So you've been operating your retro game store for a few months now and things are going better than you could have hoped. Customers are happy, new stock is getting traded in on a regular basis, bank account is moving in the right direction. Nothing can bring you down. Cue Bylaw Enforcement Officer..........
Continue reading Blog Quest: Getting Political - Part I
[img width=700 height=437]http://i.imgur.com/NOjTCIQ.jpg[/img]
It has been a long time in the making but I can finally announce the news that I have been teasing on the Collectorcast:
The RetroWorld Expo will be held on October 3rd, 2015 at The Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, CT
It feels good to finally say that out loud. We made the announcement at the RetroWare TV panel at Magfest and now we are spreading the news to the rest of the world. Tickets will go on sale very soon.. I'm happy to announce RFGeneration.com as a primary sponsor of the RetroWorld Expo. The other 2 primary sponsors are RetroWareTV and Retro Games Plus.
Continue reading The RetroWorld Expo
[img width=610 height=343]http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/RFGen%20Blog/hello_my_name_is_zps8fc85c65.jpg[/img]
It's been a while since we've had a "People of RF Generation" blog. Actually, it's been a really long time since these posts have gone up. That's why I'd like to breathe some new life into this fun series and let members know a little bit more about the people in our community.
I thought this month would be the perfect opportunity for us to get to know the newest member of the Community Playthrough team, Disposed Hero. So, without further ado, let's get to know more about this gentleman.
Continue reading People of RF Generation: Disposed Hero
[img width=624 height=550]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-182/bf/U-182-S-02190-A.jpg[/img]
It's finally time for me to review a Zelda game! This is far from the first game I've played in the series, that honor goes to Oracle of Ages on the Game Boy Color. I played the Game Boy Advance port of the predecessor of this game, A Link to the Past on my handheld. I loved it and now own the original Super Nintendo release, and still have my original boxes for Oracle of Ages, GBA Link to the Past, and the Minish Cap. Since I went so long without a home Nintendo console, it was only recently that I picked those up. A Link Between Worlds is the most recent original game in the long running series and was released in 2013 for the Nintendo's 3DS. It uses the world design and map of A Link to the Past as a base, and weaves a new tale in a familiar world.
Continue reading Psychotic Reviews: Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
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Posted on Jan 25th 2015 at 05:00:00 AM by ( noiseredux) Posted under PC |
[img width=552 height=367]http://www.troll.me/images/first-world-problems-ii/steam-wishlist-sale.jpg[/img]
While 2014 was a great year for new games, it was also a great year for old games. As a PC gamer it's been great seeing all the retro love making its way onto my platform of choice recently. In fact, we've seen so many games of yesteryear re-emerge on Steam, GOG and the likes, that it's almost been tough to keep track of them all. But as much as I've made the conversion over to pretty exclusively gaming on PC, there's still plenty of console games out there that never made it to PC. I could easily list hundreds of games I'd love to see brought over to PC. Heck, my secret fantasy is that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft would all take a cue from Sega and just become software developers so that all games were on the same platform. But that sort of wishful thinking is borderline fan-fiction, so instead I'd like talk about console games that I'd like to see ported to PC because these games would specifically benefit from the platform itself.
Read on for an utterly biased wish list for 2015...
Continue reading PC Gaming Wish List, 2015
Episode 29 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...rum/index.php?topic=14997
What better way to kick off the new year than to take a look at the last one? Crabby returns to help us run down our personal top 5 games that we played in 2014. You'll hear a wide variety of favorites in this show, with only one game making it to two of our lists. Will one of your favorites make it? Be sure to listen to find out. As always our Q&A section provides some quick digression, and we appreciate them all. Thanks for listening!
Get the show at http://www.collectorcast.com
Follow the Collectorcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Collectorcast
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Collectorcast
On Stitcher (enter Promo Code RFGeneration): http://www.stitcher.com/RFGeneration
On iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/u...collectorcast/id524246060
On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/Collectorcast
Show Notes
Music: Ninja Gaiden III - The Ancient Ship of Doom (NES)
Off The Charts Special Offer: 46:01
Topic: 48:26
Outro: 2:51:54
[img width=610 height=343]http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o736/Fleach/LttP999_zps73bbb73d.jpg[/img]
After starting 2015 off with a *BANG*, prepare yourself for the load of action and drama, that the RF Generation Playthrough Group has in store for you in February.
For the February Retro Playthrough, we return to the land of Hyrule in the timeless classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the SNES. In this prequel to the original two Zelda games on the NES, take control of Link as he embarks on an epic adventure to once again save Princess Zelda and restore peace to Hyrule. Join us for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and experience what is commonly regarded as one of the greatest games of all time.
Retro discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=14980.0
Over on the modern side we will be choosing our own fates with a visual novel for the Nintendo DS. In 999: Nine Persons, Nine Hours, Nine Doors you find yourself aboard a sinking cruise ship with eight strangers. The only path to freedom is found after finishing a series of puzzles. The branching story line and six unique endings will have you replaying until you find the right answers to the "Nonary Game."
Modern discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=14978.0
If you think you have what it takes to save the Hyrule kingdom or escape the sinking ship alive join us in February's Community Playthrough.
[img width=500 height=275]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-018/gs/U-018-S-01991-A.jpg[/img]
Forbidden Forest is an action-horror game created by Paul Norman for Cosmi Corporation and released for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit in 1983, and re-released for the PC in 2000. I think all versions bear mentioning, however for the scope of this review, I would like to focus solely on the C64 version, as this is the only version I've played. Not exactly a landmark title, but nonetheless, Forbidden Forest is a game of note, if not for its interesting gameplay, then for the excellent aural experience. While SID chip-flavored tunes on the C64 have always had a strong following (with good reason), the excellent music tracks for Forbidden Forest are an excellent early example of why they are popular. The game could have simply been titled, "Forest" and as long as this music played during the title, it would convey the same meaning: There are some bad things waiting for you in this forest.
Continue reading Forbidden Forest at a Glance
I always loved Adventure Island and its sequels as a kid, it blew my mind to find out that it actually originated as Wonder Boy. So how does Wonder Boy for the Sega Master System compare to Adventure Island for the NES?
[img width=610 height=343]http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o736/Fleach/majmask_zpsf1d889e4.jpg[/img]
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask strayed from well-established game elements. It was darker, creepier, and more foreboding. Imminent danger was always staring down upon young Link, which created a sense of finality; and the clock ticked away the hours to remind players of the urgency of their adventure. The game was fantastic and now we can play it in glorious (or not) updated stereoscopic graphics.
Continue reading Pre-Order Pandemonium
[img width=550 height=771]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-132/bf/U-132-S-08840-A.jpg[/img]
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was the last LoZ Title released for the Nintendo Wii in 2011, and I love it! Utilizing the MotionPlus Accessory, whichever way you move your right hand, Link's hand (with the Sword equipped) will move the same way. Granted, there are a few flaws with this game, but they are mostly minor, and shouldn't hinder your enjoyment of the game. At least, they didn't bother me at all. It's worth mentioning that Link's helper is more annoying than Navi from Ocarina of Time though, so be prepared for that.
[img width=550 height=564]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-069/bf/U-069-S-01820-A.jpg[/img]
More LoZ? Yep! The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons was released for the Game Boy Color in 2001, alongside it's twin, Oracle of Ages. Personally, I enjoy Oracle of Seasons so much more, as I'm not too fond of the Time Travelling mechanic in Oracle of Ages. This game, as a 2D Zelda, ranks really high up on my list of great Game Boy Color games, and I personally believe everyone who likes LoZ Titles should try it at least once. Unfortunately, if you want the full experience, you have to complete Oracle of Ages too, so it's best to just get that one out of the way first.
[img width=460 height=215]http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/225140/header.jpg?t=1418307456[/img]
"Hail to the King, baby!" Duke Nukem 3D Megaton Edition is a remake of Duke Nukem 3D for the PC, except I've been playing the Vita Version on my PlayStation TV. I honestly didn't think the game could get much better after playing it on the Xbox 360 a few years ago, but it did. More levels = more fun! However, there is some minor slowdown from time to time, and a few graphical glitches, but they did not hinder my enjoyment of this game at all! If you enjoy older FPS Games that are challenging, even on Easy Mode, this is for you!
Well, that's it for now. More Gaming Adventures coming soon!
[img width=459 height=577]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-131/ms/U-131-S-05240-A.jpg[/img]
Hyperdimension Neptunia is a turn based RPG developed by Idea Factory, Compile Heart to be specific. It was published by all kinds of different companies depending on where you live, Compile Heart in Japan, NIS America in North America, and Tecmo Koei in Europe. It has spawned sequels and a plethora of extra media in Japan. It was remade for the Vita with the epithet Re;Birth 1. Once again, the Japanese start messing around with our punctuation and grammar.
Continue reading Psychotic Reviews: Hyperdimension Neptunia
Suffice to say, even those who don't game online likely hoped for coal in the stockings of the grinches that took down XBox Live and PSN over Christmas of 2014. The DDoS attack created an outage that lasted a few days and kept owners of Sony and Microsoft's consoles from playing online, buying digital games and even locked out many single player experiences that required some online verification.
It's easy for us retro enthusiasts to roll our eyes, straighten our bifocals, and shake our canes as we brag about the obvious advantage of older consoles that weren't affected in the least. That doesn't change things for the many gaming youths who had just acquired a new toy and were unable to use it during their vacation time, or we older gamers who looked forward to unwinding through the holiday bustle by nabbing a few flags or finally getting in a raid.
We can prattle on about the obvious flaws of online-required gameplay and the lack of security and bandwidth in multi-billion dollar companies, or how it was a good thing that little Jimmy actually had to engage with the relatives instead of being glued to that headset, or how I assumed I was finished with Destiny and Plants Versus Zombies: Garden Warfare until forced withdrawal made the cravings start up again.
[img width=570 height=385]https://img1.etsystatic.com/047/0/9936779/il_570xN.665166965_48rw.jpg[/img]
In Bungie's defense, this offline multiplayer version of Destiny does have universal group chat. (Found these at https://www.etsy.com/list...ng?ref=shop_home_active_4)
Continue reading Gaming Unplugged
ZAGNORCH PRODUCTIONS INC., LLC
PRESENTS
2015
A NEW YEAR'S THRIFTING ODYSSEY
Greetings from Terra!
My adventure began when I saw this notice on the front door of the local Goodwill around mid-December:
[img width=438 height=583]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/GWSale_zpsa7c261d4.jpg[/img]
Needless to say, my plans to just goof off and kick back on New Year's Day went right out the window. Instead, I embarked on one of my patented cross-county thrift runs. With over a dozen Goodwills within a half-hour drive from home, I figured I'd find more than a few things of interest. When the first day of 2015 was in the books, I'd logged a twelve-hour trip, driven over a hundred miles, and filled eleven blue cases with some pretty awesome swag.
[img width=700 height=439]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/NewYear15a_zps4a1a86e1.jpg[/img]
[img width=562 height=487]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/NewYr15b_zps284888ed.jpg[/img]
First stop: the Almaden/Foxworthy Goodwill. Although its asking prices for games and hardware are rarely reasonable, it does get in a few interesting things from time to time that I'm willing to pay a little extra for...
[img width=603 height=536]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Newyr15c_zps3a8f7ec0.jpg[/img]
...like these CIB Asia-region PSP games (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Rengou vs. Z.A.F.T. Portable, Tenchu 4, and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G) that set me back $5.99 $4.43 each.
Then it was on to the Blossom Hill/Snell location. It hadn't had much of... well, anything since it was remodeled a few months back. Today, however, was a different story...
[img width=700 height=288]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15ea_zps2786e398.jpg[/img]
[img width=595 height=520]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/Newyr15eb_zpsab011895.jpg[/img]
...a not-quite-CIB Piano Discovery System for PC for $19.99 $9.80. All I need is a connector cable... and DOS Box... and probably a few adapters... and I'll be all set to rockit with John Herbie Hancock! While this pickup isn't all that... miraculous... at least it doesn't need a foot pedal.
[img width=110 height=97]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/ScaredDuke_zps9cc078b5.jpg[/img] 
BTW it wasn't until I was home that I discovered that it bore another price tag neither I nor the cashier had noticed:
[img width=700 height=359]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15ec_zps99c96ffc.jpg[/img]
You know what they say: never attempt to correct an error in your favor. Anyhoo, also found at the same location, setting me back $4.99 $3.72:
[img width=607 height=535]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15d_zps243bc377.jpg[/img]
The adventure continued at the Capitol/Silver Creek store, where I found this for $4.99 $3.72:
[img width=564 height=533]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15f_zps146b0624.jpg[/img]
And then I hit the one-oh-one and headed south to the Mecca of Garlic. There was nothing of note at the Gilroy Goodwill, but the Salvation Army store across town was a slightly different story:
[img width=595 height=522]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15h_zpsf4b5f1e4.jpg[/img]
An original-release CIB Ratchet Deadlocked for $3.50 to replace my Greatest Hits copy, and...
[img width=700 height=475]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15g_zpsff484ed5.jpg[/img]
...a CIB Saitek Kasparov Cougar chess computer for $19.99.
I then drove a few miles up the road and hit the outlet mall, where I found...
[img width=700 height=463]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15m_zpse781643f.jpg[/img]
...a CIB pair New Balance 510 trail-walker shoes to replace my well-worn 605s. And what better way to break in a pair of trail-walker shoes than to hit the local hiking trails for a couple hours?
[img width=700 height=343]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/gilhike1-1-2015pano_zps69f39408.jpg?t=1420236340[/img]
Always insist on 100% natural lens flare! J.J. Abrams eat your heart out!
With some daylight to spare, I headed northward, eventually making it to the Cupertino store, where I grabbed:
[img width=585 height=544]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15i_zps717fa89d.jpg[/img]
Then it was the Mountain View Goodwill's turn, which yielded...
[img width=630 height=535]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15ja_zps397b89b0.jpg[/img]
I gave the Empire Strikes Back mini lunchbox tin to someone I knew would get a kick out of it:
[img width=426 height=522]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15jb_zpsb81e80ea.jpg[/img]
Oah! Appreciative of this gift I am! Very much thank you! Mmm-hmm-hmm, yes!
Up next was Sunnyvale, the original hometown of Atari, and the first Goodwill store I ever set foot in. This particular stop only yielded...
[img width=663 height=523]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15ka_zps94934123.jpg[/img]
...a CIB copy of Descent Freespace: Silent Threat for just $1.24? Now we're talkin'. But wait, what's this disclaimer on the package?
[img width=461 height=233]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15kb_zps79b8e553.jpg[/img]
Aw, maaaan... it's just an expansion? Well, that totally blows. Eon knows how many long hours I'll have to spend to find the main game that goes with--
[img width=568 height=475]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15kc_zpsf9d4a481.jpg[/img]
Oh wait, there it is; just had to flip the box over is all. Okay, never mind.
The final stop of the day would be the Palo Alto Goodwill. Located in "the birthplace of Silicon Valley," this store has yielded many of my greatest vidya scores over the last few years. This is where I found my first Miracle Piano, my Atari 2600 Jr., my first near-CIB Dreamcast, and countless games and portable consoles. Its constant supply of the good stuff, friendly and helpful staff, and close proximity to my workplace has kept me coming back on a very regular basis. Culminating my New Year's thrifting odyssey here seemed to make all the sense in the world. And yet... it could very well have been the worst time to have come. For one thing, the place had been open for business all day, and the sun had set two hours earlier. If there had been anything there at the start of the day that I would have been interested in, surely it would have long since been sold and out the door? Undaunted, I ventured inside.
A bad omen appeared right away: the electronics showcase couldn't be unlocked because someone had misplaced the key. Inside that case, mocking me in deafening silence, was a CIB copy of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. Oh, the horror. What kind of loving God would allow this to happen, I lamented. Adding insult to injury, one of the clerks said he was sure he saw a copy of Twilight Princess for Game Cube somewhere in there. That's when I realized that there is no God.
Theological dilemmas notwithstanding, I looked around the place, hoping to find something worthy of purchase. After several minutes of fruitless searching, I conceded defeat, and headed for the exit. I was just about to open the door when I took a quick look at the front-end display case... and caught a glimpse of something. My curiosity piqued, I took a closer look, and grinned from ear to ear when I realized that I'd discovered...
[img width=560 height=483]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15la_zps5adf7f41.jpg[/img]
...a loose limited-edition Fire Emblem Awakening 3DS with Pokemon X card? Aw hellz yeah! Now I know what you're asking yourself right now... and here's the answer:
[img width=614 height=523]http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y409/Zagnorch/newyr15lb_zps5bd8ddd0.jpg[/img]
($11.19 after discount)
If that isn't the greatest capper ever to an amazing thrift crawl, then I don't know what is. And if the first day of 2015 is any indication, it's gonna be
The BEST YEAR EVAR!!!11one1one1!!!1one!1!!!!
I can hardly wait to see what I'll bump into next. And I bet you can hardly wait, either. Worry not, for I'll keep you in he loop.
Until next time...
...'Late
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Posted on Jan 3rd 2015 at 05:19:25 AM by ( noiseredux) Posted under PC |
[img width=700 height=393]http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/81379041814729752/12BC476ACA162A61A0ED8B6E6E23BDFE3A4F9A61/[/img]
Whenever I compile a year-end list like this one, I feel the need to run with the same sort of disclosure. That is to say that really these aren't the games that I'm announcing as being "The Best" of the year, but rather the games that I enjoyed the most. There may be games on this list that I think are technically worse than games I left off of here. And though I do try to play every game that truly interests me each year, it's hard to keep up. Not to mention, there are the ones that slip through your fingers. There's always a chance that come January, I'll discover a game released the previous year that I end up loving, though I had no idea it would interest me at all. At the end of the day, I've got to make this my honest list of what I really had the most fun playing this year. So here we go...
(WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead!)
Continue reading noiseredux's Top 10 Games of 2014
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