It's great to see groups coming together to preserve some less common bits of video game history. Since this is an official product, we'd hope that Nintendo wouldn't fire up the lawyers to stop this.
Ridiculously tempting. I was going through various videos listening to old game sound tracks lamenting how old games had really good music, but you never see them as standalone tracks. Some companies really excelled at background music too. Hope some other classic collection like this come around too.
@UK_Kev There's a nostalgia factor for having the 2600 box sitting on the floor in front of the TV (using HDMI, lol) and a traditional joystick instead of a gamepad. I think of this more about the experience than the games themselves which can be found in other packs.
I like the approach here, but that price feels a little given that we've had these same games through other packages multiple times. Nice to have the HDMI, but that doesn't feel like it's enough to justify the price point.
Nice list. I fired up Shining in the Darkness after reading this. Oh, that scratched the ol' dungeon crawler itch and good. I'd forgotten it was turn based so I could just roam around mindless while grinding the early levels. I'd love a modern take on this with graphics like Grimrock, but still turn based.
First response: "Wow, that's really cool that someone took the time to figure out how to make that work."
Second: "uh, how secure is something like that to be connected to the internet these days?" Then again, the tech is so old would any viruses or malware even work against it? LOL
I've seen a few of LD's videos, like others because of some of the rare content. But, honestly, it wasn't great. From what I've read it appears that McNeail handled this well. Seems like there are other issues at play that haven't been disclosed which is keeping this an open concern.
I think I agree with most of this list. Didn't play every one of them, but the ones I did play I would say should be on the list. I guess I'm especially found of DQ. It was the first time I played a DQ game and it was a blast. My wife and I played it together in the evening which probably is what helped make it so special. We also did that with Eternal Sonata.
$20 doesn't sound too bad if this experience works like the marketing makes it out to be. Looking forward to this. Very curious what the remaster will be like.
I love the idea of these kinds of books. It's a great way to thumb through and remember a lot of great games from years past. But, the truth of it is, for me at least, I'd thumb through it a couple of time; maybe read entries for a few key games I spent a lot of time with, but then it would end up on the shelf. I don't even have a coffee table to leave it out on as a conversation piece. I might be better served to have the images streamed onto a screen saver instead.
This reminds me I really do need to go back and replay Fate of Atlantis. It's been long enough that I don't remember most of the game now. It would be like playing for the first time except for bit and pieces that standout in my memory.
It was a combination of things. That Tower of Power was a colossal misstep. Consider how much money had to go into that with very little to show in return. I believe it's what started the downfall. Saturn only added fuel from that point on. Timing was a huge issue with the X32 to Saturn to time to market for Dreamcast.
I keep wondering if there is any truth to the rumors that MS keeps courting Sega for a sell.
I love that this is a thing. To get hardware level emulation like this is pretty much a dream come true. Except the mister hardware is still rather pricy. Probably not too bad if you're really into retro and emulation as a dedicated hobby. But, it does keep the barrier to entry rather high. Maybe some day the prices will be able to come down.
This is an interesting idea, but which platform to partner with? I could see doing a range of figures based on Nintendo's handheld systems. That would give a lot of possibilities.
Too bad they missed the window on the toys-to-life era. That would have been a natural fit for Transformers figures and video games. I guess they could do amiibo figures, but that would be more limited.
LOL. 8 Bit Guy games on Evercade? He's done incredibly well for himself. Wonder what he's going to do next between his channel and the fame he's garnered with his retro games.
This could seriously scratch an itch I haven't really been able to find a new retro-style blow'em up style game. SHMUP-lite? Maybe that's what I'm looking for. Not bullet hell. More mass destruction and smart enemies. Will definitely keep an eye on this title.
This is actually a thing that happens; especially if the originating company doesn't have a good catalog system for their assets. Seen it at a game company I worked at. They didn't have a good archive system and even lost part of a game that was in active development because of a local hard drive crash. When I asked the IT guys about disaster recovery and catalog of assets, he just kinda looked away and went "yeeeeah". I've also seen it in corporate settings where process documents on how to run parts of the business got lost because there wasn't a good solution in place for common files (no use of SharePoint for example). There are solutions for this stuff, and you'd hope a big dev shop like Activision is using a repository system for code and assets. But, it's possible certain teams were not as well plugged in to formal solutions. So, ya, I can see that some of that stuff might be lost. There are a lot of vids about retro studios that nearly lost all their archive stuff after various dev studios closed up and then someone buys an old PC that ends up being from that studio and they discover a treasure trove of assets.
Gen X here, so my first experience goes back to early arcade games like Space Invaders and Asteroids. Eventually knew someone with the 2600 and that got me hooked. I think I had the most games on the 2600 out of all my console systems until I got to the PS2; besides the PC. I didn't own most of the consoles between the 2600 and NES, but I had friends that owned most of them. Then you get to the C64 and that changed everything. It showed just how versatile a computer could be compared to a console since it could use a floppy drive. Games like Ultima were vast and Summer Games from Epyx that could incorporate both I & II to play a wider set of events blew away what was possible with a console.
@RetroGames At least the music on the SNES version was really good. Even now I still fire up the OST in youtube to give it a listen. The gameplay is more my pace than more modern games in the genre.
Never knew about this game. I like that they tried something different for the arcade. It's almost more like a console game in design. Great that it's co-op too. Seems like a gem game that Sega may hold for some milestone anniversary. Although, looking at the video above, first thought is this doesn't look all that fun. Second thought, HEY this is very similar in concept to Marble Madness. The more I watch the more I see parallels to MM.
Took my brain a long minute to remember the original game(s). But, wow, what an odd inclusion to bring in Astley. I assume the dev/producer has a specific angle on why include him. Still, neat to see some icons from the past coming together like this.
Only got to try this once. It was actually a little overwhelming. While I understood what was going on, it's something you have to play a few times to really get your coordination down with all the controls. I could tell, even as a kid, that the tech involved was pretty cutting edge. If you had the money to invest in repeated play I could see that being an incredible experience. But, the price to play was not a trivial barrier to entry, and the cost of the center meant they would only be in larger cities and probably in the upscale areas.
This version is the only one I've ever played. It was such a great game. In several ways I thought it was better than the original game. When you get to where you have to move the control up/down it really changes your strategy. I need to look at YouTube to see if there is any footage of the game past where I was able to get to. Not sure how far that is before it just loops.
I love the idea of this. Hopefully it goes all the way back to the 2600 days. I know there was a coffee table book for those glorious box art designs, but I wasn't able to grab one. I'm sure there are trends and influences to be found over that large a period of time.
Wish I had a coffee table in the living to have several of these books to display. This kind of stuff needs to be looked at, not just stuck on a shelf.
Comments 275
Re: An Official Mario Mascot Costume From The '80s Has Just Been Restored
It's great to see groups coming together to preserve some less common bits of video game history. Since this is an official product, we'd hope that Nintendo wouldn't fire up the lawyers to stop this.
Re: Konami Announces 13-CD OST Box Set In Japan Covering 43 Famicom Games
Ridiculously tempting. I was going through various videos listening to old game sound tracks lamenting how old games had really good music, but you never see them as standalone tracks. Some companies really excelled at background music too. Hope some other classic collection like this come around too.
Re: The Atari 2600+ Is A New Way To Play Your 2600 & 7800 Games
@UK_Kev There's a nostalgia factor for having the 2600 box sitting on the floor in front of the TV (using HDMI, lol) and a traditional joystick instead of a gamepad. I think of this more about the experience than the games themselves which can be found in other packs.
Re: The Atari 2600+ Is A New Way To Play Your 2600 & 7800 Games
I like the approach here, but that price feels a little given that we've had these same games through other packages multiple times. Nice to have the HDMI, but that doesn't feel like it's enough to justify the price point.
Re: Best Genesis / Mega Drive RPGs And Action Adventures Of All Time
Nice list. I fired up Shining in the Darkness after reading this. Oh, that scratched the ol' dungeon crawler itch and good. I'd forgotten it was turn based so I could just roam around mindless while grinding the early levels. I'd love a modern take on this with graphics like Grimrock, but still turn based.
Re: You Can Now Surf The Web With The WonderSwan Browser In 2023
First response: "Wow, that's really cool that someone took the time to figure out how to make that work."
Second: "uh, how secure is something like that to be connected to the internet these days?"
Then again, the tech is so old would any viruses or malware even work against it? LOL
Re: Top Hat Gaming Man, Lady Decade And A Photo Of Ray Harryhausen
I've seen a few of LD's videos, like others because of some of the rare content. But, honestly, it wasn't great. From what I've read it appears that McNeail handled this well. Seems like there are other issues at play that haven't been disclosed which is keeping this an open concern.
Re: Best PS2 RPGs Of All Time
I think I agree with most of this list. Didn't play every one of them, but the ones I did play I would say should be on the list. I guess I'm especially found of DQ. It was the first time I played a DQ game and it was a blast. My wife and I played it together in the evening which probably is what helped make it so special. We also did that with Eternal Sonata.
Re: Interactive Documentary 'The Making of Karateka' Launching This Month
$20 doesn't sound too bad if this experience works like the marketing makes it out to be. Looking forward to this. Very curious what the remaster will be like.
Re: 'CRPG Book: A Guide To Computer Role-Playing Games' Gets New Expanded Edition
I love the idea of these kinds of books. It's a great way to thumb through and remember a lot of great games from years past. But, the truth of it is, for me at least, I'd thumb through it a couple of time; maybe read entries for a few key games I spent a lot of time with, but then it would end up on the shelf. I don't even have a coffee table to leave it out on as a conversation piece. I might be better served to have the images streamed onto a screen saver instead.
Re: Footage Of Cancelled Indiana Jones Mega Drive/Genesis Game Appears Online
This reminds me I really do need to go back and replay Fate of Atlantis. It's been long enough that I don't remember most of the game now. It would be like playing for the first time except for bit and pieces that standout in my memory.
Re: Saturn Was Why Sega Abandoned Consoles, Not Dreamcast, Says Former President Peter Moore
It was a combination of things. That Tower of Power was a colossal misstep. Consider how much money had to go into that with very little to show in return. I believe it's what started the downfall. Saturn only added fuel from that point on. Timing was a huge issue with the X32 to Saturn to time to market for Dreamcast.
I keep wondering if there is any truth to the rumors that MS keeps courting Sega for a sell.
Re: Konami's Simpsons Arcade Game Is Coming To MiSTer And Analogue Pocket
I love that this is a thing. To get hardware level emulation like this is pretty much a dream come true. Except the mister hardware is still rather pricy. Probably not too bad if you're really into retro and emulation as a dedicated hobby. But, it does keep the barrier to entry rather high. Maybe some day the prices will be able to come down.
Re: Hasbro Keen To Work With Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft Or Sega To Create Transformers Based On Consoles
This is an interesting idea, but which platform to partner with? I could see doing a range of figures based on Nintendo's handheld systems. That would give a lot of possibilities.
Too bad they missed the window on the toys-to-life era. That would have been a natural fit for Transformers figures and video games. I guess they could do amiibo figures, but that would be more limited.
Re: Everything Revealed At The Evercade Showcase Vol. 2
LOL. 8 Bit Guy games on Evercade? He's done incredibly well for himself. Wonder what he's going to do next between his channel and the fame he's garnered with his retro games.
Re: Megacopter Is An Indie Sci-Fi Take On Desert Strike & Choplifter
This could seriously scratch an itch I haven't really been able to find a new retro-style blow'em up style game. SHMUP-lite? Maybe that's what I'm looking for. Not bullet hell. More mass destruction and smart enemies. Will definitely keep an eye on this title.
Re: Activision Might Have "Lost" A Bunch Of Amazing Transformers Video Games
This is actually a thing that happens; especially if the originating company doesn't have a good catalog system for their assets. Seen it at a game company I worked at. They didn't have a good archive system and even lost part of a game that was in active development because of a local hard drive crash. When I asked the IT guys about disaster recovery and catalog of assets, he just kinda looked away and went "yeeeeah". I've also seen it in corporate settings where process documents on how to run parts of the business got lost because there wasn't a good solution in place for common files (no use of SharePoint for example). There are solutions for this stuff, and you'd hope a big dev shop like Activision is using a repository system for code and assets. But, it's possible certain teams were not as well plugged in to formal solutions. So, ya, I can see that some of that stuff might be lost. There are a lot of vids about retro studios that nearly lost all their archive stuff after various dev studios closed up and then someone buys an old PC that ends up being from that studio and they discover a treasure trove of assets.
Re: Talking Point: What Was Your First Video Gaming Experience?
Gen X here, so my first experience goes back to early arcade games like Space Invaders and Asteroids. Eventually knew someone with the 2600 and that got me hooked. I think I had the most games on the 2600 out of all my console systems until I got to the PS2; besides the PC. I didn't own most of the consoles between the 2600 and NES, but I had friends that owned most of them. Then you get to the C64 and that changed everything. It showed just how versatile a computer could be compared to a console since it could use a floppy drive. Games like Ultima were vast and Summer Games from Epyx that could incorporate both I & II to play a wider set of events blew away what was possible with a console.
Re: This Unofficial Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Port Of R-Type Is Shaping Up Nicely
@RetroGames At least the music on the SNES version was really good. Even now I still fire up the OST in youtube to give it a listen. The gameplay is more my pace than more modern games in the genre.
Re: Sonic Fans Want To Raise $4,000 To Preserve Insanely Rare 'SegaSonic' Arcade Game
Never knew about this game. I like that they tried something different for the arcade. It's almost more like a console game in design. Great that it's co-op too. Seems like a gem game that Sega may hold for some milestone anniversary. Although, looking at the video above, first thought is this doesn't look all that fun. Second thought, HEY this is very similar in concept to Marble Madness. The more I watch the more I see parallels to MM.
Re: Simon The Sorcerer Origins Will Feature Music From (Reads Notes) Rick Astley
Took my brain a long minute to remember the original game(s). But, wow, what an odd inclusion to bring in Astley. I assume the dev/producer has a specific angle on why include him. Still, neat to see some icons from the past coming together like this.
Re: The Making Of: BattleTech, The Groundbreaking '90s Combo Of Immersive Reality, Online Play And eSports
Only got to try this once. It was actually a little overwhelming. While I understood what was going on, it's something you have to play a few times to really get your coordination down with all the controls. I could tell, even as a kid, that the tech involved was pretty cutting edge. If you had the money to invest in repeated play I could see that being an incredible experience. But, the price to play was not a trivial barrier to entry, and the cost of the center meant they would only be in larger cities and probably in the upscale areas.
Re: $10,000 Tron Arcade Game Saved From The Scrap Heap
This version is the only one I've ever played. It was such a great game. In several ways I thought it was better than the original game. When you get to where you have to move the control up/down it really changes your strategy. I need to look at YouTube to see if there is any footage of the game past where I was able to get to. Not sure how far that is before it just loops.
Re: 'The Art Of The Box' Celebrates Video Gaming's Most Iconic Covers
I love the idea of this. Hopefully it goes all the way back to the 2600 days. I know there was a coffee table book for those glorious box art designs, but I wasn't able to grab one. I'm sure there are trends and influences to be found over that large a period of time.
Wish I had a coffee table in the living to have several of these books to display. This kind of stuff needs to be looked at, not just stuck on a shelf.
Re: Intellivision Closes Amico Fundraising Ahead Of Schedule
Please, let it die. While I am all for the nostalgia factor, this has been a disaster in the making. Don't waste money trying to bring this to market.