[img width=300 align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/hardware/E-114/bf/E-114-H-00010-G.jpg[/img] The GX4000, released in the UK in 1989 by Amstrad, is definitely one of the most unique looking video game consoles ever released. Amstrad, a popular computer manufacturer, looked to cash in on the lucrative video game console market like many of its peers had attempted to do, some more successful than others. Sporting a very sleek design that resembles the snow speeder in Star Wars, looking underneath the hood of this console reveals anything but space-age technology at the time of its release.
The GX4000 is basically a modified CPC6128+ computer. This enabled the console to be compatible with many existing CPC computer games and applications. The system came packaged with the two controllers (NES style), AV cables and a racing game entitled Burnin Rubber. Released for commercial sale for $99 (British Pound), this console was moderately priced at its time. With a substantial amount of readily available ports from the CPC, the GX4000 would not have to entirely rely upon new game development but could be subsidized by its sister system(s) for game content/programming. Even with all of these positive measures, the GX4000 was doomed from the beginning.
The GX4000 was powered by an 8 bit Zilog Z80A processor, which could display a color palette of 4096 (impressive at the time for an 8 bit system) and enhanced sound. The drawback - 16 bit processing technology was released by Sega (and shortly thereafter Nintendo) just after the GX4000 hit the store shelves - this sealed this consoles fate. Porting of the inferior CPC games to the GX4000 did not prove to be financially sound and was quickly abandoned. Around 32 games were released for this console and could be found in the bargain bins throughout the UK along with the GX4000 system within months of it's initial release.
The GX4000 is an interesting system, but only recommended as a purchase for collectors. Readily available in the UK and abroad through eBay and like services, a CIB (complete in box) system can run you around $50-$100 USD, much less in the UK, but keep in mind that shipping costs can be pricey (around $70 USD from the UK to the USA).
Who else is ready to spooge all over GTA:IV? I know it's enticing me to take out a mortgage on a PS3. It's GTA with online multi-player. How could that be anything but mind-blowingly awesome? We'll wait and see though. Given Rockstar's track record, they'll probably find some way to screw it up. (Outside of cloning GTA over and over, what have they ever actually done right?)
So Wizard World Chicago was last week, and there was a trailer shown for The Dark Knight, the upcoming sequel to Batman Begins. I hope Christian Bale does the same ridiculous Batman voice in this one. I laughed good and hard when I first saw Batman Begins. He sounds like the Ultimate Warrior talking into Skid Row's concert amp with the fx board set to “extra spooky”. Also, Katie Holmes isn't in this one. They got someone else to play the same part. That's always cheesy. The only way it could get better is if they announce it soap opera style during the film. I can't wait. This movie is going to be a riot.
It looks like the Chinese will be too busy gold farming to start World War 3. According to Kotaku, (http://kotaku.com/gaming/...chinese-mmorpg-290935.php) there will be a MMORPG set in or around the Romance of the Three Kingdoms time line.
Dear John Woo and Beijing Perfect World Co., thank you for postponing nuclear winter. I really enjoy not having radiation sores. You guys are great.
Maybe we should employ the same strategy in the middle east. Someone call Verant Interactive. I'm pretty sure those guys are looking for work since EQ2 went in the crapper.
When you die in an Iranian MMORPG do you go to a graveyard with 72 virgins?
Do the NPCs stop to pray five times a day in realtime?
LF8M for WTC. Need tanks and pilots. No healers. PST
Speaking of MMORPGs, there is a buzz about the Warhammer Online(http://www.warhammeronlin...om/english/home/index.php) game coming out next year. The word wowkiller is getting thrown around. I've personally heard people saying there won't be any grinding, and that level 1 players will be able to kill the highest level players if they are skilled enough. The funny thing is that some of this talk is outright denied on the website and the rest is, at the very least, not corroborated by any official statements concerning the game. The fact remains that this will probably not stray far from the standard “kill the same rat 5000000000 times” formula of all the rest of these games. I like the Warhammer universe and this could be a sweet game (or crap), but the vaporous concoctions floating around about it are fascinating to say the least. You know something is ass-backwards when the biggest attraction to an upcoming game is that it may actually require skill to play.
Skill? Is that the new Tier 8 raiding gear? I heard it gives +800 stamina.
From the category of EXTREME RUMORS, Kotaku mentioned that The International House of Mojo, a LucasArts/Telltale Games/Double Fine fansite, ran a story talking about the new game from Double Fine that will supposedly be revealed at Leipzig during Tim Schafer's (head honcho of Double Fine and designer of Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandago at LucasArts) keynote speech on creativity in the games industry. The new game is reportedly called Brutal Legend and will star Jack Black as a roadie who dies, is banished to hell, and must get to rock heaven. Since that story was posted at IHOM, Double Fine requested that they take down the story, which we all know means that there must be some merit to it.
Personally, I think this rumor has a rather large amount of merit to it even though IHOM retracted the story. But of course, I'm a big fan of Tim Schafer and Jack Black, and it would be the most incredible thing ever if they were to team up. Maybe I think it's got merit because of how much of a fan I am of them.
According to 1up, it was revealed at Microsoft's XNA GameFest 2007 that the company plans to bring Xbox Live Arcade to Windows as part of its Games For Windows Live initiative. That's right, now you'll be able to play Uno on your PC...or wait a minute...you already can. Or, what about Geometry Wars on Windows? Well, there's Grid Wars (I'm not linking to a download site because MS did a cease and desist on the creators. If you want it, Google it), or you can get the real Geometry Wars on Steam.
Despite all my sarcasm in the last paragraph, I think this is a good idea for Microsoft, if they actually do it right. By that I mean Microsoft should allow you to play games on your PC that you have already bought on your Xbox and vice versa so that you aren't stuck buying the same game twice. That would be a great move for current Live subscribers. However, I do think XBLA on Windows may not be a good idea because people who don't have an Xbox Live subscription because there's already a great service that does what XBLA would do, GameTap. But still, props to Microsoft for not forgetting the PC gaming market.
It’s Monday, and you know what that means, boys and girls. It’s time for the usual installment of Entertainment Geekly!
What? On a Monday? It’s not usually on a Monday, you say? It is this week, bitch. If you don’t like it, I’ll have an abortion on your face.
Also, I’d like to point out that absolutely nothing happened last week. I suppose something may have happened in the middle east, or within the arena of global politics, but who follows that stuff? I don’t.
Instead, I’m watching The Hills on MTV. It’s the season premiere and LC just met a cute guy, but Whitney didn’t like him and LC probably only liked him because she was drunk. Also, people are saying that LC was in an “inappropriate video” with a guy from Laguna, but she says it’s just a rumor.
Meanwhile, I’m praying to everything unholy that someone with a brain will just drop a vial of VX nerve agent in the middle of their lavish Barbie fashion show magazine party. I want to watch them writhe in uncontrollable spasmic death throws as pox develop on their soft tissue and they vomit their guts all over their Vera Wang cocktail gowns. I would smile as the average IQ of California raises by 10 points.
Sadly, this will never happen.
But hey, the XBOX 360 costs less now. I can settle for that. And I was so surprised when I heard. Who expected Microsoft to respond to the PS3 price cut with a price cut of their own? It’s shocking!
Maybe someone will sue Rockstar this week and I’ll have something to talk about on Friday. Cross your fingers.
Well, I did it. I broke down and got myself a PS3. Bad idea? I don't think so. The first game I played has captivated me! That's why this week's featured game is based on this game.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma is one of Playstation 3's saving graces. While not a game that will sell a system, it is a game that shows some of what the hardware can do. The camera work is wonderful, the voice acting is wonderful, and the controls are wonderful. That makes this game, well, wonderful! I love being able to run along walls, run on water, and heck, even cut off some guy's head! Check this game out, you won't be disappointed.
The featured image is for Ninja Gaiden for the Nintendo NES. This game is one of the games a lot of folk remember from their childhood. Everyone remembers the boss when they first see him. All of the ninja classic items were found in this title, including throwing stars and katanas. Take a look at it again. You'll be surprised at how much you remember!
Our featured hardware is the Playstation 2 GTA3 pack. This was a great buy for racing fans and non-racing fans alike. Not only did you get a PS2 system, which some argue is the greatest thing since sliced bread, you also got one of the most realistic racing sims ever made.
Lastly, our featured collection belongs to Silent_shadow. This collection is full of games. Lots of Sega, Nintendo, and Microsoft games! Take a look!
Well, that's it folks! Have any suggestions on what you'd like to see featured? Send me a message or an email! Maybe I can get my hands on it and get it on the main page! Check out the featured thread and leave some comments! And always, keep it tuned in to channel 3!
Fresh out of Comic Con 07, comes a sneak peek at Capcom's new Phoenix Wright inspired attorney game based on the hit Adult Swim show, Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law. The game comes out this fall for Sony's Playstation 2 and PSP systems.
I remember when I first heard about the game this past spring, I was worried about how it will turn out, but I think all my concerns have been erased by this gameplay demo. The graphics are flat and 2D, the voice actors are there (oh dear God let Stephen Colbert be in the game), and it's funny. Of course, the cameo of Guile of Street Fighter 2 fame in the jury in that clip sealed the deal for me. I'm so buying this game on release day...and Aqua Teen Hunger Forice Zombie Ninja Pro-Am.
I'm surprised I even caught this stat, but as of yesterday RF Generation officially broke the one million visits per year mark. That doesn't mean one million unique visitors in the past year, but still its an impressive feat. Essentially, a visit is a session that a user spends on a site. I know most of you probably won't understand the notion of a visit, but for those of you who do and those who don't, we are certainly touched by the statistic. Just to give you an idea of how much the site has grown, in September of last year we had 14621 visits. In July of this year we had 209662 visits. You all must certainly love us, and we are touched. This site is nothing without its community, and it's nice to know that our community is so strong. For this fact, we are truly grateful.
Thanks for your readership, and thanks for being a part of our community. We hope that you enjoy the direction we've been going, and if you wish for something new or unique we're always certainly willing to listen. Thanks for being there with us, and we hope that you will all continue to keep it tuned to channel 3.
At RF Generation, we try to give the kids want they want. A few people thought it would be cool if the staff blog script was modified to allow anyone to use it. Initially, I didnt want to code it, I thought it would be a royal pain in the ass to do. Issues such as security and actually creating unique blogs seemed as though it would cause a task that simply would be a pain in the ass to do. So, I had two potential pain in the ass projects to work on, the next version of the submissions system, or community blogs. I chose to start working on the former.
RF Generation has had a lot of things added in the last year, and one of those additions, the blog, launched with the new site design. Well, some people thought that the blog was so nifty that they asked if they could have their own blogs. Well, starting today, they can.
Introducing... the Community Blogs. Here, you can find our member's blogs, or you can start your own, provided that you are a registered member of the site. Of course, this blogging system is programmed by your neighborhood friendly Site Director, so this release is a beta, some new features are yet to be added, and some things may yet work perfectly. If you catch a bug, let me know, I'd certainly love to quash it.
I've tried to add as much customization options to the blog script as I can, so please take advantage of them. Since this script is beta, I am open to suggestions, but I do not intend on adding any features that would take extensive coding. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the blogs, perhaps you'll find the scripts of use, or you'll just enjoy reading its contents.
I know this isn't video game news, but regardless, it is one of the biggest things in American sports. Barry Bonds has finally passed Hank Aaron on the homerun list to sit atop alone at 756. In a game where Bonds was hitting 2/2 with a single and a double, he stepped up to the plate for the 3rd time. An 84 mph pitch came his way and then the ball traveled 435 feet into the right field bleachers.
The fateful pitch came from Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik in the bottom of the fifth.
How do you feel about this? Were you able to put aside the possibility of the "era" and enjoy the moment? Let us know!
If you have your Wii hooked up to WiiConnect24, you'll notice that the blue light surrounding your disc slot is glowing. You know what that means. No, not that someone sent you a message because no one uses the message sending feature anymore. So, that leaves only one possiblity, Nintendo has something to tell you! This time, it's a firmware update. This update adds many nifty features to your Wii. Here's a listing of the new features from Nintendo's website.
Wii Menu - The weather forecast will now be displayed on the Forecast Channel icon in the Wii Menu. - Headline news will now be displayed on the News Channel icon in the Wii Menu. - The current time will now be displayed in the Wii Menu. - The area around the Wii Message Board button will now flash when a message arrives..
Wii Message Board - You're now able to rearrange the order of your Wii Friends in the address book. - You're now able to go into the Wii Friends registration screen by pressing the A Button on a blank spot in the address book. - Envelope message icons will now appear on the calendar only on the dates when a message is received. - Your message sending history will now be displayed in Today's Accomplishments. - You can now scroll the message text by pressing the B button on the message screen.
Wii Shop Channel - The search function on Virtual Console has been enhanced.
So, it took Nintendo eight months to realize that it would be nice to rearrange your Wii Friends, add friends by just clicking an empty slot, and see the weather without having to select the Weather Channel? Wow. They are really on top of their game!
What's sad is that this is the most useful firmware update the Wii has ever had. And what's that?! A DIGITAL CLOCK! WHOAMG! That's next-gen technology next there!
(Image from Kotaku.com)
P.S. I like the Wii, but I just like poking fun at how behind the times it is.
I CALLED IT! Microsoft has officially dropped the price on their Xbox 360, effective tomorrow. The new prices direct from Xbox.com for the various models of the console are as follows:
Core: $279.99
Pro (now referred to simply as Xbox 360 by Microsoft): $349.99
Elite: $449.99
While they were at it, Microsoft announced the price of the Halo 3 edition Xbox 360 which will come out with the game's launch next month. This model will retail for $399.99 and will include "an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console includes a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset, 360 Play & Charge Kit, and more."
From Kotaku, here's Sega's rumored Tokyo Game Show lineup, with some entries bolded for my emphasis...
Alien Syndrome (Wii, PSP) After Burner: Black Falcon (PSP) Beijing 2008: the Official Videogame of the Olympic Games (PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, PC) ChuChu Rocket! (XBLA, PC) Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (PSP) Fighters Megamix 2 (Xbox 360, PS3) Ghost Squad (Wii) Happy Tree Friends False Alarm (XBLA, PC) JET SET RADIO NEXT (Xbox 360, PS3) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS) Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms Visit (PC) Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii) Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (PS2, Xbox 360, PC) Samba De Amigo Fever (PSP) Sega Classics Collection 2 (PS2,PSP) Sega Rally Revo (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, PC) Sega Superstar 2 (Wii) SHENMUE 3 (XBOX 360) SHENMUE I & II PLUS (Xbox 360) Skies of Arcadia 2 (Wii) Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP) Sonic Rush Adventure (DS) Sonic the RPG (Xbox 360, PS3) Space Channel 5 Part 3 (Xbox 360, PS3) Space Channel 5 Showtime (Wii, DS, PSP) The Club (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) The Golden Compass (PS2, PC, DS, Xbox 360, PSP, PS3, Wii) The House of the Dead 4 (Xbox 360, PS3) Universe at War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360, PC) Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360, PS3) Virtua Fighter Kids 2 (Wii) Worldwide Soccer Manager Live (Xbox 360, PC) Yakuza 3 (PS3)
OMFG! Next gen versions of Chu Chu Rocket, Jet Grind Radio, Space Channel 5, Samba De Amigo, and EFFING SHENMUE?! COULD IT BE?! Well, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this list is true. Why? We all know Sega hasn't been doing great lately, and they could be trying to resurrect some of their fan favorite Dreamcast franchises like Shenmue, JGR, and Space Channel 5.
Regardless, if Shenmue I and II Plus and Shenmue III are indeed real, that will push me over the edge and make me get a 360.
Don't worry, I'm still a Sony fanboy at heart, but I gots to have me my Shenmue
Features this week are mixing things up a bit. One of the big "next-gen" selling points for the Wii and PS3 are the use of motion controls as a new means of playing games in relation to mashing buttons and twiddling your analogs. First off is a handheld game with a built-in tilt controller. That game, my good friend, is Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble. Tilt forward, and it feels like Kirby will roll off screen, and a little flick will pop him into the air. This game earned me a lot of funny looks the first time I was seen wiggling my Game Boy Color around.
Shakin' it up is the featured hardware, the highly sought-after Dreamcast Maracas. These babies were never bundled and fetched a high price in stores; yet, they worked with only one game! (Well, maybe a few minor exceptions, but they are poorly applied.) Lets just say that they didn't sell too well and have become a wee bit difficult to find. Speaking of that one game...
The featured image for the week is the cover shot for Samba de Amigo. Why the Japanese version? It captures the spirit of the game. Anyways, playing it for the first time might remind you of your first forray into DDR, club-footed and uncoordinated. Never fear, for an easy learning curve will make you a cha-cha master in no time. Available in all three major regions, this game is for every culture. Getting some of my Columbian friends into it was definitely a rewarding experience that everyone seemed to enjoy.
Oh boy, that commercial gets me excited every time.
The featured collection of the week is someone with even more funky rhythm controllers. Sauza12 has a lovely standee for Donkey Konga in addition to all three GameCube games that make use of the Bongo controllers. In addition to that he also has some interesting items including two arcade cabinets worth checking out.
From the category of EXTREME RUMORS, Kotaku mentioned that 
According to 
If you have your Wii hooked up to WiiConnect24, you'll notice that the blue light surrounding your disc slot is glowing. You know what that means. No, not that someone sent you a message because no one uses the message sending feature anymore. So, that leaves only one possiblity, Nintendo has something to tell you! This time, it's a firmware update. This update adds many nifty features to your Wii. Here's a listing of the new features from 
I CALLED IT! Microsoft has officially dropped the price on their Xbox 360, effective tomorrow. The new prices direct from 
Features this week are mixing things up a bit. One of the big "next-gen" selling points for the Wii and PS3 are the use of motion controls as a new means of playing games in relation to mashing buttons and twiddling your analogs. First off is a handheld game with a built-in tilt controller. That game, my good friend, is 
