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[img width=425 height=308]http://notaniche.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/thanks-a-ton-ad.jpg[/img]
This past month, we saw a bit of a drop in submissions from 3,795 in July to 1,698 in August. With end of summer vacations and school starting back up and many gamers trying to put in some quality time on the sticks before they have to return, it's certainly to be expected. We would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your submissions and the time that some of you put into approving these submissions to make our site a better community for gamers and collectors. Out of the 1,698 submissions, 1,627 involved games, while the remaining 71 were hardware. Just over half of those submissions (853) were images.
The top submitters for the month of August, with over 100 submissions, were:
raffa1985 - 432
Tynstar - 254
Shadow Kisuragi - 174
NES_Rules - 163
Sirgin - 149
BoxInTheBack - 104
I would like to point out that raffa1985 and BoxInTheBack are two of our newest members at RFGen (both since April of 2011) and kudos go out to them for jumping in quickly and making a great impact to our site.
The top approvers for the month of August include Shadow Kisuragi (723), who took over the lead from ApolloBoy from July, ApolloBoy (187) and NES_Rules (109).
Again, thank you to all who submitted information to our database. Let's keep those submissions coming throughout September!
We hit the summer post-E3 lull and it luckily gave us a good excuse to be late... We'll cover some gaming news along with our Gaming Shout Outs before hitting our Top 5.
0:00 - Intro
2:00 - What's New on Channel 3?
4:27 - Gaming News
26:42 - Game Review: Catherine
42:20 - Game Shout Out!
55:40 - Top 5 Reasons Catherine is Already Game of the Year
56:33 - Outro
As always, you can comment in the forums, comment in this blog post, e-mail us, and even call us. We hope to be able to take your quick questions over any subject via e-mail at podcast@rfgeneration.com. You can also call us and leave a message! We can play your question or comment in the episode and we'll even respond to it! That number is (318) RFG-TIP5 or (318) 734-8475.
Download the podcast at http://rfgeneration.podomatic.com or on iTunes!
[img width=300 height=400]http://www.theoldcomputer.com/game-box-art-covers/Atari/2600/Box-Scans/f/Frankenstein%27s%20Monster%20%281983%29%20%28Data%20Age%29.jpg[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Frankenstein's Monster
Year: 1983
Publisher: Data Age, Inc.
Developer: Data Age, Inc.
Designer(s)/Programmer(s): unknown
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 5 = Rare
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 to 2 players (turn based)
Average Cost: approx. $10 - $25 loose depending on condition
Also Available On: exclusive to the Atari 2600
Tagline: "In the cold dark night you make your way through the ghoulish castle of Dr. Frankenstein. There you must prevent him from his completing his creation. Your only chance is to gather stones from the dungeon and bring them to the tower where you must build a barricade around FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER before he has accumulated enough energy to come alive. To succeed you will have to move fast, avoiding poisonous spiders, vampire bats, and terrifying ghosts. Complete the job and the village will be safe forever."
Continue reading Frankenstein's Monster
So, July is over. For those of you in the US, let's hope that means the heat is going to subside. Things were HOT. No, not just outside, but here as well! You guys made 3795 submissions! That's a hell of a lot! Of those, we added over 1100 images! You guys were blazing in the realm of submissions and it showed!
So, who submitted the most this month? That distinction goes to Izret101! He submitted 1095 things, most of which were probably in a secret project that I have already spoken too much of. Of course, plenty of other people submitted as well. y2ritchie, ApolloBoy, Shadow Kisuragi, raffa1985, NES_Rules, Marriott_Guy, and Box In the Back all submitted over 100 things! Great work you guys. Of course, they were not the only people who submitted things, and we thank everyone for the submissions they made.
Of course, someone has to review this stuff, and our DB Reviewers do an excellent job doing so. This month, ApolloBoy approved the most submissions; and Shadow Kisuragi was just behind him. Thanks to all staff members for approving the submissions! You guys keep the site going!
Thanks to you all for your submissions and approvals. RF Generation grows stronger with each submission! Here's hoping for a great August!
[img width=490 height=318]http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk189/Crabmaster2000/CCF08102011_00005.jpg[/img]
Continue reading Over 2 Decades of Gaming
 Most of you know there are several weird tricks in Super Mario Bros. One of the most famous of these is the Minus World. Did you ever wonder how to get there? I did, back in 1988. How does someone who knows of the Minus World but not how to get there figure out this trick? Write Nintendo Power of course!
In what must have been April of '88 my dad showed the family a newspaper article that changed my life. Well, maybe it wasn't really such a life altering event, but it did start me on the hobby of video games. The Oregonian (newspaper) ran a nearly full page article on Super Mario Bros. and the NES. It was bold and colorful, showing something unknown in my household, a home videogame system. I read and reread the article absorbing everything; the colorful screenshots, the promise of excitement, and the few tricks. Then my dad announced the best part of all, we were getting one!
At that time my only contact with video games was the occasional dollar in quarters my parents would give me for the few arcade machines in the local pizza place, so this was pretty exciting.
As it turned out, this was going to be a lesson in patience. My dad went to the only place in our small town to buy the NES, the local Sears. It was sold out. We'd have to order it. A horrible thing to do to a kid, to make them learn what "on backorder" means on something so awesome as Mario! Before I was putting this together I would have said we had to wait 6 months for this "backorder" thing, turns out, now that I look at the dates, it was probably more like 6 weeks.
 I remember the wait as vividly as anything in my life. In that time the only Nintendo thing of substance in my possession was that newspaper article. Read, reread, study pictures, reread, think about, wait, reread, study.... The thing that most stood out was this fabled "Minus World", I couldn't wait to get there.
Finally the day arrived. It was as totally cool as I expected, running, jumping, waving the controller like it was a Wiimote...awesomness incarnate. But where was this Minus World? I guess I thought it would be in the instructions or explained in the game or be obvious in some other way. We had only gotten the most basic system, we didn't even have Duck Hunt, just Super Mario. To me the NES WAS Super Mario.
Shortly afterward, to our surprise, something called "Nintendo Fun Club News" arrived in the mail. A 28 page magazine all about Nintendo. Nothing about the Minus World but a promise of a larger magazine, "Nintendo Power", that was going to tell me how to get to the Minus World, I knew it. We subscribed right away.
Nintendo actually sent us two copies of the first issue, one must have been automatically sent to people, on a list of owners, to entice them and one because we subscribed so early. Filled with tons of information on all these games I didn't have, it was like a huge wish list. But still no info on how to get to World -1. Didn't Nintendo read my local paper? Didn't they know they were leaving the whole world hanging? I was running out of patience, but I figured issue #2 would tell me. Back then Nintendo Power only came out every two months, lots of waiting. I think we had Metroid by the time issue 2 got to our house so I had more to occupy my mind then SMB but they still didn't answer what I really wanted to know.
Nintendo Power had a section called "Counselors' Corner" where people would write in with questions about problems they were having in games. The format was a one or two sentence question with a Nintendo Counselor giving a paragraph answer with a couple of pictures. I wrote my letter soon after issue #2 arrived. It was something like, "Dear Nintendo Power, How do you get to the Minus World in Super Mario Brothers? I like your magazine." My mom thought I should write a longer letter because two sentences seemed kind of rude. I thought it should have been longer too, but what was I going to say? "How have you been? Do you like puppies?"
Nintendo sent me a very cool response. It included a personalized, typewritten cover letter signed by a real person and three pages answering my question with two other SMB tricks. The format of the letter has always impressed me. There are pictures from the game and is written in such a way I can only think someone put these four pages together just for me.
When issue #3 (November/December 1988) came my question wasn't actually in the "Counselors' Corner" section, it was in the "Classified Information" section. The format was a little different then "Counselors' Corner", there was no question, only a synopsis along with a paragraph of info and a couple of pictures. I had thought this section was where people from Nintendo submitted hints and tricks they had found and wanted the public to know about.
 You'll notice the tip in the magazine is much shorter then what they sent to me. Also it says it is from "Agent 826", where did this come from? Is it supposed to be me? And I like how the time, point and coin count don't match up from picture 2 to 3, it is sometimes a difficult trick to pull off, obviously it took them more them one try here. Personally I don't think anyone in my family could actually get to World -1 at the time. I think we became more infatuated with the "Little Fire Mario" and "Walking through bricks" tricks.
There are scans of all this, the article which probably came out in early April of '88 in the Oregonian, the four pages of response I got from Nintendo, the cover of issue #3 (awesome shoes, I still want a pair), and page 55 of the magazine.
I have to apologize about the format of these images. If you have a slow internet connection they are very large. As they are typed pages, a newspaper article a couple of Nintendo Power pages, the scans are sized to read the text. Also the article is so physically large it wouldn't all fit on my scanner. I had to blend four images, sorry for any blurriness or odd lines.
These papers have been in my possession for 23 years. Only recently did it occur to me they would be an interest to the game collecting community (I think getting a new printer with a scanner helped spark this). Hope you enjoy!
   
-Thanks to my wife for helping with coding and pictures. thetechchef.wordpress.com
[img width=359 height=504]http://cdn1.gamepro.com/box/box_138001-hd.jpg[/img]
Specs:
Game: We Love Golf!
Year: 2008
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Controls: Nintendo Wii Remote
Number of Players: 1-4
Average Cost: $5 used - $20 new
Also Available On: Exclusive to the Nintendo Wii
Continue reading We Love Golf!
[img width=640 height=908]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/8/551518_front.jpg[/img]
There is something so timeless and charming about a 16-bit platformer that makes them so cherished to gamers. The bright colors, simple goals, and addictive gameplay cement themselves into our memory. However, the 16-bit era is long past, and gaming as an industry has moved on. However, that does not mean that their unforgettable spirit has passed with it. It still lives on to this day in newer games, just with a fresh coat of paint. I am happy to report that Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights effectively carries the spirit of a 16-bit platformer. Even more shocking, considering it is a licensed game, which, as I have previously mentioned, have a less than sterling reputation. Very few of these games ever achieve greatness, mainly because there is little reason for the developer to make a truly great experience when its intent is just for cashing in on the licensed property. But, it is a bit more common for a licensed game to be "pretty good", notable, and worth playing. Scooby-Doo is one of those games, so let us examine the how and why.
Gameplay
Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights is in many respects, a standard 3D platformer that doesn't bring anything new to the table in terms of gameplay. But, that may be its greatest strength. It plays off the hackneyed gimmicks of every other platformer ever, but in an endearing and almost referential way that makes them work spectacularly. Any given game mechanic from a 2D platformer has probably found its way in some form into this game. Even a couple 3D platformer elements have made their way in, such as the "Collect-A-Thon" staple that requires you to collect a certain amount of an item in order to progress to new areas; in this case, Scooby Snacks. This is a game that is far and away greater than the sum of its parts. Because of its mechanic recycling, it really does feel like a 16-bit platforming game in that it has that intangible charm and personality that makes it so fun to play. It isn't really something I can describe accurately, other than anyone who played video games during the 16-bit era will know immediately what I am talking about upon playing the game. Bosses with attack patterns to memorize, permanent power-ups, backtracking, the works. Heck, I don't want to give the game too much credit here, but with the game almost plays like a watered-down "Metroidvania" game, with new power-ups attained after major events that allow you to access new areas in previous zones to get more items, as well as the fairly open-ended level structure. If the idea of a game with the underpinnings of a Metroidvania with the style of a generic platformer, then I would definitely check this game out. Really, the only way to describe this game accurately is to use other games and genre conventions as reference points. It has some parts that are open-environment 3D areas akin to early 3D platformers such as Super Mario 64, whereas most of the game just takes place on linear, 2D-based segments where you have to get from A to B, with several distractions and branching paths along the way. One more thing I have to mention is that the power-ups in the game are actually quite entertaining. You get a lampshade and a pair of slippers for sneaking past sleeping enemies, spring shoes for double-jumping, etc. It is a nice touch that makes the game more enjoyable.
Gameplay: 8.5/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://www.gamershell.com/static/screenshots/4982/97556_full.jpg[/img]
Story
Once again, nothing quite special here, but the story is at least better explained than in most games in the genre. Basically, Scooby and his friends are called to investigate a disappearance at a place called Mystic Manor. Upon arriving, they find out that a villain named The Mastermind has rounded up every villain that the gang has ever faced into once place in an attempt to stop them for good. Soon, everyone except Scooby is kidnapped, and he has to go rescue them all before The Mastermind can finish his plan. Standard far for the show, but where the game really shines is its presentation of the story. The game never tries to be anything more than what Scooby-Doo should be; silly, basic slapstick humor. In this way, the developers absolutely nailed it. Nothing ever goes over the top and it rarely feels underwhelming, so it really feels like you're watching an episode of the cartoon. The cutscenes are a natural extension of the rest of the gameplay, running with the pervasive humor of the game and making it work very well. There's not much else I can say here that won't be addressed later, so let us move on.
Story: 8/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2003/xbox/scoobydoo/0905/scooby_790screen001.jpg[/img]
Sound
The soundtrack from Night of 100 Frights is exactly what you expect it to be, if you have ever seen the show: Effective use of various string instruments, Trombones, Keyboards, etc. to create some lighthearted and spooky audio that comes off as completely appropriate and quite charming. The only thing that I could think of being analogous to it in other games is some of the songs from Banjo-Kazooie. There are unfortunately only a few tracks in the game, so you will hear them re-used a lot throughout different areas and levels. Fortunately, said tracks are unobtrusive and pleasant enough to listen to that you probably won't notice. Still, some diversity would have been nice. One thing that I absolutely have to mention about this game is something that I found to be an unprecedented and wonderful addition: The laugh track. Yes, Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights has a laugh track. It doesn't add anything to the gameplay, but its inclusion was a stroke of genius on the developers' part. They went out of their way to ensure the game was for all intents and purposes, an interactive episode of the show. There's not much to it; whenever Scooby does something funny, the off-screen "audience" can be heard laughing. It was a cute addition to the game that was certainly welcome.
Sound: 8/10
Graphics
Don't expect much in the way of eye-candy in Night of 100 Frights, or you will be sorely disappointed. Being a relatively early Gamecube game from a newer 3rd-party developer, it isn't too much of a surprise. The graphics are not pretty, but they only really become noticeably so during the cutscenes, where the disconnect between the game and the TV show becomes apparent through low-quality 3D models and slow animation. This wouldn't be a problem for most licensed video games, but for a game that prides itself on its faithfulness to the spirit [no pun intended] of the source material, it breaks whatever immersion you had in the game during these segments. A little more time spent improving the graphical fidelity with smoother models and more believable animation would have gone a long way in making an already very good game a great game. As for the aesthetics of the game, everything is focused and appropriate for a Scooby-Doo game. Levels take place in suitable environments, set pieces are custom to each area you enter, and the backgrounds, while not much to look at, do give a nice sense of depth to an otherwise 2-dimensional platformer. The only complaint I have in this aspect is that a good chunk of enemies are recycled throughout every area of the game, breaking the trend of different enemies in different levels. Other than that, everything in the game looks just right for Scooby-Doo.
Graphics: 6/10
[img width=640 height=480]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/gamecube/scooby/scooby_screen004.jpg[/img]
Extras/Value
There's really very little in the way of bonus content in the game, save for the Scooby-Doo movie trailer and some Easter Eggs, such as different textures are used if the game is played on certain holidays, including costumes for Scooby during gameplay. Some unlockable content would have been nice to enhance replay value a smidgen. The game is a bit on the expensive side at Gamestop, as well, where it is currently selling for $10. I was able to find my copy for $3, so I would recommend looking elsewhere to pick it up. It is a good game, and I would definitely say you should pick it up eventually, but I would probably wait until you can find it for $5 or less. There is a good ~15 hours of gameplay in Night of 100 Frights, so it is on par with a good number of platformers. If you can find it cheap enough, it is worth your money.
Extras/Value: 6/10
[img width=583 height=435]http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2002/playstation2/scooby/scooby_screen002.jpg[/img]
Overall
Make no mistake, Scooby-Doo: Night of 100 Frights is a fine game. In fact, I believe that with a bit of spit-polish on the graphics and some padding to the length and extra content of the game probably would have elevated this game to the status of a hidden gem. In terms of game mechanics, does pretty much everything right, despite not bringing any original ideas to the table, which is definitely the game's strongest point. The rock-solid aesthetics of the game really bring it together as everything a Scooby-Doo game should be. The tight controls, simple gameplay, and humorous content are sure to make you smile. If you are looking for a comfortingly-familiar platformer for the Gamecube that still holds its own when held up against its contemporaries, then this might be right up your alley.
Overall: 7.75/10
This is lisalover1, and I swear I saw the Mystery Machine once when driving on the highway.
Good news everyone! The drought is over, and even though it wasn't broken by a monsoon of deals, its still a break, and for that, I'm happy. The deals I got this past week were a little above "average" for me, but compared to what its been like for the past 4 weeks, it feels like some amazing deals.
And not only is that great news, but my GameGavel auctions are doing better than ever, despite all of last week's auctions being relists. The Genesis lot that didn't sell for $10, is now bid up to $20 for example, which is still a great deal IMO. Be sure to check out that auction and the others right HERE
Continue reading Treasure Hunt Chronicles 2011 - #8
If you guys thought that things were going to slow down submission wise after the contest run in may, boy were you wrong. Game images may have been way down comparatively, but the other important info kept pouring in. Game Edits and Non Image Game Submissions where somehow actually higher in June than during the Submission contest. We're talking 2300+ more Game Edits and 1900+ more Non Image Game Submissions than in May!!
Considering there was no incentive other than to better the database/community (not greedy people like me trying to cash in on a prize) I find the month's numbers to be amazing. The real shining star of June though was someone you'rE definitely familiar with if you frequent the forums. Our very own Postmaster General, Defender of Variants and all around Mortal Kombat aficionado, Izret101! He had more than 3x the submissions of his closest competitor for the month.
But the others weren't slacking off either. In total we had 10 members make over 100 submissions each last month. So if you run into Shadow Kisuragi, y2richie, pdrydia, ixtaileddemonfox, raffa1985, ApolloBoy, blcklblskt, aeroc, or Marriott_Guy on the street make sure to give them a great big hug for their contributions to RF Generation. There were dozens of other members who found the time to add anywhere from 1-99 items to improve our database also.
And lets not forget the staff members who work tirelessly and often thanklessly to approve all those submissions. Shadow Kisuragi lead the way with over twice his nearest comrades approvals. Also make sure to thank Tynstar, ApolloBoy, Izret101, NES_Rules, ga5ket and Paully3433 for their behind the scenes contributions to the site approving (or rejecting) the thousands of submissions sent in last month.
Thanks for the incredible commitment to keep improving an already fantastic place everybody!
For anyone interested in checking out the stats for themselves just highlight the part on the top bar that says "Submit" and then click on "Submission Stats" or just use this link:
http://www.rfgeneration.c...p?action=submissionreport
Its got submission info from late 2006 to now so you can see how we've progressed over the years.
I'm beginning to wonder if its time to retire from garage saling. You may have noticed there was no Treasure Hunt Chronicles last week, that's because I found next to nothing, and this week was no different while out saling. That makes it four weeks since I've had a good weekend. But, I did have a couple trades this week that give me something to post about this time. Check it out after the break to see what I bought over the past two weeks.
But first, why don't you take a look at what YOU can buy from me! Check out this link to see what I have on GameGavel right now. There's nothing new this week, as I still have some good stuff to sell before I get into listing new stuff. This week I have a total of 4 PlayStations, 3 Genesis systems, two Atari 2600's and partridge in a pear tree. Oh wait, skip the partridge, I sold that yesterday.
Continue reading Treasure Hunt Chronicles 2011 - #7
(I recently wrote a paper for school discussing the Supreme Court's recent decision to throw out the law in California banning the sale of "violent" games to children and thought I'd share it here! I've been wanting to start blogging here for a while now and thought this would be a great starting point. Let me know what you think and expect more to come!)
 Trying to link popular media to the corruption of young people is nothing new in America. From Tipper Gore and the PMRC going after musicians in the eighties to the formation of the Hays code for rating movies in the thirties, people have tried to make the argument that material which some may find objectionable is detrimental to the minds of those who experience it and can be clearly linked to deviant behavior. The extent of that particular type of influence is a debate that may never reach a conclusion that satisfies both sides. With its rise in popularity over the last few decades, the video game industry is the latest target being made an example of by those who wish to limit a consumer's access to material that they find objectionable. California has tried and failed to pass a law prohibiting the sale of certain games. As with any other form of artistic expression, this is a type of censorship, something that is clearly against the First Amendment of the Constitution. With a voluntary, self imposed rating system and a lack of clear evidence as to the influence that games have on the minds of players, the dismissal of California's law by the United States Supreme Court is the right decision, the only decision, in defending the rights of game makers to be able to freely express themselves through their creations.
In 2005, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a ban on the sale of violent video games to minors. Retailers caught in violation of this ban would be subject to fines of up to $1000. Before the law was even put into effect it was tossed out in a San Francisco federal appeals court. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court in June of 2011 before yet again being struck down by a ruling of 7-2 as an unconstitutional infringement on the rights of video game makers as outlined by the First Amendment. Proponents of the law state that the government "has a legal obligation to protect children from graphic interactive images when the industry has failed to do so" (Mears). That begs the question as to how and to what extent the gaming industry has failed.
Continue reading Supreme Court Sides With Gamers
Good news for everyone that takes joy when I strike out while saling. Yeah, I know you're out there! This will be two weeks in a row without a massive haul of awesomeness. But, I do have a good excuse this time. Once again, I had other obligations that interfered with treasure hunting. The only day I got to do much hunting was on Friday, which is generally the slowest day anyway. You see, Saturday I had to quit saling at 11 AM to go to a great party (two-vehicle-accidents-two-head-injuries-and-one-trip-to-the-emergency-room great) and on Sunday I was just too tired from drinking all day to get up early for the trip to the flea market.
But before we get into this weeks deals, be sure to check out my GameGavel auctions, there's only one new auction, and its a relist for this week. But there's plenty to look over from last week that are still going on and at low bids.
Continue reading Treasure Hunt Chronicles 2011 - #6
Another week has come and gone, so its time for a giant list of treasure, right? Well, not this week. You see, I did a different kind of hunting this weekend. Instead of hunting for games, I was hunting for fish. Early Saturday morning, my brother-in-law, his dad, my dad, and I went fishing and stayed there until about 9:00 at night. The fishing was awesome, with the crappies biting like crazy, we kept 40 fish total. The largest was caught by yours truly, a nice big 26 inch catfish that put up one hell of a fight. I fought the thing for a solid five minutes, and my arms were burning by the end of it.
But, I know you're not here to read my fishing stories, so you are in luck, I did manage to get a few nice games on Friday. Though it wasn't as much as I would have liked. Because of the fishing, I didn't get to the flea market on Sunday, so no scores from there either. After spending 13 hours on the water the day before, I was exhausted and slept in until 10AM, it felt like I had drunk a case of beer the night before.
Now, since looking at just one deal might be a little boring, and my into would be longer than the meat of the blog, I thought I'd add in some more info on this week's auctions! And there are a bunch of them coming up this week!
Continue reading Treasure Hunt Chronicles 2011 - #5
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Continue reading Unloved #26: Cursed Mountain
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