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So, we've got a thread for chiptunes, but I think we need one for .mod music. In case you're not quite sure, .mod music is the sample-heavy stuff that was originally made popular on the Amiga, before ending up in tons and tons of DOS and Windows games further down the line. I'll go ahead and post a few examples from the PC and the Amiga to start things off.

Turrican 2 The Final Fight - Turrican 2 Theme

Alien carnage instruction music

Ruff'n'Tumble - Menu theme

And to end it with something a little bit more modern... yes, this is still .mod music. Cool, huh?

Best VGM 888 - Deus Ex - Main Theme

[Duke Nukem 3D]

I ask, you answer. Chop chop, people. For the sake of clarification, I'm counting pretty much anything before 2001, so that would include stuff like Half-Life or Unreal. If you REALLY want to, just make two choices, one pre-Half Life, one post. Your call.

Me? Well, Doom's pretty high up there, there's no denying that. But I'm actually cheating on Doom with a little number called Rise of the Triad. Oh, sure, it's not much of a looker... it's running off of the Wolfenstien 3D engine, stretched as far out as you possibly CAN stretch it. It's got these weird little habits, like having only four weapon slots, only one of which holds 'special' weapons.

Oh, but it's got an amazing personality, and it's absolutely WILD once you really get to know it. It's got a lightning-fast pace, including a lot of fun stuff like bounce pads in its levels. Its weapons are just so much FUN to use, like the drunk missile, which I'd dare say is more fun to shoot than almost all the weapons in Doom. And it's got an amazing sense of humor. And it's DAMN good at music.

[align=center:26phfct3]DOS Game: Rise Of The Triad[/align:26phfct3]

If I wanted to be shallow, though, I'd have to go for its younger, prettier, more foul-mouthed sibling, Duke Nukem 3D. Pretty much everybody knows this one, sure, but that doesn't mean it's not a really good game. Everybody knows it for its main character, sure, who's constantly spouting off one-liners like a pull-string toy caught on a ceiling fan. But it's not just that, no. The levels are fantastic, with just the right mix of 'realism' and exploration, and it can be fun to just wander around and check out the sights. I mean, sure, it's pretty cool to go around blowing things up in the surface of Hell, but fighting through places like "Babe Land" and a fast food joint just has that creative touch, you know?

The gunplay's pretty good, too, but my one real complaint is that the game is HARD. For as awesome as the game hypes Duke up to be, he's actually pretty flimsy, and a couple of shotgun blasts can take him down, if you're unlucky. But... well, still, that's why they've invented quicksaves. The weapons are fun, too, and the pipebombs are some of the most fun I've HAD in an FPS.

Here's a dirty little secret of mine, though: I've always sort of kind of had a preference for the N64 version. Yeah, yeah, I know it's censored, but it's just got a different, less gritty feel to it that I like. It sort of reminds me of the 2D platformers more, where Duke wasn't QUITE as angry about everything. That, and I much prefer the idea of rescuing the women you find trapped in the levels instead of having to put them out of their misery. There's some pretty fun new weapons and some different levels, too.

Thankfully, for people like me, there's a very nice mod that recreates the experience nicely. But here's the N64 version, for reference.

[align=center:26phfct3]Duke Nukem 64 - Map02 - Gun Crazy[/align:26phfct3]

((Yes, I just compared old first person shooters to a sexy lady/lad/your gender of choice. It's 3:30 AM and I can't sleep. I can make whatever analogies I want.))

[yadda yadda.]

Yeah, we all know the story, bad game, landfill, video game crash of North America, yadda yadda.

But then they dug it up. All the gritty details are in the link provided, but basically, yes, it turns out the whole thing wasn't a crazy urban legend.



So, yeah, myth unbusted. Thoughts?

I figured this would be the best place to put it, considering the topic, but if anybody wants to move it, feel free.

I've been reading the magazine for a while now. I just finished reading #127. A while back, I've discovered sort of a... pattern. A routine that might just have been ALWAYS been there, and maybe I hadn't noticed until... let's say, issue 100? But for my current example, we'll use the newest issue, so you can look at what I'm talking about and see for yourself.

Simply put, Retro Gamer is supposed to be a magazine about gaming. That much is obvious by the title, of course. However, I feel that the magazine loses focus on the games themselves, and while the information given, such as the game's development, the people behind it, and so on is interesting, it takes too much of a focus.

Let me put it like this. In this issue, the magazine covered the making of Fairlight, Jack the Nipper, and Commander Keen. Do you remember when I spoke about the idea of spreading knowledge about different games and informing people? Here's where it all ties in.

For example: I love Commander Keen. I think it's great, and I could easily go into what makes it great. The way the magazine phrases it, it wants you to think it's a good game, as well. It talks about the history of the game, its development, the history of PC gaming and what Keen offered for it, and its influence. Now, these are all important things to talk about, as they are admittedly interesting for the sort of people who like their gaming trivia and that includes me.

Now let's move over to Fairlight and Jack the Nipper. The articles here do mostly the same thing as what Commander Keen's article did. It explains the development of the games, ancedotes about its creation, and its general history. And, just as there's many people who enjoy the Commander Keen games, I imagine there's a lot of people who liked Fairlight or Jack.

Now, here's my point: At no point do any of these articles speak about the games themselves. Not the mechanics, or how they play. It doesn't speak of what makes them good, or bad, or what makes them worth trying out if you haven't already. For either game.

AND THERE'S YOUR FRICKIN' PROBLEM.

See, like I said. I like Commander Keen. I know pretty much everything they spoke of in the article already. I know they're good games, even if the magazine refuses to tell me why. Meanwhile, I imagine most of you were staring at the pages thinking "What the hell is Commander Keen? Why should I care? It looks just like any [insert genre of game here] I've seen. Why is this so important?" And you know what? That's what I was thinking when I was looking at the thing for Fairlight. You want to know what makes Commander Keen so good. The magazine won't tell you. I want to know what makes all the Spectrum games they post slather screenshots and sprites all over the pages like World of Spectrum just exploded. The magazine won't tell me. It's clear there's a deep apprecation for the system, but it's like everybody who didn't grow up with it doesn't matter. If we're supposed to love the thing so much, can we at least ask why?

It's two sides of the same coin, so to speak, that lead to nothing being accomplished or learned. If there's a game in there you know, the magazine will just reaffirm your belief that it's good like an echo chamber. If you don't know it, you're just left confused and annoyed, most likely. For so many of these articles, you could just print a screenshot, the trivia, and a sentence that says "This game is good because we say so. Just believe us, OK?"

I'll accept things like the arcade feature and the Minority report, as their focus is far too broad to really go into detail on one specific thing. That's fine, I can understand that in that case. I still wish that when they do mention specific game, they didn't come in a cramped little box. But at least then, they make an effort to tell you about the game.

Actually, I'd like to talk about something I think was done very well. Page 52, Import Only. It's done perfectly! Exactly what I was asking for! It explains what the game is about, what it does, and what makes it interesting or unique! That's what I ask from the magazine, but it's restricted to this one tiny little section. If the entire magazine were as good or as informative as those two pages, this thread wouldn't exist.

The other segments are... all right, I don't have as many complaints about them. The top 25 for the Playstation was a little vague, and I think it needed more information about the games.

Again, I understand that maybe what I'm asking is impossible. Maybe a decent look at all the games discussed in each issue AND the random trivia they love so much would take too long, or there wouldn't be enough pages to do so. And I'd complain just as much, if anybody asks, if we lived an alternate universe where the magazine was American and all Spectrum content was replaced with Playstation content. No matter what system it is, telling people about the games they already know about isn't informative or entertaining.

I suppose that's it, then. Before I go, I'd like to show you all something. This is Hardcore Gaming 101's article on the Wally Week series for the Spectrum. Retro Gamer covered this series, as well, and I think this is the perfect comparison between how I'd like to see RG write, and how it writes in reality. I hope if you take anything from this, is that good, informative writing is what makes retro gaming live on, not just a bunch of screenshots and empty praise.

We need to know why we do what we do.

Thank you.

...Also, they did that thing where they called a fighting game a beat-em-up. only now they're calling beat-em-ups 'scrolling fighters'. This is getting ridiculous, people. What, are we going to start calling Call of Duty games "Doom clones" again, now?

Well, I can't imagine this is going to go well, but worth a shot, I guess. )
Descent
Rise of the Triad
Tyrian 2000
One Must Fall 2097
The Incredible Machine

I wish it wasn't so hard to find the many, many video game comics out there. Maybe somebody should make a thread about them. What I'd really like to find is the Double Dragon comic where it turns out Stan Lee is the father of Billy & Jimmy. Yes, that Stan Lee.

There's also the Sonic comics, of which there are two very different ones depending on where you are. Over here, we had the Archie comics, which started off as goofy, pun-filled romps before eventually becoming nothing but one long, awkward soap opera, before eventually ending up somewhere in the middle.

And then most of you guys had the Fleetway Sonic comics, of which I don't know quite as much about. I do know, however, that they made Sonic into a complete asshole.



And one panel later...



By the way, sorry if I'm derailing the thread... I can make a new one, if need be. I just think the subject of video game comics is something worth discussing.

[ALL THE WORLD'S ROMS ARE MINE TO DO WITH AS I SO DESIRE.]

It's a topic that seems to flare up every so often around here, so I think maybe we need a thread for it.

Let's lay down some ground rules, folks: This thread isn't about finding ROMs. Nobody is asking where to find ROMs. Not me, not you, not anybody. Besides, I don't need to find ROMs. I have my sources.



ALL THE WORLD'S ROMS ARE MINE TO DO WITH AS I SO DESIRE.

So, let me speak seriously here. Yes, I emulate. Frequently. I don't see anything to be ashamed about it, and while I admit it has its flaws, I feel like it shouldn't really be considered bad, per se, to actually do it.

Some people say real hardware is better. That's subjective, really. I do enjoy using real hardware, when I'm actually able to. It does provide a very different feeling than playing something in front of your monitor, and I can appreciate that. Blowing on catridges and watching the gentle curve on an old-fashioned CRT gives me "the warm fuzzies" for sure, not going to lie. But the thing is, for me, personally? It's just not feasible.

For one thing, I'm working with a very limited amount of space. I keep all my gaming stuff in my room, and I don't even have enough room as it is to comfortably place my Nintendo 64, which I actually do own. Now factor in all the other stuff I emulate frequently, including the Amiga, and you can see where I'm coming from, hopefully.

And then there's the legality aspect of that, and... well, that's where things get a little more muddled. All I'm going to say on this front is that I'm really not any sort of angel when it comes to this sort of thing, but there a few times when I think it's justified. Some games are hard to find or way more expensive than they should be, and the IP owners probably ended up getting swallowed by Activision, if you're lucky. Personally, I feel that if nobody's going to end up making money from the game, I don't see any real harm in that sort of thing. If it ends up on Nintendo's Virtual Console or Good Old Games, though, then yes, then you should actually go and spend money on it. But that's just my opinion, so feel free to take it as you wish.

Also, I feel that, in some ways, while it might not be the original experience, it's actually an improvement on the original experience. Take the Amiga. I don't have to swap disks. I don't have to buy new parts. I don't have to own several models. I can just tweak the settings as I like and be ready to play whatever I like, with no hassle.  Heck, sometimes emulation even improves a game. Look at all the translation patches all over the internet for Japanese games, for one example.

I'll say now that emulation isn't some kind of wonder technology that solves all problems. For one thing, it doesn't always work. I bought another N64 a long, long time after I sold my original. (A while back, sadly, I had to sell ALL my old gaming stuff to pay for computer parts.) I really appreciate having the original system, because in that case, you just can't play N64 stuff on your computer in a way that's comfortable. And then there's the Jaguar, which seems will forever remain a mystery to me. I always make sure to never use emulation to replace the stuff I already own. Even if N64 emulation stopped being terrible for anything beyond Super Mario 64, I can promise you I'd still keep mine.

That, and I feel like emulation's a great way to actually LEARN about games. If you don't know what something is, play it! What, do you think Retro Gamer is going to tell you anything useful about it? I've learned everything I know about European computer games from emulation. So when I say stuff like Superfrog is really not that good you guys, Sonic isn't about collecting stuff, etc. etc. I can explain why I feel that way because I'm able to play it in a mostly hassle-free way.

So that's just how I personally feel about the whole thing. You're free to disagree, I'm just saying that I don't think it's as much of a cardinal sin as I feel like it's made to be around these parts. For me, emulation's a supplement to real physical media, not a replacement. A sidekick. But it's still damn helpful.

Basically, I think we need a little more positivity around these parts, so here's me doing my part. Basically, just talk about things in retro games you like. Maybe it's just a game in general you really like, and you want to talk about it. Maybe it's a certain thing you enjoyed about a game. Maybe a particular feature, level, character, song, or anything that you liked enough to mention it.

Here's what I've got, in no particular order:

- The hint system from Duke Nukem II. I've been playing through this game some more lately, since I was always a fan of it growing up. There's one thing in particular, however, I've noticed that I really like. Every time you come across a new feature or special item in the game, the game will display a message telling you what it does, which makes getting used to it a lot easier. This isn't the first game to do this, sure, but what's really nice is that the game displays all messages in a little box at the top of the screen, meaning the game never pauses to show you these messages. Simple, unobtrusive, and very helpful.

- Dynamic music from the Star Wars X-Wing and TIE Fighter flight sims. Again, this isn't the first game to do this, but I think it's done so well that it deserves particular note. Basically, during missions, you have a main theme playing in the background, with different cues playing in the song to note different events. For example, if you're playing X-Wing, you get a few notes of the Imperial March to let you know enemy ships have appeared, before it quickly flows right back into the main theme of the mission. There's a lot of other cues, too, depending on how well you're doing or how much you're sucking, and it's actually helpful to learn what each particular cue means. While this isn't the first instance of this sort of music, it sounds a lot more 'natural' than a few other games before it that have tried it. It's just a really creative, effective way to get the player's attention and let him know what's going on, and I appreciate it.

- The 3DO version of Wolfenstien 3D. Honestly, I'd go as far to say that it might just be the best port of Wolf 3D out there, in some ways, even better than the original PC version. I really love what they've done with the soundtrack for one thing, which makes the whole thing sound like a dumb 80's action movie. Which, for the most part, is kind of what Wolfenstien is, so that's OK. Check this out, for example.

Wolfenstein 3D (3DO) - 01 - Title Screen

See, this is pretty much the perfect Nazi-killing music, right here. There's also new weapons, like a flamethrower. The best thing of all, though, is that there's an automap, which for me, automatically makes the game ten times better. It's often really hard to find your way around in Wolf 3D, so a map cuts down HARD on the amount of wandering you have to do. I'm just sad I didn't get to play this version sooner.

- The V-Gun from Wild Guns on SNES. If you haven't played Wild Guns, it's a game based heavily on Cabal from the arcades, with a lot of extra features that make it a lot more playable. One of which is a small meter, that fills up a little every time you shoot the bullets the enemies fire at you. If you fill it up, you get to wield the monstrously destructive V-Gun for a short time. It's a great mechanic that balances how much you want to dodge bullets by how much you want to be able to tear the current stage you're on a new hole, and it adds a lot of depth to the game.

So that's what I've really enjoyed so far from the stuff I've been playing. Remember, it doesn't have to be a feature, just anything from a game you've liked, or any game you've liked!

So, ever since I've been messing with this new flightstick, I've been taking an interest in old computer controllers, and I was wondering if you guys could help give me some recommendations. I'd prefer controllers that I could plug into my modern PC, either with an adapter or if they're USB versions of older controllers. I don't care if they're PC, C64, Amiga, or what, as long as there's a way I can get them plugged into my PC.



For one thing, I'm considering this, the Gravis Gamepad Pro. There's older versions of this, more based off of the SNES controller than a PS1 controller, but those would require a parallel adaptor that I'd have to buy. I've also heard the D-Pad is pretty bad on these. I'm honestly considering getting a USB SNES controller instead. I KNOW Apogee's Stargunner supported the SNES controller from the options menu, so it'd still be authentic... mostly. Does anybody have one of these Gravis pads? Are they worth it?



There's also a USB version of this thing, the Competition Pro. Apparently this thing was HUGE with the British computers, and I've got enough games on my computer for those that I think this would be worth it. Does anybody have this USB version? Is it any good?

That's all, basically, unless anybody has their own suggestions. Remember, I'm on the lookout for retro-esque controllers. I'd prefer stuff without analog sticks, if at all possible... not that I MIND them, but they tend to screw with my DOS games.

So, lately, I've been playing a ton of Windjammers and Super Dodge Ball for Neo Geo, because they're awesome. I'm not very GOOD at them, but it's making me realize that I tend to really like sports games when they're different enough from actual sports. When I say "non-traditional", I mean a game that's either a fictional sport, or something heavily modified from the original sport. Something like NFL Blitz isn't quite there, but I'd accept something like Mutant League Football, where you can kill players, bribe the ref, and knock people into the depths of space.

And before anybody mentions Speedball 2, because I know you people will, I've tried it, and I've never been able to figure it out. Maybe if I could find the manual for any of the million billion versions, that'd help, but I've never been able to figure out the simulatory stuff and such. Looks fun if you can figure out how to play, though.

[Sierra!]

No real reason I ask, really. Call it a slight curiosity. And considering they were prolific enough they showed up on the Amiga and the ST, I figure this is something that a lot of people will get into.

Let's meet our contestants!

Sierra! Creator of the first character-based adventure game! Publisher of a ton of games, most of which you probably never heard of! Absorbed into the hideous, Lovecraftian beast that is now Activision!

For me, it's personally Sierra that wins. Adventure games were their bread and butter, sure, but they did a great job of mixing things up with each of their franchises. They had educational adventure games like the EcoQuest games, RPG-style adventures with Quest for Glory, and, uh, whatever Leisure Suit Larry was. I'd also say sort of had the edge on writing.

See, LucasArts's adventures, either what you did worked, or it didn't. But in Sierra's best games, you could look at, touch, talk to, and do pretty much anything to anything in the game and you'd get a message out of it. I like that. Even if it takes me a half hour to go from screen to screen that way.

And the deaths. This is going to be the make or break decision for some people. Some people hate them, some... well, they hate them less. They can be annoying, but they can be hilarious, as seen here.

Ways to Die Space Quest 4 Part 1

LucasArts! Creator of the modern point and click adventure game as we know it! Dead after the milk ran out of the Star Wars cow.

LucasArts isn't a bad company at all, they just... well, don't win. I will admit, however, that while Sierra does enviroments better, LucasArts does great with characters. A lot of the Sierra heroes felt like blank slates for a while, while somebody like Guybrush Threepword has an identifiable personality, as do the characters he meets. It's personal taste, really, but still. Or Full Throttle, in which the main character is a musclebound biker who frequently kicks things to make them work, and thus makes him probably the most unlikely hero for an adventure game, ever. And yet, it still works, as shown here. Skip to 9:23.

Either way, what's your favorite? In the interest of fairness and getting more votes, I'll be counting console games here, too. Rise of the Dragon for the Sega CD, or Zombies Ate My Neighbors? You decide.

So, some of you may know about this. Some of you may not. Even if you do, you can 'thank' me for reminding you that this exists.

In the early 90's, the Turbo Graphx had fallen far behind the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. It didn't help that they had little to no presence in the UK, being kept to mail order. Now, the marketing folks at NEC had about two real options to help spread the word about the Turbo Graphx.

A. Make kiosks around gaming stores across the country, letting players try the console's high quality arcade ports and their flagship CD SHMUP, Lords of Thunder.

B. Make a series of comics blaming Sega for everything, while calling them a bunch of inhuman monsters who are out to steal all your money. While you're at it, take the opportunity to make fun of your fat coworker.

You can imagine which option they went with, I'm sure.

So the first two comics involve this fat, bearded guy in a backwards baseball cap beating people up while yelling at people about multitaps and Sherlock Holmes. The third comic... well. Let's just say that it involves the most enthusiasm about Bomberman that any human in this multiverse has ever had.



Here's a little something to whet your appetite. Sadly, there's no place where the raw scans are kept, but if you don't mind the commentary, you can find all of them here. Oh, and keep in mind as you read these that "Johnny Turbo" is actually a real, living person. A person who probably didn't have many friends at the office, I'd imagine.

[Boss fights.]

Gaming's changed a lot lately, as I'm sure you all know. And I'm sure you can all agree it hasn't always been for the better. So what I'm asking is, what parts of classic gaming do you miss that you just don't see anymore? Here's mine:

1. Boss fights. I really, really love boss fights, if they're done well. Sometimes they can be the highlight of a game, sometimes theyy can make up the big majority of a game. I could think of a million good examples. Problem is, lately apparently they're too "video gamey" for a modern "cinematic experience", so when they DO happen, they tend to be incredibly short and easy. Or they're just one big QTE. I don't care if they're "video gamey", they're fun and I miss them.

The exceptions: Sonic Generations, any game by Platinum (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising), Batman: Arkham City

2. Cheat codes. I'm not JUST talking the standard 'invicibility/level select/what have you' codes, here, I'm fine with cosmetic stuff like big head mode. But that would ruin the challenge of getting all them cheevos, so here we are. And when they ARE in, the game makes you pay for them, like The Godfather on the 360.

The exceptions: Batman Arkham City has a big head cheat code. This pleases me. The Saint's Row games also have a ton of cheats.

3. Split screen multiplayer. Playing with your friends is fun, even when it's on a tiny corner of the screen you can barely see. But, alas, if you play it that way, you can't make your friends buy three other copies of the game, so have fun forcing your friends to stay home while you play with them.

The exceptions: Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing. There are probably more, but I can't think of them.

4. Platformers. I am a FIEND for platformers, I'll have you know. Sadly, in this era of desert shooty times, I've been rather starved. Things have been slowly looking up, but there's not exactly a plethora of options. And no, I'm not counting all of those really hard one-hit kill platformers that slather spikes all over the place, like Super Meat Boy.

The exceptions: Sonic, Rayman, Mario.

So, I run this blog about games and other stuff from the 90's. I hadn't updated in a while, but lately I've had enough free time I felt like putting some posts of it up. I did a couple of Amiga games, with a third on the way. One's interesting, if generally too difficult to really get far into, and the other one just sucks on ice.

Here's a link. I just figure I'd put it up, since so many people around here are more used to the Amiga than I am. Tell me what you think!

[Dizzy/The Cave]

There have been a lot of genres over the years, some that have risen, some that have fallen. Genres that have changed as time moves on, with new ideas added in, and some ideas streamlined. Let's take a look at three genres: Puzzle platformers, beat-em-ups, and advergames, and see how they've changed over the years. Feel free to post your own examples, as well!




Dizzy/The Cave





Double Dragon/The Punisher/God Hand






Mr. Whimpy/Cool Spot/Doritos Dash Of Destruction

[Videos!]

So, hey. I've been looking at a lot of good sites lately for interesting gaming stuff, and I figure it'd be great to make a good resource about it. I did this once a while back with video channels we liked, but now I'm expanding it to anything on the internet related to retro gaming.

Videos!

Lazy Game Reviews - So there's this guy from... Tennesee, I believe, who does a lot of entertaining videos about mostly DOS games, along with the occasional video of a modern game or a hardware video. He's funny, informative, and shows off some great stuff.

Pushing Up Roses - One of LGR's friends, basically, so if you like his stuff, you'll probably like hers. She does a lot of reviews on adventure games, like the horrendous Wayne's World adventure game. Yes, it exists.

Nice N' Games - He doesn't update as much as he used to, but this guy does a ton of different systems, usually older stuff like the Atari consoles and computers. He also does hardware reviews, like his video on the Neo Geo Gold. He's got a good sense of humor to him, and he's very pleasant to listen to, especially compared to say, the AVGN.

Unseen64 - The Youtube channel of the site of the same name, which specialized in information on unreleased games and betas/alphas for games that hit the shelves. For example, did you know Tengen had plans to release Xybots for the NES?

MAMECade - So here's a guy who primarily does videos on old arcade games, usually from the early to late 80's. He even did the very obscure pinball/arcade combination, Granny and the Gators. He also does a few less than well-known arcade titles from the 90's, like The Outfoxies.

Ancient DOS Games - Yes, yes, I know I'm putting up a lot of DOS-related stuff in here. Feel free to put up stuff for the other computers, if you can find it. So, here's another guy who does full reviews of various DOS games of the ages, to well-known classics like King's Quest and Bubble Bobble to obscure weirdness like 3D Dinosaur Adventure. His reviews are very informative, even going as far to tell you where you can find the games, and the best settings to run them in DOSBox.

Blogs And Other Sites!

Super Adventures in Gaming - This is a blog about a guy who plays through as many games as he possibly can, taking pictures and describing his experiences with them.  He does pretty much every system you can imagine, from the Spectrum, to the Jaguar, and a whole ton of other sutff.

The CRPG Addict - This blog is one man's quest to play every computer RPG he can find on Wikipedia and Mobygames, from the first mainframe RPGs to the Ultima games, and beyond. Even if you're horrible at this sort of thing, like I am, it's interesting reading.

The Adventure Gamer - This blog is a lot like the CRPG Addict, only with graphic adventure games instead of RPGs. He starts off with the original King's Quest, before slowly moving forward to 1990 and beyond! Also, they made an adventure game based off Psycho. It's fucking garbage.

So, yeah! Post anything else along these lines, for any systems you want! Let's share some entertainment!

Yep, that's pretty much it.

For me - platformers. Always loved them, as awful as I can be from them. I guess it's partly from me being so many when I was young, since I grew up with a SNES. From Sonic & Mario, (Yeah, I said it. I'm a loose cannon, I don't play by the rules!) to obscure gems like The Adventures of Lomax. I've even learned to appreciate the ah, more infamous ones like Aero the Acrobat. 2D, 3D, it's all good. Only kind of platformer I really can't stand are the ultra-hard faux 8-bit ones that are popping up all the internet. Yes, indie developers, Mega Man was a thing that existed. We KNOW.

Second after that is fighting games. Again, I tend to be pretty awful with them. Nowhere near good enough to a "professional" at them, anyway. And yet I keep coming back again and again, finding enjoyment in polished efforts like Darkstalkers to the sheer insaner-y of Killer Instinct. Never could get into the older stuff like IK+ or Barbarian, though.

This is a question that's been argued a lot around here lately, and I'd like to know your thoughts. I'd break it down like this:

Hardware: This is what you actually play the game on, and for this, I would factor in the build quality, the reliability of the system, and maybe the actual power of the system itself. I would say this is what matters more for the hardcore game collectors. Personally, I've never held much importance in this. I don't have a lot of space or money for other systems and computers, so I prefer to emulate, which basically removes the 'hardware' aspect of the equation entirely.

Software: This, personally, is what I think matters more. Sure, hardware is important, but in the long run, when it's harder to find the proper hardware, and emulation gets so much easier to use, this is what matters in the long run. You can have a powerful system, but if you don't have the games to match up with the competition, in the long run, you're going to lose. At least, that's how I see it. For those of us who are strictly in this for the games (like me), this is what wins contests for ANY system.

Let me put this as an example. The Lynx is the more powerful system. Technically, it beats out the Game Boy in nearly every way. I will admit that. However. The Game Boy, despite its technical shortcomings, wins because it has a much larger library, with a larger variety of genres, with products that I myself feel are generally more polished.

The "Swiss army knife" of retro gaming pleasure - fifteen console systems playing eighteen formats in total, one master controller, one SCART output, one power supply, one custom made switch unit. All with original console hardware, no emulation or clone systems. It is the most comprehensive multi retro gaming console made, that uses original gaming hardware. Three years to build, about 3500 hours and at a cost of around £700. No, this system is not for sale it is a one-off system, however on my website http://www.made-by-bacteria.com I do give comprehensive guides on making such a unit.

So, yeah, some insane genius has stuffed pretty much every console ever made up to the Gamecube inside one box, and it looks just as monstrous as it sounds. He calls it Project Unity, and apparently what it's supposed to be the ultimate retro gaming console.

For an idea on how complex this thing is, the controller alone has six shoulder buttons, twelve keypad buttons, four action buttons, a D-Pad, two joysticks, and a rounded D-Pad just for the Intellivsion. Also, you apparently have to change motherboards for every different kind of controller. The crate itself contains about 18 different consoles and handhelds jammed inside the thing, from the Atari 2600 to the Gamecube.

It's great that somebody's figured out how to make something like this, but the amount of time and effort put into something like this is still mindboggling. I'd say I want one, but I wouldn't want the hernia from trying to carry it inside my house.

[challenge]

This is going to take a while.

So, as I've been on this site for... what I'd say has been "a while", I've been figuring I need to spell out my thoughts on certain things. This isn't against anyone or anything, really, this is more of a... stream of consciousness. I've been awake for... I can't even tell you, right now. When I stay up this long, I tend to have thoughts I want to share. A lot of thoughts. So, if you find this too boring to read, I wouldn't blame you.

I'm, as I'm sure you've all figured out, not a lot like a good portion of the people who hang around this site. I've always hung around lots of retro gaming sites over the years, and those have instilled in me a few things I figured were common knowledge. "Nobody hates Nintendo, or at least classic Nintendo." "Everybody thinks Atari was just one failure after the other." And comng here, obviously, has proven both of those very, very wrong. I have to admit, coming around here for the first time, it was actually quite shocking to see people who actually thought like this.

Over time, however, I've understood that this is a site for a different generation, of a different country. And I've grown to fear that less as time goes on. I can't say I could embrace it, though, to be honest. It's like this, to offer a really bad analogy: You're a square hole, RVG. I'm a round peg. I can't fit in with you entirely, but I can put myself in a similar hole used for a similar purpose. ...I said it was a bad analogy, all right?

And that purpose would be retro gaming. We're all here to play and discuss retro gaming, of various sorts. The funny thing about retro gaming is that nobody is entirely sure what is actually is. And I find that fascinating. You can only show technology to a certain person that's this old or that new before it becomes "weird thing I don't get". And you know what I think part of the problem is? Lack of education among the retro gaming masses.

Let's take the average person from the 90's, for example. It might be me, it might not. This person is aware of the SNES, the Genesis/Mega Drive, possibly DOS, or possibly some other of the 5 or so computers of the 90's. He might not know of the ZX Spectrum, the Amiga, or god forbid, the Amstrad. And the sad thing is, he probably won't.

I've been coming up with a general theory that a lot of retro gaming fans, whatever they grew up playing, get the impression that the games they liked are the sort of things EVERYONE knows about. Take, as an example, an average issue of Retro Gamer. Who's Matthew Smith, and what's this creepy smiling egg thing this magazine keeps talking about? Or, on the other end of the spectrum, for the older folk, what's this newfangled "Metal Gear Solid" business people are going on about? I like RG as a magazine, but most articles about it seem to be written as if you're well aware of each topic. This... doesn't quite work.

As I've said, the retro gaming community as a whole needs education. Some sort of source to learn why good games are good, no matter where or when they came from. I'd say that the retro gaming community should make its "duty", as it were, to share knowledge, not hoard it to themselves, to be given out only for those who were already had it in the first place.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.



This is a video review of the DOS game Chex Quest. This is a game I'm well aware of, but you probably aren't. But this video doesn't just inform you of the game, it educates. It tells you of the game's history, what it's about, how it plays, what makes it special, and what its strengths and weaknesses as a game are. He also entertains as he does his review/retrospective, giving extra incentive for the viewer to continue watching and learn more.

There's more than one channel like this for DOS games. My armor-piercing question, my challenge to not just you, Retro Video Gamer, but to the British retro gaming community and BEYOND: What's stopping you from educating me on any game for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, or Amiga, with this same level of quality and dedication? The only people I can think of who do this are Guru Larry and Ashens. Sadly, however, they don't really do that sort of thing as often as any of the American reviewers I'm aware of, leaving a very large void for this sort of thing.

I should mention, if you're aware of my DOS reviews, this is the express purpose for why I make them. I love DOS, even with its faults. And I want to show you why I love DOS, by showing you what I think makes it great. Sadly, I'm a little limited by the review format to REALLY get into detail on why I pick the games I choose to review. I'd like to ask: Do the reviews make you interested in the games I do? Do you find them informative?

Thank you for reading.