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PAX 2010: "Bullets won't stop it."

PAX 2010 — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:53:50 +0000

One of my favorite places to stop and catch my breath at Penny Arcade Expo is the classic gaming corner of the console free play room. Amidst the insanity of the show, it's somehow comforting to see others chilling out and playing a few rounds of Mario Kart or racking up points in Tetris. The classic space is also nice because the consoles in use are provided by attendees, in the true spirit of brotherhood.

This also means that sometimes the consoles on display are somewhat less than mint, as in the case of one of the Super NES units available to play on at this year's show. In fact, it's missing nearly half its exoskeleton. Err, half its case, I mean.

You can't really fault me for my confusion, though. The way that single red light shines through the ruins of its shell looks exactly like the game console equivalent of the Terminator. It's nice to see a console that keeps plugging away despite being partially destroyed in this era of suicidal 360s. I would totally vote for this SNES as the next governor of California.

Great Images in 1-Bit Color: Mona Lisa

Great Images in 1-Bit Color — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:22:24 +0000

Mona Lisa c. 1503-1506 by Leonardo Da Vinci An image like this should be familiar to early Macintosh users, for the first Macs only supported 1-bit color. That is, two colors total: each pixel could be black or white — on or off — and nothing in between. The image above uses only black [...]

Together Retro Game Club: Urban Strike

Together Retro Game Club — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:49:31 +0000

Presented by Fastbilly & Racketboy
New To Together Retro? Check out the introduction to the club

Its multidirectional shooter time again. This time around we are going with one of the lesser known titles in the Strike series, Urban Strike. It is a difficult game where you fly a modified AH-64 Apache Helicopter on a variety of missions. Though serious, the game does have its sections of tongue and cheek humor and guest appearances by the King of Rock and Roll. So ready your yoke, it’s time for some action.

Disclaimer

Urban Strike was created in 1994 and takes place in 2001. The fourth or fifth stage features a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. When our Together Retro calendar was created back in February or March, this was unknown to us since no one making the calendar had played this game. We mean no disrespect in our choice of titles for the month.

History

Released in 1994 for the Genesis/Megadrive, SNES, GameGear, and Gameboy, Urban Strike was programmed by the same three fellas that programmed the first two titles: Mike Posehn, John Patrick Manley and Tony Barnes. It was released to moderate sales and decent reviews.

Of course, the series as a whole was inspired by Sega’s classic helicopter title, Choplifer, but the team at EA wanted to do something different and a bit more modern for the time. Even though the series did have some commerical success, it was eventually doomed to relative obscurity by the mainstream gaming community. Despite this the games have developed a cult following within the classic gaming crowd.

Gameplay

Like the other titles in the Strike series, Urban Strike sends you on a variety of missions, this time all over North America. The missions may be search and destroy, rescue, or even sneak inside of a building. It is the first title to include on foot objectives and inside environments. And like all titles in the Strike series, Urban Strike is fairly difficult. It is no cake walk, even for fans of multidirectional shooters. That’s not to say that the game cheats, it is just difficult – Well I think some of the latter stages have unfair number of bullets, but that’s just me.

Using a very similar control scheme to the previous two titles, Urban Strike provides a solid gameplay experience that is just the perfect combination of most aspects of a shooter. It is trying, rewarding, and above all else, fun. Flying through AA fire to rescue that last guy before the helicopter runs out of gas is something that never gets old to me. The plot is kinda weak – I mean a terrorist attack from space? That’s so Red Alert. But this si the kind of game where the gameplay is far more important. Just use your imagination to fill in the blanks.

Legacy

Urban Strike is the middle title in a unique line of titles. Starting in 91 and going to 97, the Strike series is a fairly solid set of Multidirectional shooters. Sadly the series has shown no signs of a comeback and what was going to be the last title in the series Future Strike was made into Future Cop: LAPD which was not highly received.

Desert Strike – 1991
Jungle Strike – 1993
Urban Strike – 1994
Soviet Strike – 1996
Nuclear Strike – 1997
Future Cop LAPD – 1998 PSN Rerelease 2009

Controls – SNES version

Dpad – Move
A – Fire Machine guns
B – Jink/Crane
X – Fire Hydras
Y – Fire Hellfires

Controls change based on the vehicle you are currently in, but overall they are the same. Movement is a rotate and forward/reverse system. Similar to tank controls in a Survival Horror title.

Ports

Genesis/Megadrive
SNES
Game Gear
Gameboy

Emulation Help

Racketboy Emulation Forum

Together Retro Discussion

Instead of posting in the comments section of the blog, we will be using the forum for all of our discussion in order to keep things more organized. So play Urban Strike and talk to us about your thoughts and play experiences in the forums. We want to know your favorite parts, your successes and your failures.
Discuss The Game In The Forum

DtoidAustin NARP: game on at Game Over

DtoidAustin NARP — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:30:00 +0000

The Lone Star state can be a big lonely place without good people, good food, and good games to get you by. Thankfully, all of those things came together in August as Dtoiders from San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin made a Scott Pilgrim-age to the state's capital for a weekend of drinking, Rock Band-ing, movie viewing, retro-game tourneying, and of course -- PANCAKES.

We were fortunate enough to get some sponsorship for a great event. The owner of independent retro store Game Over Videogames, David Kaelin, generously hooked us up with his store space for an evening, multiple TVs and N64s for a Destructoid members only Mario Kart 64/Goldeneye tournament, and nearly $200 in prizes to reward the players who came out on top. It was a blast, and it does my heart good to see independent gaming entities support one another. So, go check out the website, as there is an online store for retro goodness even if you're not an Austinite.

Blehman, itemforty, DVDDesign, portastad, Xzyliac, seltzermx, djnealb, silvain, Ryan Barrett and more made the trek to debauch, chill, and compete for big prizes!

The weekend started off Friday night with some good old fashioned partying and gaming. Mr. Destructoid was kind enough to help point out the way to the right apartment - he's a gentleman and a scholar.

Scott Pilgrim was the order of the evening early on - djnealb and Xzyliac fall victim to my plot to get other people to grind trophies for me!

Xzyliac was a Rock Band machine all weekend. I don't think he moved from the living room for hours. Others joined in the jams as the night passed.

Gaming is hard work. Frequent refueling is necessary for proper mental functioning.

Blehman responds to our offer to get him an exorcism.

The next day saw the crew getting together to watch Scott Pilgrim at the coolest cinema ever -- the Alamo Drafthouse. You can get food or drink served to you during the movie, and they always play a reel of awesome quirky old movies or clips relating to the movie, subject matter, or actors in the film before the main event.

After the film and some napping , we all moved on to Game Over to check out the retro wonderland and get our tourney on. David Kaelin was there to help us the whole time, and we had a blast looking around the store, checking out the video game museum in the back, and launching blue shell after blue shell!

I have no defense for this. Wifey made me do it. I think she has a Ms. Pac-Man fetish, and I'm okay with that.

On the way out, we noticed that Game Over is located near a historic educational institution. A place where culinary theory, study, and hard work result in the finest establishment ever spawned in food service.

The next morning saw us preparing for tearful goodbyes and nursing raucous hangovers, so it was off to the the delicious Kerbey Lane Cafe for mimosas, coffee, and most importantly -- PANCAKES! Also, I have no idea how itemforty managed to be so chipper.

It was an amazing time, and I can't wait to do it again. If you're in the Texas-ish area and want to take part in the next big shindig, hoedown, hog-washing, or ballyhoo, you can PM me to get added to the google group for the most up to date information on what's going down for Dtoid in TX. Or, keep your eyes on the cblogs/forums for more info! Much love to all who came!

Mike Fahey: What's Inside An Atari 2600? [Teardown]

Mike Fahey — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:50:00 +0000

div style="background-color: #B3B3B3; width: 160px; padding: 1px;">#teardown

To celebrate the launch of video game repair guides, do-it-yourself repair website iFixit is tearing down old video game consoles all week long. Today they give us a peek at what's inside the classic Atari 2600. More »

JC Fletcher: Fast Striker is the new Last Dreamcast Game Ever

JC Fletcher — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:30:00 +0000

The Dreamcast continues to cling to the barest sliver of life, thanks to the work of NGDev Team. The developer and publisher announced that it's porting Fast Striker, a vertical shooter made for fellow dead system the Neo Geo, to the Dreamcast, with a scheduled winter 2010 release.

If you want to buy a new Dreamcast game and doesn't that sound great? you can pre-order Fast Striker from NGDev directly, in either a regular edition or a limited edition that includes a soundtrack. If you're really enthused about Fast Striker, you can buy a pack containing both editions. The Neo Geo MVS version is also available.

Check out a trailer after the break. A trailer for a Dreamcast game.

Continue reading Fast Striker is the new Last Dreamcast Game Ever

Fast Striker is the new Last Dreamcast Game Ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stephen Totilo: In Search Of The First Video Game Gun [Gun Week]

Stephen Totilo — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:10:00 +0000

div style="background-color: #B3B3B3; width: 160px; padding: 1px;">#gunweek

What was the first video game gun? There are three ways to try to answer that question. More »

Review: Ufouria: The Saga

Review — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:30:00 +0000

If you're a Wii owner,  you're probably focused on Metroid: Other M right now. The eighth Metroid game has already proven to be quite controversial, due in no small part to the widely variant review scores the game has received. Most of the game's harsher critics state that it doesn't prioritize the strengths of prior Metroid games -- namely, non-linear exploration and a subtle use of atmosphere to evoke a sense of isolation.

Ufouria could be the answer for Metroid fans who aren't into other Other M. The game is all about non-linear exploration, and it certainly has a unique atmosphere. Exploration is a constant, and isolation is touched upon at least at the start of the game -- but so are climbing giant stands of drool as they dribble out of floating purple faces, and headbutting a giant battle-armored tabby cat until it's nude, then stomping its defenseless face until it's dead.

Sound weird? Well, this is a NES game from the early '90s, a time when we expected to see unexplainable events such as those in our videogames. Never before released in the United States, Ufouria has built up a reputation for being a "lost classic" of the NES era, and has become something of collector's Holy Grail.

Let's find out if it deserves that reputation.

Ufouria: The Saga Wii Virtual Console
Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Sunsoft
Released: August 23, 2010
MSRP: 600 Wii Points

God damn it, who named this game? I hate them. Ufouria is NOT a saga. It's barely even a story. The game is about four friends who wander around a bizarre world, killing stuff and doing whatever. First they have to find each other. Then they have to find keys to a giant door. Then they go through the door. Then, [SPOILERS] they decide not to leave because they like wandering around in a bizarre world, killing stuff, and doing whatever [/SPOILERS]. That's it. That's the "saga." False advertising son-of-a-bitch, Sunsoft. I'll never forgive you for this.

Actually, I don't care that Ufouria has nearly no storyline. What it lacks in narrative, it more than makes up for in imagination. This is how I'd want an Adventure Time! with Finn and Jake game to be. That's how weird we're talking here.

It all starts with the game's playable characters. The Ufouria gang includes a ghost whose primary attack is launching his heat-seeking eyeballs out of his face; a frog-man who spits up explosives; a confused-looking dinosaur; and a weird penguin-alien thing that can stretch its neck like Dhalsim from Street Fighter II for a long-distance headbutt attack good for killing cats . Imagine a Mario game where you could switch between the Tanooki suit, the Penguin Suit, a Bonk from Bonk's Adventure suit, and the Frog suit at any time, but if the Frog suit let you vomit bombs. Those who speak Mario-ese will understand -- this is pretty cool.

Ufouria combines that kind of Super Mario Bros.-style action with Metroid-style power-up collection and exploration. The game has a fairly big open-world environment, and it really nails the non-linear feel. Though the game only gives you two or three potential goals at any one time, it makes you feel like the entire world may open up to you if you navigate it correctly. A good 2D action/exploration game makes you feel like you're sequence-breaking getting into areas that you shouldn't be allowed to enter yet as you explore, like your ability to think outside the box sometimes literally is constantly rewarded. Ufouria nails that feeling, more so than most recent Metroid-vanias and other high-profile action/exploration titles.

From a craft standpoint, the game is very well-put-together. Being one of the last games released for the NES, it's clear that years of programming experience helped give Ufouria a visual boost. The animation of the game's four main characters is incredibly smooth for an 8-bit title. Just looking at these little weirdos run around and do their thing is a treat unto itself.

Part of that is because this is a straight port of the PAL version of the game. PAL games run faster on NTSC consoles, and that speed kick makes the game's animation even smoother. It also helps the gameplay a little, as the original version off the game was Kirby-esque in its slowness. The downside is that the music takes a hit. Not every track suffers, but the initial overworld theme definitely sounds out of tune. Something about speeding things up causes the bass line to sound off-key. It's a shame, because when played at regular speed, this music is really catchy and charming. If you're playing the game for the first time, or if you're tone-deaf, you may not notice. Everyone else will be at least slightly irritated by some of the soundtrack.

The game's difficulty curve is also a tad off-putting. It starts off nice and tough, but gets too easy too quickly. Find a few heart containers and magic potions, and you're practically invincible. While I laughed out loud at most of the bosses due to their alternately bizarre and understated designs, one thing remained consistent: they're all pretty easy. It doesn't take much strategy to beat them. It's almost always just "stomp the head" or "hit it with the ball!" They still do some damage, but there isn't much to them.

This complaint feels a little unfair, but it's still true. Since the game is nearly 20 years old, it lacks most of the advancements the genre has made over the years. Like in the classic Zelda games, you have to find a map and compass before you can properly find your way around. Like in Metroid 1, there are no health refill stations or save points. With few exceptions, if you die, you respawn from the same remote area of the map, no matter where you croaked. The game also uses an old-fashioned password save system, but since it's on the Wii, it auto saves your current position as long as you quit the game through the Home button menu.

If I played Ufouria when it was first released, maybe my perspective would have been different. Maybe my mind would have been totally blown instead of just slightly popped. Still, I had a lot of fun with the game. Everyone who likes old-fashioned videogame weirdness and 2D exploration will get their money's worth. When it comes to animation and character design, the game is among the best on the NES. The exploration elements are great. The action is fair-to-good. The game also felt a little short, but I wouldn't be complaining about that if I didn't enjoy it. If you're playing the game on a European console, things will be a little slower, but the music will sound a lot better. Tack on 0.5 points to the score if you have a way to play this game at normal speed. For everyone else, Ufouria gets an...

Score: 7.5 -- Good 7s are solid games that definitely have an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.

Destructoid: Vblank is going all out with Retro City Rampage at PAX

Destructoid — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:30:00 +0000

You have to give props to smaller developers like Vblank Entertainment. What they may lack in sheer manpower gets made up for with smart, funny marketing and cool promotions. Also, down-to-earth radness -- gotta have that. As part of the PAX 10, Retro City Rampage will be playable at booth #3017.

Better yet, the booth will have real-life goodies up for the taking:

NES-inspired cartridge labels
NES-inspired boxes straight off the presses
Sega Master System-inspired case inserts
Permastruct-inspired game rental case inserts

There will also be daily draws for the NES cartridge cases. Vblank mentioned that Retro City Rampage is now multiplatform, which I hadn't heard before, but right now they can only confirm a WiiWare release.

Check out the gallery for shots of the merch and some screenshots of the game, in case you somehow forgot what it looks like. Be on the lookout for some killer references.

Stephen Totilo: Look At Almost All The Light Guns [Gun Week]

Stephen Totilo — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:30:00 +0000

div style="background-color: #B3B3B3; width: 160px; padding: 1px;">#gunweek

One of the experiences that unites gamers is that so many of us have picked up a plastic gun and pointed it at our TV. History has given us dozens of light guns. Here, a gallery of greats and not-so-greats... More »

Benj Edwards: [ Retro Scan of the Week ] Times of Lore

Benj Edwards — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:05:51 +0000

Origin’s Times of Lore for the Commodore 64 [ From Compute’s Gazette for Commodore Users, December 1988, p.5 ] Discussion Topic of the Week: What’s your favorite computer RPG of all time? Any year, any computer platform.

Destructoid: Commodore USA producing modern PCs in replica cases

Destructoid — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:30:00 +0000

Here's a blast from the past. Commodore USA has announced that they're going back to their roots, producing a line of "all in one" computer systems including one based on the classic Commodore 64 beige box design from the 1980's pictured above . 

The systems may look old on the outside but have enough packed inside to make for a rather serviceable computer. The Commodore PC64 will include an Intel Atom 535 processor with an NVIDIA Ion2 graphics card, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a terabyte hard disk and a DVD-ROM with optional Blu-Ray . The system is expected to release in time for the holidays.

I have a computer in my living room that's simply too powerful for its purpose as a media player. But if I were to get one of these for Christmas, why, that would make a wonderful conversation piece as well as a functional entertainment product. *hint* *hint*

Commodore USA announces the PC64, an Atom-powered PC in a replica Commodore case [Engadget]

That's a wrap: Super Meat Boy is now content complete

That's a wrap — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:35:00 +0000

[Update- Header image changed to this pic found on Super Meat Boy's Twitter. What could it mean?]

Well, it's not really a wrap. The hard working men of Team Meat still have to plenty of testing to do, then there are the PC and WiiWare versions of Super Meat Boy to worry about. Still, it's exciting to know that there is a fully playable version of Super Meat Boy out there in the world. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

To go along with the announcement, Team Meat has posted a few Super Meat Boy super screenshots. I stuck them in the gallery because I love them. Looks like there is yet another awesome boss, and a new character too. Don't dare gaze upon them if value you your life, and/or if you're spoiler avoidant.

Team Meat is also teasing the release date for the XBLA build of the game. Oh, and PAX is coming up next week.

Content Complete!!- [Supermeatboy.com]

IGN Retro: IGN Presents the History of Zelda

IGN Retro — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Not even 23 years of active duty can slow Link down.

Owen Good: Kirk Gibson's Home Run, Recreated In R.B.I. Baseball [Clips]

Owen Good — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:50:00 +0000

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Sports gamers remember the epic R.B.I. Baseball re-creation of the sixth game of the 1986 World Series. Someone's gotten around to re-enacting an even greater World Series moment from that decade: Kirk Gibson's home run to beat Oakland in 1988. More »

dsheinem: Racketboy Podcast #15 – Indie Shmups

dsheinem — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:21:57 +0000

This bulky episode of the podcast looks at three smaller independent companies who are working on shoot ‘em up titles for current gen systems. Each guest had quite a lot to say about the state of shmups, the industry, and working for a small company.

BE SURE TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW TO FIND OUT HOW TO WIN ONE OF THREE FREE GAMES FROM ROCKIN’ ANDROID!

Rafael Dyll, SideQuest Studios

SideQuest Studios has been responsible for Soldner X and Sodner X-2, two of the best shmups to grace the PSN. Rafael Dyll composed the rockin’ tunes for both games, and has done work on other shmups over the past several years including NG.DEV’s Last Hope . In the interview he discusses his work, the utility of the term “Euro shmup”, and his thoughts about how to get into the game music industry.

Matthew Doucette, Xona Games

Xona games is a two-man team made up of brothers Matthew and Jason Doucette. They have already released the excellent Decimation X for the Xbox Live Indie Arcade, and are currently finishing up work on two other Xbox 360 shmups: Duality ZF and Score Rush. In the interview Matthew discusses game development in Canada, what makes a great shmup, and why Parsec for the TI-99/4A is one of the best games ever made.

Adam Milecki, Rockin’ Android

Rockin’ Android is responsible for bringing great Japanese independent shooters to the American market, and have done so with great titles like Suguri: Perfect Edition and the Gundemonium Collection. In this interview, Rockin’ Android’s Adam Milecki discusses how the company chooses games, why PSN users have something to look forward to in 2010, and offers something very special for our listeners.

Subscribe to iTunes

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Show Outline

Level 1 Boss theme from Turrican – Amiga
Dave’s Intro
Interview with Rafael Dyll, SideQuest Studios
Boss Rush 1 theme – Gradius Gaiden – PS1
Interview with Matthew Doucette, Xona Games
Boss Rush 2 theme – Gradius Gaiden – PS1
Interview with Adam Melecki, Rockin’ Android
Escape theme from R-Type Delta – PS1
Dave’s Editorial and Outro
End Credits song – Xevious 3D+G – PS1

**Also: Thanks to all of those who submitted music and artwork for the show – you’ll see the winning work featured in the next episode!**

The Old Bits: Altered Beast - Review

The Old Bits — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:45:00 +0000

The much loved pack-in title for the Sega Megadrive Genesis , is the game able to rise from its grave or is it better left dead.

Retro Gaming Life: Slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Retro Gaming Life — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:34:00 +0000

Nothing much to mention for this month as well. Things have been pretty slow but good things come to those who wait so all I can tell you is be patient, it'll come. Until next time!

Brian Ashcraft: The Idol Game Metroid's Co-Creator Made With Final Fantasy's Creator [Retro]

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:30:00 +0000

div style="background-color: #B3B3B3; width: 160px; padding: 1px;">#retro

Hironobu Sakaguchi created Final Fantasy. Yoshio Sakamoto co-created Metroid. And in 1987, both worked together on a game with this lady, Miho Nakayma. More »

Atari mines its 2600 catalog for 'Atari's Greatest Hits: Volume 1' on DS

Atari mines its 2600 catalog for 'Atari's Greatest Hits — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:30:00 +0000

Atari released a collection of classic games on DS way back in 2005. The publisher has announced a second DS collection of 2600 classics -- this time, without any "remixing." Atari's Greatest Hits: Volume 1, out this November, is a compilation of fifty Atari 2600 and arcade games, ranging from the legendary Centipede, Tempest to the somewhat obscure the Swordquest series, Human Cannonball to Math Gran Prix Math Gran Prix .

Twenty of the titles including Pong, Space Duel, and Outlaw will have single-card multiplayer for up to four, which makes sense given how little data would need to be transmitted to send the whole game ROM out over wireless. Check out the full game list and a trailer after the break. Something tells us that the footage in the trailer isn't authentic DS gameplay. Something like the fact that the screen images are wider than actual DS screens and aligned incorrectly.

This is great news for retro gaming enthusiasts -- except for the ones releasing Intellivision Lives!, who we imagine didn't expect to be competing with the 2600 again.

Continue reading Atari mines its 2600 catalog for 'Atari's Greatest Hits: Volume 1' on DS

Atari mines its 2600 catalog for 'Atari's Greatest Hits: Volume 1' on DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Destructoid: 50-game Atari classics collection coming to DS this fall

Destructoid — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:30:00 +0000

Because you've been dying for another collection of Atari classics, Atari has announced Atari's Greatest Hits: Volume 1 for the Nintendo DS. The title will feature 50 different games, including Asteroids, Pong, Centipede, Adventure, Tempest, and more.

Love the classics but not sold on another retro collection? Here's the hook -- single cartridge multiplayer! 20 of the collection's titles will allow you to share game data with another DS for multiplayer, including Space Duel and Pong. If playing alone is your thing, maybe you'll just be interest in the game's extras, including Atari trivia scores can be posted to Atari.com , a memorabilia showcase, and original game manuals for each title.

Keep reading for the full list of games in the $29.99 compilation, which is out this fall.

Atari Arcade Hits
Asteroids, Battlezone, Centipede, Gravitar, Lunar Lander, Missile Command, Pong, Space Duel, Tempest.
 
Atari 2600 Favorites
3D Tic-Tac-Toe, Adventure, Air-Sea Battle, Asteroids, Atari Video Cube, Basketball, Battlezone, Bowling, Centipede, Championship Soccer, Dodge ’Em, Flag Capture, Football, Fun with Numbers, Gravitar, Hangman, Haunted House, Home Run, Human Cannonball, Math Gran Prix, Miniature Golf, Missile Command, Outlaw, Realsports Baseball, Realsports Boxing, Realsports Football, Realsports Tennis, Realsports Volleyball, Sky Diver, Slot Maching, Slot Racers, Sprintmasters, Starship, Stella Track, Submarine Commander, Surround, Swordquest Earthworld, Swordquest Fireworld, Swordquest Waterworld,Tempest and Video Checkers.

Brian Ashcraft: From Game Boy To Virtual Boy, An Exhibit Of Gunpei Yokoi's Legacy [Gallery]

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:30:00 +0000

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Gunpei Yokoi, who sadly killed in an auto accident in 1997, was a gaming wizard. A new exhibit in Tokyo's Harajuku pays its respects to Yokoi's legacy. More »

Brian Ashcraft: The Dreamcast Will Not Die [Retro]

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:30:00 +0000

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By all accounts, the Sega Dreamcast should be dead. But it's not. More »

JC Fletcher: New Silver Lining chapter out in September, old King's Quest games on GoG now

JC Fletcher — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:30:00 +0000

Phoenix Online Studios announced that the second chapter of its Activision-approved ish free King's Quest game, The Silver Lining, will be released next month. In a post on the game's site, Phoenix's Cesar Bittar notes some of the improvements that have been made based on feedback from those who played the first game.

Thanks to you, Episode 2: Two Households will have better pathfinding, the option to switch between "extended" and "short" narration, new walking animation with a walk/run toggle , more subtitle options, and widescreen support. In terms of gameplay, there are 17 new locations, a roughly 4-hour-long quest, and "puzzles a-plenty to keep you entertained."

If you want to catch up on this King's Quest business so you can understand why fans would go to the trouble of making a tribute game, GoG.com just added a King's Quest 1-3 bundle to its shop, for $9.99. You can get a pack with 4, 5, and 6 for the same price. We'll warn you now: these games look and sound quite vintage.

New Silver Lining chapter out in September, old King's Quest games on GoG now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Magic the Gathering 2011 Core Set

Review — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:40:34 +0000

This is the Sun Titan. A massive red giant who will create a headache for your opponant.

I’ve been taking a break from conventional computer games recently and hammering the hell out of Magic the Gathering. In particular the latest core set.

At one stage the core set consisted of 100% reprinted cards and was released every other year. As a result it was a great introduction to the excellent card game that is Magic the Gathering, but it wasn’t off as much use to seasoned players, many of whom would already own the cards.

Wizards changed this with the release of Magic 2010, as it was the first core set to feature 50% of new cards that players had never seen before. While this was initially met with howls of scepticism – after all Magic is already a relatively expensive hobby and a near own brand new set wasn’t going to make the wallet stretch any further – key cards like Vampire Nocturnus and Baneslayer Angel soon ensured that many collectors bought into it.

So now we come to the latest release and we’re delighted to say that it’s the best core set for some time. This is due to several important factors. Firstly it’s excellent fun to draft. There are some great bombs in the form of big creatures and plenty of removal, ensuring that games rarely drag on and can be full of momentum shift between the two players. Another nice touch is how the 5 core colours continue to be perfectly tweaked and represented. Blue now has some excellent counterspells, red has been bolstered by some strong new burn direct damage while green has plenty of nice new meaty creatures to attack with. Black gets a great new discard spell, and while it loses Vampire Nocturnus, it does receive Captivating Vampire, which can begin stealing creatures if the conditions are right. White keeps Baneslayer Angel, arguably one of the best cards ever in print, and also gets the wonderful Serra Ascendant, which has finally made life gain decks actually viable.

By far the best addition to the set however is the gigantic new titans; huge powerful giants that completely swing the game when they come into play. Each titan costs six mana to cost and is a 6/6 creature. If this wasn’t enough they all have specific abilities related to their colours and a further ability that activates whenever they enter play or attack. Primeval Titan for example has trample and can fetch two lands a turn from your library, while Grave Titan has death touch and let’s you put two 2/2 zombies into play.

As a result these powerful mythic rares are becoming extremely desirable on the second hand market, with sales of the green Primeval Titan already reaching £40 for a single card.

With Scars of Mirrirdon due out very, very soon there’s never been a better time to investigate the world’s very best collectible card game. For more information head to www.magicthegathering.com