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Start Or Continue: I stumbled upon this site this morning. Basically, it's full of animated GIFs of game startup screens. He's got several NGPC ones (in addition to other systems). Check inside for the link to the NGPC ones. (Flavor) (10:07:05 02/01/12 EST)

This would go great on the old Insert Credit.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:43:04 02/01/12 EST)

Whoa, drooly Magical Drop cat.

(Paleface)

(22:35:22 02/01/12 EST)

I actually brought Magical Drop to work with me today...on Wonderswan though, I prefer this version.

(SignOfZeta)

(22:52:33 02/01/12 EST)

I clicked the link again this morning. When you guys look at the animated GIFs, is it like you can hear the sound that goes with it? Sonic, in particular, is this way for me. It's almost like I can hear the ring dropping and then the music start even though my mind knows there's no audio.

(Flavor)

(09:45:13 02/02/12 EST)

I don't hear the sound. My GIF player must be broken. :(

(Paleface)

(02:15:36 02/04/12 EST)

New portable (though probably licensed ROMS with third-party hardware like those Atari Flashbacks, etc.) Neo-Geo handheld? Please tell me this is real. Someone care to translate the relevant portions of the Japanese site? (NeoGutsman) (02:15:23 01/25/12 EST)

First on-topic post in years! And... RAD.

(Jeurja)

(02:30:43 01/25/12 EST)

Um...

(SignOfZeta)

(03:45:23 01/25/12 EST)

Magic Box has the translations. Wouldn't a portable NeoGeo have an appropriate screen aspect ratio?

(substance J)

(05:24:39 01/25/12 EST)

hmmmm. hmmmmmm. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I guess I'd buy that. but yeah, as J said that's a bit of an odd choice there. no neogeo games are 16:9 are they? maybe it's a chinese knockoff after all? still nice looking, and I've bought stupider stuff. I have a PSP that plays NES games, for whatever reason.

(exodus)

(05:36:14 01/25/12 EST)

the wording on andriasang is that it carries official licensing from snk playmore which I'm sure is different than being made by. plus snk has been into selling emulated versions of their games for a while and this has an SD slot. doesn't seem so odd (aside from the 4 shoulder buttons are not consistent with each other)

(zero)

(10:07:06 01/25/12 EST)

After the NeoGeo Pocket comes the pocket NeoGeo, it all makes sense! Seeing as there's an SD slot on the thing it's probably waiting to be hacked and used as an emulation machine. Which would be pretty cool.

(Rockman Pocket)

(08:38:02 01/25/12 EST)

which would explain the widescreen

(zero)

(09:56:54 01/25/12 EST)

I suspect that it's main intended purpose is to be an emulation machine (mainly emulation of MVS/AES).

(Flavor)

(09:59:44 01/25/12 EST)

Until they got sued to heck for it. I mean I think they'd have to demonstrate that they were doing everything they could to stop hacking in order to avoid legal action, and that ain't easy. They could just ask Sony.

(Paleface)

(22:37:12 01/25/12 EST)

Sweet!!! I'm curious about the actual size though.

(Darius)

(11:58:35 01/25/12 EST)

"170x72x15mm." And the list of "built-in" Neo Geo games doesn't exactly include their heavy hitters, so I guess the question is what they would charge for those. And why they wouldn't just be putting them on the Vita or something. I mean if whoever is manufacturing this gets the click-stick, screen, emulation, and battery life right, it would probably be better than playing them on other portables, but it sure doesn't seem like this is something they'd be making much money on. And if they were putting them on other platforms that could help boost interest in any new games they might be making. ... This thing seems like kind of a dumb idea. I suppose you could argue that the NGP was kind of a dumb idea too but at least that had original games.

(Paleface)

(21:59:15 01/25/12 EST)

I had to break out the rulers for this one. That is considerably bigger than I thought it would be (closer to PSP than NDS). Maybe it will have additional media player functions too. Either way though there are better portable systems out there.

(Darius)

(20:23:36 01/26/12 EST)

All right the original "Famicom Plaza" link is dead now, and that site looks pretty damn sketchy anyway. I'm guessing this is fake or at least completely unlicensed.

(Paleface)

(22:40:05 01/25/12 EST)

Reading some discussions about this thing has brought to my attention that the Caanoo from Gamepark acually does have a digital clicky stick (and a 4:3 touchscreen and TV out and so on). So if this thing is fake, the Caanoo actually sounds like a boss alternative. Have any of you ever used one?

(and Opa Opa)

(16:44:56 01/26/12 EST)

Is it clicky? It looks more...swirly.

(Paleface)

(18:23:14 01/26/12 EST)

It's a digital microswitch stick that clicks. Whether it actually feels like the Neo Poke's stick, I can't say. That's why I asked if anyone here had played with one.

(and Opa Opa)

(20:05:26 01/26/12 EST)

I did briefly at E3 2010, but I unfortunately completely forget what I thought of the pad. sorry!!

(exodus)

(21:09:06 01/26/12 EST)

I only watched one video of that Caanannooboo but aside from the analog stick (with the throw seeming mega-wide - yikes) it didn't come off as clicky. I hope I'm wrong, though.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:20:46 01/27/12 EST)

I have a Caanoo, and it's definitely not clicky. It has a similar feel to the NGPC stick. Well, maybe I should rephrase that. It's probably the closest thing to the NGPC stick that I've seen, except maybe the original GP32 stick. I made some YT vids about it when I first got it. See link inside. Anyway, it's analog. It doesn't click. It's just that the motion/feel of it is similar to NGPC. Being analog, I guess that means it's up to the emu authors to make it act like a click stick. GP32 acted more like the NGPC stick, but it's feel/motion wasn't as close. I don't really get it. Everyone seems to think that NGPC had the best stick ever, but nobody has implemented it since.

(Flavor)

(10:56:18 01/27/12 EST)

I should mention that much of this is from memory. I haven't used GP32 in a long time, and I didn't play my Caanoo all that much after the initial high wore off. That's not anything against it. It's not Caanoo, it's me. I just need some space right now. Maybe some time to get my head straight (or whatever BS you say when you're trying not to make your handheld feel bad about being shelved for no good reason).

(Flavor)

(11:00:16 01/27/12 EST)

That video seems familiar somehow! Ava rules. Nintendo and Sony seem fixed on sticking with their d-pads, and I guess the NGP click stick hasn't been copied because everyone wants to do analog sticks, and a click stick is inherently not analog.

(Paleface)

(03:41:56 01/28/12 EST)

God, the font is awful and wrong but I'd buy that.

(Comic-Kaze)

(21:27:23 01/26/12 EST)

I totally agree, but if it were ~$100 I'd buy it. Actually, it'd be lock-in for sure if I knew I could do savestates and emulated consoles on it. That thin, flat form factor looks sweet.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:18:52 01/27/12 EST)

I'm a real sucker for weirdo handheld things. I have an official commodore-branded handheld that plays sega genesis games. I've turned it on maybe three times. but why the heck not!?

(exodus)

(01:10:51 01/27/12 EST)

I'd only be interested if it cost more than $100. I don't want a piece of crap, I want something nice. Evidently it doesn't matter since the thing seems to be fake.

(SignOfZeta)

(04:29:18 01/27/12 EST)

Yeah, it goes without saying that a) I want it at a price within my budget and b) it gots to be quality. I'm sensing that this thing is fake as well. Still, I always have a terrible curiosity about these things and sometimes take a dive in despite my better judgment. Case in point: Game Theory Admiral which I gave to PopaSmear :P

(NeoGutsman)

(14:17:54 01/27/12 EST)

I'm not sure why you'd presume it's fake - SNKP is licensing out whatever nowadays, and chinese companies are making all kinds of weird little handhelds like the dingoo and other PMPs.

(exodus)

(16:07:46 01/27/12 EST)

SNKP licenses a device that plays free ROMs of the same games they sell on PSN and Wii for $10 a piece? Yeah that's plausible.

(substance J)

(17:22:30 01/27/12 EST)

That and I can't say I've read anything from SNK stating that it is indeed an actual product. From what I've read, at best it's a leaked product, but I think we'll learn more in the coming weeks and months.

(NeoGutsman)

(18:38:02 01/27/12 EST)

depends on the cost. sega licensed handhelds that play roms of the games they sell on XBL/Wiiware, after all.

(exodus)

(23:14:07 01/27/12 EST)

Wasn't that like 8 years ago?

(substance J)

(04:39:23 01/28/12 EST)

No, there are new ones every year from... I think it's a company called Blaze.

(aerisdead)

(12:57:10 01/28/12 EST)

New Japanese Runabout 3D trailer. I was initially excited, then underwhelmed, then titillated by the parachuting European car. Will this suck or will this have the low-budget charm the likes of RC Helicopter for the PS1? I think I'm willing to risk a day-one purchase just to find out. (NeoGutsman) (12:57:59 01/18/12 EST)

Hm, looks like there are some new videos of this on YouTube now. Segway clone doing Dukes of Hazzard car ramp jumps? Tanks gunning down a highway? Pink Cadillac doing stuff? PREORDERED.

(NeoGutsman)

(13:01:50 01/18/12 EST)

"European car", what, is Wikipedia down or something? That's a Fiat 500!

(SignOfZeta)

(13:36:13 01/18/12 EST)

Tomorrow will also see the release of Europe and North America's first 3DS demo (Resident Evil: Revelations). I think Europe also gets the Cooking Mama 4 demo, too.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:01:07 01/19/12 EST)

I played through the demo twice. It's actually quite awesome. I haven't really played an RE game since RE4, but I could never really escape that first fricking village. I totally sucked at that game big-time. This one feels more like a classic RE game and seems more manageable. I don't like creepy anything or gore but the Home screen animated icon for this game is totally cool. Give it a go, guys.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:44:42 01/19/12 EST)

I wonder if it's just the TGS demo... guess I'll find out soon!

(exodus)

(02:28:05 01/21/12 EST)

have you yelled at the home screen icon yet? try it! after doing that, try yelling at other icons too, you'll be surprised!

(mental)

(13:56:05 01/21/12 EST)

I don't like yelling at games...

(exodus)

(19:29:20 01/21/12 EST)

its awesome to see little touches like this. go on, try it. THEN reply :)

(mental)

(20:38:32 01/21/12 EST)

it bounces instead of spins. that's fine!

(exodus)

(04:27:33 01/22/12 EST)

is something different supposed to happen if I make noises by other icons after doing that to RE? they still just spin faster...

(exodus)

(04:28:36 01/22/12 EST)

nah, thats all. i guess im just easily amused!

(mental)

(18:08:37 01/22/12 EST)

that's cool! it would be nice to be that way.

(exodus)

(02:59:23 01/23/12 EST)

I've tried it with all my Home screen icons. My favorite is probably Ocarina of Time because you get to see the back of the shield.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:59:16 01/24/12 EST)

Play Asia price SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS. Uh huh.

(substance J)

(15:26:32 01/21/12 EST)

They finally announced the second half of SRW Z2 the other day. I can't wait to see what that fucker costs. It will probably be $90 shipped.

(SignOfZeta)

(17:24:47 01/21/12 EST)

UPDATE: Wrong. $92...before shipping.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:52:51 02/01/12 EST)

I've never played a Runabout game. How was the one on Dreamcast?

(Jeurja)

(00:49:27 01/23/12 EST)

I never bought that version, just the two original PS1 Runabout games. They're all wild and silly racing games with checkpoints and destruction.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:01:24 01/24/12 EST)

Somehow I always end up selling a lot of games during wintertime. This year is no different. Since a lot of my stuff is PAL it probably isn't of interest to most of you, but I decided it's time to part with Baseball Stars and Pocket Tennis for the b/w NeoGeo Pocket as well. They're my least played NGP games, so I figure they'd be better off with somebody else. If anybody here has some, say, USA Snes stuff you'd like to trade I'm all ears! (Rockman Pocket) (17:36:13 01/16/12 EST)

anything else for sale? as im in holland as well trading or selling would be a breeze! i already have these two ngp games though.. my last sngp trade must be.. 8 years ago! either with guts or danadamkof.

(mental)

(17:52:14 01/16/12 EST)

For the NGPC? That's all I'm parting with. For other systems? Tons of stuff! Check the list inside.

(Rockman Pocket)

(09:09:20 01/17/12 EST)

Oh my! I absolutely MUST have megaman legends and metroid2! how much would you like for both? Im less enthusiastic but still interested about aria of sorrow. hiw much for that? i cant find your marktplaats ad! thanks in advance!

(mental)

(13:59:21 01/17/12 EST)

Heh, Aria is a better game than those two combined ;) Send me an email, we'll work something out.

(Rockman Pocket)

(14:09:17 01/17/12 EST)

oh, nevermind! just found them, and 40 each is a bit too steep for me! im sure the games are worth that much, by the way, i just cant spend that at the moment.

(mental)

(14:10:15 01/17/12 EST)

Most of those are my brother's actually, I'm just listing them for him. I figured they'd be expensive for most people here, hence me just wanting to trade my NGP games.

(Rockman Pocket)

(17:00:29 01/17/12 EST)

i understand! thanks anyway!

(mental)

(18:54:35 01/17/12 EST)

How much you want for Konami Krazy Racers? Is it complete?

(aerisdead)

(18:15:38 01/18/12 EST)

It's as complete as it gets, even still has that little plastic bag for the cartridge. €15 seems like a fair price to me, though I'm not sure how much international shipping would add to that.

(Rockman Pocket)

(18:31:02 01/18/12 EST)

If you call it fifteen euros total I'd buy it? If you pack the box flat and stick it in an envelope I bet shipping wouldn't be that bad...

(aerisdead)

(13:07:39 01/20/12 EST)

Depends if you're within Europe or not. If you're within Europe shipping is surprisingly cheap, if you're outside sending it in a simple bubble envelope ends up being €5,70, which eats quite a large chunk out of the original €15...

(Rockman Pocket)

(16:51:21 01/20/12 EST)

Well how about you send it to my parents then for 15 euros. in Scotland.

(aerisdead)

(17:59:26 01/20/12 EST)

I'll send it to your parents in Scotland for €17. How about that?

(Rockman Pocket)

(09:27:21 01/21/12 EST)

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm no dice. Sorry. Not trying to be a dick but I think 15 was my limit, mental or not, and so good luck selling it to someone else ok?

(aerisdead)

(16:34:36 01/21/12 EST)

No problem. Like the games mental wanted, KKR also is one of the games I'm pimping for my brother. All I want is to trade the NGP games, anything else is extra ;)

(Rockman Pocket)

(15:34:25 01/22/12 EST)

That is a really great game. I got another copy of it a couple of years ago and it was still a blast. Weird menu UI, but that actually adds to the game's charm.

(NeoGutsman)

(21:17:16 01/18/12 EST)

I really like how the main menu is occupied by chickens and penguins from Parodius. It really is one of the better Mario Kart clones.

(Rockman Pocket)

(10:45:13 01/19/12 EST)

It really is. I hope this makes it to the 3DS eShop someday because it really does deserve to be enjoyed by everyone.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:45:58 01/19/12 EST)

I might be interested in one or both of them. Are there differences in gameplay versus the color versions?

(NeoGutsman)

(01:12:22 01/17/12 EST)

I honestly have no idea. I wanted to look up old reviews on S:NGP to see if they made mention of it, only to be reminded it no longer exists :(

(Rockman Pocket)

(08:38:54 01/17/12 EST)

[Pocket Tennis] I got this because I heard it was a little more challenging than the later Pocket Tennis Color (see entry 402). And it is, but unfortunately the increased difficulty comes from less forgiving controls rather than tougher computer opponents: serving in this version is much touchier, and your little player seems to have a much shorter reach. Aside from that, the obvious color difference, and having a few fewer playable characters and courts, this version is pretty darn similar to the NGPC version.

(paleface.net/z/db)

(22:36:27 01/17/12 EST)

Thanks, Pale! I keep losing the bookmark to your invaluable database. I really should do the same with my collection. I'ma check my collection tomorrow night to see if I even own this version or not.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:12:37 01/18/12 EST)

Ah, that poor little player and his shorter reach.

(Rockman Pocket)

(08:16:45 01/18/12 EST)

Ok, I've played Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together for PSP a bit, and I'm simply blown away by it so far. I'm compelled to discuss... (Bean) (12:30:37 01/15/12 EST)

Hmm...I'll keep an eye out for it.

(SignOfZeta)

(15:04:06 01/15/12 EST)

couldnt have said it better! its a tactics game like any other, basically, but every single little aspect is polished till it shines. youre welcome for the recommendation by the way, even though you may mean the other Mark/Guts :)

(mental)

(15:16:18 01/15/12 EST)

Crap, I'm 2 hours into Radiant Historia now and I might have to pop TO in later this week then. I got sidetracked with Swapnote (seriously, I think I've played it about 30 hours at last count) and a job interview. Glad to know about how easy it is to get into and all the wonderful modern things they've done with it.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:59:48 01/15/12 EST)

disgaea is probably the closest id compare this to! with one big exception though, you dont get to decide the order in which your troops attack. you do always see in what order everyone will be able to do something on screen. i think 2 hours is a small enough amount of time to put radiant away and save it for later :) this is sector: tactics ogre after all! oh and good luck with the job interview(s), tough times for most of us!

(mental)

(18:06:02 01/15/12 EST)

The worst thing about SRPGs like Tactics is the whole aspect of the entire mission, for all its complexity, really just being a puzzle with one winning combination and millions of losing ones. Therefore, for people who have no problem with that, having an emulator-esque rewind feature is going to make a lot of people happy. For me...I'm frustrated. I have a "turn this mother out" mentality. Tell me the mission objective and let me do it. Having to deal with "No bows on Thursday!" type rules (FF Tactics) or micromanaging individual soldiers to such an extent that I'm paying more attention to their most banal actions as a general that I would if I actually were them, just bugs my shit. What I would really like is a game that played like the newer SRW entires but was as difficult as the ones from the 90s.

(SignOfZeta)

(18:11:34 01/15/12 EST)

yeah. square enix's tactics games are for people who like micromanaging and working in excel. it drives me nuts, so as much as I may want to like their stuff, I am totally unable to.

(exodus)

(18:07:46 01/18/12 EST)

I'm terrible at tactics games, but at $10, I might jump on it. I actually love my PSP. :-)

(Jeurja)

(13:09:53 01/16/12 EST)

I picked this up last summer and really enjoyed it. It even came with a deck of tarot cards (major arcana). The GBA game was really good as well. I should go dig it out, I never did beat it.

(a-star)

(03:21:12 01/18/12 EST)

who's up for the following? lets all check on our animal crossing DS towns, and report back on the state its in! im guessing its been years for most of us, and im curious how your town looks, and what the animals tell (blame) you! (n/t) (mental) (05:34:37 01/14/12 EST)

I traded in my copy years ago. The town gate thing really was very inconvenient. I'm still on the fence for Animal Crossing 3DS.

(Darius)

(13:14:16 01/14/12 EST)

got rid of mine after finding messages from my ex on it. unlikely to be getting the 3DS version, since I just got it for her, really!

(exodus)

(15:18:53 01/14/12 EST)

Yeah I'm not fucking touching my copy of AC with a ten foot pole

(aerisdead)

(03:00:52 01/15/12 EST)

too much love, i cant handle it! ill at least post my own impressions later today.

(mental)

(06:18:22 01/15/12 EST)

I don't think I have mine anymore either. I'll have to check. I anticipate a lot of brown if I do still have it.

(a-star)

(21:47:31 01/14/12 EST)

I actually deleted my DS town over the holidays and gave the game as a Christmas gift to my 10 year old cousin. My Wii and Gamecube towns will live on in all their weed-filled glory though.

(Bean)

(13:48:44 01/15/12 EST)

I pretty much gave the game to my daughter and the last time we checked we had at least one giant stink plant, tons of weeds and a horrible roach infestation. Brrr. I think it's time for a fresh start with AC 3DS :)

(NeoGutsman)

(17:00:55 01/15/12 EST)

It seems your idea is incompatible with the forum goers, Mental. Sorry!

(SignOfZeta)

(18:12:45 01/15/12 EST)

haha, so it seems! im sure ill get more enthusiasm with the 3ds version. oh well!

(mental)

(13:37:23 01/16/12 EST)

I'm sure some of you have already seen this preview video for Animal Crossing 3DS. I just wanted to post it because after watching it again I actually felt kind of... homesick. I miss that world, the characters, and the entire vibe. If the game were food it would be like good tea and maple bars. I love the music in the video so much, and I hope there's an OST available for it when it does finally release. (NeoGutsman) (01:28:28 01/13/12 EST)

Man, that game does not change very much from year to year...

(SignOfZeta)

(01:31:07 01/13/12 EST)

I like what's there and how it's presented. From what I've read it adds more good stuff and allows you to take on the role of mayor (Tom Nook is some real estate person now I think). I dunno, for all the pushes for big changes to series I for one am glad that Animal Crossing started off awesome to begin with and just becomes more polished with each version. Taking advantage of the 3DS capabilities alone excites me. I'm dying to know how visiting friends' towns will work and the kinds of things and events that will transfer over with Streetpasses alone.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:14:42 01/13/12 EST)

I just feel like an idiot buying the game again. I mean...they don't work very hard. It kind of reminds me of Pokemon, which had some of the crudest graphics of any game on GBA and DS. I don't want them to make AC into a 1000 hour RPG or anything, but when I buy a new game I like the idea that I'm actually going to do something different, like I'm actually paying for something. The DS one was a pretty big leap from GC since it had net play, but even then...it was %90 the same exact friggn game as the GC one...minus the NES games. Your character is ugly. You throw your hook into the water. You move your bed to the other side of the room....all that shit is cool, but it was just as cool on N64. WHAT I WANT: a furniture editor, custom soundtracks, the ability to build tunnels between everyone's basements, the ability to watch Netflix on your TV.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:27:12 01/13/12 EST)

I'd watch Samurai Pizza Cats and Little House on the Prairie.

(a-star)

(10:17:21 01/13/12 EST)

I see your point, but frankly that's how I feel about fighting games. Regarding AC, it's a game where you basically hang out, run little errands, and carve out a little slice of heaven for yourself -- if that's what you want. Some people love dogs for all the amazing things they can do, but I always liked the idea of owning a little hamster (I used to - named him Kirby :D) and creating a little home for him with tunnels, a wheel, and little home. It was cute, and though he didn't do tricks or feel like a companion like a dog it's exactly what I wanted in a pet. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the best I can muster as an explanation.

(NeoGutsman)

(14:07:18 01/13/12 EST)

I see your point in the fighting game comparison, but there are two important differences, IMO. 1) almost everything in a new fighting game is designed to be a new way to kick someone's ass...and people are very resourceful. Therefore, even the smallest addition is just a world of possibilities. I was STOKED to buy SFZ2', despite it only adding Cammy and a new move for Guy because just those two things changed actual gameplay enormously. 2) new fighting games don't come out just because there is a new system. There is a AC for every Nintendo system since the N64, and that's why they make them. They don't make them because they have a bunch of new ideas, they make them because they need to port the same old game to whatever system is currently in the store. As someone who very rarely ever gets rid of a game system this make the idea that this is a "new game" kind of hard to buy into and their very existence seems kind of cynical. Who knows, maybe the sales on this one won't be that great and then they'll be motivated to put at least 1/10 as much work into AC as they put into a new Mario game. They did eventually start making Pokemon games that look like they are actually from same decade as other RPGs released that year. BTW, it should be said that I will almost certainly buy this game some day, maybe when the 3DS Lite comes out, but by then all you dudes will be done with it.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:50:09 01/15/12 EST)

I was so disappointed with the Wii game, which was basically a cleaned-up version of the (great) DS game... which made a lot of nice improvements to the first game. I hope there is something new and interesting in the 3DS version. I miss that feeling the first game gave me. That is, living in a game world that was unlike anything else before it and discovering small, curious things on a daily basis.

(Jeurja)

(10:17:13 01/13/12 EST)

I really really want to play this game. I want to make gigantic gardens and beautiful flower patches, but I just don't think I have the stamina to keep up with everything else. It really bugs me when a friend moves away, or a flower dies, ect. I want to try and control too many aspects of the game. There seems to be a lot of neat new features, I bet this game will be really good!

(a-star)

(10:25:23 01/13/12 EST)

What I like about AC games is how you can do so much, but you're never directly pushed. Friends and flowers can be delicate for sure but I definitely like how, if those aren't your priorities in AC, then you're not made to feel punished for making them a low (or non) priority.

(NeoGutsman)

(14:02:17 01/13/12 EST)

Did you see A-Star's town? Something is pushing that guy pretty fucking hard. Possibly Satan? Seriously, his flower situation was kuh-ray-zee.

(SignOfZeta)

(07:05:31 01/14/12 EST)

NOT SATAN!! I just felt guilty if they died.....then there were so many.....my town had such a nice fragrance!

(a-star)

(21:45:50 01/14/12 EST)

Sadly, my original copy of AC DS was stolen from me and by the time I got another copy and started playing again you guys were either done or weren't online as much. That and my heard wasn't as into it the second time around because I was so bummed about having to start over again. I know that's ironic given the conversation above, but in that little AC DS capsule was a lot of work and care and I couldn't get over feeling bummed out.

(NeoGutsman)

(06:11:37 01/15/12 EST)

I love this game to death but the upkeep aspects are very demanding. I already have trouble keeping up with Swapnote so AC could very well break me. We'll see. *-_-

(Darius)

(13:20:00 01/14/12 EST)

Started playing Radiant Historia. An hour in and I feel like the game is generally moving at a fantastically brisk pace without losing character establishment or general story. I don't have time for things like the first several hours of an RPG where all I do is run around a castle and meet people and open chests and meet more people and then finally have one damned battle. Solatorobo is actually a slow-starter relative to other games I guess but it's made up in incredible charm (at least for me). (NeoGutsman) (23:37:31 01/11/12 EST)

I've been interested in this one, so thanks for the impressions. Too bad about the bad animation, but if the game's fun, it's easy to look past that.

(Jeurja)

(10:18:46 01/12/12 EST)

It's really just the main character, strangely enough. Maybe I'm just being picky. Check out the video in my original post. It's not that bad. I am just being teh dramah qweenz.

(NeoGutsman)

(12:33:01 01/12/12 EST)

Nice to read something about radiant, i saw it recently and forgot to look up if it was any good! Now I know you wont like this, buuuuut... I started playing Tactics Ogre LUCT, and its amazing. So streamlined, smooth, nice, pretty, etc! The devs obvious had a lot of fun remaking this! So hurry up, finish radiant so we can start discussing tactics ogre!

(mental)

(14:07:26 01/12/12 EST)

I got bored and frustrated! I should try again, but there was so much OCD-oriented stuff involved with getting things right, taming dragons, raising classes, that I got overwhelmed and quit. I just can't play these math-nerd square enix games.

(exodus)

(15:30:11 01/12/12 EST)

you are absolutely right! it does however feel a bit easier and accessible than say.. ff tactics to me. time will tell!

(mental)

(16:52:07 01/12/12 EST)

yeah, and as a result I quit FF tactics waaaay faster than tactics ogre!

(exodus)

(23:00:52 01/12/12 EST)

Okay, I'll try :) I know I mentioned in my super-exclusive 3DS message that I just got LUCT but something made me open this first :D

(NeoGutsman)

(23:13:45 01/12/12 EST)

hmmmm it intrigues.

(exodus)

(13:59:49 01/12/12 EST)

but of course it's not available anywhere now, and starts at $50 on most sites. so! that's that then.

(exodus)

(14:44:19 01/12/12 EST)

The only reason I have it now is because Amazon had a $19.99 game-only version for sale over the holidays. I think it's a reissue because the first run came packaged with the CD mini-soundtrack. I'm not that picky anymore but man, I kinda wish I bought this earlier for that soundtrack. Anyway, yeah, expayunsivvvvvv.

(NeoGutsman)

(23:17:44 01/12/12 EST)

Man, this game just got confusing. I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do when I go into a different timeline. It zaps you back to a while before a decision point (thank goodness for the zippy X-button dialog skipping and ability to just tap start to cancel a dialog section), but from there it's not always clear what to do. It's good that there's a timeline map you can use to navigate and read plot points for reminders but damn, I'm getting lost 3 hours in. Maybe I'm just not getting it yet. I'll keep plugging away... Hm...

(NeoGutsman)

(22:29:18 01/20/12 EST)

I'm buying corpse party, if anyone's curious to know how it is. I shall let you know eventually! (n/t) (exodus) (01:50:01 01/09/12 EST)

but first!! I am going through the inevitable PSP process. plug into wall because there is no battery. set date and time. try to install it via ps3 but find that it needs a software update. try to do psp software update via ps3, realize psp doesn't recognize ps3 for some reason. connect to personal wifi. be asked to insert memory card with 32 megs of space which is already in there, then press x a bunch of times. download update. be asked if I want to start update. screen goes blank for a while - screen fades in with an update page that has a start button I have to press X on. press X. scroll through things I inevitably have to accept before downloading for which the default option is "don't accept." accept. process begins. dialog window tells me to plug in the already plugged-in AC adaptor and wait for the battery to be charged enough to complete the update without having an AC adaptor in. wait. meanwhile find that the psp games I downloaded previously but didn't install are now not valid because they happened before the PSP hack. go back and individually find and redownload them because that's the only way to do it. THE USER FRIENDLINESS!!!! CAN I HANDLE IT!?

(exodus)

(02:28:48 01/09/12 EST)

I dislike how the PSP handles firmware updates but it's not too horrible. Just... cold and robotic. Also: press right to proceed even though that looks like the Start button oh ohkay soniez thats sooo slicgck mang that xmb is slick yo. Seriously, that shit should be more streamlined. Is the Vita any better in that regard? That I won't buy until there's a second revision.

(NeoGutsman)

(12:18:37 01/09/12 EST)

The last time I bought a PSP game it was Super Robot Wars Z2. I tried for a couple of hours but couldn't get it to run since my PSP is hacked. A Nintendo product will just install legit firmware over the top of the hacked stuff (actually warning you that your janky homebrew probably won't work anymore first) but with a PSP you either have to keep upgrading the custom firmware, find a non-legit way to install the legit firmware, or buy a new PSP. I then just downloaded a cracked ISO and I'm now nearly done with my third play through. The actual UMD has been in the drive this entire time, but never actually read from. I think I had to do this with Macross Ultimate Frontier too, and I'm sure I'll have to do it with SRWZ2 Part 2, whenever this confusingly named game is released. I'm used to having to do all sorts of tricky shit to pirate stuff, but its wierd to have to do tricky shit to play legit stuff, especially since the firmware update I need is right on the UMD I want to play. ONLY ON PSP! Despite their best efforts I'm committed to actually purchasing PSP games. There will probably only be two or three more good ones made at this point, so hopefully the "omni-hack" will be released soon and I won't have to go through this shit every time a game comes out. And you can forget about the PSN store. I couldn't get that shit to work even before my system was hacked.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:20:56 01/09/12 EST)

yeah, the basic takeaway is that it's just as easy, if not easier, to update your hack and download a game for free as it is to update your PSP legally and pay for the game. and that's pretty goddamned retarded.

(exodus)

(15:06:04 01/09/12 EST)

Seriously, updating the PSP is not hard at all. I think you guys are making too big a deal out of this. The update screens are kind of weird in that you have to go through a few pages and yeah, the battery/AC thing is mentioned but it's not that hard. Plug your system into the wall, update, and there you go. I don't even remember having to charge my system all the way, I think I just had to have it plugged into the wall if I was less than 50% to be safe.

(NeoGutsman)

(04:28:20 01/17/12 EST)

I'd like to hear impressions.

(Jeurja)

(17:52:33 01/09/12 EST)

okay! I got mad at my psp so it might be a while before I pick it up again, but I'll let y'all know.

(exodus)

(18:30:03 01/09/12 EST)

I gave Rayman another try and it's great.

(Jeurja)

(23:50:43 01/09/12 EST)

it's most fun when playing with others...

(exodus)

(16:10:09 01/10/12 EST)

I've been playing Wipeout Pure on my PSP. Sort of. I mostly picked it up in the UK so I could get the exclusive artist tracks by dudes like Jon Burgerman, which are cool. But to download them I actually had to get them off a hack site because the official site was dead. Crazy.

(aerisdead)

(15:33:13 01/10/12 EST)

wip3out will always be my sentimental favorite with some of the best tracks in the and while the soundtrack isn't as good as say, XL, it fit the theme nicely and was done when Sasha's music still had a little oomph to it. It was also the only game in the series where I achieved zen and could first place everything on Phantom. Pure would be a very, very close second for just being so clean and doing almost everything perfectly after the mess that was Fusion. It might even be the better than wip3out but I'll never admit it.

(twelvest)

(19:11:53 01/10/12 EST)

I played the original Wipeout religiously. I never did beat that second class after the original (Venom? It's been 15 years...). Wipeout (and to a degree Warhawk) was the game that sold me on getting a Playstation. I liked XL and the soundtrack to that, too but there was something that didn't latch on to me. I didn't play Wip3out but maybe I'll try to snag a copy someday based on your recommendation. I hated the Wipeout on the PSP I owned. It may have been Pure, I forget. I just remember being really frustrated and never, ever placing in races. Someone make a hack so I can use a neGcon on the PSP, dammit.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:17:50 01/10/12 EST)

okay - I played through chapter one of 6, and while I am compelled to continue, you have to have a high tolerance for anime highschool BS, because there's plenty of "why did I say this to my best friend, oh no" stuff happening. also I realize I read one of the mangas from this series already! but basically it's an adventure game, not an RPG, and unless these chapters get longer, it's pretty short. I am not sure it's worth $20, but I am not regretting my purchase. how's that for a vague answer!!

(exodus)

(00:59:22 01/11/12 EST)

actually I slightly retract the longevity thing, because as you collect nametags of dead students you unlock extra chapters - and all of these have different ending conditions... so! I guess it's a bit longer.

(exodus)

(01:06:32 01/11/12 EST)

Swapnote friends: Here's the Nikki Mii I put in the photo of my last note to you. She's based on the official one from Nintendo Japan (her name is in English rather than katakana for this one): (NeoGutsman) (22:08:30 01/05/12 EST)

Coolsies! Thanks!!!

(Darius)

(10:44:07 01/07/12 EST)

In case you missed it, (I almost did...) Club Nintendo is now letting you spend your coins on virtual console games for the Wii and 3DS. And it looks like they'll change up the games you can get every month or so. I've got 670 coins now thanks to the Ambassador Program games. They let you take a 10-coin survey for each game! Crazy. (Bean) (13:48:24 01/04/12 EST)

It's pretty cool. I considered Super Mario Kart but I'll not play it so didn't bother. Plus I sort of like to think that one day I'll somehow save up for G&W Ball if I don't get these. I'll keep my eye on the free games each update. Would be neat if they put some DSiWare in pretty cheap too.

(aerisdead)

(17:49:01 01/04/12 EST)

I saw this last month and have been debating about using 100 coins to get Xevious 3D. The 3D effect in that game is great but I have never liked the core game much. I am also passing on the other coin offers for now. I'm hoping that on January 10th (the date the games are supposed to change) brings better games.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:12:25 01/04/12 EST)

Agreed, I think I'm going to pass on this month's offerings. Fluidity was the one that piqued my interest the most though. Has anyone played it? The preview video looks interesting.

(Bean)

(20:42:48 01/04/12 EST)

Woo! :D It's pretty cool Nintendo let us take surveys for coins. If anything it's just more survey data for them anyway. I made sure to mention each of the 10 times that they should update the NES games sooner with the usual VC save state and definitely a button config option. They already map Select to Y which is GREAT for Metroid but I want an actual Y+B setup for games like Super Mario Bros.

(NeoGutsman)

(21:37:23 01/04/12 EST)

Its true. Xevious sucks.

(SignOfZeta)

(00:07:53 01/05/12 EST)

As for the GBA games, I wish WarioWare Twisted! was a possibility for VC release but it loses a lot because the vibration feedback was a large part of the experience.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:24:18 01/04/12 EST)

when y'all talked about the ambassador games being available, I thought you meant for everyone - but no, it was just that nintendo had finally made good on its promise, like 4 months later. that is completely ridiculous.

(exodus)

(23:59:23 01/04/12 EST)

I'm pretty sure they made this known up front. I wasn't paying attention because I wasn't in the market.

(SignOfZeta)

(00:21:39 01/05/12 EST)

True, 10 nes games rightaway, and 10 gba games "before the end of 2011". So if anything, they totally kept their word.

(mental)

(17:01:33 01/06/12 EST)

So last month there was that thing where Sony is being sued because of its new EULA built into the newest version of PS3 OS. In order to use PSN now you have to agree to never sue them if they accidentally send your CC# onto some hackers. This is some bullshit, and so they are being sued for even trying this shit. They wouldn't even have the hacker problem they have if they weren't such litigious dicks in the first place. The original PSN fiasco coincided with my free G&W Ball. The EULA and lawsuit coincided with my annual free calendar. Last week they sent me an email saying, "Yeah, there is a misprint in this calendar, so if its all right with you we'd like to send you another one." Its pretty obvious IMO who's going to be around in another ten years.

(SignOfZeta)

(00:07:22 01/05/12 EST)

MS followed suit a month or so later. only a matter of time before nintendo tries to get it together and do that too.

(exodus)

(01:30:25 01/05/12 EST)

Not if there is case law out there making it fiscal suicide.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:33:07 01/05/12 EST)

Seriously?! I didn't even download all of them because I didn't want to waste space on my SD card. Guess I'll pick up the rest if it's not too late.

(Darius)

(10:45:14 01/07/12 EST)

The NES and GBA games combined barely make a dent on your 2GB SD card so download them all for sure. You never have a deadline to download the games themselves and can delete and download them at your whim. What you should worry about are the Club Nintendo surveys you're given for them as you have a limited time to finish each one and submit them for coins. Usually you're given several months (or even years) to finish surveys but the Ambassador NES games surveys expired a few weeks ago. Good luck!

(NeoGutsman)

(02:19:07 01/08/12 EST)

Yeah, I don't have a 3DS but I do know that GBA games aren't very big. I think compressed a big one is like 32MB or so, and NES games...basically an irrelevant addition space-wise on any SD card made. Even Kirby's Adventure, the largest NES game, was only 6mB, or less than one MB. You could easily fit two to three thousand NES games onto a 2GB card, and they didn't make nearly that many.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:32:08 01/09/12 EST)

Does anyone else now feel shame while playing old easily identifiable handheld games on public transportation in the United States? As in, worried about prejudice in the smartphone era? Part of the reason I wanted a Wonderswan is because people don't know what the fuck it is and are more likely to leave me alone because of this. If I were to whip out a GameBoy Pocket -- which, honestly, I wish I could -- I would most certainly face some ridicule. Youth and yuppies have made handhelds pornographic. Shiny tablets and ghetto-blaster slabs, users competing to out-hard-cock one another. What I really want to do is play old IIIe-era Palm Pilot games (Galaxian clone Galax in particular) but worry I'd be bludgeoned or something. Maybe I just live in the wrong neighborhood. (n/t) (Mike Chicago) (21:42:17 12/31/11 EST)

With all due respect, I think you're either living in the wrong city or are just thinking too hard about this. Having said that, I do think whipping out a Lynx II or Wonderswan would be kind of rad. Anyway, play whatever you have and play it for real. You know you're enjoying it based on its own merits and not to be ironic or hipster like the people you mention.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:39:12 01/01/12 EST)

You gotta escalate, man--go full-out Virtual Boy on their punk asses!

(Paleface is not responsible for people following his advice in anything)

(02:57:23 01/01/12 EST)

Nope.

(SignOfZeta)

(05:22:27 01/01/12 EST)

what the-? this is a serious issue where you live? i coudnt care less about what im seen with. people around me arent interested in each other these days anyways, so i doubt they care if im playing an iphone 4s or my MegaDuck.

(mental)

(12:00:28 01/01/12 EST)

i feel my point wasnt obvious from what i wrote. its not what people think of what youre holding, its that not in a million years would i ever give a flying fuck what someone else thinks of the device in my hands. enjoy the wonderswan man!

(mental)

(12:02:31 01/01/12 EST)

Well, lack of safety on the train is a serious issue where I live. It'll take X amount of shootings and beatings for the beginnings of what I would call a proper response, but even then, showboating persists. Right now the response has been to play classical music, loud, at one stop. It's tense. It's a quiet, light-rail train, which gives stage to demanding people -- unlike the loudness of New York and Chicago trains, which drowns all into submission. This very well may be a unique problem to Oregon.

(Mike Chicago)

(17:33:32 01/01/12 EST)

not to psychoanalyze, but that's more a security problem than a problem with other people. embrace what you like, and do what you want! people can wear/like/play whatever they want, and if they do it with confidence, they're well received. but I don't know why you'd care about that anyway. if they're not cool enough to handle a handheld, too bad for them!

(exodus)

(15:29:58 01/01/12 EST)

I care because I spend two hours a day on a BART-equivalent at best and want to avoid attention while attempting to be stimulated by something besides my (hidden) iPod. I acknowledge being overly sensitive, yeah; if I attract attention, I can't concentrate. It sucks, but that is who I really am. I do agree with your ideas regarding confidence, but such public display is exhausting, and I am usually on my way to and from hard manual labor (a kind of work that I rather enjoy).

(Mike Chicago)

(17:48:21 01/01/12 EST)

yeah, I mean... I take bart 1.5 hours per day through oakland, and have no problems, but bart's expensive enough that maybe thieves don't ride it. haha.

(exodus)

(20:19:02 01/03/12 EST)

I spend an hour a day on the bus in Seattle. In 2010 I've rocked iPhones, iPads, a DSi, NGPCs, a GBA SP, Novels, a Laptop, paperback comics, giant 200+ page hardback comics and probably some other stuff. I give no fucks. Then again, I'm a big guy and have never had to deal with any kind of physical intimidation in the city. I worked in the roughest neighborhood in Seattle (still not actually a rough neighborhood!) for 5 years before this, so maybe I'm just inured to it? I worry more about getting mugged than prejudice about sporting the wrong smart phone. Hell, I had a Nokia 6500 until this fall.

(PopaSmear)

(16:50:00 01/02/12 EST)

Which neighborhood was that?

(NeoGutsman)

(17:17:44 01/02/12 EST)

Pioneer Square. Solid runners up would include Bell Town (I lived there) and downtown at the 3rd and Pike stop (I work there now). Basically, Seattle, in the City, doesn't have rough neighborhoods. It has neighborhoods where some poor people live, and it makes people uncomfortable.

(PopaSmear)

(14:08:05 01/03/12 EST)

The bus I'd take would fill up first with people commuting to and from Kent, so lots of suburbanites. The mid-downtown people looking for short hops did just that and got off quickly. If I drove in with Arlene I'd have to take a bus from Safeco Field to HQ, and that had remnants of some freaks from West Seattle at times. Some guy threatened me once but thankfully he was one asshole out of thousands I've taken over the last 20 years.

(NeoGutsman)

(18:38:33 01/03/12 EST)

Exactly. Seattle doesn't have any legitimately scary neighborhoods, but there are places where poor people live, or drug deals go down. In those neighborhoods, the odds of you being targeted for street crime is higher. Of course, the wealthy people in nice neighborhoods are no less likely to try to rip you off, they just do it with middle class versions of crime. The really scary ones are the dudes on Mercer island, who have managed to make their version of a snatch and run legal. The call it investment banking.

(PopaSmear)

(19:58:52 01/03/12 EST)

Yes, that's the main thing. I'm worried about someone wanting to steal my stuff, not what they think about me playing it. I feel worried sometimes walking around the neighborhood the library I work at is in while listening to my iPod. A couple times I thought someone was going to jack it... and it's not even a new one.

(Jeurja)

(18:56:26 01/02/12 EST)

This is seriously an issue? Maybe I'm old enough now that I don't care what anyone thinks.

(Jeurja)

(18:54:42 01/02/12 EST)

On public transportation, at least, I am affected by the reactions of others. Concentration, pleasure and safety are threatened.

(Mike Chicago)

(23:34:09 01/02/12 EST)

Safety I'd worry about the most. I do remember once when I was playing a Pokemon game on the trolley it was really annoying that some guy behind me was leaning forward in his seat to watch and would make noises when I'd win matches and stuff. That definitely affected my concentration and pleasure, I guess.

(Jeurja)

(12:00:39 01/03/12 EST)

As a very anxious and somewhat shy person I've grappled with this issue in the past but I've mostly gotten over it. On bus rides I'm most likely to travel with a DMG or an NGPC for quick burst gaming while my DSi goes with me on plane flights or bus/train trips longer than an hour. I think a few yung'uns have snickered at me playing the fat Gameboys before but screw'em. It's also started a number of really nice conversations with normal people who get all excited to see these things tricked out with backlights and dual RCAs and such. All I'm looking for is to kill some time on the bus. Haters can, uh, fuck themselves and the friendly people are (often) as welcome of a time killer as Kirby's Pinball Land.

(twelvest)

(19:26:28 01/02/12 EST)

With a return to public transport imminent, since my company is moving out of the suburbs and into downtown KCMO, I've been looking forward to whipping out my NES GBA SP and getting my Fire Emblem on.

(supergiantninja)

(13:33:26 01/03/12 EST)

Can we get a 3DS Friend code thread going? I'll throw up a page somewhere after with all the data. I'm inside (PopaSmear) (14:23:35 12/29/11 EST)

Giddyup! All the more people to spam with Swapnotes! =) Darius: 2019-9662-9304

(Darius)

(19:41:19 12/29/11 EST)

Bean: 2449-4647-7049

(Bean)

(21:15:34 12/29/11 EST)

Raroo: 4382-1992-6364

(Jeurja)

(00:58:11 12/30/11 EST)

NeoGutsman: 0774-4412-7853

(NeoGutsman)

(02:09:23 12/30/11 EST)

Mark: 1504 5793 6929

(Mental)

(18:49:55 01/01/12 EST)

Woah, you have Tales of the Abyss? Is that out in Europe already? How is it? Do tell!

(NeoGutsman)

(19:08:33 01/01/12 EST)

haha thanks! my mii is pretty much exactly the way i look in real life! tales of the abyss is.. i dont know. im 6 hours in, and its been "dialog-walk to next village-dialogue-walk to next village" etc. maybe itll get going! the graphics are nice, not great. the music is nice, not great. the story is nice, not great. i think you see where im going with this, haha! ill keep playing it though, and let you know when my current "meh" opinion changes!

(mental)

(15:00:16 01/02/12 EST)

I've read that it's very nearly a straight port of the PS2 version, for better or for worse. I'm still interested in it since the 3DS needs more RPGs and this one is generally well regarded as far as I can tell.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:19:49 01/02/12 EST)

I've added you, but you're provisional until you add me back.

(PopaSmear)

(16:39:48 01/02/12 EST)

Oh my! I added everyone from the replies. I'm adding you right now, followed up by another 30 minutes of Abyss! Surely all the positive reviews can't be wrong. I generally love rpg's, and phantasia and eternia specifically.

(mental)

(17:46:32 01/02/12 EST)

Woo Hoo! Internet Friends!

(PopaSmear)

(14:10:23 01/03/12 EST)

Let's try this Swapnote RPG. I haven't watched the entire thing but I think he's on to something very cool here.

(NeoGutsman)

(18:55:01 01/03/12 EST)

although i LOVE the idea, the whole tutorial made my head spin! i hope nintendo sees this and makes a more... streamlined version!

(mental)

(21:25:41 01/03/12 EST)

Yeah, it is more involved than I initially thought. I have a few ideas for "games" for Swapnote I'm working on right now so keep your eyes peeled!

(NeoGutsman)

(23:23:29 01/03/12 EST)

yeah, i definitely like your shape game better than the whole rpg thing! do you actually receive my drawings? i still see "send" above my (already sent as far as i know) drawings. also, have you at some point taken a drawing course or something? its not even just the quality of your drawings, but most of all the expressions and the movement that are really nice!

(mental)

(12:02:17 01/04/12 EST)

I do receive your drawings and I think they're great! I like your response to the Robot Drinkin' Party :D I only took art classes a few times in junior high and once in high school but those were very, very basic classes. I just liked to draw a lot but stopped many years ago for various reasons. This is probably the most I've drawn since the 90's actually.

(NeoGutsman)

(12:32:25 01/04/12 EST)

Ah, thats good to hear! With us being so active on swapnote, i really cant wait to see how awesome animal crossing will be! I was never online with my DS, but the 3DS makes it so much more accessable! With more online friends and an infinitely more customisable world in the 3ds version, im sure we'll have loads of fun! Now if only we got a release date..

(mental)

(17:01:14 01/04/12 EST)

Oh yes, I'll be the first to buy Animal Crossing 3DS when it is released here. I am also excited about the friends integration and customization. Perhaps trading and visiting each others' towns will be much more convenient this time around. AC DS was still great but having to leave our town gate open wasn't always possible or feasible. Really, Animal Crossing 3DS is my most-wanted game for the system.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:12:30 01/05/12 EST)

Tomorrow's NA eShop update includes VVVVVV ($7.99) and Bionic Commando (GameBoy version) for around $2.99-3.99. I'll only buy VVVVVV if it goes on sale since I already own the PC version but man I'm totally gonna buy Bionic Commando again. I loved that version. I don't remember if you could beat it in one sitting since the game provided password saves. All I know is that it played perfectly, much better than that GBC abomination. (NeoGutsman) (19:45:32 12/28/11 EST)

I just got VVVVV as part of that Humble Indie Bundle deal. It seems cool. It might be rad in 3D.

(Jeurja)

(21:08:13 12/28/11 EST)

Nice! Register that bad boy on Steam so you always have the latest updates. Hell, register all of 'em.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:03:36 12/29/11 EST)

Is Toys n' Joys real? I forgot. (n/t) (Mike Chicago) (20:39:08 12/27/11 EST)

Pretty sure I got a few things from them back in the day, so my shaky memory says "yes, probably."

(Paleface)

(21:20:45 12/27/11 EST)

Although come to think of it maybe (? darn memory) this was the place where one of the things I ordered that their site seemed to imply was in stock was not actually something they had in stock; rather, they sent out some street urchin in Hong Kong (or whatever) to acquire a copy from somewhere, so it took a while to get to me. I thought it was kind of neat in a ghetto sort of way though.

(Paleface)

(22:05:50 12/27/11 EST)

Okay, I didn't see this until after I made my post, but yep... this is pretty much my experience.

(Jeurja)

(22:31:07 12/27/11 EST)

Ah okay I am probably remembering the right place then!

(Paleface)

(04:35:43 12/28/11 EST)

Mostly.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:57:31 12/27/11 EST)

I got stuff from them like a decade ago. It took forever, though. My theory is they didn't actually have it in stock but then managed to secure the contents of my order after they got the money.

(Jeurja)

(22:30:36 12/27/11 EST)

Yeah, it's real. I got a EU copy of Reversi and Snowboard Kids for the NGPC from them for $20 each about ten years ago. I also had a friend who worked there back in the late '90s. I didn't have any problems ordering then, but that was my one and only order from them. I think there absolutely is credence that there are items where you place an order with a "lead time" and then they send some runner out locally or somewhere in Asia to try to scrounge it for you. NCSX sort of does that too but that's mainly for special editions and stuff you can only get at 7-11 there, etc.

(NeoGutsman)

(14:15:48 12/28/11 EST)

I'm pretty sure I bought Dynamite Slugger from them around that time. It was sold as new but was clearly used, with a team modified already or something. I zapped the data and forgot about it until now. Well, I think I'll buy Wonderswan games strictly via eBay and Pink Gorilla, considering all this.

(Mike Chicago)

(03:35:36 12/29/11 EST)

I'm dropping by the International District tomorrow. If I go to Pink Godzilla there I'll let you know what I find. I still haven't been to the U-District one since I'm never ever up that north in Seattle anymore.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:50:41 12/29/11 EST)

Didn't make it to Pink Gorilla today. Maybe tomorrow.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:08:35 12/30/11 EST)

Ah, thanks. I actually was at the International District shop December 17. They had some FFs and Mr. Driller and a cute-looking B&W tower platformer of some sort. I also went to the U-District store that weekend too, but I wasn't looking at that section. I did notice Judgement Silversword, however. Wowie wow wow!

(Mike Chicago)

(02:54:33 12/30/11 EST)

I'm surprised they even had it.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:05:23 12/30/11 EST)

It might have been $200!?

(Mike Chicago)

(03:35:44 12/30/11 EST)

I suppose that's probably going rate for a retail store. I've only ever seen it in person once, and it was over a hundred.

(SignOfZeta)

(15:00:03 12/30/11 EST)

I own it, and it's nice, but not worth $200. I got it for like $50 back in the day.

(exodus)

(15:09:02 12/30/11 EST)

It was really expensive new, so I think $120 is probably fair. Not that I would pay that, but its fair.

(SignOfZeta)

(23:59:10 12/30/11 EST)

I finally decided to start my copy of solatorobo... only to discover my japanese DSI LL won't recognize it. so I figured, no problem, I'll download the rom since I already bought this new at retail, I can do that without regret. turns out, somehow, in the pirated version the ability to search/find items is disabled, which means the first quest is uncompletable. I guess I can play this on my 3DS and have a subpar visual experience, but man, that is kind of too bad! (n/t) (exodus) (15:46:23 12/27/11 EST)

I think it looks fine on the 3DS. Just note that even on a non-3DS the NPC sprites in-level are pixely to begin with, and they'll be pixely on the 3DS, too. I also find the control to be better on the 3DS when you use the circle pad. I'm 26 hours in, with just two more main missions to go...

(NeoGutsman)

(16:36:16 12/27/11 EST)

alright, I won't complain too much then. And I'm glad I found this out early on, instead of later in the game.

(exodus)

(17:16:42 12/27/11 EST)

...what? I was not aware of any region issues with regular DS games. This is troubling since half my games are Japanese. BTW, it's almost standard now for pirated DS games to run but have some sort of quirk in them that makes them unplayable. Usually a patch is released at some point.

(SignOfZeta)

(17:20:56 12/27/11 EST)

I new that none of the DSi games were cross-region, but there are only 3, so I didn't care. this is also the first I've seen of a DS game not working this way, but I am not a fan of it. luckily(!?) there are pretty much no more games coming out for the system.

(exodus)

(17:51:37 12/27/11 EST)

Maybe it's an LL only thing, or maybe it only blocks you one way, like PC Engine?

(SignOfZeta)

(20:37:31 12/27/11 EST)

I think it's a dsi thing.. I'm not sure though.

(exodus)

(20:55:05 12/27/11 EST)

Ah, I didn't realize this was a DSi cart. I sort of forgot those were possible

(SignOfZeta)

(21:57:12 12/27/11 EST)

oh, I didn't totally clarify. I have a DSi LL, and I think the DSi started putting region locks on certain bits of everything. the cart is standard DS, though I think it IS DSi compatible, because it asks you to take a picture of yourself.

(exodus)

(05:26:58 12/28/11 EST)

I thought the DSi carts were going to be made from different colored plastic.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:45:50 12/28/11 EST)

This game takes advantage of DSi systems' processor and camera. There's slowdown in places on a DS system, but if you have a DSi/DSLL/3DS then you won't have those issues. The original JP and EU versions of Solatorobo also let you download free missions online. The US version thankfully already has all the DLC included on the cart so no need to worry about the servers going down ever. As for region locking, yeah, I think this may have been one of the few technically DSi games that has that but I can't remember where I saw that confirmed. Actually, exodus' problems are confirmation then.

(NeoGutsman)

(14:21:52 12/28/11 EST)

Is that good? It's pretty damn cheap on Amazon right now.

(PopaSmear)

(15:43:20 12/28/11 EST)

Yes.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:06:28 12/28/11 EST)

it's charming! but these flying sequences are giving me problems. so hard to control!

(exodus)

(19:00:08 12/28/11 EST)

The flying sequences where you have the jetlike attachment SUCK. I hate them. Make use of the L and R buttons and you'll probably be okay. I haven't run into many quests that require you to actually win these segments. I think it just unlocks jet stuff to use in the multiplayer race mode. The jetpack mode takes a little while to get used to but I don't remember more than one quest needing you to finish it under a time limit for success. All other quests using the jetpack mode are free and open and you can take your time.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:34:22 12/28/11 EST)

I figured out a thing that makes it easier - probably you did too... but if you use the dpad instead of the thumbstick you can have an easier time going left and right, instead of accidentally going up. it's still not fun, but it's possible to do at least.

(exodus)

(18:25:29 12/29/11 EST)

Good tip, and yes, that's what I did during those sequences.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:10:01 12/30/11 EST)

I should note that you absolutely have to be able to deal with the fact that this game is made by/for furries. I'm a little embarrassed to play it sometimes.

(exodus)

(18:24:28 12/29/11 EST)

For some reason I got over it pretty quickly. But you do have a point. I won't say more until you get further on in the game...

(NeoGutsman)

(02:11:50 12/30/11 EST)

I've gotten to a shower scene, so I can only imagine there's more.

(exodus)

(21:27:30 12/30/11 EST)

Not to spoil anything for you...

(NeoGutsman)

(02:33:38 12/31/11 EST)

kinda... there's a lot of innuendo. but it's okay!

(exodus)

(04:21:33 12/31/11 EST)

There's one saucy character you'll run into on one of your missions. That person is certainly one for the ages...

(NeoGutsman)

(19:16:16 12/31/11 EST)

I got a Wonderswan Color for Christmas! It's clear/yellow, really great condition (I think). Excited about the chance to play old games I had wished were released on NGPC: Mr. Driller, a beat 'em up, a vertical shooter, FF1. Simple arcade puzzlers or platformers. What should I consider? It came with a Guilty Gear title and what looks like a fighter-D-pad attachment. Looking for titles nostalgic for 1980 and 1989, respectively. Oh, should there be some kind of internal settings screen after powering up without a cartridge inserted? I see nothing then. I can boot and play a cartridge, though. (n/t) (Mike Chicago) (18:25:40 12/25/11 EST)

Some recommendations: Pocket Fighter, Guilty Gear 2 (if the one you have is 1), Engacho!, Rhyme Rider Kerorikan (spelling?), the Namco golf game... um... yeah. That's a start off the top of my head.

(Jeurja)

(21:16:25 12/25/11 EST)

The Final Lap game is fun if you're looking for a racing title.

(Bean)

(22:32:23 12/25/11 EST)

There is a BIOS screen, it's mostly useless but it let's you set a custom boot message. I can't remember how to get to it at the moment. FF1 on WS is really fun, IMHO. It plays like the FC original (ie no MP or other pussy enhancements) but looks a million times better. It's fun just for the pure OG JRPG mechanics of it. Feel the simple thrill of gaining a level! I recommend the Gundam games with "Vol." in the title and One Piece Grand Battle: Swan Colosseum (basically a precursor to Jump Superstars).

(SignOfZeta)

(01:31:43 12/26/11 EST)

Looking forward to FF1. Super cheap everywhere cuz it was once a bundled title. BTW, I just read that the "personal data screen" can be reached by pushing start and power simultaneously. I'll do that.

(Mike Chicago)

(23:43:33 12/26/11 EST)

Yeah, FF1 is the most common game, I think. Too bad that isn't the case with Rockman and Forte, Pocket Fighter, Makaimura, and what seems like the majority of the other good stuff. A good WS game costs about as much as a good WS system, often times.

(SignOfZeta)

(05:08:34 12/27/11 EST)

I recommend one piece grand battle swan colosseum, macross: true love song, gunpey ex, klonoa midnight museum, magical drop, rhyme rider kerorikan, and riviera if you haven't played it on other systems. looks great on a swan crystal! also, if you magically find one, get a wonder witch.

(exodus)

(04:34:59 12/26/11 EST)

Oh yeah, the WS ver of Magical Drop is the best. Its B/W, but since it plays vertically so the detail is great. Also, the characters were drawn by someone other than the (apparently) American fan artist that worked on the NGP one.

(SignOfZeta)

(10:58:53 12/26/11 EST)

I think you can find Riviera cheaply for the GBA and PSP these days. Also, I wish I had a Wonderswan Crystal :( I don't have any system, just a handful of games now. Is it even worth getting one anymore?

(NeoGutsman)

(14:37:29 12/26/11 EST)

If you have to ask, probably not. I will always love this weird and cheap system though for the half dozen good games for it, its odd nature, its terrific battery life, and its affordable price. If you are at all interested in the system though, the Crystal really does trounce the regular Color version. Basically the screen is as reflective as the NGP's while displaying way more color and resolution.

(SignOfZeta)

(05:06:40 12/27/11 EST)

Yeah, if I were to get another one it'd be the Crystal one for sure. At this point I'm probably never going to get another one. I fear the charm of the system may be lost to me at this point.

(NeoGutsman)

(14:23:09 12/28/11 EST)

you can find it cheaper, but the game was made for the swan crystal, and it really showcases the graphical fidelity of the system. it's pretty gorgeous. I recommend getting a crystal if you have no system, it really looks excellent. but that's *only* if you really feel like playing that handfull of games. you probably have tons of other stuff to play, and ultimately this is just a superfluous luxury on top fo that. but if you do want to dive down into this system, I recommend the crystal, absolutely.

(exodus)

(14:32:52 12/27/11 EST)

The B&W Gunpey is already in the mail with Mr. Driller. The same seller has Space Invaders and Tetris, but they are so expensive! Tetris plays vertically, though, which looks neat. Hmm...

(Mike Chicago)

(23:39:20 12/26/11 EST)

cool! I have tons of wonderswan games, like maybe 60, so let me know if you'd like to know some lower-tier curiosities that are kiiiinda cool but not really fantastic.

(exodus)

(14:31:12 12/27/11 EST)

iMAME (iOS): This is semi-interesting. Recently an iPhone port of MAME appeared on the App Store and for some reason passed the approval process. It has since been pulled, but I managed to buy it before this happened. The game shipped with some rather mediocre PD ROMS, but using third party software (ie: iExplorer) you can add ROMs. No Jailbreak required. I don't have a huge selection of ROMS, but I did manage to get it to run Pac Man and Victory Road flawlessly. Control is...horrible, but it does work with Ion's crazy iCade thing for iPad so if you have one of those things, or some other way to attach a real control system to a Apple thing then it would be pretty cool. Of course if your shit is Jailbroken then you probably have access to better stuff, and if it isn't...you can't buy this anymore...so...this is more of a historical note than a recommendation. Sorry. It was only up for two days! (n/t) (SignOfZeta) (18:10:48 12/23/11 EST)

I love reading about stuff like this. Have you tried Capcom Arcade? I guess you get a couple free virtual "tokens" a day to use on games like Commando. I think that might be fun despite horrible controls. At least cute. By all indications proper control is going away for the original video games, but that doesn't mean you don't have to play the new emulators and ports. What it does probably mean is you won't get as high of a score. That's how I rationalize it.

(Mike Chicago)

(13:49:50 12/24/11 EST)

I knew about this, then forgot and missed the boat. yay!

(exodus)

(04:30:08 12/26/11 EST)

Swapnote (aka Letterbox in Europe) is RAD. RAD! Jeurja and I have been sending each other notes and replies all evening and I simply can't stop creating and sending more. This is essentially the kind of app the 3DS should have launched with. It's not Pictochat, which is a good thing. There's something endearing about receiving a message from a friend which literally draws itself in front of your eyes. It's a free download as of today, so snap it up. Oh, and make sure to add me and share your friend codes so I can send messages to more than just a few people. Code inside: (NeoGutsman) (04:54:34 12/23/11 EST)

I wish Nintendo would hurry up and release a 3DS Lite so I could take part in this craziness. My prediction: late March.

(SignOfZeta)

(05:11:33 12/23/11 EST)

I want a 3DS XL. That screen is so small after being used to the DSi XL.

(Jeurja)

(10:34:14 12/23/11 EST)

There's no doubt that I'll upgrade to a 3DS Lite down the line. I'm happy with how my 3DS is right now, but Nintendo has a history of improving the hardware in generally good ways with each new iteration. Still, I think the DS Lite is my favorite DS-specific system.

(NeoGutsman)

(12:59:54 12/23/11 EST)

I actually think DSi was as good as it got. I agree with whoever it was that said they wished the 3DS was just the "Game Boy 3D" though.

(aerisdead)

(13:40:00 12/23/11 EST)

I liked the backwards-compatibility of the Lite a lot. But the DSi is still fantastic. I love the slimness and the bigger, brighter screen, too. I actually got my daughter the Pink 3DS + Nintendogs bundle for Christmas so hopefully I'll get the DSi back to muck around with.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:12:12 12/23/11 EST)

Yeah, the DSi is a certain sweat spot, kind of like the SP and the GB Pocket. Sometimes the most advanced thing just isn't the overall most comfortable.

(SignOfZeta)

(19:31:59 12/23/11 EST)

I don't really want a handheld as big as an iPad, but If they don't figure out a way to optimize power consumption it might end up being an XL after all just to house a decent size battery.

(SignOfZeta)

(18:02:32 12/23/11 EST)

I sorta agree with this. I mean, I don't really need more video game crap in my life. But I do want a 3DS lite. I think they'll announce at E3 to be honest, out by... August?

(aerisdead)

(13:21:06 12/23/11 EST)

Okay, Jeurja is a prolific note sender. I now have Mister Raroo exclusive Swapnotes that not even Tim Rogers probably doesn't have (is that correct grammar?). Got a couple from Bean last night, too.

(NeoGutsman)

(13:01:15 12/23/11 EST)

Yeah, I'm back after a sabbatical of sorts. I think I became depressed for the first time in my life in the past couple months. I thought the holidays were supposed to do that to you, but it's actually Christmas that's pulled me out of it and back to normalcy. Chad, I owe you a phone call, and Monkey Board, I owe you a year-end "What have you been playing" post.

(Bean)

(18:13:27 12/23/11 EST)

Ah, you exist! The US GP is officially back on track for next year, so I at least want to talk with you about that.

(SignOfZeta)

(19:30:29 12/23/11 EST)

Sorry to hear you weren't feeling well. I've been through that a few times myself. As for Swapnote, I think it's one of those things that because of some of the limitations it makes you be more creative. That's not to say it doesn't have good features (because it does), just that it doesn't have a button or slider for every miniscule thing which is a good thing. I downloaded that Inchworm Animation App for my 3DS a month or so ago and UUUGGGHHHH, what a mess. Lots of options, but again, lots of options :P

(NeoGutsman)

(02:35:50 12/24/11 EST)

Added you. I'm a little embarrassed to send you guys stuff though: Mr. Raroo is a much better artist than me and definitely a better rapper. ;)

(Darius)

(21:45:16 12/24/11 EST)

Nah, you're great! Keep 'em comin'.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:16:56 12/26/11 EST)

Progress? From Magic Box: "A new YouTube Video released today, which shows the PS Vita has a battery life of 3:47 hours playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss with its 2210mAh battery. In comparison, 3DS's 1300mAh battery lasted 2:35 hours playing Monster Hunter 3G; and PSP-3000 Hunsters Model with a 2200mAh battery lasted 9 hours playing Monster Hunter Portable 3rd with Media Install option enabled." (video inside) (SignOfZeta) (13:17:23 12/22/11 EST)

40hours.gif

(substance J)

(17:52:41 12/22/11 EST)

Yeah you can recharge them so at least you aren't having to blow money each time on new batteries, but still.

(Paleface)

(18:49:11 12/22/11 EST)

If only they made such a thing as rechargeable AAs! Seriously, you'd have to recharge your PSV or 3DS every day, if not twice. If not, when you opened it up at lunch time it's going to have %5 battery life. And what about three years later when the batter has 1000 cycles on it and is only half as strong as it used to be? We've gone back to the "portables that aren't actually portable" era of the early 90s.

(SignOfZeta)

(19:02:43 12/22/11 EST)

Oh well after a year they'll put out an "Endurance" version of the battery with 20% more life that you have to buy separately. But okay yeah you've got me on the rechargeable AAs--I blocked such things out of my consciousness forever due to being poisoned by my parents making us use the first generation of those things, which were awful--they weren't even the right size! Like you'd try to put them in something and you'd feel the plastic case straining and making those slight little cracking sounds that aren't real visible cracks but just like virtual warning cracks, like they're saying hey man this isn't right, don't put those in me. I am told they've improved quite a bit since then but I have never again tried them; I just get the super-expensive lithium kind that I hardly ever have to replace because I barely use them anyway.

(Paleface)

(05:59:38 12/23/11 EST)

1Up retrospective on failed systems, the NGPC being one of them. (NeoGutsman) (18:04:42 12/21/11 EST)

Wow, what a tertiary MSN entertainment tab caliber piece of crap article. At least he didn't ask if Falcoon is gay.

(substance J)

(21:42:21 12/21/11 EST)

It was a better article than I was expecting but that's not saying much. Despite the rough edges, those Hardcore Gaming 101 articles kick ass most of the time. I'm kind of spoiled when it comes to these writer quota-fillers.

(NeoGutsman)

(23:14:07 12/21/11 EST)

Agreed. Needs more introspective wandering.

(and Opa Opa)

(15:54:43 12/22/11 EST)

Not a whole lotta insight to be had there. The "could've found a second wind" bit at the end is pretty tacky. Also doesn't even talk about the hardware, really, particularly in comparison with the GBC.

(Paleface)

(23:14:49 12/21/11 EST)

It could have been worse. He massively over emphases Pokemon to a stupid degree though. If Pokemon were never invented Nintendo still would have outsold them by an enormous margin. I also don't really think a lack of 3rd party support was that big of a failing. SNK supported the NGP better than Nintendo supports any of their systems. Was there a year that Nintendo published like...two dozen Gameboy games, all of them good? I don't think so. There aren't that many NGP games, but there are a fair amount and almost all of them are at least "B" grade. He also seems to sort of say that the Hyper 64 was a "system" which...it was, an arcade only system...kind of totally immaterial, IMO. There was no point in bringing it up.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:06:12 12/22/11 EST)

I love Crush Roller! Fuck this noise!

(twelvest)

(20:59:18 12/22/11 EST)

Oh yeah, that too.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:20:44 12/23/11 EST)

Hey, I picked up an EU copy of Jam with the Band for £10 while I was in London. I haven't played it yet--I didn't actually bring my DS with me--but if anyone else is interested in a copy, I can keep my eyes open for any more. The pound is in the toilet so even thinking shipping it would end up costing me/you only about $20. (n/t) (aerisdead) (09:16:07 12/20/11 EST)

Oh please, do find me a copy if you can! It's probably preferable to get a new copy (which is what I assume this is) since you can't delete songs you've downloaded apparently. Thanks in advance!!!

(NeoGutsman)

(13:49:53 12/20/11 EST)

Oh really? Well the weird thing about the copy I bought was it was in the "used" section, but it was still sealed. And not "resealed" as in it had the nintendo-branded shrinkwrap still on it. I was a bit wary about it still, but the clincher was the "used" sticker was above a "2 for £20" sticker, which made me think they'd just moved it for some absurd reason. Well, I'll find out when I play it. If I see any new copies I'll let you know!

(aerisdead)

(18:25:16 12/20/11 EST)

Considering how cheap it is, a used copy is okay, too. Thanks! Regarding the used label, I know GameStop sometimes marks new games down as used to clear it out. They don't do it with all new games of course but on the rare occasion they do this it's possibly due to some sort of inventory writeoff of some sort. Anyway, cool find! I loved the original one quite a bit.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:57:04 12/20/11 EST)

The 3DS GBA Ambassador Program games are available to download worldwide now. The emulation is quite good though the screen dims a shade when you run a GBA game. I'm not sure why. There's also no save state ability or a sleep mode (beyond ones built into games like Metroid Fusion, etc.) - not even closing the system truly puts the game into sleep mode. Those are minor in comparison to the fact that there are GBA games on my 3DS. I own a LOT of GBA carts already, but this will be a good way of filling out my collection with the few more I want. (NeoGutsman) (17:29:25 12/16/11 EST)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is really great! I wish I bought this back in the day now. That prerendered look here is quite a cute workaround for the animation fluidity.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:22:52 12/16/11 EST)

Yeah. It's no DK94, but I quite enjoyed it. I think I picked up a JP version from Play Asia for like $10 back in the day.

(aerisdead)

(09:12:31 12/20/11 EST)

I thought I read somewhere that the games would be updated to have more features at some point so that they're like the Virtual Console games in terms of being able to put them in sleep mode/etc.

(Jeurja)

(22:44:11 12/16/11 EST)

I read something like that too but I think they were referring to the NES games, not the GBA games.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:24:06 12/17/11 EST)

The control in Super Circuit is FAULTLESS. You aren't going fast enough. Try again.

(SignOfZeta)

(02:18:49 12/17/11 EST)

I guess so. I don't remember having this much trouble with Krazy Racers or both Gadget Racers (which almost felt like two different engines) on the GBA though...

(NeoGutsman)

(02:25:07 12/17/11 EST)

I don't currently have a video capture card but if I did I would show some SICK time trial shit with Toad. When I went back to school for a minute in 2006 I would jam on that game for 2 or 3 hours straight between classes while listining to power metal and happy hardcore and other hyperkinetic shit. Sometimes I'd spend an hour doing laps just to improve my time by .001 sec. Not every track is good, not every driver is good, but when you have the right combination its...sublime. You pretty much have to unlock the SNES tracks to get the most out of it though.

(SignOfZeta)

(15:04:15 12/17/11 EST)

Sounds like what I'd do with DJ Max all the time. I'd work on a set of songs just to eke out some kind of .01% point better in accuracy or even just to understand the groove of a difficulty pattern just because. I might have achieved nirvana a few times. As for Mario Kart I'll give it another go at some point. I just got Ridge Racer 3D today and dayum it's pretty fun. The 3D effect helps a lot when judging distance and proximity. So far my only "gee I wish" thing is that it had a setup like RR4. I really loved the personality and soundtrack to that game.

(NeoGutsman)

(05:42:06 12/18/11 EST)

I played F-Zero for so many hours. I think it's one of my most played GBA games. Once the controls click the game becomes a whole lot more playable.

(Rockman Pocket)

(06:49:15 12/17/11 EST)

The only F-Zeros I played were SNES, N64, and GC. SNES might not be great now, but it was great at the time. The N64 version didn't get my juices going, but the GC had it flowing everywhere on everything. You should some how try that game.

(Zero)

(21:08:36 12/18/11 EST)

1up posted a huge interview with Takashi Nishijima, who's had a hand in a a lot of SNK stuff and of course Street Fighter and Dimps. They skip over a lot of stuff, but it's a must read. (link inside) (Rockman Pocket) (19:27:40 12/14/11 EST)

So he's the reason why Mexicans can't get enough of SNK.

(Zero)

(20:33:05 12/14/11 EST)

Ooh, I just read this an hour ago. Very cool interview!

(NeoGutsman)

(21:40:11 12/14/11 EST)

This was very good.

(SignOfZeta)

(04:25:36 12/15/11 EST)

Nooo not Scrum! Very interesting interview.

(Paleface)

(18:02:55 12/19/11 EST)

KoF13 Demo is out on Xbox Live now, and it has online play and 6 characters and a number of different stages you can play on. Demo impressions inside! (Zero) (17:30:30 12/10/11 EST)

This might be the easiest KOF to combo in (Maximum Impact aside). There are just so many possibilities. Kyo, King, and Takuma specifically. Holy shit.

(SignOfZeta)

(19:01:05 12/10/11 EST)

Whaaaat why isn't that out on PSN. I wouldn't even need to buy the game and the stupid disc, thanks SNK! :D

(Paleface)

(23:37:43 12/10/11 EST)

For anyone curious, the PSN demo is coming later on. I think a week or so after. Also, an aside: It's hilarious they announce a patch for the netcode of the game, while releasing a demo with online play that has the same shitty netcode pre-patch.

(<font color=color>Zero</font>)

(08:14:54 12/11/11 EST)

So it would be better if they didn't announce a patch? :P

(Paleface)

(16:52:43 12/11/11 EST)

I think it would be better of SNK went back to just sucking terribly. They are confusing the haters!

(SignOfZeta)

(12:39:48 12/13/11 EST)

It's out on PSN! I haven't installed/played it yet though cry cry.

(Paleface)

(12:38:14 12/15/11 EST)

King isn't in the demo, dang. I do like how there's a color selection after picking a character, and that Butt's school is one of the stages, that is rad.

(Paleface)

(08:25:07 12/26/11 EST)

Just got the 3DS firmware update. Recording video in 3D is pretty cool! The microphone picks up sound from you more since it's pointed at the user, so that's a small bummer. StreetPass Mii is much better, too. The Find Mii II (available once you've beaten Find Mii twice and get all the hats) is what FM should have been like originally. There's a bunch of other updates (inside), too. (NeoGutsman) (03:41:45 12/07/11 EST)

In other news, the xbox update is maximum barf.

(aerisdead)

(14:14:04 12/07/11 EST)

I don't currently have an Xbox 360 anymore. How's the new update barfy? Sluggish, cluttered, etc.?

(NeoGutsman)

(17:25:54 12/07/11 EST)

Most notably, the "games" tab is like 5 clicks away from your home screen now. Thank you, social media revolution!

(substance J)

(19:32:26 12/07/11 EST)

It would be clearly an improvement if they switched the "video" and "games" section with each other, but other than that it's pretty good. I've been using it for a few weeks and the only time I could tell it was obviously better than the last dash was when I tried it again.

(Zero)

(20:34:57 12/07/11 EST)

"XBOX! Games!"

(yoodaa)

(16:55:24 12/12/11 EST)

Supposedly the eShop will be fully updated tomorrow to include demos. It already loads much faster now. Let's see if they do something about the overall layout at some point. Also, I want my GB Bionic Commando now, dammit.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:30:05 12/07/11 EST)

Pushmo released today. It is awesome.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:47:07 12/08/11 EST)

Here's a video review for the original Japanese version. it's pretty detailed but just turn the volume down and watch the action. This is one 3DS game where having 3D on is really helpful. I turned down the 3D just to see how it played and levels just don't have that instinctive pop you need to make depth judgments. Anyway, totally worth the money, especially the growing list of 8-bit and 16-bit inspired user made levels.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:34:02 12/09/11 EST)

Oh, and I should note that you initially only have access to a 16x16 grid but that grows to 32x32 and access to ladders and chutes. It's truly awesome to see a pixel image you make automatically process into a playable level. You'll still have to hand-tweak levels to make them play properly in some cases but they still turn out great.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:36:25 12/09/11 EST)

I just unlocked ladders and popout buttons. HOLY CRAP THIS GAME IS AWESUMMMMMMZZZ.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:35:30 12/10/11 EST)

Now unlocking Nintendo-themed levels! Is no one else here playing this game?

(NeoGutsman)

(14:04:52 12/13/11 EST)

It looks pretty neat.

(Paleface)

(04:15:41 12/10/11 EST)

OK, I've logged a few more hours on KOF XIII. The basic verdict, IMO, is that it is a "real" KOF (ie: not Neo Wave or XII). I like it more than XI, 94, and 2001, but I'm not sure if its much better than the others. There are enough fighters and each has enough moves where you don't have to work around the limitations (ie: CvS1, KOF XII). It has real KOF-style story mode, etc. There is the intangible "flow" of a real fighting game here. The EXs are particularly fun. The mid-boss can go fuck himself. I'm recommending it to everyone here except J and...whoever that other guy was, Apples, or PoppaSmear, or one of those dochebags. Those guys decided to hate it before it was even announced, but I see no reason why anyone honestly open to the idea of liking it, and having a history of enjoying KOF in the past wouldn't like this game. (SignOfZeta) (01:18:52 11/27/11 EST)

Sounds nice! I was looking at some videos of it, and (man I still hate that EX or whatever blur effect) in one of them there was a background street scene that seemed to look almost identical to one from eh 95 or 96, maybe. Am I just imagining this? ... Hm okay I searched around and it looks like it is a copy of one from '96. Neat, I always liked that stage.

(Paleface)

(02:50:16 11/27/11 EST)

(Also, I actually like the limited move sets and big zoom effect in XII. :P ;))

(Paleface)

(02:53:19 11/27/11 EST)

I can see getting into the zoom, but fuck move poverty. If I wanted Fatal Fury 1 I'd play Fatal Fury 1.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:26:24 11/27/11 EST)

Bluh, sway line is worse than anything. ;P

(Paleface)

(22:59:35 11/30/11 EST)

You are so right. IMO they actually, finally, got it down by the time Real Bout 2 came out, the SEVENTH game in the series, but I'm so glad they scrapped it totally for Garou.

(SignOfZeta)

(20:39:48 12/02/11 EST)

Special is pretty hot! Better than Fatal Fury 3 at least.

(substance J)

(21:44:16 12/02/11 EST)

All Fatal Fury games have a place in a fan's collection. Maybe 2 can get left out, but there is something cool and unique about most of them. Fatal Fury 3 has those cool finishers than can knock you into the screen, or into a subway car or a pond. If you knock Blue Marry in there she comes up topless, for some reason. While this is truely stupid fan service, it's also an attention to detail that was removed in later games. Fatal Fury 3 also has the best intro. The best game overall though is Real Bout 2, and Garou, if you count that. Garou is bad as hell.

(SignOfZeta)

(22:15:09 12/02/11 EST)

Wait, maybe it was Real Bout Special that had the subway car and pond, but Fatal Fury 3 that had it where you could be knocked into the camera. I can't fucking remember.

(SignOfZeta)

(22:22:13 12/02/11 EST)

Apparently I don't even own Fatal Fury 3. I must've been thinking of Art of Fighting 3. Now I really have an urge to knock somebody through a bamboo wall into an angry panda...

(substance J)

(23:42:14 12/02/11 EST)

Dang I halfway forgot this isn't an image forum.

(Paleface)

(14:04:19 12/03/11 EST)

And for the "Dominated Mind" PS1 version!

(Paleface)

(14:02:45 12/03/11 EST)

You're right, those guys are huge douches.

(substance J)

(06:13:10 11/27/11 EST)

I'm not sure why you keep putting PopaSmear in that category. As far as people on this board go I'd say he's a solid candidate for Most Likely To Give A Game A Fair Shake. I think the whole LCD Soundsystem thing really screwed up your wiring. With that out of the way I'll agree that the EXs are fun. EX specials are nothing new but I really like the fact that you can EX DMs. It's a nice, new mechanic that can be used effectively at low levels of play (where I reside) and it's lots of fun. I'm having some friends over after work for fighters and we'll see how this goes over. I have a feeling it'll get out voted by UMVC3 but who knows, the group has been very receptive of KOF98UM and KOF02UM.

(twelvest)

(15:37:44 11/27/11 EST)

Its literally because I can't tell them apart. No specific reason.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:25:39 11/27/11 EST)

2002UM online VS is only 3 v 3 (at least Ranked is). Does this have online Vs 1 v 1?

(Zero)

(23:28:34 11/27/11 EST)

What? This is KOF, kid.

(SignOfZeta)

(23:32:12 11/27/11 EST)

Apparently you're anti freedom and choice.

(Zero)

(16:29:21 11/28/11 EST)

I just checked and I seems to be teams only online. I played my first online match on my lunch break and it's really smooth, at least compared to Third Strike. Maybe this is because nobody bought it, heh. Btw, I noticed there is an option for playing in practice mode while waiting for a match. This is cool. I know some other game did this (CvS2 for XB1 maybe?) but Third Strike doesn't have it.

(SignOfZeta)

(20:03:38 11/28/11 EST)

It's not really a fighter but Smash Bros Brawl had a punching bag to beat up on while waiting and I'm pretty sure Arcana Heart 3 has it if you aren't playing quarters matches.

(twelvest)

(20:15:09 11/28/11 EST)

That sounds really really good.

(Zero)

(00:57:44 11/29/11 EST)

I love spotting the Samurai Showdown cameos in the background. It's a neat bit of fan service that actually makes sense in the story.

(twelvest)

(20:18:06 11/28/11 EST)

Aw, Popasmear isn't a douche. FUCK APPLES, THOUGH.

(Jeurja)

(21:59:05 11/28/11 EST)

This place is full of misunderstanding!

(twelvest)

(23:57:18 11/28/11 EST)

But... I liked Neowave! It basically was a smoother playing version of '02 with a fun combo system. I still regret selling it, yet keeping trash like '94 Re-Bout and the boring 2002/2003 combopack.

(Rockman Pocket)

(17:09:10 12/03/11 EST)

Gah, I fucking hate Neowave. As far as I can tell it was just a technical exercise to see if what was left of SNK could write a program for Atomiswave that would actually run. It wasn't bad, it was just %100 unnecessary. I love 2002 and 2003 though. 2002 was basically 98 part 2, and 2003 was cool because Capcom fans would actually play it with me, occasionally. 03 also had a good boss, storyline, etc. I've never played either on PS2 though.

(SignOfZeta)

(19:32:50 12/03/11 EST)

Agree about Neowave and '03. I do rather like '94 Re-bout...I guess I can see your preferences making sense given your knack for lively combo systems, though (in response to Rocky above).

(Paleface)

(01:37:00 12/04/11 EST)

Neowave basically is 2002, with slightly different mechanics. Sure, it was totally unnecessary in light of 2002UM, but I'll take it over vanilla '02 any day. 2003 was an impressive effort for a NeoGeo game, for sure. In terms of how the game feels it reminds me of the technical leap Gals Fighters took over MotM. Still, much like how '02UM obsoletes '02 and Neowave, KoF XI pretty much obsoletes '03. KoF XI, now that's a fun KoF!

(Rockman Pocket)

(07:46:15 12/04/11 EST)

It's true, XI is the best! :D

(Paleface)

(17:10:34 12/04/11 EST)

Man, I really didn't think so. I only played it long enough to get all the endings and pretty much put it away after that. Honestly I just vastly prefer 16-bit games with consistent resolution between background and foreground. Blurry upscaled sprites that are obviously from a different decade/hardware platform than the high res backgrounds just suck...makes me try to put my glasses on when I'm already wearing them.

(SignOfZeta)

(18:04:53 12/04/11 EST)

Hm I guess that doesn't really bother me, or I'm just so used to it by now that, eh. I don't think I even actually played to get all the endings...well I was doing the "mission" or quest mode or whatever, that was mostly pretty fun, and then a lot of endless or what have you. It has a lot of characters I like, that's the main thing I suppose.

(Paleface)

(02:20:09 12/05/11 EST)

Also I'm pretty sure you can turn blurring/filtering of the sprites off in that game...and it (the PS2 version anyway) has a progressive scan option, so aside from the pixel size contrast aspect of it, there shouldn't be any blurriness.

(Paleface)

(03:58:26 12/05/11 EST)

Yeah, if you want to you can have the sprites rendered really pixely. It does make them stand out even more against the higher resolution backgrounds, but I've gotten used to that by now. Even KoF XII and XIII have higher resolution backgrounds than character sprites! The first game to pull this cheap trick was Capcom vs SNK, I think. Ironically the 2D backgrounds in that game were of really high quality, while the rest just looked and played like a mugen effort. These SNKP Atomiswave games though, they are the real deal. XI, Neowave, Battle Collosseum and Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi, they must've been really cheap to make, but they play great.

(Rockman Pocket)

(17:10:56 12/05/11 EST)

Oh yeah, Tenkaichi! That's a fun one too.

(Paleface)

(17:26:29 12/05/11 EST)

I didn't realize this game existed until I was playing it in the arcade. I pretty much like it. I need to get it for PS2. Did it come out on PS2, in the US?

(SignOfZeta)

(21:29:59 12/05/11 EST)

Yeahhh I think it's Samurai Shodown VI in "Samurai Shodown Anthology" for PS2.

(Paleface)

(06:26:40 12/06/11 EST)

Yup. You don't have to unlock any of the hidden characters in the Anthology version, so that's a big plus for the localized version. On the other hand, the filter they put on the other 5 games makes me want to cry.

(Rockman Pocket)

(10:55:43 12/06/11 EST)

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Man it'll be nice when they get to SSII in their PSN NeoGeoStation line--I'll *finally* have a real, decent port of it.

(Paleface)

(17:06:51 12/06/11 EST)

I don't play it so much these days because I can't get my friends to give many fucks about it but I think SSII is still my all around favorite fighting game. When the XBLA port came out it was the game that got me to go buy an arcade stick. The XBLA port also, inexplicably, lacks move lists so it was also the first game in nearly a decade that got me to print out a ~20 page move list. It's still right by my 360.

(twelvest)

(22:37:21 12/06/11 EST)

Mine too! There are ones that I find more intuitive, or that have more characters I prefer playing, but SS2 still hasn't been topped in terms of creating a beautiful, funny, fascinating play experience as far as I'm concerned. The fact that it is pretty darn tough probably only increases the awe in which I hold it. After a few years of college my dorm got a SS2 cab, and I hardly ever played it because I was poor and really bad at it, but it just entranced me whenever I was around it. And it was four or so years old by then and I had seen and played the game here and there before that, but it was still just...oooh. The sound, the timing, the big chunky sprite scaling, the crazy weirdness, the wild backgrounds, the Engrish, the huge THWACK from a full-power strike connecting... MAN.

(Paleface)

(06:45:05 12/07/11 EST)

I wouldn't be surprised if SS2 still is SNK most famous game. It just had that mainstream appeal that no other SNK since seems to have had.

(Rockman Pocket)

(16:08:43 12/07/11 EST)

You think? I have no idea how their games stand in terms of popularity--I would'a thought though it might have been one of the mid-KOFs or something ('98, with its huge roster?).

(Paleface)

(17:25:24 12/07/11 EST)

Although if we're talking non-fighting-games too maybe something more like Ikari Warriors.

(Paleface)

(17:25:54 12/07/11 EST)

Ikari Warriors probably has completely eroded from your average gamer's recollection by now. Samurai Shodown would probably still ring a bell, and not because of that 360 game that's littering bargain bins worldwide.

(Rockman Pocket)

(20:11:18 12/07/11 EST)

There's an Ikari Warriors 360 game? :o And on a related note, a single-player-only port of the bizarre arcade sequel, Victory Road, just came out as a Mini on PSN. It is so weird.

(Paleface)

(23:39:08 12/07/11 EST)

I meant Samurai Shodown Sen :P

(Rockman Pocket)

(07:24:27 12/08/11 EST)

Oh yeah I'm bad at reading glargh

(Paleface)

(07:28:13 12/08/11 EST)

KOF was never popular with normal people. I'd agree its probably SS2.

(SignOfZeta)

(12:25:31 12/08/11 EST)

Maybe not in the US but something I've learned since living near the border of Mexico and gaining a bunch of Mexican friends is that the series is WILDLY popular there. By all accounts more so than SF, Tekken, or anything else. When I went to Tijuana with a lady friend of mine to visit some of her family we went to this arcade and they had 96-03, NeoWave, and XI. And people were fucking rocking out on em too. It was a sight to behold.

(twelvest)

(17:47:48 12/08/11 EST)

I want to go there! And yeah, cyberfanatix.com is largely Mexican in origin so I sort of knew about this kind of thing. Great story.

(SignOfZeta)

(00:04:13 12/11/11 EST)

Since I can't seem to recall ever seeing the earlier KOFs in arcades, I guess you guys are probably right--right-er than me, anyway. I tried looking for like a list of the highest grossing SNK arcade machines but completely failed to find any such thing.

(Paleface)

(17:49:17 12/08/11 EST)

Come to think of it I don't think I even knew what KOF was until I got a NGPC. Might not have been familiar with Metal Slug, either. But I did know SamSho (and I knew the hell outta Ikari Warriors!).

(Paleface)

(17:52:41 12/08/11 EST)

They were in several arcades in Seattle, as well as on many of the state ferries in the form of the SNK multi-units. I also saw them at all the Silver Coin Fun Factories that were in malls around here. We never had them at GameWorks Seattle as far as I remember. I think it *may* have had to do with some Sega/SNK arcade issues I remember management talking about but don't hold me to that.

(NeoGutsman)

(15:46:18 12/14/11 EST)

We talkin' pre-'98 KOFs, or later? I meant the earlier ones.

(Paleface)

(17:47:08 12/14/11 EST)

Earlier.

(NeoGutsman)

(15:12:25 12/20/11 EST)

Huh! Dang. I think I went to one Silver Coin once in a while back then, don't remember KOF though. I used to see Fatal Fury once in a while I think.

(Paleface)

(04:37:03 12/28/11 EST)

I really liked Battle Colosseum a lot. BTW, it was MvC2 that started the whole "sprites look like muddy shit" trend that everyone but Arc jumped in on. XIII is the first game that this didn't drive me crazy in, mainly because the zooming is a lot less than XII. Also, I play it in SD so...can't even tell. Its not like MvC2 where you had early CPS2 sprites mixed with all new art, both superimposed onto Naomi 640x480 3D backgrounds.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:34:11 12/05/11 EST)

Weren't MvC2 and CvS released around the same time? I really wonder what they were thinking with the low res sprites / high res background thing. Certainly somebody at Capcom must've pointed out it looked like shit? The whole recycle aspect and low quality backgrounds in all of these "modern" 2D fighting games does seem to indicate that their publishers weren't really confident in them.

(Rockman Pocket)

(10:53:00 12/06/11 EST)

The resolution difference is a little strange I guess, but I don't think it necessarily looks *worse* overall behind low-res sprites than a low-res background; in fact a lot of those high res Capcom backgrounds look really nice, and I think that's what they were thinking--because unlike with sprite animation where you're massaging every pixel just right, the backgrounds are probably just about as easy to make high res as low res--maybe even easier, since you don't have to worry as much about the artwork getting reduced to low resolution incomprehensibility. Of course when I saw them that way I wanted the sprites to have been made in high-res too, but that's a much bigger job.

(Paleface)

(21:34:29 12/06/11 EST)

Yeah, high-res backgrounds would imply high-res sprites, but Capcom (and SNK) didn't seem to get that memo. The lowering of the quality bar at Capcom was pretty sad. CvS had really neat backgrounds with all kinds of technical bells and whistles, but by the time Fighting Jam came along they were basically Jpegs with random bits of 2 frame animation going on.

(Rockman Pocket)

(16:14:54 12/07/11 EST)

Fighting Jam we do not speak of. ;P They seem to have recovered a bit since then, unfortunately they don't seem as interested in 2D fighters anymore.

(Paleface)

(17:26:48 12/07/11 EST)

Yeah, that sucks. What little 2D stuff they do release is nothing more than rereleases of their greatest hits on digital download services. But that feels so redundant, because they already rereleased most of their best games during the PS2 era. I guess SSF2THDR sorta counts as new, but I find that game to be even more miserable than Fighting Jam.

(Rockman Pocket)

(20:08:48 12/07/11 EST)

Yeah I was kinda disappointed by that one--well I was hoping you'd be able to set it to look just like the original SFII, but I don't think you can quite do that with it, if memory serves.

(Paleface)

(23:18:23 12/07/11 EST)

Nope, you can't really get anywhere close, even. Played it and the Matching Service SFIIXwhatever on DC, and jeez that HD one really feels (and looks) awful by comparison.

(Paleface)

(08:25:34 12/12/11 EST)

Yeah, pretty much the same time, but CvS1 had 2D backgrounds (really fucking good ones, not to be seen again from Capcom) so it didn't stick out quite as bad as it did in MvC2 and CvS2.

(SignOfZeta)

(12:28:32 12/08/11 EST)

"This is gonna be a match to remember!" For some reason CvS2's announcer sticks out more than anything to me.

(Rockman Pocket)

(15:12:42 12/08/11 EST)

I love that guy.

(SignOfZeta)

(17:11:35 12/08/11 EST)

Keep rockin', baby!

(Paleface / announcer guy)

(16:53:26 12/11/11 EST)

I went and played both the CvSs tonight and yeah the 3D ones in 2 are more jarring; and they have a lot of rotating and zooming things constantly in motion in ways that are slightly nauseating. Also, they have a lot of sort of contrast issues--big light areas in particular right behind the fighters which doesn't help things. And actually if you look at the backgrounds in CvS1, a lot of them have things at all kinds of different resolutions, playing with a lot of 2D scaling effects. And of course CvS1 is a four-button control scheme vs CvS2's six, which I think just makes the whole experience a happier one for me.

(Paleface)

(08:32:39 12/12/11 EST)

CvS 2 is the sooooooo much better game, no question whatsoever. I just like the BGs better in CvS1.

(SignOfZeta)

(12:38:20 12/12/11 EST)

Well it's got more stuff in it, certainly.

(Paleface)

(17:29:48 12/12/11 EST)

Iori's flames out now on PSN! ONLY $4.99 you guys damn I mean flames

(Paleface)

(07:38:48 12/07/11 EST)

I ordered this for my library!

(Jeurja)

(03:07:35 12/08/11 EST)

They rent out games?!

(Paleface)

(07:29:00 12/08/11 EST)

Holy... Namco! The Vita launch ridge racer will have 3 tracks! Next launch racer i would like one track. Choice is hard! Luckily, all three tracks will be older tracks remade, so your choice will be based on your actual experience with them. (Mental) (13:13:32 11/24/11 EST)

All I can offer in response are my tears. So many tears! =(

(twelvest)

(13:38:22 11/24/11 EST)

Sounds good to me. My favorite Ridge Racer is the Hi Spec bonus disc.

(substance J)

(18:24:11 11/24/11 EST)

Yeah, on the surface I don't see anything wrong with this. The original RR had only one track and it's way more fun than %90 of racing games made since then.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:22:50 11/24/11 EST)

Wasn't there talk of there being DLC for this? Maybe it's a piecemeal game; buy the base game and download the rest. BTW I just ordered Ridge Racer 3D for about $15 which I'm excited to play.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:08:17 11/25/11 EST)

I wonder if this is actually the case or if it's some type of mistranslation/misunderstanding.

(Jeurja)

(03:43:47 11/25/11 EST)

Well, all Ridge Racer games have a really small number of main tracks they just twist into a greater number of tracks with alternate routes. This probably isn't a big deal but the excellent track selections in 4 and 6/7 have me spoiled.

(twelvest)

(15:08:54 11/25/11 EST)

you guys are right. i will remain bitter about the whole DLC culture though!

(mental)

(16:09:27 11/26/11 EST)

I see the tracks are merely plucked from 6/7 so I retract my statement little a bit. I'd be more bothered that Ridge Racer is now considered such a low value "IP" that it can't get a real game on a real system. In related news Fire Pro appears to have become abandonware as Chunsoft hacks FPD into a new cell phone game.

(substance J)

(06:18:10 11/27/11 EST)

Fire Pro Mystery Dungeon is what Chunsoft should be focusing on.

(twelvest)

(18:04:25 11/27/11 EST)

Firepro Dekotora Densetsu.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:30:09 11/27/11 EST)

What's up with these lame new handhelds? 3DS and Vita both have little on the horizon that interests me. Until Namco decides to make Ridge Racers 3 it looks like I can keep ignoring the new PSP...

(Rockman Pocket)

(17:15:33 12/05/11 EST)

There's a pretty big holiday sale on the NA Playstation Network. On sale are a ton of PSP Japanese RPGs and strategy games as well as permanent price changes: (NeoGutsman) (21:13:48 11/22/11 EST)

I'm 100% sure Sony f'd up their listings again since Ys Seven is a PSP-only title. It's pretty fun and I totally recommend it.

(NeoGutsman)

(21:15:01 11/22/11 EST)

I got a text from GameStop saying KOF XIII will be there for me tomorrow. I'm probably the only one left here that would risk $60 on an SNK product site unseen, so I'll be sure to tell you all about it. (n/t) (SignOfZeta) (18:08:28 11/21/11 EST)

Yay!

(Paleface)

(20:05:06 11/21/11 EST)

I actually plucked the money down too.... The 4-CD pre-order bonus pushed me over the edge, loves me some KOF music

(Web Of Hair)

(20:58:23 11/21/11 EST)

I think I have all the MVS era KOF tunes I want, and I don't care for any of the post-MVS stuff, so I probably won't have much use for whatever the hell is on this thing. I'll still appreciate it though.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:26:10 11/22/11 EST)

maybe sight unseen, yeah, but I preordered it too. At an arcade in hong kong last week I played it for about 2 hours, and I'm an amateur player and all, but this is pretty much my favorite KOF since 2001. I've played the game probably a total of 5 hours now. It really feels to me like a good alternative to street fighter, like it used to. faster (but still manageable), more malleable systems, lots of character, pretentious dumb story, and lots of neat extras. I'm planning to actually learn this one, if possible. Oh, and at least in the arcade version, the AI is really good. several times I felt like I was actually playing against another person... I got the feeling even more when watching the AI play against my friend. it whiffs moves sometimes, and can figure out when you're having a projectile battle (it'll spam you with fireballs if you spam it with fireballs), and miss followups as well as it can hit them, so when it does some impressive damage to you, you feel like "wow, that was cool" rather than "fuck the cheap-ass computer!" I really like it. I can't say anything about the net play, but the single player and local co-op feels great to me. btw I have the 360 version, but if people here really get into it, I could get the PS3 version too, to play against y'all. I'm sure it'll be pretty cheap in a couple months.

(exodus)

(06:32:11 11/22/11 EST)

although, hmm, at the higher level it looks pretty exploitable. not sure about that. I'll never reach that level so maybe it's not an issue.

(exodus)

(06:53:02 11/22/11 EST)

All KOFs are like that, if not worse. Playing a really good 98 or 2001 player is the most humiliating soul crushing experience ever. You sit there watching yourself get comboed to hell for 20 seconds straight, then you have about 20 frames to do exactly the right thing. If you choose poorly...it all starts over again. Then you die. KOF has been like this since 95, except back then you died faster because the damage was 4x as high. People are so much more aware of how "broken" the new games are because of how resourceful fans are are breaking them open in a weekend. Nothing has changed though.

(SignOfZeta)

(14:55:35 11/22/11 EST)

yeah, I think you're right actually, and the latter point is a good one. I really like this game, so I'm not worried about my own enjoyment, and the likelihood of anyone I know getting to this level is slim to nil, so it should still be fun to play.

(exodus)

(01:37:29 11/23/11 EST)

Maybe if I wait long enough it'll come out as a $20 download like they seem to be doing now with some games. Disc-based games are stupid, I've decided. =P

(Paleface)

(02:27:49 11/23/11 EST)

The problem with that theory is that when the PS3 is 15 years old and Sony decides to shut down its authentication server and your HD dies you have a ugly black box and jack shit else. If you are lucky they'll let you buy it again, if you are unlucky the game will fall into rights hell and take forever to become available again. Will I want to play KOF XIII in 15 years? I have no idea. There are a lot of other games I play quite regularly that are that old though and I'm glad they aren't sitting in volatile storage all DRMed to fuck and back. All I need is electricity to play them.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:45:37 11/24/11 EST)

Oh, fair point, certainly. Then again, I'm starting to think no PS3s--except those in storage I suppose--will survive that long anyway. :| Also I have enough PS1/2 games on disc to last me multiple lifetimes, in case backup entertainment is needed. ;) Anyway in 15 years it'll probably be something like you pay some company a yearly fee and just play everything or something like that OR SOMETHING I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE YET.

(Paleface)

(07:14:51 11/25/11 EST)

Well Netflix and iTunes are basically the movie/game equivalent to how games will be distributed in 15 years and...its got some serious problems. Stuff pops up and drops out of availability constantly. I think there will be as many functioning PS3s at that point as there will be PS3 fans (ie: most likely none, its not a very remarkable system). Anyone who likes the system though will be able to keep it going, and only those people will be able to run Disaster Report.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:12:29 11/27/11 EST)

It's... good? I will play this when I plug my 360 back in then...

(aerisdead)

(18:06:22 11/22/11 EST)

I think it is!! I played KOF XII maybe three times and felt underwhelmed, mostly because characters I liked were missing moves, and I didn't want to relearn what felt like a broken system that might get fixed anyway. this system feels really solid for my level of ability, and actually makes me want to get deeper into more characters.

(exodus)

(01:38:43 11/23/11 EST)

Wait, since when do you spend $60 on a new game?

(Jeurja)

(00:19:22 11/23/11 EST)

On a US release? Well, I bought GT5. Before that it would have been something 16-bit, so...almost 20 years ago. I buy imports that cost more than that a couple of times a year, pretty much always for PSP and DS.

(SignOfZeta)

(08:45:53 11/23/11 EST)

Yeah, imports there's not much way around the cost. At any rate, YOU buying this at full price at release has definitely piqued my interest. I was going to just wait for it to get cheap and didn't have huge hopes after the last one.

(Jeurja)

(23:05:17 11/23/11 EST)

I'll keep it brief 'cause it's busy at work but in short I like: The new systems, the absence of anything resembling the XII systems, the "oomph" behind hits, free color edit, some of the new backgrounds, the better roster, sweet guitar licks, Mother Fucking Maxima. What I don't like: Some move sets still seem a bit light (although complete enough to keep the characters useable), Some of the backgrounds still have horrendous racial caricatures, the promise/threat of DLC. All in all I stayed up later than I should messing with it last night. The fighting seems really solid and fun and that's what matters to me. The lack of modes in XII isn't what killed it for me, it was the broken combat. Likewise in XIII no amount of modes I don't care about would save it if the fighting sucked and so far I think it's quite good!

(twelvest)

(18:52:51 11/23/11 EST)

OK, I haven't played it much yet, but here is what I think so far. Observation #1: My Saturn USB pad doesn't work. It works with, I think, every other PS3 fighting game as well as some non-fighting games. It lacks a home button though, and evidently...that's needed? Way to go SNK. WTF? I guess I have to finished that Dual Strike/DC stick I was building/hacking. OK, beyond that its all much better. The camera hardly zooms at all, that's good. This way the sprites aren't always being blown up way beyond their native res and looking like shit like they were in KOF XII. Backgrounds are more plentiful and much less distracting. There is a lot of "Nazi propaganda cartoon characters masturbating", but frankly I just consider that part of fighting games (ie: the chicken choker in Chun Li's stage in SFII). The best thing I can say about this game is that now when I pick a team (and there are actually enough characters to complete teams this time around) I can just pick who I want and start playing and not feel like all my characters are stripped of half their moves. The cut scenes are quite nice. (The excessive character on character dialogue at every single opportunity is...not welcome, for me anyway). I'm heading up north for dinner tomorrow and I'll be playing with quality sticks one-on-one against other people for many hours, probably Friday night. At that point I'll know more. So far I've only played some one player. As for the 4CD set: its nice. Not amazing, but it was free. The packaging seemed really cheap at first, but when you fold it all the way out its actually pretty slick. They did a good job of picking old art. The 4th CD is all the KOF XIII music, CDs 1-3 are "greatest hits" from 94-2003, XI, and XII. No Neo Wave or Maximum Impact, for some reason.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:40:20 11/24/11 EST)

I was wrong about that. CD4 isn't just KOF XIII music.

(SignOfZeta)

(04:06:40 11/24/11 EST)

I bought a DSi LL in hong kong - do any of you fellows have suggestions for dsiware games? I will be purchasing shantae, but not sure what else is out there, really. (n/t) (exodus) (20:15:09 11/19/11 EST)

Chad reviewed several good sounding ones for a stretch on Game Face Radio. You should download all those episodes from iTunes and maybe KuroiKaze will see the traffic explode and be inspired to do more episodes. I need things to listen to on planes.

(substance J)

(20:59:36 11/19/11 EST)

that sounds like a decent plan, though I lazily would prefer a text summary.

(exodus)

(23:22:13 11/20/11 EST)

I guess nobody's gonna take the bait! I just really like GFR.

(substance J)

(03:02:14 11/21/11 EST)

Yeah, I still don't know WTF to do about it. Right now the best idea I have going is to change the name (keeping the GFR initials) and make it a monologue. This would lack the frick and frack of the original run, but would have post production enhancements, interviews and guests once in a while.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:41:21 11/21/11 EST)

I actually have enjoyed quite a few of the DSiWare titles. Dragon Quest Wars is a great, simple, strategy game. Almost all of the ArtStyle games are good but I really like PictoBits, Digidrive, and Precipice. Trajectile is a really cool mashup of games like Puzzle Bobble and Breakout with missles. Lastly, Shantae is very pretty to look at and decent fun but I have some issues with the layout of the game world.

(twelvest)

(22:35:29 11/19/11 EST)

I can definitely second the recommendation for the Art Style games (especially PictoBits) and Trajectile, which is maybe my favorite game from Q-Games EVER.

(Jeurja)

(12:24:30 11/20/11 EST)

thanks for these - and that's not shocking about shantae, wayforward doesn't appear interested in ever making a well-designed game.

(exodus)

(23:23:33 11/20/11 EST)

Spin Six, Snapdots, and Aura Aura Climber are all pretty great. I particularly like the first one.

(Jeurja)

(12:23:51 11/20/11 EST)

What territory is the system? I only know what's in the US store, but out of those: Zelda: Four Swords, Starship Defense, Dragon's Lair (1, 2, and also Space Ace), all the Art Style games and Mario vs Donkey Kong. The ones I recommend the most are Pictobits, Precipice, Box Life, Photo Dojo, and Flipnote Studio. The absolute best thing I've played DSiWare-wise is probably Pictobits.

(SignOfZeta)

(14:00:20 11/20/11 EST)

I'll vouch for the Bluth games as well. They're really good versions and I love'em, I just didn't think to mention them because, well, most people hate that stuff.

(twelvest)

(16:40:31 11/20/11 EST)

japan territory... and thanks for the suggestions. I have a 5 hour layover at narita, and might see if I can buy some points at a 7-11.

(exodus)

(23:25:07 11/20/11 EST)

BTW, Pictobits is most enjoyable if you can play it loud. If you don't have headphones and are on a plane start with Precipice or Box Life.

(SignOfZeta)

(00:07:07 11/21/11 EST)

If I had to pick just one I think Precipice would be my favorite of the bunch. Both modes are great.

(twelvest)

(15:12:15 11/21/11 EST)

I've played Precipice more than than almost anything since. I truly played the shit out it. Like how I used to play NeoPoke games to extremely stupid hour counts. I just assumed the game was perfect for me though, it never occurred to me that someone else might like it as much.

(SignOfZeta)

(19:50:46 11/22/11 EST)

Yeah, on my last trip home to Buffalo I packed my carry on with 3 or 4 retail DS games and the only thing I played the entire trip was Precipice. It's super awesome. I love the balance between modes, what with the larger footprint and set end point for score attacking and the smaller footprint for survival. Great stuff!

(twelvest)

(21:44:09 11/22/11 EST)

Oh wow, I finally paid attention to the video of the gameplay. It's sort of like a slower, stylus-based Quarth. If Nintendo ever had !$#@%Y sales on their eShop/WiiWare I might actually own more of these games.

(NeoGutsman)

(22:33:30 11/21/11 EST)

Gameplay is decent, not amazing. It's the presentation that makes this think great. Btw, music is by YMCK. I suspected this but couldn't confirm until the credits rolled.

(SignOfZeta)

(14:37:43 11/22/11 EST)

Kirby's Adventure 3D is now out on the eShop. It's essentially a port with 3D enhancement, yadda yadda. I was tempted to get it because I love the extra 3D depth enhancement Nintendo adds to these 3D remakes (it's separate from the slider), but I think I'ma hold off for now. (NeoGutsman) (01:32:41 11/18/11 EST)

I think I would get that as I don't own Kirby's Adventure. But if I did I suppose I wouldn't bother.

(aerisdead)

(14:31:04 11/18/11 EST)

It's such a bright, awesome game with one of the coolest final boss battles. I don't froth about it as much as DuckTales or Jet Set Radio but it occupies the same general space in my heart.

(twelvest)

(14:42:26 11/18/11 EST)

I just dug out some old GB games and realized that I have both DuckTales games for the system. Yeuussssshhhsssss (*bites lip*). I need to dig out the NES ones now, too. Also, I may buy Kirby next week just because. I don't even know if the battery in my original cart even works anymore so there we go.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:44:10 11/18/11 EST)

I'm so gay for Ducktales. I've been planning a playthrough for a while. I know it only takes like half an hour but I want to do it proper.

(aerisdead)

(18:26:28 11/18/11 EST)

One of my favorite things about DuckTales that I know Ian and I have discussed before is that it's set up for two distinctly different play styles and I'm not sure it's intentional. You can speedrun it and get around a 15-17 minute clear with little effort or you explore all of the awesome hidden areas, amass much loot, and go for the best ending.

(twelvest)

(18:30:52 11/18/11 EST)

Ah yes, I recall how you're graded on how much loot you get now. Seriously, they need to bring this stuff to the VC like now. I know the licenses and all are probably a tangle but the 3DS VC releases are sparse.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:12:23 11/19/11 EST)

Have you seen the video on the eShop? I think it looks super rad in 3D.

(Jeurja)

(10:33:54 11/19/11 EST)

its nice and subtle!

(mental)

(18:10:26 11/19/11 EST)

Yeah, I saw the video and you're right. It is rather neat. It's quite likely that I'll get it midweek. I also might pick up a few more eShop games like Mega Man (beat it years ago but I want to show my support to Capcom for the rest of the GB MM's) and a few others. Bionic Commando came out on the Japanese eShop last week I think and I am so hoping it comes out here later this week. I will buy that again in a heartbeat.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:09:39 11/21/11 EST)

I just finished Starfox 64 3D this evening. By that I mean I beat Andross. I tried going through again and trying some alternate routes but man, my heart was not into it. I didn't play this or even the original for more than 30 minutes back in the day and I can't say I was ever converted as a fan then or now. It's a good game but I think I was spoiled by other similar shooters (Panzer Dragoon series, Gamera 2000, etc.). I look forward to trading this one in very soon. Thoughts? (n/t) (NeoGutsman) (00:45:04 11/15/11 EST)

I liked this game quite a bit. Its simple, graphically speaking, and much easier to comprehend than most of the confusing bullshit that passed for 3D back then. Its short enough to enjoy the polygon gimmick without getting bored. I also played it two years before Panzer so I never compared it to that. If I were to make such a comparison I still think Starfox has something to offer since it lets you have much more control over the ship. In Panzer/Gamera you go wherever the dragon/turtle goes and you only have control over the shooting. Basically, its simple, but its extremely solid for what it is, and not overreaching crapola like Club Drive or Cosmic Race. I'm speaking of the SNES version, btw. I've never played the 3DS one. If it didn't change much then...it seems like a kind of crude game to sell people now.

(SignOfZeta)

(02:31:56 11/15/11 EST)

This is based on the N64 version so I'm not sure how much it changed over the SNES one. There are some ground levels where your ship turns into a tank-like thing which can briefly hover. I think I'm going to put the credit for this toward the new Zelda for the Wii or Super Mario 3D Land.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:25:37 11/15/11 EST)

Oh jeez. I kept wondering why your analysis didn't ring true. I was starting to second guess myself until you said SNES. The N64 game is crap. Basically it undoes every good thing you mentioned. As I recall, anyway. I've been meaning to replay it (N64). I've been doing that a lot lately, re-purchasing games I originally purged from my collection in the 90's, to see if I was off base. Results have been mixed. Last night it was Bushido Blade. I can now confirm it did, in fact, suck. Feels good to settle these issues.

(substance J)

(03:42:26 11/15/11 EST)

Oh shit! Yeah, the N64 game was garbage. Forget everything I said.

(SignOfZeta)

(04:57:56 11/15/11 EST)

Now I really want to play Starfox on SNES though.

(substance J)

(06:03:16 11/15/11 EST)

Okay, thought I was off base with not liking Bushido Blade. I loved the idea behind it but the implementation was clunky. I never got that far in the Japanese version and I thought the US version would be easier to figure out. I suppose it has a place in the game world but there are reasons it's remained niche.

(NeoGutsman)

(11:26:43 11/15/11 EST)

I've sort of been doing this lately with PSOne titles. The conclusions I've come to so far are that Brave Fencer Musashi holds up and Xenogears doesn't. A further conclusion based on those conclusions is that the head injury I suffered 8 years ago did more damage than I thought.

(twelvest)

(14:48:53 11/18/11 EST)

I have held off on playing Xenogears again for this reason. I used to own the CDs but good grief, it was one hell of a slog and actually made me dizzy. Weird. I think there's a kind of breezy dialog I like in games now because of it. Solatorobo has a ton of text but I don't mind because it weaves a really neat world tapestry at times and I like the characters a lot. And there are a lot of characters. There's a danger in that with Japanese games but the localization team made the dialog breezy and direct at the same time and somehow didn't make any character fall into a dialog stereotype trap. I guess the best contrast would be the dialog in Phantasy Star 0. Good grief some of those characters were stupid and inane. Solatorobo lets things get cute just enough but never forgets that it's a delicate fantasy with people you really want to root for.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:50:25 11/18/11 EST)

I've said it on here before, I think, but PS0 was the very first RPG where I did not read whole, massive chunks of text. Looking away from the screen, mashing A style. It was so badly done. The core game was great, which saved it, but had that been the dialog and story for a mediocre turn based battle systems it may have been one of the most abysmal games ever. I'm really curious about Solatorobo but I just don't have the funds at the moment and frankly, I have *enough to play* which I wish was an easier mindset to find myself in on a constant basis. I'm working on it.

(twelvest)

(20:01:51 11/18/11 EST)

Uh, not to tempt you, but Solatorobo is $19.99 on sale at Amazon right now (and eligible for free shipping if it's part of an order over $25). Sorry :)

(NeoGutsman)

(00:48:00 11/21/11 EST)

One last thing: I would definitely recommend Xenogears to a person who had never played it before. The story is well done, especially for the time, and it has some great combat mechanics. The pacing is just awful, though, and I can't sit through some of those segments again.

(twelvest)

(20:06:58 11/18/11 EST)

You know what Playstation game really surprised me? Cybersled. It's probably more fun now than then, and not in an ironic way. It's just so far removed from what games have become. Very refreshing.

(substance J)

(17:59:44 11/18/11 EST)

I'll keep an eye out for it then. I enjoyed the hell out of that over a decade ago.

(twelvest)

(19:56:33 11/18/11 EST)

You won't regret spending the $2. Namco announcers are so high on life!

(substance J)

(20:19:05 11/18/11 EST)

I used to own this. I watched a video of it and was taken aback at how short and simple the rounds were. I guess you're right about how things have changed. I remembered it having more explosions and ammo but it's more like tacking and chipping away health and hiding than it is about pulling off complicated maneuvers. Didn't this game also have a link ability with two systems? I can't remember ever using this feature in a PS game.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:09:41 11/19/11 EST)

According to my trusty copy of Game Players Magazine #74 (August, 1995), there is no link up mode. "If there was ever a reason to invent a way to link two Playstations, this is it" says Associate Editor Jeff Lundrigan. Quite the visionary. He scores the game 71% with a 7 in Replay Value, noting however "Why would you WANT to play this game again?"

(substance J)

(20:49:25 11/19/11 EST)

Heh, if there ever was a reason to invent...a feature that the PS shipped with. Awesome. I've only ever linked two games, I think. Char's Counterattack (which, since the game is two CDs, only requires you buy one copy) and one of the Ridge Racer games, I assume it was the first one. I only have a PSOne so I can't even use this feature anymore. In fact, the link port was removed by the time Char's Counterattack was released. For mecha versus I guess VOOT DC is still the best bet. All the systems have link ports, you can play bootleg copies with no mod chip, and proper controllers aren't that hard to get.

(SignOfZeta)

(22:43:23 11/20/11 EST)

You know, now that I think about it I'm not sure I ever played this outside the arcade. How are the controls done on the Playstation? It has to be a pre-analog stick game so I'm wondering what they replaced the tank sticks with.

(twelvest)

(18:44:54 11/19/11 EST)

You can use the d-pad for movement with shoulder buttons for turning or you can crudely simulate twinsticks by using the X/O/[]/^ cluster as a second d-pad. I've never felt right using buttons as a d-pad unless they're attached to each other (I couldn't get into my Wonderswan) but I always thought it was pretty smart that Sony placed the Playstation face buttons in a diamond arrangement like that.

(substance J)

(20:55:39 11/19/11 EST)

Whoa another excuse to pull out the neGcon !!! If I'm reading the manual right (Japanese copy) the d-pad is for movement and you twist to turn. This is gonna be rad.

(substance J)

(00:53:57 11/20/11 EST)

That could be awesome or total shit. Its hard to say. I have a neGcon, but I don't have Cybersled.

(SignOfZeta)

(14:04:02 11/20/11 EST)

Frankly, I'm one of the weird people who enjoyed Starfox SNES more than the N64 version. I think it comes down to the music: the SNES music sounded like it came right out of Star Wars (very epic) while the N64 music was kind of cartoony.

(Darius)

(19:48:15 11/22/11 EST)

I loved the music in Super Star Wars, too. Such a rich, warm sound from the SNES sound hardware (Sony-made, I think). It even sounded awesome on a mono speaker, at least to me.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:33:28 11/26/11 EST)

Runabout 3D - Drive: Impossible! No footage I could find just yet (and Japan only for now) but FRICKIN'-A HELL YES. I loved the original PS1 game ("Felony 11-79" in the US). I hope this one captures the raw, stupid craziness of that came and fixes some of the flaws (the dead-stop environment snags, the touchy collision, etc.). I also hope that there's mayhem on the scale of most of the Burnout games. (NeoGutsman) (13:45:46 11/13/11 EST)

Oh nice! Remake?

(aerisdead)

(16:14:03 11/13/11 EST)

I'm not sure. I'd like to think it's a remake but I'll bet it's just another one in the line. Seriously, I'm massively jazzed about this because the original was totally nuts. The only way I could be disappointed is if they don't have a Surf Coasters soundtrack.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:18:58 11/13/11 EST)

I'm not sure they are still active. They oficially "disbanded" a while back but still do shows. Wikipedia says they last played in 2005, but I know that's not true because it was 2008 when they stayed at my house. I can't imagine they have anything more pressing to do. It wouldn't really be Runabout without them. I'd be so jazzed if there was a new console game.

(substance J)

(20:49:49 11/13/11 EST)

Anything less than Ventures-inspired would sound so weird to me, too. That's one case where the soundtrack to a game came out of left field but felt so right.

(NeoGutsman)

(22:38:33 11/13/11 EST)

I like this series.

(SignOfZeta)

(16:27:11 11/13/11 EST)

Me too. This reminds me that I never got GTI Club+ on PS3... or Supermini fiesta. Hmm.

(aerisdead)

(18:39:16 11/13/11 EST)

How was Runabout on the Dreamcast? I recall thinking reviewers may have missed the point of the game back then since the original had similar reviews. It obviously wasn't so much a racing game as a racing mayhem game, if that makes any sense.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:55:55 11/13/11 EST)

Pffft, you never played it? Probably the second best next to the original Playstation game. The environments are more complex so it's easier to get hung up on stuff. I remember getting stuck in Fishermans Wharf for like 30 minutes. But the stage where you have to pursue the F1 car for miles along Crissy Field is one of my favorite gaming memories.

(substance J)

(21:55:53 11/13/11 EST)

I recall waiting for the game to get cheaper at the time but by the time it was probably cheap there were no copies around locally. Plus I think I bought my house around that time so I just prioritized. If I find this cheap on eBay one of these days maybe I'll get it. Or maybe I'll just play the original, Burning Road, RC de Go!, Ray Tracers, and Choro Q 3 in some sort of PS1 lovefest during the holidays.

(NeoGutsman)

(22:35:18 11/13/11 EST)

What's the most recent localized Choro-Q release? I haven't played once since... Road Trip I think.

(aerisdead)

(14:56:11 11/14/11 EST)

Good question... Wow, I think it *may* be Choro-Q on the PS2 (this was also miraculously the NA name for the game, too). I see it in bargain bins down here all the time. I didn't play it much but I recall it being much closer to the PS1 games (namely 2 and 3 IIRC) than the Road Trip games. More "Car-PG" if you will. Let me know if you want me to keep an eye out for a used copy down here and I'll be happy to do so.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:37:29 11/14/11 EST)

Hmm, lots of sub $10 copies on ebay too. Sort of tempted..

(aerisdead)

(22:13:15 11/15/11 EST)

Based on Zeta's post below it might be worth checking to see if ChoroQ or Road Trip for the PS2 is the better choice. I'm going to find my copies tonight and see if I can spend some time tomorrow with them. I for one really love the little car towns in the PS1 games.

(NeoGutsman)

(23:58:54 11/15/11 EST)

Hm, looks like Road Trip is HG2 and ChoroQ is HG5 (HG3 was only released in Japan and Europe :(). Gonna pop these in tonight after digging them out of my garage.

(NeoGutsman)

(22:37:02 11/16/11 EST)

I popped in Road Trip last night and played for a few minutes. When you traverse your town (and eventually the outlying areas) it's done in a standard 3rd person racing view. Everything smacks of "Takara" by how simple and sparse things are but it's made up in a way by how flippin' large the actual world is. I sped out of town and followed a simple road to drive through a simple field of trees followed by a river then some drier areas then wound up at the beginning of an enourmous bridge. After getting tipped off by a car in a small house (who was one in a series of picture-takers who snapped my photo) I drove over the bridge to find a little Japanese hamlet and even more car-folk. I must say that this design has me enraptured, even if they are not anthropomorphized like Cars (which I like but not for ChoroQ). I'm going to try out ChoroQ tonight to see how it's different and report back later.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:47:13 11/17/11 EST)

See, that's what I thought, and was originally going to write, but I Googled it first and evidently was misled. And yes, everything you describe is correct and totally great. HG2 reminds me of early PS games where exploration is fun it itself. Actually, it really reminds me or Motor Toon GP where I would sometimes just leave the track and see how far off course I could go. BTW, this also was the case with Bushido Blade, which evidently you guys hate. Anyway, HG5 (US ver) was too structured. HG2 was wonderful anarchy.

(SignOfZeta)

(04:21:11 11/18/11 EST)

I loved doing that with Motor Toon GP (actually MTGP2 but I'm sure you're also referring to the US version which was really MTGP2). I had hoped for years that they would make a sequel but I guess Gran Turismo pretty much was Polyphony Digital's bread, butter, and sole focus :( I did like running around environments and just soaking in the atmosphere in the BD games but, possibly due to my suckitude at fighting games, I just could never enjoy the combat. I appreciate what Square tried to do with those games, I do. It's just that for me I had little patience to learn the system or deal with those insta-kills. Having said that, I had hoped by now that we would have more fighting games were bodily harm was reflected in how the battle progressed. In lesser hands that would just mean a downward spiral but perhaps the environment and another underlying system of combat would balance things out.

(NeoGutsman)

(13:31:57 11/18/11 EST)

No, I was referring to MTGP1. This was the first import PS game I ever owned. Bushido Blade; in no way is this thing any sort of substitute for "real" fighting games with life bars and fighters who can fight at %100 of their capability even when they are at %1 life. Honestly I barely even think of it as a fighter at all. I do think its neat though.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:51:49 11/18/11 EST)

Oh, gotcha. I didn't play MTGP1 much even though I own it. I think I squeezed as much as I could out of 2 and just couldn't be bothered to mess with 1. Also, I recall the physics being even wonkier in 1 so I stopped playing. But yeah, I agree with that sense of freedom the game afforded for the time. I still think garaud shading is still rad. There's something so... otherworldly to it to me. Can't explain it.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:54:55 11/18/11 EST)

That's the whole reason I went back to Bushido Blade. The fighting sucks but exploring the area is really enjoyable.

(substance J)

(03:22:15 11/26/11 EST)

Penny Racers Party: Turbo Q Speedway. As you can tell by the name, it's for Wii.

(substance J)

(23:13:31 11/14/11 EST)

Oh yeah. How was that game?

(NeoGutsman)

(01:21:02 11/15/11 EST)

It sucks.

(SignOfZeta)

(02:33:28 11/15/11 EST)

IIRC, Road Trip (Choro Q HG 3) is still the best. Choro Q (Choro Q HG 4) is less roam-ish. HG 4 has you in a more focused quest and...I didn't like it. HG was more crude, but cooler, IMHO.

(SignOfZeta)

(02:36:58 11/15/11 EST)

Was Road Trip for the PS2 different than the one for the GameCube? Please tell me that's true because I kept getting pissed when playing the GC one. The physics were broken among other things.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:27:32 11/15/11 EST)

Absolutely totally different. The "Road Trip" thing was just a name Consipiracy used for the year or so they were releasing Takara's games. No two Choro Q games are the same. IIRC none of the Cube or Wii games have a real Choro Q city in them, which IMO is the whole point.

(SignOfZeta)

(04:55:49 11/15/11 EST)

I think I still have Road Trip PS2 in my garage. I might have to bust it out.

(NeoGutsman)

(12:02:22 11/15/11 EST)

Oh crap. I never got that one. Maybe I should!

(Jeurja)

(12:33:22 11/16/11 EST)

New screenshots! The game looks really plain. The original looked good for the time but even then it was still grainy and had a lot of broken seams. Let's just hope this game is crazy and weird. That's pretty much all I care about for this series.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:09:15 12/14/11 EST)

Rather annoyed with myself for not having picked up Famicom Mini: Mario Bros. back in the day. ;| (n/t) (Paleface) (01:34:42 11/13/11 EST)

Rather annoyed with myself for not having picked up Famicom Mini: The Legend of Zelda back in January when I left it on the floor, because I stood on it a day later and crushed the box. ;|

(aerisdead)

(01:43:28 11/13/11 EST)

Doh!

(Paleface)

(05:36:08 11/13/11 EST)

I was kind of done with the original in the arcades. I was never really good at it. I still occasionally play it if it's on one of the Super Mario Advance carts or the Mario collections but I don't spend much time with it. If Nintendo ever figures out how to freakin' launch NES games on the eShop (not counting the Ambassador games) then I'm sure that would be one of the first to be up.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:55:03 11/13/11 EST)

Is it especially good or something? I mean, this specific version. Obviously SMB1 is amazing.

(SignOfZeta)

(16:28:17 11/13/11 EST)

It's the only one that tries to be a faithful port of the original, on a console I have, as far as I can tell, although it looks like the aspect ratio has been altered a bit to fit the wider screen. There's a version in some of the Super Mario Advance GBA games but it's a remake with new sound and graphics. :P (Come to that, the version I played the most in my youth was the unlicensed C64 freeware version, which was actually pretty well done.)

(Paleface)

(18:55:55 11/13/11 EST)

There's an even better version Famicom version that for some reason never gets remade. The original Famicom release, like you is graphically kind of screwed up, like you said, plus it's missing some animations, and doesn't control very smoothly. All of that was fixed in a later Famicom version called Mario Bros. Classic Series which is really excellent. I highly recommend it for people who emulate. It's too bad Nintendo chooses to keep porting the earlier inferior version. Mario Bros. is a killer game once you get into it. Really skill-based and it totally rewards attention to technique. Plus it's phenomenally addictive with two-players.

(and Opa Opa)

(18:35:52 11/18/11 EST)

Huh! I did not know that. Although at that point wouldn't you just emulate the arcade version anyway? And yeah, really fun game two-player.

(Paleface)

(01:07:34 11/19/11 EST)

I suppose, though emulating arcade games is still usually more complicated than NES emulation. Actually, though, the reason why I play that version of Mario Bros. is that it's on a pirate cart I have. That same pirate cart is also the reason why Balloon Fight is on of my favorite Mario games. Balloon Mario!

(and Opa Opa)

(14:58:28 11/22/11 EST)

I kind of like the GBC version the best!

(Jeurja)

(23:49:13 11/13/11 EST)

Non-super Mario Bros?

(Paleface)

(02:20:15 11/14/11 EST)

you probably super mario bros deluxe, which i agree was amazing. so faithful, and yet sooooo many nice extras. insane! im pretty sure pale means non-super mario bros though!

(mental)

(12:39:17 11/14/11 EST)

I still regret trading my copy of SMBD away, I really do. The view was smaller but you're right - the extras added to the game were wonderful.

(NeoGutsman)

(14:24:09 11/14/11 EST)

There is a really weird-looking game called Freakyforms coming out on 3DS eShop for $6.99 today. I tried it at E3 and it was so bizarre... in a good way. I created some weird spider monster, went around and talked to other critters, collected Mario-like coins, knocked on a door and an egg flew out, accepted a quest... Even if it turns out to be a crappy game, I kind of don't care because I'm just glad something so strange was localized. I'll post some impressions later if anyone is interested. (n/t) (Jeurja) (10:21:01 11/10/11 EST)

Yeah, I've been keeping my eye on this, too. It looks a bit too loose to me but maybe the questing makes up for it. Keep us up to date! Also, check the video of the upcoming 3D Classics Kirby's Adventure game:

(NeoGutsman)

(13:19:04 11/10/11 EST)

So, did you end up buying it? I've read that there are touches of Animal Crossing in the game. 'Zat true?

(NeoGutsman)

(13:48:52 11/11/11 EST)

I'm not sure yet... We've been busy so 3DS time has been limited. :-(

(Jeurja)

(10:45:09 11/12/11 EST)

Woah, I think these Freakyforms have sold me on the game. Japan has had a head start on us westerners so these folks have unlocked a lot of new parts for their creatures. Dayum!

(NeoGutsman)

(01:39:26 11/12/11 EST)

Wow, those are great!

(Jeurja)

(10:46:44 11/12/11 EST)

guts, i specifically told you to stop it. my girlfriend is starting to ask difficult questions about the food budget. by that i mean, *where it went*.

(mental)

(15:38:40 11/12/11 EST)

(NeoGutsman)

(03:48:00 11/13/11 EST)

I've put some time into it though my daughter monopolized the last couple hours with the game. Overall it's really fun and a nice change of pace. You create characters, do little challenges or quests for other forms you make or new ones you run across, unlock new forms that unlock new shapes and parts and generally just muck about. If you liked tinkering with Miis then you should get this. It's pretty freakin' flexible.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:53:05 11/13/11 EST)

The next eShop release I will definitely pick up will be "Pushmo" (video inside). It will release sometime next month in NA. There's a neat level editor built in that lets you design levels (see the 3:15 mark). What's interesting is that I think you can just make any ol' pixel image (like Mario's 8-bit face in one example I saw in a different video) and the game will automatically create a 3D puzzle level for it. At least that's what I think it does. The only thing I'm kind of "gleh" about is seeing the player have to jump out and curve back in kind of jumps which you can see at the 2:03 mark. I suppose there's no other way given the way it's designed but it almost seems inelegant. Still, it looks totally novel overall and I'm quite eager to try it.

(NeoGutsman)

(04:12:37 11/13/11 EST)

Did anyone get this yet. It is like.. the only 3DS game other than that Ghost Recon one that I have been interested in.

(aerisdead)

(18:40:02 11/13/11 EST)

Oh wait, Guts did. Sounds neat. I will get it if I ever get a 3DS (honestly waiting on a hardware redesign though.)

(aerisdead)

(18:40:46 11/13/11 EST)

It wouldn't surprise me if I picked up a redesigned 3DS when it's inevitably released. My only caveat is that I doubt I'd be able to transfer my Activity Log over and my Ambassador status as well. Small things in the bigger picture for sure but this makes me really wish Nintendo would eventually adopt a global account per person rather than tie it directly to the hardware. I mean, I get it because I look at my various Nintendo systems as little video game individuals but in this day and age that matters little to a more holistic gaming identity like your Steam ID, Xbox Live gamertag, PSN account, etc.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:49:26 11/13/11 EST)

Sorry, more impressions! You unlock different parts of your globe (Meadow, Sea, etc.) which each have different terrain. I was doing fine with my walking and flying forms in the Meadow but noticed a marked improvement in control using a turtle-based form I bought in the Sea. That's not to say that you have to use such matches but it can help. This alone makes me want to search out new friends so that I can copy their forms and add their pieces to my character maker. As you play you also find scenery, buildings, and accessories which you can not only tweak to your heart's content but also add to various things. I kind of dislike games where you feel forced to build the game itself since it always feels contrived (Drawn to Life mainly) but this game is like that kind, sweet girl you remember from preschool who always shared her crayons and paint with you and encouraged you to help her draw her magical city with her on a large piece of blank butcher paper. Sounds corny but that's how I feel when I play this game.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:44:22 11/13/11 EST)

Here's a good, well-rounded review for the game. The comments below are also generally on-point.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:51:46 11/15/11 EST)

I've been meaning to write something about it, but... yeah. It's good, though!

(Jeurja)

(12:32:43 11/16/11 EST)

twelvest and guts, inside is the totally rad interview (or questionaire) with the links awakening staff. im guessing more people here will love this. after reading this, you will love the game even more. look at their faces! their faces! also, apparently awakening started out as a port of link to the past! im not very handy, so youll have to go inside and copy paste. work for the treasure, lads! (mental) (20:08:50 11/07/11 EST)

Awesome, thanks! Check out this link which explains how LA was actually built upon the game engine for a different game "For The Frog The Bell Tolls". I've seen the combat in the game and it's... meh. There are also a lot more side-scrolling portions, too. LA is still a masterpiece. Damn, I might just buy it again on the eShop tonight. :)

(NeoGutsman)

(21:19:45 11/07/11 EST)

what link? you tease! ive never heard of what you said, and i want to read it right now!

(mental)

(13:24:28 11/08/11 EST)

D'oh! Here's the info. Sorry!

(NeoGutsman)

(14:22:29 11/08/11 EST)

oh wow, thanks so much! the music, the graphics.. even the font! and yes, recognizing the prince and understanding the frog reference is... quite magical actually! do you know about totaka's song? its supposed to be in this game as well!

(mental)

(15:51:57 11/08/11 EST)

i really should calm down. the song is mentioned in the article you linked :) i still recommend everyone to search youtube for totakas song. its fun to see them all!

(mental)

(16:14:19 11/08/11 EST)

Here's the link to nearly all of the appearances of his song. Pretty neat!

(NeoGutsman)

(22:01:55 11/08/11 EST)

ever since i found that video, i wondered the same thing. what are they trying to do with the presentation? it really helps that he doesnt strike me as a douche though. and the video is really nice! i want to hear more secrets, more! what else did me and my primary school friends miss?

(mental)

(15:43:17 11/12/11 EST)

That was a cool read, thanks. Makes want to play it again. I think I still have my original black and white copy somewhere handy...

(twelvest)

(15:35:49 11/15/11 EST)

Faselei article posted at Hardcore Gaming 101 (NeoGutsman) (03:50:38 11/01/11 EST)

I'm going to go beat this game for the 40th time now.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:14:03 11/01/11 EST)

I'm quite sad there hasn't been an equivalent game since its release. It's not a widely-known game but I'd pay good money for something similar on the DS. The base game is so good, and the only thing I remember wishing were really improved was the animation. It's like the dev team just shifted the sprites around their hit boxes to simulate action and it looked off to me. And that... is one of the few things I can even criticize about the game based on memory.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:09:59 11/02/11 EST)

Nice writeup!

(Flavor)

(19:39:59 11/01/11 EST)

Man, I still need to play this. It's one of the few games I still actively want for my NGPC library. If anyone has a spare (complete, loose, ripped label, whatever, as long as it's in english) please let me know!

(twelvest)

(21:11:47 11/01/11 EST)

I still love the scratchy lyrics in the intro. I wish I knew what the fuck they were singing about, but the fact that there was digitzed singing on a cart was pretty amazing for back then.

(NeoGutsman)

(22:24:51 11/01/11 EST)

100% agree

(Flavor)

(22:49:47 11/01/11 EST)

Stack up the fah!

(substance J)

(00:18:03 11/02/11 EST)

Carts with redbook music had been around for years (Clayfighter, KOF 96) but I'm not sure if any handheld carts had done it by then.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:13:17 11/02/11 EST)

Yup, I knew that, but the fact that a handheld game had that much voice at that time was something unique. As far as I know, the second Samurai Spirits game on the GB had at least one voice sample per character and that came out before Faselei. I should really dig that game out - it was a GB Takara fighter and therefore pretty good if not really cool.

(NeoGutsman)

(14:02:03 11/02/11 EST)

Damn, I took a flippin' chance on Brainbender for the GB today and UUUUUUUUUUURRRGH. What a load of shite. That'll teach me to buy a random puzzle game from Half Price Books sight unseen. That's $4 I could have spent on the eShop for Gargoyle's Quest or Super Mario Land. FAWK! Down with all mirror games because simply BECAUSE.

(NeoGutsman)

(21:54:48 11/02/11 EST)

OoOoh.

(Paleface)

(22:17:12 11/02/11 EST)

Meh, screw this game. I'm going to see if they will take a return on it this weekend. It's pretty much half the cost of Watchmen so at least I know I'll enjoy that.

(NeoGutsman)

(22:31:14 11/02/11 EST)

I returned it this afternoon. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my slender, delicate shoulders.

(NeoGutsman)

(22:25:27 11/03/11 EST)

Yay! I know the relief of having offloaded a real stinker.

(Paleface supposes that could be taken the wrong way)

(23:09:02 11/03/11 EST)

I forgot to mention that I also picked up Quarth. I think I already own the cart in some form (multi cart or Japanese version). Anyway, this is a neat game that is somehow just short of greatness. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's how I can't quite gel on how to make larger combos. I mean, I know how to do it but there's just something... off about how it's implemented. Still wish there was a GBC version.

(NeoGutsman)

(22:30:25 11/03/11 EST)

Man, that control set-up looks extremely balls. A fixed cursor that rotated between mirrors instead of floating probably would have helped a lot. Wouldn't have fixed how boring it looks or the seemingly too short timer.

(twelvest)

(20:32:27 11/05/11 EST)

Yes on all counts, man. Rotating the mirrors was bollocks because there are many, many angles to rotate through, not just 45 degree increments. Good for puzzle variety but fawk these kind of logic games, right?

(NeoGutsman)

(13:49:37 11/06/11 EST)

I still haven't played this either! I need to fix that.

(exodus)

(14:06:36 11/03/11 EST)

What!? Oh well, don't bother then. The decade of pre-existing impossible to live up to hype will have already ruined it.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:50:54 11/04/11 EST)

I support this message. I fear the same for when I eventually watch Brazil for the first time.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:17:15 11/05/11 EST)

Oh yeah, you're screwed there.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:06:16 11/05/11 EST)

I'm not worried about that in this case... I'm not expecting my mind to be blown - but maybe your post was a joke.

(exodus)

(14:01:26 11/05/11 EST)

Ugh, I can't make any more new topics. I beat the first act of Solatorobo last week and now I'm into the second act. Just when I thought the game couldn't get more beautiful it slams me in the cortex with a brand new city to explore that is simply amazing. The production design is absolutely refreshing and familiar at the same time. I really, really wish there were an art book for this game.

(NeoGutsman)

(13:53:53 11/06/11 EST)

argh, youre kiling me guts! or rather, killing my plans to spend a little less on non essential things. im buying less candy, spending less on gasoline for my motorcycle, use less water etc, and now i REALLY want to spend 40 euros on solatorobo! can you explain why i keep thinking of steambot chronicles when i see it? i loooooved that game. ive gone through that manual a hundred times, looking for a sngp reference. wasnt someone from the board in that manual?

(mental)

(16:27:45 11/06/11 EST)

It was Jeurja who I think had a reference in the manual, or was at least involved in the manual via the localization team I think. Oh, and sorry :) This game has had a crazy short print run but if I were you I'd get the NA version. The original JP and EU version utilized a download system for extra quests but the NA version simply incorporates the extra quests into the game without the need for downloading anything (there isn't even a reference to it in the NA game). But yeah, money is tight at my home these days so I didn't take purchasing this game lightly at all.

(NeoGutsman)

(23:04:13 11/06/11 EST)

I bought it on y'all's recommendation... going to get to it probably after I finish devil survivor, which I'm gonna finish after I finish reading 20th century boys.... so maybe in a couple months all told! haha.

(exodus)

(14:10:39 11/07/11 EST)

I keep putting off finishing Faselei because I don't want the adventure to end!

(Comic-Kaze)

(15:30:49 11/07/11 EST)

You haven't finished it? The thing takes like 3 hours to beat.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:09:21 11/08/11 EST)

I think it took me longer because I loved to grind. I hated leaving any enemy on the screen untouched because I wanted to earn as much as I could. I think there was the free battle mode but I didn't touch that too much. Anyway, if the game is that short then people probably should play it if they can. The aforementioned hype is true but given the length I think it's okay. It's epics like Final Fantasy Tactice (PS1 or PSP update) that I think I will never, ever touch.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:18:35 11/08/11 EST)

Good memories, thanks for the link!

(Rainman)

(08:52:16 11/16/11 EST)

Guys, do you know of a DS Action Replay like device on sale in NA that let's you copy game saves and transfer them from and to DS carts? There was one at my old job but I totally forgot to snag it before I left (we were clearing out our game cabinet). Thanks! Games like Okamiden, Ghost Trick, etc. are games my daughter loves but they only offer one game save per cart. I don't want to erase her progress but I do want to at least try to make my way through them. (n/t) (NeoGutsman) (16:46:30 10/22/11 EST)

Hm, from what I can tell most, if not all, AR kits offer game save save and load. It's just not advertised on the packaging or website well since they probably don't want Nintendo thinking it's even remotely a copying device (even though it's just for saves).

(NeoGutsman)

(12:39:45 10/25/11 EST)

Despite not saying anything before, I'm really glad you found out and told us. This is good info.

(PopaSmear)

(02:20:42 10/27/11 EST)

The one to get is the AR Max, a GBA and DS device. We had one at Real that I totally forgot to grab before we left. We were clearing out that game cabinet for mere dollars per game and stupid me I forgot to buy the GC Wavebirds and other things including the AR. Oh well.

(NeoGutsman)

(15:11:33 10/27/11 EST)

quick note: i love my wavebird! i could just hold that thing and press that nice big fat A button all day!

(mental)

(16:28:38 10/28/11 EST)

fellows, there is a neat series of articles about the super game boy and it's curious limited pallete. I can't quite recall, but doesn't the NGPC do its colors basically the same way? or similar? (exodus) (03:47:11 10/21/11 EST)

That was a great read. It makes me want to set up a SNES and Super GameBoy (which I've never used). The NGPC didn't have color regions like that. That sounds like a neat trick add functionality without breaking compatibility. Basically, the NGPC had 4-color palettes with 16 palettes for sprites and 16 for each of the two background scroll planes. I can't recall how this added up, but I think the limit (without hi-color tricks) was 146 colors on screen at a time. I did a bit of reading and a bit of brain prodding, and I think this may be the answer. There are 3 tile banks (sprites, background scroll plane 1, and background scroll plane 2). Each of these could have 16 different palettes of 4 colors, but I think one was "transparent". That gives us 3x16x3=144. The specs boast 146 colors, and I think the difference of 2 is that each background scroll plane could have a set background color making 3x16x3+2=146. As I recall, the GameBoy Color had a similar scheme, but it was a lot more limited.

(Flavor)

(11:26:27 10/21/11 EST)

GBC was 56 colors. Although i was absolutely stunned when they first announced the hi color tricks. I think it was in some 1st party baseball game. Exciting times, back then. I could get excited over a mario bros deluxe screenshot. Sigh.

(mental)

(13:08:39 10/21/11 EST)

ok, that is sounding familiar, so I guess it's not the same as the SGB, indeed. I do think it's similar to what was done with Atari 2600 games though, to get colors in different regions - basically it's an old trick, used very cleverly. You should get an SGB and find out some secrets! also I used the wrong "its" in my initial post!

(exodus)

(13:46:44 10/21/11 EST)

Well, I do have a SGB that I got at a thrift store one time. But don't make fun of me... I don't have a SNES, so I've never tried it.

(Flavor)

(14:41:50 10/21/11 EST)

those are pretty cheap!

(exodus)

(14:59:39 10/21/11 EST)

I might be thinking of another system, but I thought there was just one solid color backdrop layer behind the two scrolling backgrounds. So that would only add up to 145. Maybe they're counting transparent as a color...

(and Opa Opa)

(14:55:51 10/21/11 EST)

I don't really recall for sure. You'd think that after working on an emulator so much, I'd know, but that was too long ago.

(Flavor)

(14:58:38 10/21/11 EST)

Hm!

(Paleface)

(00:15:46 10/23/11 EST)

Dang. Now I'm all nostalgic for SGB. I had a SGB2, but I lost it , with the rest of the SFC/SNES stuff, in a break up.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:44:11 10/21/11 EST)

that's how I lost my Phantom Dust save!

(exodus)

(13:47:05 10/21/11 EST)

I usually tune out on retro game articles that rail of the supposed stupidity or ignorance of a game company, publisher, or developer. They often have good points but they're made in the name of contempt laced in hindsight. Anyway, I do wish the SGB did do more but it was still a neat piece of kit for the time. I own a US and JP one but I'd give a few dollars if I could own a SGB2 one day. I kept putting off buying it at NCS for too long.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:51:59 10/21/11 EST)

I know what you mean, and I HATE that shit This was not one of those articles at all though.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:43:05 10/22/11 EST)

yeah, this is a pretty good series of posts that just has a kind of stupid provocative title. it's more of a "could've been a contender" vibe.

(exodus)

(13:33:07 10/22/11 EST)

Yeah, there are great points in the article for sure. It does make me wonder why the 3DS VC games don't offer the color feature a GBC used to. It worked horribly for a lot of games but I did like certain palettes and certainly the choice of old green and crisp grey palettes. It *is* cute that you can have a GB border (with working power light that corresponds with your own 3DS power) but it's shrunken down so much that I don't bother with it much.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:44:26 10/22/11 EST)

Interesting articles. I like the color regions, ie *is* kinda like the ol' cellophane for Space Invaders, which I always felt was charming.

(Paleface)

(00:16:38 10/23/11 EST)

I used my SGB2 a couple of months ago to play monochrome Track & Field. That game is brutal on the skin of your fingers. Anyway, what about the GameBoy Player? The GBP could've turned the Gamecube into a modern day Snes of sorts, but there are so many things wrong with it that it makes the SGB look like a technical masterpiece.

(Rockman Pocket)

(17:28:16 10/23/11 EST)

What's wrong with the Gameboy Player? It has almost no special features, but the actual performance is perfect, from what I've seen. I've played mostly GBA on it though.

(SignOfZeta)

(21:26:50 10/23/11 EST)

<3 GBP! :D

(Paleface)

(06:35:12 10/24/11 EST)

Even not taking into account the things it doesn't do the SGB does, the image output still is an interlaced mess. I guess it would look a little better on a GC model that supports progressive scan, but Nintendo never bothered to release those in Europe. I'm not one of those scanlise obsessees, but GBA games don't look too pretty blown up on a big screen. Hmm, come to think of it, does the GC even support a 320 x 240 resolution?

(Rockman Pocket)

(19:00:54 10/24/11 EST)

So there is no D-Video port on the back of a EU GC?

(SignOfZeta)

(12:30:17 10/25/11 EST)

Dang, that would suck. I have D-video to VGA on mine, the GBP does progressive scan, and it all looks pretty darn tasty.

(Paleface)

(02:14:09 10/26/11 EST)

Ah, I was slightly mistaken. D-video capable PAL Gamecubes do exist (my brother's GC has D-video out), but in a baffling move none of the PAL games support progressive scan. Might as well not have the D-video port then.

(Rockman Pocket)

(16:57:40 10/28/11 EST)

Damn you, PAL!

(Paleface)

(00:05:34 10/30/11 EST)

That is stupid for sure, but component video is WAY better than composite/s-video. The D Video port is still worth it.

(SignOfZeta)

(18:04:04 10/30/11 EST)

this article made me so nostalgic that i looked around to buy one. ill be getting one in the mail wednesday for... 1.99. yup, one ninety nine.

(mental)

(14:13:26 10/24/11 EST)

[Catrap (3DS Virtual Console, GameBoy)] Dudes, this game kicks ass! I don't often go for logic puzzle games but this one is a real beaut. It's a puzzle platformer with zero deaths, no timer (you're just timed on how long you take to finish a level but it has zero bearing otherwise) and a really cool rewind feature. Being able to rewind your last move (or more) really gives you the leeway to experiment and figure out a level. I would absolutely hate this game if I had to restart after one mistake but Catrap seems to have experimentation and no stress baked into the game. There are hard levels for sure but I've yet to feel any frustration 57 levels in so far. I've spent more time playing this than Ocarina of Time. (NeoGutsmanq) (01:37:48 10/20/11 EST)

wow, thanks! i totally skipped this. may actually buy it now.

(mental)

(13:09:50 10/21/11 EST)

Yes, it's a lot of fun. I'm stuck on level 58 right now but I'm sure I can figure it out soon enough. Go get it! :D

(NeoGutsman)

(20:53:55 10/21/11 EST)

Beat the level and now I'm at level 60. Whew!

(NeoGutsman)

(15:39:14 10/23/11 EST)

the 3DS' battery life sure is bad. I know everyone knows this, but that DS man, you play it for a few days, then leave it in sleep mode, and open it up a month later and there it is, ready to go. This thing, I play a game for two round-trip train rides to/from work, then leave it sleeping over the weekend, and by the time I get to work monday it's got a red blinking light. pretty stupid. (n/t) (exodus) (14:11:48 10/19/11 EST)

It's one of the main reasons I don't own a 3DS and didn't care for the PSP (the 1000 model, at least). If a handheld can't make a plane trip from San Diego to Buffalo on a single charge/set of batteries my interest level goes way down. Somewhat random: I think the DS Lite is my favorite travel system. Great battery life and two generations of games.

(twelvest)

(14:57:32 10/19/11 EST)

yeah, I finished all the NDS games I wanted to play, though I did just get solatorobo. I got rid of my DS Lite in a promotion, but might get an XL or something later?

(exodus)

(15:58:28 10/19/11 EST)

Are you sure you left your DS on sleep mode for a month and still had battery life? I find that hard to believe, but I do believe you if you meant that you could shut down a DS and come back several weeks later with some power left. Anyway, save power by turning off the wifi if you don't need it. Alternately, you can pick up a Nyko Power Pack+ from BestBuy ($15) which has dramatically increased my battery life.

(NeoGutsman)

(16:56:51 10/19/11 EST)

I never leave the wifi on, because I know how dramatically it decreases the battery power. and yes, I totally left the DS asleep for a month and had it light right back up! that DS light was a beast! PSP on the other hand couldn't hang out for a week while sleeping.

(exodus)

(17:09:53 10/19/11 EST)

also, I am definitely going to buy this nyko thing, thank you!!!

(exodus)

(17:18:33 10/19/11 EST)

So apparently there's been an official, free GBA port of the old Amiga (etc) platformer "Out of this World" (aka "Another World") out for some years now (link inside). Makes me wish I had a GBA flash cart. :P (Paleface) (21:26:48 10/10/11 EST)

Hm there's also a high-res "collector's edition" for WinXP (link to demo page inside).

(Paleface)

(21:32:01 10/10/11 EST)

And whaaa I guess just last month Apple put out a version for iPhone and iPad.

(Paleface)

(21:35:32 10/10/11 EST)

By "Apple" I assume you mean anyone but Apple, right?

(SignOfZeta)

(00:17:24 10/11/11 EST)

Dunno, that's just what the Wikipedia article said.

(Paleface)

(01:51:10 10/11/11 EST)

I'm just saying that there something like, I don't know, 500,000 apps in the app store. No developer in the world could produce that much software in 5 years. Most of them aren't from Apple and the ones that are would be mostly productivity or photo/video related. I just checked and the iOS version of Out of the World (sold as Another World) is from some company called Bulkypix. Its $5, which isn't a lot, but considering the game is done/free and hey only have to recoup Apple's fees, you'd think they could charge less. They will probably mark it down eventually.

(SignOfZeta)

(12:31:55 10/11/11 EST)

Yeah, that's incorrect. Bulkypix was the publisher and the developer was apparently DotEmu, a French classic PC and emulated arcade game publisher (and developer I think).

(NeoGutsman)

(19:42:20 10/11/11 EST)

DotEmu is legit, too. I bought their PC Irem Arcade Hits and it functions well enough. It's not a perfect emulation and it's missing some notable Irem games (the R-Type games mainly, but that may be a distribution thing tied elsewhere). I also wish it had the Japanese version of Undercover Cops and a save state for the games.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:50:40 10/11/11 EST)

Ah, interesting. I don't think I'd even known Chahi (the designer) was French until I looked him up the other day.

(Paleface)

(00:42:59 10/12/11 EST)

he is a super nice super french man. he's helped me out a lot of times, and is a legit human being.

(exodus)

(20:11:48 10/19/11 EST)

I don't remember the GBA ver but I remember the DC version, which is also free, and a lot easier to get running. I have two flash carts. One stopped working (won't save, maybe needs a battery?) and the other one I just got from a friend...I am too stupid to use.

(SignOfZeta)

(00:19:07 10/11/11 EST)

Ah, and apparently there was a GP32 one as well.

(Paleface)

(01:53:23 10/11/11 EST)

I still have my original Amiga version. I picked up the updated "HD" version from GOG a while back but I haven't bothered to run it just yet.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:30:10 10/11/11 EST)

Nice! I liked the copy protection gizmo it came with. Do you still have an Amiga to run it on?

(Paleface)

(00:43:44 10/12/11 EST)

Ah I found good photos of the copy protection wheelie dealie (link inside).

(Paleface)

(01:25:47 10/12/11 EST)

Yep, that's the one.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:00:14 10/12/11 EST)

I have everything that came with the game. I even have the price label and shrinkwrap it came in.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:58:32 10/12/11 EST)

(Paleface)

(17:02:34 10/12/11 EST)

I have some older GBA flash carts (and 1 linker to write them). I had plans to make some unreleased/homebrew compilations on them, but I haven't done it yet. If anyone wants to buy something burned onto a GBA cart, let me know.

(Flavor)

(13:50:12 10/14/11 EST)

Hey, I'd be up for the localized version of Mother 3 if you have the kind of cart it requires. I'm still sourcing the actual Japanese version which I stupidly missed out on for $15 on clearance a few years ago, dammit.

(NeoGutsman)

(20:46:40 10/14/11 EST)

I'll have to look. I think the carts I'm talking about are all 128Mbit. That game might be 256Mbit, because I think I looked before. I might have a 256 cart, though.

(Flavor)

(11:34:39 10/16/11 EST)

Yeah, it's 256. It's drawn in the usual, primitive Mother style, but with a shitload more stuff/animation that Mother 2. Also, the music is extremely fucking great, there are a lot of non-tiled backgrounds. The game is totally great.

(SignOfZeta)

(20:58:36 10/18/11 EST)

Who here has played Infinite Space for the DS? I'm torn on whether or not I'd like this game. I like turn-based strategy, but is there a hook to this game that sends it over the top? Enlighten me. Also, if any of you guys have Tetris DS for cheap (just the cart even) like $15, let me know. (n/t) (NeoGutsman) (22:31:06 10/03/11 EST)

I wanted to buy that game, it looked awesome, but there was this vague whiff of ota stink about it that just turned me off for some reason.

(SignOfZeta)

(23:48:39 10/03/11 EST)

What's OTA?

(NeoGutsman)

(00:36:02 10/04/11 EST)

The first two thirds of otaku. The smelly two thirds.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:24:17 10/04/11 EST)

First, LOL! Second, after reading reviews of this game I'd say you and exodus are right. Fuck, I really wanted a cool space sim strategy type game but this looks like a hot mess. Welp, time to delete the eBay auction tab I had this under.

(NeoGutsman)

(02:59:08 10/04/11 EST)

I bought it and haven't played it for pretty much the same reason.

(exodus)

(01:33:41 10/04/11 EST)

I got an error message stating that I have been the topic creator for too many recent postings. Wow. Anyway: NA 3DS owners should check their 3DS video app and let it update. There are three updates, a Blue Man Group video (a repeat I think -- and meh like all the rest), a new 3D Dreamworks short featuring the 3 Little Pigs, and a Boeing helicopter video. The Dreamworks video short is kind of funny but they botched the 3D on it. It sometimes looks like the right and left video output was reversed. The helicopter video is actually really awesome. It's more like a promo reel highlighting Boeing and the aircraft but the video team behind the 3D effect showed the proper restraint and kept things subtle. It's actually pretty awesome to view the helicopter engine parts, the factory, and the craft in action.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:09:57 10/05/11 EST)

I think I'll skip straight to the 3DS Lite, and (if nobody cracks it by then) it will likely be a JP model since I need Super Robot Wars more than anything else.

(SignOfZeta)

(00:47:14 10/05/11 EST)

I'm interested in what will happen when the 3DS' revamped version hits the streets. I for one want to be able to easily transfer my licenses and game saves for DSiWare/eShop purchases but I doubt Nintendo will give me that kind of ease of transfer. Nintendo needs to get into the cloud save future -- Steam has it for many games and now Apple.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:28:18 10/05/11 EST)

Yeah, it seems imminent, but they are either going to have to integrate the (stupid) right slide pad, making the thing too big, IMO, or make a new add-on version, and the first one isn't even out yet. All I know is that the design of the 3DS kind of sucks, and the battery life is unforgivably terrible. These things combined with a pretty much total lack of 3DS specific software makes me want to hold out.

(SignOfZeta)

(02:39:42 10/06/11 EST)

This has been a terrible rollout for software for the system right now. I consider only two games worth buying in the next two months, Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario Land 3D. The rest is as good as DS or Wii shovelware.

(NeoGutsman)

(03:27:12 10/06/11 EST)

yeah, there's really no reason to get one. I got it because it was $99 with a promotion and I had plenty of gamestop credit. now I'm playing devil survivor, a game I already beat on the DS. hooray!

(exodus)

(15:41:10 10/09/11 EST)

Yeah, I only got mine due to a promo time bubble where I could still be an Ambassador while getting the cheaper system price. Otherwise I would have waited. By the way, I already have Devil Survivor for the DS -- is it worth switching over to the 3DS version or should I just stick with the version I already have?

(NeoGutsman)

(00:48:15 10/10/11 EST)

I wouldn't say it's worth it - it's the same game! but there is an extra scenario. I think if you've got the one and haven't beaten it, there's no reason to get the other. I bought it because I beat it and wanted to play it again, and for the extra scene... but Overclocked is a little expensive now, apparently, since it had a limited print run.

(exodus)

(20:58:21 10/18/11 EST)

This along with Phantasy Star Zero are I think two of the DS games I most wanted to play and procceeded to not even buy. I probably have about twenty odd still waiting to play, for some reason I never bother with my portable systems and never even brought one with me on my current three-week gallivant.

(aerisdead)

(20:19:36 10/06/11 EST)

PS0 is pretty neat (I got the JPN version for like $15 new), but I think Phantasy Star Portable 2 is better. It's so good.

(Jeurja)

(23:41:06 10/08/11 EST)

PS0 showed me that I A) still like the basic PSO game play style and that B) games of this sort just don't work well under Nitendo's online structure (previous online structure?). I had high hopes of playing with people from the board but it never really gained steam. I think I played with a-star once and some coworkers a few times.

(twelvest)

(20:10:34 10/10/11 EST)

Man, you totally nailed it. I kind of gave up on the game after a while. I probably would have played longer had there been a better, smoother way to go online. Here's hoping PSO comes to the 3DS and isn't borked somehow.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:39:31 10/11/11 EST)

It also had robots on hoverboards.

(Jeurja)

(15:09:04 10/12/11 EST)

Those guys were too frikin' cool!

(twelvest)

(18:21:18 10/12/11 EST)

I got scared off from buying this. Strategy games aren't really my favorite genre so when they don't get spectacular reviews I'm less than enthusiastic.

(Darius)

(19:53:16 11/22/11 EST)

For all their flaws I still love Japanese strategy games. Western ones generally have you playing more of a general. Japanese ones usually feel more story and squad based, which I like. The exception to the above is Civilization V which I could not stop playing the demo of last year. I have the full version now but I'm scared of running it again, lest I never see my family ever again.

(NeoGutsman)

(21:10:28 11/22/11 EST)

i decided keeping things in mint condition just to keep them in mint condition is ridiculous and am now playing my Virtual Boy every single night before i go to sleep. i wear contacts, but i can see pretty well up to 1 meter away. Then how is it that when I look into the VB i cant see a thing without them? not that it matters when im playing red alarm. that game is all about flying into walls continuously. awesome. portables are awesome. (n/t) (mental) (14:36:09 10/03/11 EST)

confirmed: virtual boys dimension is more than 1 meter away from ours.

(mental)

(14:41:04 10/03/11 EST)

I've wanted Vertical Force for quite some time... Wario Land on Virtual Boy is amazing. I'm kind of hoping for a 3DS version so that I can play with less of a literal headache afterward.

(Jeurja)

(14:41:45 10/03/11 EST)

having been a huge wario fan since marioland 2 my biggest wish is to play warioland virtual boy. its impossible to find in holland though, and i dont have a creditcard, thank god. if you ever get rid of it (which i know you wont), think of the mental one! ill give you vertical force and many other fine treasures, of which 14 are illegal in at least as many countries.

(mental)

(17:05:58 10/03/11 EST)

Wow, Wario Land VB is going for like $20 at the cheapest on eBay. What the heck? That's for a loose cart, by the way. Is there some new demand for this game?

(Jeurja)

(01:20:40 10/05/11 EST)

Maybe. Then again, maybe a boxed copy of the game is harder to come by these days so that's all that's available. Have you played the game? It's actually rather freakin' awesome and uses an awesome faux-3D effect for moving in and out of screen layers -- much like Shantae on DSiWare.

(NeoGutsman)

(13:39:44 10/05/11 EST)

That's odd. I use things like telescopes, etc always without my glasses. I am near sited as well, maybe slightly less than you. I guess the effective focal depth (not correct term, but I don't know the right one) probably is more than 1m. I assume you know how to focus it?

(SignOfZeta)

(17:54:02 10/03/11 EST)

If the image appears blurry our out of focus, you will need to adjust the IPD (Inter-Pupillary Distance) and Focus. Nintendo is awesome. Would anybody else have a modern help page for a 20 year old product?

(Comic-Kaze)

(20:05:42 10/03/11 EST)

haha, thanks guys! for some reason i didnt even think about adjusting it.

(mental)

(13:08:14 10/04/11 EST)

Inter-Pupillary! Yes!

(and Opa Opa)

(17:05:43 10/08/11 EST)

One cool thing you figured out is that (I assume) they use mirrors to make the actual focus distance greater than one meter, which I guess would ease eye strain. Does the VB hurt your eyes?

(Jason)

(17:56:43 10/19/11 EST)

Never mind. You can also use lenses to alter the focusing distance of another lens (your eye). So maybe they are just doing that.

(Jason)

(17:58:23 10/19/11 EST)

Zelda Four Swords (there are other words in the name but I'm lazy) is available for free from the 3DS eShop and DSiWare. There is a new single-player mode, too. My daughter and I played it last night and had fun. Oh, and there are LttP and Link's Awakening themed levels, too. (NeoGutsman) (19:06:11 09/30/11 EST)

Yes, got it tonight.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:11:56 10/01/11 EST)

This makes me want a 3DS. Does it use the full resolution or does it just scale the original graphics?

(Jason)

(02:18:32 10/01/11 EST)

From what I understand the 3DS is not the best way to play non-3DS games because of the top screen. This game is also free for DSi. Of course, it doesn't make much sense to pay a lot of money for a DSi at this point, but if you can get one for $50 then I'd say do it. The DSi is my favorite version of DS.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:24:25 10/01/11 EST)

I'm dying to get an XL. I'm just afraid they'll never drop below the 3DS in price... in fact I assume they'll just go up.

(substance J)

(04:25:35 10/01/11 EST)

You are probably right. I prefer the regular DSi anyway. The XL is too fucking big.

(SignOfZeta)

(12:25:45 10/01/11 EST)

I love my DSi XL. I can't play my DS games any other way now that I have one.

(Jeurja)

(20:46:22 10/01/11 EST)

Don't go out of your way to get a 3DS to get this. Like Zeta said, it's available for DSi systems via the DSiWare shop as well. It also displays using the original screens aspect and isn't in any way optimized for 3DS. It's a DSiWare game essentially. The graphics were a bit smoothed over given the 3DS inability to scale to the original DS systems' resolution but it wasn't bad. Some games look good with the smoothing, while others are just okay. I've kept my DSi anyway because like Zeta mentioned, it's also my favorite pure DS system overall. I'd say the screen smoothing/blurring is a trade-off for the ability to use the slide pad in all DS games. It's still 8-way control in DS games, but the ability to do sweeping movements gives the tactile illusion of smoother control. Solatorobo feels better with the slide pad to me.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:47:05 10/02/11 EST)

I would add that anyone who is still using a OG DS or DS Lite is missing out on a lot of awesome DSiWare.

(SignOfZeta)

(17:56:03 10/03/11 EST)

I spent about an hour with this game tonight. It's not earth shatteringly awesome or anything, but it's substantially better than, for example, any iOS game I've played, and it's FREE. This and my $20 copy of Super Mario Galaxy have reminded be just how good Nintendo can be when they aren't second guessing themselves.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:47:28 10/02/11 EST)

i finished up galaxy 2 a couple days ago, but must say i liked galaxy 1 a bit more. neither one, to me, is nicer than 64 or sunshine though. id love another 3d mario with a huge (make that Huuuuuuuge) castle to get lost in, dozens of big levels that arent floating in space, and another 150 stars to collect.

(mental)

(18:33:22 10/02/11 EST)

I am really rusty or just not good ad these 3D Mario games. I totally suck at the later levels and I totally get frustrated. I hope that Super Mario Land 3D's use of real 3D helps with my spatial issues.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:09:48 10/02/11 EST)

They confuse me sometimes, but less than pretty much anything else 3D. Quake clones, fighters, it doesn't matter. I do not cooperate well with polygons. With the newer Marios they make the enemies so easy to take out that the only real challenge is the actual platforming, and this usually is pretty good. Of course, I say this only having beat Mario 64, and abandoning Sunshine 3/4 of the way way through (it was a borrowed copy), but things are moving along very well for me in Galaxy. I get 3-5 stars a night. Its very fun.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:24:54 10/03/11 EST)

Solatorobo is gorgeous. Buy this game. There's a sweet joy that emanates from the game, as if the developers truly loved the world they created. The presentation is through the roof in my opinion. (n/t) (NeoGutsman) (17:13:55 09/30/11 EST)

Oh, and the game controls well with the 3DS slide pad.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:27:55 09/30/11 EST)

Fuck, too many new games to buy. I want this, I also want the new Kirby and the new Layton. Also, KOF XIII this month. That's more new stuff than I usually buy in a two years. Today I bought Super Mario Galaxy since its finally $20. I noticed the "greatest hits" versions of Wii games have laughably little actual game info on the boxes. I saw the Paper Mario game for Wii was also $20 so I was wondering if it was similar to the GC one and it basically says nothing on the box.

(SignOfZeta)

(03:27:10 10/01/11 EST)

Pretty sure KOF got pushed back a month or more to try and make it suck less.

(substance J)

(04:04:25 10/01/11 EST)

Whew.

(Paleface doesn't really want to have to pay money for it)

(04:29:57 10/01/11 EST)

Our list now has it at the end of November. 21st I think?

(twelvest)

(14:48:37 10/01/11 EST)

have you played it? it doesn't suck.

(exodus)

(15:17:14 10/01/11 EST)

This is what SNK said, not me. I have played it, but that's kind of beside the point because everything they changed is none of the stuff that made XII the worst fighting game I've ever played.

(substance J)

(16:09:38 10/01/11 EST)

well alright! I think I will enjoy it. but I won't know til I can spend more than a couple hours with it.

(exodus)

(20:32:02 10/01/11 EST)

IIRC, quite a few things that J complained about in XII were in fact fixed, so he must have changed his mind and decided to hate it for other reasons. Its more important that he hate it that he enjoy it. He's still bitter over the real SNK abandoning us. Basically, I think he has daddy issues. It would be a better world than the one we actually live in if KOF XII was the worst fighting game! He has decided he doesn't like it, therefore he will never like it. Its very similar to people who..basically brag...about how they never play their Wii. They mention that they have games still in the shrink wrap on the shelf. I mean, there aren't too many games that can impress you if they are still in the packaging. Its pretty hard to enjoy code that isn't running.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:44:25 10/02/11 EST)

HAHA! Oh man so good. We (me and J) discussed how we were not going to get this game because it couldn't be better than 12 could it? Then I decided we should stop fooling ourselves and admit that we were gonna buy it regardless. I'm sure it can't be worse than 12, right? Right?

(Apples)

(12:50:44 10/03/11 EST)

It will be if you want it to be. I've talked to many people that have played it, and they all say its substantially better. A friend of mine was just playing it in an arcade last week. He is a long time KOF fan (MVS owner) who really didn't like XII, but he very much enjoyed the arcade version of XIII (which, technically, will be inferior to the home version). It now has endings, a boss, a real story mode, less stupid zooming, way more moves and characters. It sounds like they fixed everything that *I* complained about. Like I said though, if you have a hole in your psyche that will be only be filled if KOF XIII turns out to be shit, then I guess I hope you guys hate it. I'm open to enjoying it on its own merits.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:29:36 10/03/11 EST)

BTW, to avoid the risk of actually liking KOF XIII, I suggest both of you buy the game at the highest possible price, then, without ever actually opening it, put in on your shelf and brag about how it was too bad for you to actually play. A year later when the price of a new copy hits $7.99 and the rest of the forum all buys it, make sure you bring up your still sealed copy sitting on the shelf and mention how it has depreciated $52 in a year. During that year you should once in a while post KOF XIII glitch videos to round everything out.

(SignOfZeta)

(13:35:10 10/03/11 EST)

We played more KOF XII than anyone on here guaranteed. And I guarantee we will do the same for XIII as well.

(Apples)

(15:14:37 10/03/11 EST)

Huh. You're really as determined to pigeonhole this topic as you say I am to dislike XIII? You're as bad as popasmear. We've been through this before though: XII was not Alpha 1. Adding more stuff fixes nothing. Nobody sat down and said "this would be great if only I could play as Billy Kane." Who cares? The game is fundamentally broken right down to the development tools they are using. Nothing has changed, it's just more volume. You said it yourself by ticking off the list of things they've added. Have you really played XII? I have my doubts. Brandon claims to. His Xbox profile indiciates that he booted XII a grand total of TWICE. Maybe I am making an unfair inference just like you are, but I think you guys have no clue what you're talking about. Me and Apples spent dozens of hours digging down to the fine details of just how much the game sucked, trying to find something good. I'll buy XIII like everybody else, but it'll be for $15 unlike you chumps who are falling hook line and sinker for the marketing. I'll even boot it up more than twice.

(substance J)

(19:04:53 10/03/11 EST)

Marketing? What "marketing" am I falling for? I haven't seen an SNK ad for anything since before the NGP. And no, I haven't played KOF XII very much. I think I put about two hours of versus play into it. I decided I didn't like it and never played it again. I don't have the slightest idea why you and Apples played it so much since you clearly hate the shit out of it. I guess you, like him, only enjoy things that suck. I abandoned XII and played things I feel are worth my time. If XIII turns out to be shit then I'll do the same. You are right in saying it isn't Alpha 1, it's more like CvS 1, but even that POS was workable. I only mentioned the endings and things because those are things you specifically complained about when XII came out.

(SignOfZeta)

(22:12:06 10/03/11 EST)

So now giving a game a fair shake = wallowing in shit? Make up your mind. What a waste of my time.

(substance J)

(01:26:46 10/04/11 EST)

OK, so KOF XII is worse than: Way of the Warrior, Fight for Life, Kasumi Ninja, both Rise of the Robots games, Shaq Fu, Balz 3D, Killer Instinct (both), Rabbit, Black Hole Assult, Shin O Ken, Aggressors of Dark Kombat, all Mortal Kombat games, Time Killers, Pretty Fighter X, Yu Yu Hakushou (3DO), Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22, TMNT: Tourniment Fighters (Genesis), and Eternal Champions? That's just fucking bullshit. Either you are insane, amnesic, or full of shit. I'm betting it's the last one. Nobody would play a game so much if it were worse than all that other stuff. KOF XII was a huge disappointment, but it is actually playable. It's not the worst fighter ever, it's not even the worst SNK-related fighter. While this isn't saying much, it's still better than any World Heroes game, or Ninja Masters, or Capcom Fighting Jam. It was a good beta release, it was unfortunate that they charged $60 for it. I'm sorry they screwed you, but you've just gone completely over the edge about it. People who have actually PLAYED XIII seem to think highly of it, so I'm going to trust them, rather than your weird agenda. And here's the thing. I KNOW I'm still going to prefer 98, 99, 2000, 2002, and 2003 to XIII, no matter how good XIII is because it just doesn't have the vibe I'm looking for. It also has too few characters, etc. It does have a story mode and onljne play though, which I can't do with my MVS games, so I'll enjoy this one for what it is.

(SignOfZeta)

(17:28:57 10/05/11 EST)

Haha oh man, I know that when me and SJ purchase the rights to and release World Heroes II Jet: HD Remix you will not be buying it. Haha oh wow.

(Apples)

(21:47:26 10/05/11 EST)

Haha oh man, do you own a fixed gear bicycle? I'm serious. I need to know this. Haha oh wow.

(SignOfZeta)

(02:15:48 10/06/11 EST)

No man my bike is a 16 speed Jamis Komodo II. Nice move from discussion of the game to person attacks though! Kudos to you!

(Apples)

(10:18:12 10/06/11 EST)

I attack your character because I see it as the main cause of the negativity towards this/these games, not the games themselves. I can't remember the last time I saw you express actual appreciation for something, only shallow hipster douchebag "check out how much this sucks!" negativity and its something I've had my fill of in general. I hate on lots of stuff, but my dislike for these things in contrast to the things I love. You just seem to...love hating things.

(SignOfZeta)

(12:55:56 10/06/11 EST)

Why am I even going to reply? Glutton for punishment obviously. SJ made the right decision and just dropped from this thread, which is what I should have done too. Obviously you don't actually read anything I write, earlier I said, "I play good and bad, the bad ones make the good ones seem that much better." Which is almost exactly what you say here. The only thing I ever post here that I say check out how much this sucks is for music, because you guys here have the worst taste in music.

(Apples)

(20:55:07 10/06/11 EST)

This is how it went: Man KOF XII is so bad, remember how bad it was? Hmm it couldn't have been that bad could it? we must be remembering wrong, let's play some more, we must have been doing something wrong. 10 matches later, nope still shitty, repeat. And I resent the idea that I only play games that aren't good. I play good and bad, the bad ones make the good ones seem that much better.

(Apples)

(02:18:40 10/04/11 EST)

I played XII, but only a bit. I played it pre-release in japan and liked it, but when the console version came out I was pretty underwhelmed, so that's why I haven't played for long. But it's really XIII I'm claiming to like, not XII. XIII I've beaten in the arcade and played on 360 (non-final, but I can't imagine what else they're working on, maybe net code), and I definitely enjoy it. You may not! But I do.

(exodus)

(22:17:24 10/20/11 EST)

They got rid of Critical Counter which basically broke the game (for me) by essentially stopping the gameplay every time it was activated by turning it into keep-away and also got rid of Clash which made it feel more like Rock, Paper, Scissors than any fighting game should. They aren't just adding stuff, they are actively taking away the things that screwed up XIIs system so bad. I'm sure you can look up the amount of times I've played XII and dismiss what I have to say but I gave it a fair shot, those are the issues I had with the game (along with nerfed movesets) and it seems like those problems have been addressed.

(twelvest)

(17:12:09 10/04/11 EST)

And if those aren't parts of the problems you are referring then I have no idea what else could be because those SUCKED. If you didn't know those were removed then you haven't read much of anything on KOFXIII at which point, I hate to say it, Zata seems right... you seem intent on not liking this.

(twelvest)

(17:16:54 10/04/11 EST)

I played 30 minutes of it at Golfland and it still felt like Mugen to me. If everyone is more interested in psychoanalyzing a passing comment then proceed to knock yourselves out and I'll continue enjoying some much more interesting activity as I've been doing instead of replying to this worthless thread. Months back I said El Shaddai was great while everyone else meh'd it. It happens.

(substance J)

(02:32:19 10/10/11 EST)

Its not like I spend any real amount of time thinking about this shit. I only replied because you were adamant about how they were adding, not fixing, and I see that as untrue by nature of the fact that two of my least favorite additions in XII were removed. As for El Shaddai... congrats on being first, I guess? Were you commenting on the demo? The art? The game came out mid August and I don't remember other El Shaddai threads so I couldn't have meh'd anything. Apologies for enjoying a game and talking about it too late. I'm not even sure why El Shaddai was brought up!

(twelvest)

(14:38:53 10/10/11 EST)

I finished super paper mario, but its more platformer than rpg, so for me it wasnt nearly as good as paper mario n64 and GC. A great game in its own right though.

(mental)

(07:54:33 10/01/11 EST)

OK, yeah, I was looking for something like the GC/N64 game.

(SignOfZeta)

(01:44:55 10/02/11 EST)

For what it's worth, I think the GH Wii games cover designs are rather lovely. I love that nice red border. I'm sure collectors are pooping an M&M trail over this when all they could stand was just that GH medallion on older GH Nintendo games but I think this was classy. I'm gonna wait until the holidays to pick up any Wii GH game since I know they'll have some sick sales then.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:50:42 10/02/11 EST)

Yeah, I thing they aren't that bad, as far as greatest hits go.

(SignOfZeta)

(20:55:23 10/02/11 EST)

Wow, there's some nice omake in the game. I really hope there's an art book for this game available at Books Kinokuniya. I am ambivalent toward furry creature design in general but the costume design, sheer variety of character styles and the gorgeous settings really put this game over the top.

(NeoGutsman)

(17:56:23 10/02/11 EST)

what is omake?

(mental)

(18:30:56 10/02/11 EST)

It's a thick, rich Japanese ponzu-type sauce.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:12:06 10/02/11 EST)

ah, thanks! i guess i can still ask for omake when im at a japanese restaurant, when i want a little extra ;)

(mental)

(14:26:58 10/03/11 EST)

Okay, I didn't expect furries to chime in on the game on the GameFAQs boards, but there they are. WTF.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:39:46 10/04/11 EST)

so, exodus. i know youve been playing persona 3 portable a lot. i am about 10 hours in, and confused as hell. do i love this game or hate it with a passion? i love the general flow of it, i like the grinding, choosing my daily things to do. but then everytime i choose an activity and the screen just goes black, after a couple seconds telling "you had fun!!", i cant help but feel there is very little "game" to it. still, im too curious, and too in love with the atmosphere to quit. so what i want to ask is: what made you love the game so much? is there more coming up? am i missing something? anyone? thanks. (n/t) (mental) (17:48:22 09/19/11 EST)

*smells some flowers, whistles*

(mental)

(11:30:33 09/21/11 EST)

this is getting a bit ridiculous. does anybody mind if i reply using exodus' name once?

(mental)

(17:18:34 09/22/11 EST)

I'm on vacation in kyoto, give me a break!! I've been on mountains and stuff (but yeah, I did still have time to reply on the monkey board). anyway, I can't tell you whether you like it, but I definitely did. I hated the grinding, and most of the actual fighting (some of the bosses were ok) but I really liked exploring, and interacting with classmates. building s-ranks is fun for me, as is seeing where the relationships go. If you don't care about that at all, I'm afraid you're not gonna like it. But! If you like the grinding and playing through the actual game, there's more of that you can do, and there are rewards for doing that too, like rare weapons, and later forging (which I hate). I played all the way to right before the last boss, which is some kind of illness I have with RPGs, and I enjoyed it all the way. But if you're not having fun by 10 hours in, I don't think there's anything more for you here. also just fyi I like devil survivor even better cause it's a tactics game, so I enjoy the battles too.

(exodus)

(20:18:56 09/22/11 EST)

I've been there! I thought it was pretty neat, although mostly I had to go see a bunch of shrines and stuff.

(Paleface)

(08:42:52 09/23/11 EST)

well, the big temples can get a bit boring, but I went to some remote places where all the businesses were shuttered and visited a bunch of neglected small shinto shrines and stuff, which was pretty neat. also I'm pretty sure I stayed in a haunted ryokan one night.

(exodus)

(01:08:58 09/26/11 EST)

thanks for the write up! now ive thought about this for a while, and... im going to let you enjoy your vacation some more. till next time, mister.

(mental)

(13:21:52 09/23/11 EST)

I've just returned, if you'd like to write more, but I think it's possible the game is just not for you. I think the visual novel-ness of it is about half the feature of the game, and if it doesn't grab you, you're kind of up a creek as far as liking it.

(exodus)

(01:08:08 09/26/11 EST)

You gave me more than enough info to make me realize it was a nice 12 hours, but it wont last. Hope you had a nice vacation!

(mental)

(09:10:01 09/26/11 EST)

Who else here was able to get in on the Ambassador Program for the 3DS? I've been messing around with the 10 NES games the last couple of weeks and in general they play pretty well. Impressions on the emulation inside: (NeoGutsman) (01:45:42 09/13/11 EST)

The B mode in Balloon Fight, Balloon Trip, is one of those rare games I can play near endlessly. I seriously geek out on it. It's a bit like various cave flyers, a recent example being Techno Kitten Adventure, but it's slower and requires more precision. Anyways, that mode is the reason to own Balloon Fight, IMO. The Gameboy game, Balloon Kid, is nice but a bit choppy in the scrolling department and just doesn't have the same feel to it. I think.

(twelvest)

(06:14:46 09/13/11 EST)

Balloon Trip is pretty great, but there's a point somewhere along where the difficulty goes through the roof (might be the same point where the pattern starts getting random), which I find frustrating. I'll keep playing the earlier part of Balloon Trip over and over, though, trying to improve my skill. Balloon Fight is easily one of my favorite NES games. With two players, the regular game is great, too.

(and Opa Opa)

(12:42:29 09/16/11 EST)

Yeah, there are times where I feel like I was unfairly hit with a grouping of ball lightning and then times where I feel I made it pretty far with no real skill because it was clear skies. All in all I still think it's some of the best fun on the NES, especially for an afterthought B mode. The music definitely helps. The rest of the game definitely ranks as one of my favorites, too, and while it's basically a Joust clone I like the feel of the controls in Balloon Fight. It feels a bit slower and more deliberate.

(twelvest)

(15:08:40 09/17/11 EST)

This may be the influence of Steam Achievements on me, but I wish Nintendo added little achievements in the NES games. I liked what Capcom did with Mega Man 9. Metroid alone is a treasure trove of cheevos. Even Super Mario Bros. has a ton of stuff to accomplish.

(NeoGutsman)

(00:10:25 09/14/11 EST)

Uhhhhhhh I remember when the only achievement you needed was to beat the final boss of a game.

(Apples)

(10:39:58 09/14/11 EST)

Oh there are loads of little personal rewards in SMB. Do they need to be documented? Thats debatable.

(SignOfZeta)

(18:05:45 09/14/11 EST)

I personally like having little achievements lists in games but of course it's not like all games need them. I'll be honest and admit that I don't try to get them all when I play games that offer them because it does get tedious. But done right it's just icing on the cake if a game has them.

(NeoGutsman)

(12:14:57 09/15/11 EST)

hur

(NeoGutsman)

(12:15:07 09/15/11 EST)

Kind of bored with them all from the start since I've played them to death. But hey, free. Also, with all the credits I got from Amazon when I bought the 3DS, it ended up being much more than the price drop, so I figure I came out ahead. I'm more looking forward to the GBA games, even if I actually have them all!

(Jeurja)

(00:43:50 09/16/11 EST)

I think I'm gonna beat Zelda for the first time soon!

(PopaSmear)

(22:32:20 09/16/11 EST)

godspeed.

(aerisdead)

(00:47:56 09/17/11 EST)

Ooh I never did that.

(Paleface)

(04:10:29 09/17/11 EST)

Not bragging or anything but I'm very surprised by how many people it seems like hasn't beaten this game on this board. To put in perspective, I had to beat this fucking game in one sitting every single time because my battery save never worked, and I thought that was a normal, since no games ever saved before anyways.

(<font color=color>Zero</font>)

(18:22:32 09/17/11 EST)

I couldn't stand searching for stuff.

(Paleface)

(23:59:16 09/17/11 EST)

not to brag or anything but I had the game down to just a little over an hour when I was younger.... too bad I haven't done it recently though LOL

(Web Of Hair)

(00:33:01 09/18/11 EST)

I haven't beaten this game. I never liked it. Its horrible looking and boring and for some reason I'm supposed to care about things that I don't. I think I Exodus-ed myself; I was aware of the hype before I was aware of the game and the end product was pretty sad. Its possible I just need to give it another try. Lets hope so, I really want to read that issue of Exp some day.

(SignOfZeta)

(02:02:10 09/18/11 EST)

Just read it, man. No "spoilers" in it.

(aerisdead)

(03:37:43 09/18/11 EST)

not to brag or anything, but while others were proud to finish zelda, i banged my first girlfriend, at age 6. ill get to that last dungeon some other day, i thought. now zeta is right. the game is pure nostalgia, and if everybody is really honest, theyll have to admit it isnt that fun anymore. i love my zelda cart, but mainly to look at, while double dragon 2 is in the nes.

(mental)

(05:47:14 09/18/11 EST)

n/t

(Zero)

(16:52:11 09/18/11 EST)

fuckin pedo.

(aerisdead)

(19:09:18 09/18/11 EST)

argh, this totally backfired! i was 6. ME! i was the victim! ah, whatever. im off to play some zelda.

(mental)

(13:15:10 09/19/11 EST)

This story needs to be told. To the monkey board!

(Apples)

(12:53:22 10/03/11 EST)

Haha, wow!

(Paleface)

(19:44:18 09/18/11 EST)

Only if she came.

(aerisdead)

(21:54:27 09/18/11 EST)

Yeah technically, I figured that was probably asking a bit much though.

(Paleface)

(18:42:06 09/19/11 EST)

I dunno, relative to other NES games I thought it looked pretty decent--just visually I mean.

(Paleface)

(19:45:03 09/18/11 EST)

Two weeks ago I beat Zelda II for the first time. It felt good to have finally closed that chapter of my childhood.

(Rockman Pocket)

(11:28:10 09/19/11 EST)

congrats! i tried it a couple months ago, and found oit for the first time in my life that there is a 2nd "continent"! it also made me quit rightaway. for some reason arriving there was too much.

(mental)

(13:18:44 09/19/11 EST)

There's a lot of bullshit in Zelda II, but... if you beat it once you can play a new game + with all your exp. and spells intact. It's a real game changer and I went from having never completed Zelda II to having finished it 3 times in the span of 2 weeks.

(Rockman Pocket)

(14:21:16 09/19/11 EST)

that, combined with the fact that i have it on 3ds now... has made me start it up again. damn you, rockman! *waves fist*

(mental)

(17:40:57 09/19/11 EST)

so, in terms of percentages, how far am i when i reach the second continent?

(mental)

(17:41:38 09/19/11 EST)

Halfway through. The game will only get more confusing and difficult from there on though.

(Rockman Pocket)

(19:32:31 09/19/11 EST)

I got in. Not all of the games were to may taste though so I only downloaded SMB, Metroid, Zelda 1&2, and DKjr. I really wish they'd all gotten the same 3D redux as Excitebike.

(Darius)

(21:51:29 09/22/11 EST)

Just a heads up, HAL Wrestling on the Gameboy is fucking rad. It's actually made by Human and while it doesn't appear to be a Fire Pro title even in Japan (as far as I can tell it's just called Pro Wrestling there) it has a lot of that feel. The timing isn't as precise and it can be a bit mashy but the thing is actually playable (and fun!) which is more than I can say for just about every non FP wrestling game from the 80s - late 90s. It seems a handful of us are digging on some old GB stuff right now so I'll list a few more titles I've been jamming on that may be under the radar later. (n/t) (twelvest) (22:53:23 09/12/11 EST)

IIRC there is some personnel overlap between the FC and GB Pro Wrestling games and Firepro. One dude in particular.

(SignOfZeta)

(23:14:36 09/12/11 EST)

Well, Human made both so there's that! The perspective is different but otherwise it plays how one would expect a black and white Gameboy Fire Pro to play. There's more in Japan?

(twelvest)

(00:26:03 09/13/11 EST)

Not all of Human's wrestling games had the Fire Pro title, specifically on Gameboy and Mega Drive, but they're all made by the same people. It's been about 12 years since I played HAL Wrestling. I don't remember it being so playable but the characters were real nice. It's in my GB stack so I'll revisit it sooner or later. Some GB games I think highly of are Elevator Action (best version, lots of original stuff not on NES or arcade) and Takara's fighting game conversions. Toshinden is just shy of Neo Poke quality and far beyond Playstation quality for that matter. World Heroes Jet is another fun one. I need to get the KOFs.

(substance J)

(01:26:38 09/13/11 EST)

KoF's are rad, man. There's a lack of precision of course, so the focus is more about quick attacks and specials. I can't remember making good combos in the first KoF on the GB, but I remember the second one controlling a lot better. You're right about Toshinden (character designs are terrific). I think I'm missing one other Takara conversion but I can't remember which one. I own all the Samurai Shodowns (2 or 3 of them I think). WHJ is my favorite out of all of them because it's a good mix of fighting and straightforwardness.

(NeoGutsman)

(01:49:09 09/13/11 EST)

Well, some context may be helpful. I had just finished messing with both WWF Superstars games a few days before this came in and it was a bit like playing G after Nitro and Thunder. There is a "feel" to learn all over again which may be a bit much to ask these days of someone when it comes to a b&w GB title and that's completely understandable (I've been playing A LOT of Gameboy). After a few matches, though, I was able to eliminate mashing from my grapples just like Fire Pro and figured out the visual cue (right after the knees lock in a grapple). The roster is varied and each moveset, even with move repetition, is unique and most finishers are character specific so over all there's a pleasant feeling of "at least they fucking tried" that's missing from all of the old WWF games. All that aside, the damage dealing in this game seems questionable and I keep going to time-out. That more than anything might kill the game for me. Toshinden was actually going to be on my list. I've been loving that and find the Ring Out mechanic really cool and well implemented. I never cared for the KOF or SS ports on the GB when I played them. Maybe I'm spoiled by the NGPC. I'll give them another go. I'll try to mention the other games I've been messing with later when I shouldn't be sleeping instead.

(twelvest)

(06:02:33 09/13/11 EST)

Oh, for what it's worth, the start button is used pretty extensively in HALW. It sends you running and is also assigned a grapple move and a ground move.

(twelvest)

(06:04:30 09/13/11 EST)

Glad you mentioned that. Just played some on a break. I'm going with Ryo Masaki to get started. I tried to give Death Monster my Capchude, but he suplexed me out of the ring. This is great.

(substance J)

(19:33:58 09/13/11 EST)

His Capchude Suplex is at left/right A. Other things to note: Not every direction is used so don't get destroyed trying to pull of an up B for example with Masaki. Also, The damage scaling seems way better in the four man elimination matches. I was having a blast with those late last night. Cleared three dudes with Masaki and timed out for the victory during the fourth. It's got problems but it's a really fine little wrestling game!

(twelvest)

(20:33:04 09/13/11 EST)

Also, Death Monster is awesome. His generic illegal object face stab caught me off guard with its spurts of blood.

(twelvest)

(20:34:15 09/13/11 EST)

THIS IS A GOOD THING WHICH HAS BEEN MENTIONED. There are those few GB/NES era games which make unique use of the Start or Select button which I would never have known. Captain Skyhawk on the NES used the Select (or was it Start) button with the left or right to do barrel rolls. Awkward (and a Rare Hard type of game - blech) but unless you had the manual or looked it up you'd never know.

(NeoGutsman)

(19:50:51 09/13/11 EST)

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