=319]http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/4/9/4/46494_front.jpg[/img]
Image shamelessly linked from Game FAQs.
Flying lizards, giant bugs, robots, and dragons as
enemies? Count me in! Wait, what's with the nails?
The mid-late 1980's, and early 1990's were a magical time. Forget Iran-Contra, forget Black Friday, forget the rampant materialism of the Baby Boomer generation, forget "yuppies", and forget the Gulf War. During that period of time, we had Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Karate Kid, G.I. Joe and Transformers, Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!, and so much more. And we had video games. If you're reading this, you're likely either from my generation, and have fond memories of the 80's and early 90's, or you're experiencing them for the first time, something I often wish I could do, as I approach 40 years of age. For those in the latter camp, I envy you.
Continue reading Nail 'n Scale, 1992
So as some of you might know I have actively been pursuing the complete North American N64 Collection all with the original boxes and manuals. I started the journey with 12 games complete in box back as of February of 2013. Surprisingly Facebook just reminded me of a photo I shared two years ago of my N64 collection sitting at 214 by August of 2013. So I was on a roll, the games were coming in at a rapid rate and I was under the impression I might of been able to finish the set by the end of the year.
Fast forward to August 2015 and I have now completed the set. Two in a half years from the point of when I started. Surprisingly the games started getting more and more difficult to come by, especially in the condition I wanted them in. But thankfully that did not deter me from completing the set. So I present you the Complete North American N64 Collection.
It is a little late now but I want to apologize for making this blog so photo heavy. But more are coming along side a few YouTube videos I made in regards to the set.
So I wanted to add some additional photos of the set but I did not want to just focus on the expensive titles because that is overkill. So I decided I was going to show off some of the fun titles for the system but then realized that I would be here all day taking photos. So as of Novemeber 4th 2014 which is the last time I made a blog in regards to the set I posted the last 9 games I was on the hunt for. So I decided lets go over some of the games that has caused me trouble finishing the set. Some of these games are just downright hard to find while others are actually pretty common but hard to find in decent shape. Most of them I actually ended up purchasing factory sealed for condition purposes.
Hercules has a sticker on it but it is on the outside of the factory seal
All three of these games are factory sealed with ISS pretty much breaking the bank due to it being the English text version which is a lot harder to come by then the one with spanish text.
Then Finally these last three with both Turok 3 Shadow of Oblivion and TopGear Hyper bike being factory sealed. But by far the biggest struggle for me on the system was getting Stunt Racer. Very rarely does it show up in mint condition and even mine has slight flaws like a slight crease on the box sadly.
Upon completing the set I made a few videos in regards to it on my YouTube channel. The channel is not big by any means but it is a fun way to talk about games to a big audience. The first video is of me just talking about completing the set with games and boxes. The second video is of me actually going down the line and picking out titles here and there. There is a handful of titles I skipped over like Turok which I have no clue why but it is still fun for the titles I do talk about.
So where to next? This is a question I have been asked a lot but I honestly do not have a solid answer. I kind of have my hands in a lot of different things at the moment but I have been picking up some stuff as it comes along. Still not sure if I am going to attempt to complete the set of any of them however.
Recently I made my first Big Box variant purchase. With the purchase of a factory sealed DK Plush Pre order item from Target. It is not a actual game but I am considering going on the hunt for some of the Big box variants and other variants the system offers like the Gauntlet legends variant with the little figure.
I have also started the hunt for some of the complete in box N64 consoles as I come across them. I am far from finishing the set but I am also not in a rush to due so.
Then finally I have started on the Japanese exclusive N64 games. This is something I did not consider in the past however I am no longer living in Italy and I am now living in Japan so it is a no brainer to grab these as I come across them. I am only currently going for the complete in box games and I have not decided if I am actually going to collect the complete set. Once I move from Japan in a few years if I am near the complete set then I might pursue ebay and get the rest. I honestly do not know anything about the Japanese N64 market. Hopefully there is not any games that are demanding hundreds of dollars which could deter me from finishing the set.
But with that said thanks for sticking around and reading up until this point. It has been a long and fun journey but I am happy it is over. I am also pretty happy I could document it all on this wonderful site and share it with all of you. Thanks again for following along.
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Posted on Aug 27th 2015 at 12:00:00 PM by ( SirPsycho) Posted under music, tri ace, tri crescendo, monolith soft, star ocean, nintendo, mario, golf, tennis, golden sun, eternal sonata, valkyrie p |
Early in tri-Crescendo's existence, the company looked to expand its portfolio beyond audio work for tri-Ace games. These plans included Sakuraba being the main composer. The company struck a deal with another young development house called Monolith Soft, and the two worked to co-develop Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean for Nintendo's Gamecube in 2003. A prequel followed, Baten Kaitos Origins, in 2006. Eternal Sonata came the following year for the Xbox 360, and also to Playstation 3 a year later. tri-Ace also developed and released an all new game, Infinite Undiscovery for Xbox 360.
Continue reading Composer Compendium: Motoi Sakuraba Part 3: All Over Japan
Everyone has something to hide. Sometimes it is just more obvious than others...
Enter Octodad!
[img width=482 height=360]http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q677/izret102/Octodad%20title%20screen_zpsga6144k9.jpg[/img]
Octodad is pretty straight forward game. You are a husband/father who goes about his day completing tasks like any other husband/father would. Such activities include grilling, grocery shopping, taking care of yard work, and spending time with your kids. These simple tasks turn into a comedic struggle when you have no bones.... For example, imagine flailing about the house and sloshing milk everywhere while pouring your daughter a glass.
Continue reading Octodad: Dadliest Catch Xbox One Review
If you are familiar with the series and/or love platformers than this is probably not the game for you...
[img width=560 height=315]http://i1353.photobucket.com/albums/q677/izret102/WP_20150825_001_zpsmaufa1er.jpg[/img]
Image quality may reflect my over all opinion...
Giana Sisters: Dream Runners is essentially a racing platformer with power ups. You and up to 3 friends (or bots) can race on 9 different stages and have access to 9 different power ups. Along the way you have to dodge traps, a handful of enemies and the attacks from each other. I specify friends because the online community appears to be completely dead already, on the One at least, despite having released roughly a week ago.
Each stage is unique but all are just large loops typical of a racing game. The power ups are also reminiscent of those found in kart racers. Most of them stun or slow other racers in the same manner. So while 9 power ups sounds like a decent number there isn't much real variance.
Little gem charge pad areas are strewn about each track and running through them fills up a meter that allow you to use a speed boost. While not exactly the same my first thought was of F-Zero...
In order to win you must platform your way through the stage faster than anyone else. When someone falls off screen they are eliminated. Once eliminated you get to watch everyone else play until there is one person left. Then do it again and again and likely again..... until one person has one three times.
While there is not a timer on screen the game does apparently keep track of how long you have been making your loops. Eventually an instant elimination timer will appear on screen. After the 30 seconds are up whoever is in first place gets one win. On the plus side this helps eliminate the monotony since after playing each level a time or two you will likely have no issues keeping pace.
Unless you are an achievement or trophy hunter I'd suggest a pass. There is little replay value and all achievements/trophies can be unlocked with little effort in under an hour. Maybe a full hour if you are unlucky with the power ups.
Giana Sisters: Dream Runners is currently available for PC, PS4 and Xbox One with a $9.99 price tag.
Here's a little story about my first foray into video editing. I was noticing that nobody had watched any of my Youtube videos related to gaming, which essentially were uncut broadcasts from twitch. I realized that this simply will not do, and so last night I set about editing my most recent broadcast into a highlight reel.
To begin with, I should have paid more attention to the fact that Youtube has a video editor right through your account. I did not know this until after I was uploading the video. At any rate, I found a decent video editor online that was relatively cheap. I was going to use Movie Maker, but it wants nothing to do with .flv files.
I then go about editing my video, and I realize pretty quickly that I know absolutely nothing about what I'm doing. I add the video as a resource, OK, then put it into the "story" section. I started to figure out more and more while literally just trying to cut out the parts of the video I felt were not very entertaining. Meanwhile I didn't realize it, but I had actually made some slowdown effects, and a remix effect at a couple random points in the video. I left them in because I sort of find them amusing, and furthermore because I have no idea how to "undo" it.
The video is now up on my Youtube channel, obviously as time goes on, I will get better at it, but it was my first try, and somehow a couple of neat effects happened without me trying. Please check it out, and comments are welcome here and/or on the comments section on Youtube.
[img width=700 height=537]http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/RFGen%20Blog/2240AAC1-0CD7-49F0-B3DF-9685FEC07189_zpsaokoyqbp.jpg[/img]
The hook brings you ba-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.
One of the things I love most about RF Generation is the great diversity of members that I get to converse with on our forums. Our members vary in gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, social beliefs, and especially in their game system/developer preference. Even so, our community has always been the kind where difference of opinion is accepted and embraced, and is even used as a means for looking at video gaming in general in a different light. As an older member of the site, I've always felt right at home reminiscing about classics with the rest of the "geezers" (like Duke, who is much older than me) and having great conversations with younger members regarding their gaming history. Though many of us differ in age, there is one thing that many of us have in common.......kids.
At this point in my life, I have two young kids, ages four (a boy) and seven (a girl). Like some of you, I've always had this dream of sharing my collection with my kids and playing alongside them through the same games I grew up on. Though some of you may not be at this point in your lives yet, but may be considering having kids, you've probably at least had the same thought at some point. I'm by no means the perfect parent, and when it comes to getting my kids involved in gaming, I've had my share of failures and successes. However, my kids have really gotten into gaming recently and are begging me every night to go up to the gameroom. Honestly, it's f@*king awesome! So, in the course of coming up with an article for the front page, I decided that reflecting on what methods in getting my kids interested in gaming worked for me, as well as what I could have done better to peak their interest, might be a good topic. Below are a few observations that may be helpful if you want to get your kids to enjoy gaming:
Continue reading What to Expect, When You're Expecting Your Kids to Be Gamers
[img width=481 height=297]http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/bombatomba77/MURI_title_zpstgxu1i7r.jpg[/img]
Almost everyone likes platformers. I literally walked around my work and asked a bunch of my fellow employees if they liked platforming games, and those that did not react with a blank stare gave a, "Yes," "Oh, yeah," or "Yep." One guy also liked them, but only after I described what a platformer was. He then proceeded to regal me with tales of his Atari 800XL, which he drags out of storage every few years to play Frogger and Jumpman with his wife. Everyone else I spoke to talked about Super Mario Brothers, Sonic, and even the platforming sections of Contra.
This article isn't about any of those games.
Continue reading MURI - Indie Retro Goodness
[img width=700 height=395]https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/10461959_754083417985670_6956359912016280047_n.jpg?oh=0873a75dda3e3b346d5e53da08eb7ad2&oe=5672D036[/img]
So THIS is how you capture a bunch of gamers in a giant net. Photo from the official CCAG Facebook page.
If there is anything that annually rejuvenates my enjoyment of video games beyond our little basement 'o fun, it's Cleveland's own 'Classic Console and Arcade Game Show'. Sure, CORGS (a similar event in Columbus, Ohio) is awesome in its own right, but my beloved and I have been CCAGing for almost a decade, and there's still a sort of homegrown friendliness to the show that just resonates with us. Maybe it's the vendors, many of whom immediately recognize us every year with a happy wave and plenty of stories to exchange. Or the atmosphere, which is more laid back, friendly, and trusting than most larger conventions. Perhaps its the incredible deals, such as the CIB Aquarius (practically sealed) a friend picked up for $25, or the complete Wii system with Motion Plus that another friend nabbed for $11. It could also be the fascinating creativity some folks display, be it mods, custom arcade cabs, or handmade gaming items.
Continue reading CCAG 2015, as reviewed by a giddy fanboy
So, this week the broadcast went very well. I am really happy with how it came out with the exception of my fan blowing on the mic every once in awhile while it was oscillating. It isn't that big a deal, and kind of makes me laugh. We were able to broadcast on time, pretty much, and we played Mortal Kombat for Genesis and Sega CD.
We were going to play Balls the directors cut for 3do as suggested by nupoile, however, the 3do doesn't seem to want to send the composite signal to my capture box. Go figure, the console with no region locking, or game protections whatsoever, has a video signal capture block. So, my buddy picked out Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. We did a blind coin flip and ended up with Mortal Kombat.
Since I have Mortal Kombat for Genesis and Sega CD, we played on both, starting with Genesis, and switching to Sega CD about half way through. I had a blast playing one of my favorite fighting games of my childhood.
Cartridge Plus Calligraphy
Cartigraphy is my chronicling of the artifacts and messages that I've found on cartridges as I expand my collection. These defects, scars, and markings give the games a sense of history. Some of the items in my collection are 30-40 years old. They've "lived" as long as I have. They have stories. Imperfections are a glimpse into the world around the game, and I would like to share those glimpses with you.
Subject 2
Little Nemo: The Dream Master (NES, 1990)
"[up arrow] S [left arrow] [right arrow] A A B
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/Wns78pc.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/Y5iJA8a.jpg[/img]
If you would like to comment or share your own pieces of Cartigraphy, join the discussion thread here: http://www.rfgeneration.c...x.php?topic=15773.new#new
Episode 34 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...rum/index.php?topic=15905
We're back with more of your questions! You've come up with some fantastic ones this time, and we're excited to dig in. We also catch up on Bil's arcade and preparations for RetroWorld Expo.
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Show Notes
Music: Final Fantasy V (SFC)
Q & A - 9:57
Topic - 1:24:29
Outro - 2:41:14
I don't know about all of you guys, but now that I have been collecting for a little while and have the "basics" covered as far as consoles go (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, Dreamcast, PS1 I consider to be the bare essentials for consoles when collecting) and a little bit beyond that, I am starting to contemplate which console will be next.
The consoles I am considering (drooling over) are as follows in no particular order:
Sega Master system
Neo Geo CDZ (CD if I can't find a CDZ) - I would go for an AES but I'm not Bill Gates
Colecovision
Atari 7800
Jaguar CD - I know not technically a console
Does anyone have a suggestion in terms of which one I should snag next? My guess is the SMS is the cheapest option with most likely the largest library of cheap games. I am also guessing that the Jaguar CD is the worst value considering the cost of the unit, and the small library of games for it. I am just trying to decide without the eenie, meenie, miney, moe method of choosing.
Also note that I probably won't be getting any of the above consoles very soon, so please feel free to really take your time before giving a recommendation :-)
Looking forward to the input!
[img width=700 height=525]http://i.imgur.com/hiEKVm3.jpg[/img]
When dealing with arcade monitors, there are a few relatively easy things that you can do to improve the visual quality and prevent a potential monitor catastrophe. I'll take you through a few easy fixes and show you one or two that require a little more experience.
Continue reading Arcade Monitor Repair: Flyback, Cap Kit, and Rejuve
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