Brian Parker of RetroZone is at it again, reinventing the NES homebrew scene with innovative new products. This time he’s selling a special edition Glider NES game cartridge on eBay that, aside from being a previously unreleased title, will glow while it’s being played.
[ Continue reading Own a Glowing NES Cartridge: Glider Special Edition » ]
Atari announced this ambitious computer add-on for their popular Atari 2600 game console just as it was bleeding to death from record losses. Sadly for us collectors, this unit never went into production — although the wisdom of releasing such a device is highly debatable.
Discussion topic of the week: What if Atari had included a built-in keyboard with the 2600 at its launch in 1977? How would it have changed the nature of the system?
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In Memoriam: Gary Gygax (1938-2008), co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons.
Stop a moment and think about the profound influence Dungeons & Dragons had on computer RPGs and MUDs. It’s immeasurable.
I’ve read a lot of bad press about China Warrior recently due to its re-release on Nintendo’s Virtual Console service. Many make fun of the simple beat-’em-up as being a completely horrible game, which is not far off the mark: playing China Warrior is about as fun as eating a brick. But they don’t know exactly how horrible it can be. In the early nineties, I had a personal run-in with this TurboGrafx-16 non-classic that still haunts me to this day.
[ Continue reading How China Warrior Ruined My Childhood » ]
If you’re a regular reader of VC&G, you know the important role that clearance isles have played in my adventures as a video game collector. Silly as it may seem, collecting vintage computers and classic game systems starts now, in the present. Wise choices can be made as to what will become rare and collectible in the future, and collectors should seize the opportunity to purchase such items while they’re still available through regular retail channels.
Case in point: Thanks to Blu-Ray’s conquest over HD-DVD in the hi-def format wars, Microsoft’s HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 is now $50 (US) new at Best Buy and Circuit City. Best Buy even has a free HD-DVD movie rebate program that makes the deal much sweeter [expired] If you’re feeling lucky, wait a few months and they may dump them for even less. Otherwise, go for it now. If you’ve got the cash, buy a second and keep it mint in the box.
It’s true: most controllers can’t stand up to the intense punishment delivered by the average Donkey Kong Country player. That’s why Asciiware created the Super Advantage joystick for the SNES. It’s built “gorilla tough” for “gorilla games.”
Woah there — don’t try using this sophisticated piece of technology on a non-gorilla game, or that tiny gorilla (pictured) will jump out of the controller and smack you. Just a warning: he goes straight for the eyes.
Discussion topic of the week: What if standard joysticks looked like this in the Atari 2600 era? How would games have been different?
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Sometimes people ask me if I’ve played any good games recently. At present, I must reply a resounding “YES!”
The title I’m engaged in at the moment is one of the most fun computer games I’ve played in years. It’s called Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, a graphical point-and-click released by LucasArts in 1992. I’m playing it on my favorite MS-DOS computer, a generic 386SX with 4 megs of RAM and a 21″ Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 100E monitor that I bought last year at the NCSU surplus sale for $1 (Yes, one whole dollar, and they have plenty more where that came from).
Spielburg should have turned this game into a movie — or at least one with Atlantis in it — although I’m looking forward to the new Indy flick coming out later this year. Anyway, I have to get back to the game.
And I mean epic. Last week, I crossed the country to attend Game Developers Conference 2008 in San Francisco, California. Below, you’ll find a detailed report on my travels, replete with in-depth photos, each accompanied by both honest and sometimes facetious commentary. But be warned: it’s going to be a long trip. If there be any lilly-livered scallywags amongst ye who fear the voyage, turn back now, or forever will ye be scarred by me words.
[ Continue reading Benj’s Epic GDC 2008 Adventure Slideshow » ]
Benj here reporting from my secret base-like hotel room in rainy San Francisco, CA. My grueling 14 hours of travel time today (from the first airport to the hotel) paid off with an unusual and fortuitous coincidence. During my five hour connecting flight from Chicago to SFO, I sat next to none other than the Father of Video Games, Ralph Baer.
I was planning on meeting up with Ralph at GDC, but I didn’t know he’d be on the same flight as me (he’d come in from New Hampshire). Normally one is wary of whom one might be stuck sitting next to for a long flight. But thanks to Ralph and a nice fella named Jason Graves (a composer, also heading to GDC), I had my most enjoyable flight ever.
Expect more from me after I actually attend the show. For now, I’m tired. Time to hit the sack.
So this is what the famous Super Breakout Astronaut does when he’s not battling gigantic rainbow force fields.
If you haven’t noticed, this painting is a Where’s Waldo sort of exercise. Here are the instructions:
The seaside has been invaded by characters and objects from 23 different Atari games — how many of them can you identify?
Put your Atari knowledge to the test and post your guesses in the comments section below.
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