Slashdot Mirror
Domain: klov.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to klov.com.
Stories · 122
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StarROMs Closes Doors
jvm writes "StarROMs, seller of legal arcade ROM downloads for use with MAME, is closing their virtual doors. Started in October 2003, the initial StarROMs catalog offered over 60 Atari arcade games including hits like Gauntlet and Asteroids but was later trimmed due to licensing issues. In a March 2004 interview, co-founder Frank Leibly gave more details on their business plan, including how they expected to compete with the widespread illegal distribution of arcade ROMs. Has the world embraced rental models like GameTap over the download model of StarROMs?" -
StarROMs Closes Doors
jvm writes "StarROMs, seller of legal arcade ROM downloads for use with MAME, is closing their virtual doors. Started in October 2003, the initial StarROMs catalog offered over 60 Atari arcade games including hits like Gauntlet and Asteroids but was later trimmed due to licensing issues. In a March 2004 interview, co-founder Frank Leibly gave more details on their business plan, including how they expected to compete with the widespread illegal distribution of arcade ROMs. Has the world embraced rental models like GameTap over the download model of StarROMs?" -
Nintendo Joins the Retro-Arcade
pashdown writes "Namco has announced a Nintendo 3-in-1 arcade game that contains Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario Bros. The new upright has a 25" monitor instead of the traditional 19". Arcadeflyers.com has the flyer." -
Nintendo Joins the Retro-Arcade
pashdown writes "Namco has announced a Nintendo 3-in-1 arcade game that contains Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario Bros. The new upright has a 25" monitor instead of the traditional 19". Arcadeflyers.com has the flyer." -
Nintendo Joins the Retro-Arcade
pashdown writes "Namco has announced a Nintendo 3-in-1 arcade game that contains Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario Bros. The new upright has a 25" monitor instead of the traditional 19". Arcadeflyers.com has the flyer." -
Hurricane Ivan Hits Gaming Hard
Hurricane Ivan's US landfall has affected gamers across the country. The World of Warcraft Beta is still down this week while the data center it's housed in is dried and brought back up. Star Wars Galaxies also experienced outage due to adverse weather conditions. And many thanks to Leon Kiriliuk for alerting us to the Pinball Association Notice that "two-hundred thirty two classic pinball machines and some rare video games were destroyed, including an extremely rare Tattoo Assassins prototype and a sit-down Omega Race!" Update: 09/21 02:33 EDT The World of Warcraft Beta is back up and running with a new patch. -
Hurricane Ivan Hits Gaming Hard
Hurricane Ivan's US landfall has affected gamers across the country. The World of Warcraft Beta is still down this week while the data center it's housed in is dried and brought back up. Star Wars Galaxies also experienced outage due to adverse weather conditions. And many thanks to Leon Kiriliuk for alerting us to the Pinball Association Notice that "two-hundred thirty two classic pinball machines and some rare video games were destroyed, including an extremely rare Tattoo Assassins prototype and a sit-down Omega Race!" Update: 09/21 02:33 EDT The World of Warcraft Beta is back up and running with a new patch. -
EVO2K4 Competition Shows Off Crazed Street Fighter Skills
Thanks to Shoryuken.com for its new post discussing one of the highlights of the recent EVO2K4 fighting game tournament, in the form of "a video of the amazing ending to the Daigo [Umehara] vs. Justin Wong match of the Evolution [Street Fighter 3] Third Strike finals." The video shows in-game footage and crowd reaction to Daigo's nearly dead character "parrying each hit [of a super] individually... then going for a jump in combo." Elsewhere, the brief game-by-game results of the popular multi-title tournament are posted on the official EVO2K4 site. -
Dragon's Lair - A Forbidden Love Affair?
Thanks to WoS for its article exploring the low critical regard that laserdisc videogame Dragon's Lair is held in. The author argues that the game "is the most successful videogame in the history of the world that nobody will admit to liking. For over 20 years, Dragon's Lair games have been coining in cash hand-over-fist, while drawing nothing but bile from press and critics." He goes on to suggest: "Half-Life is almost as linear and pre-scripted as Dragon's Lair, and is just as happy to kill you instantly if you take a single step in the wrong direction", before concluding: "It's only the hardcore, the critics and the reviewers who tend to have it in for Lair and its ilk, and that may be because a game like Dragon's Lair renders both criticism and years of carefully-accumulated gaming expertise worthless." -
Eugene Jarvis Shifts From Terror To Fast, Furious
Thanks to GameSpot for its interview with seminal game designer Eugene Jarvis, best known "for arcade titles from the eighties... including Defender, Robotron, NARC, [and] Smash T.V.", discussing his attempts to revitalize the arcade market. The article mentions his recently released, terrorism-themed Target: Terror lightgun arcade shooter, apparently "the number two most profitable arcade game in its first month in general release" - Jarvis comments of the content: "So Target: Terror is this extreme paranoia, but gosh, it could be real. We take it to the extreme--they're taking over the Golden Gate Bridge and you have to retake that." It's also revealed of Jarvis that "This Fall, his three-year-old, self-funded company, Raw Thrills, will debut its second arcade title, The Fast and the Furious, a driving title based on the Universal Pictures film of the same name." We previously covered Target: Terror earlier this year on Slashdot Games. -
Eugene Jarvis Shifts From Terror To Fast, Furious
Thanks to GameSpot for its interview with seminal game designer Eugene Jarvis, best known "for arcade titles from the eighties... including Defender, Robotron, NARC, [and] Smash T.V.", discussing his attempts to revitalize the arcade market. The article mentions his recently released, terrorism-themed Target: Terror lightgun arcade shooter, apparently "the number two most profitable arcade game in its first month in general release" - Jarvis comments of the content: "So Target: Terror is this extreme paranoia, but gosh, it could be real. We take it to the extreme--they're taking over the Golden Gate Bridge and you have to retake that." It's also revealed of Jarvis that "This Fall, his three-year-old, self-funded company, Raw Thrills, will debut its second arcade title, The Fast and the Furious, a driving title based on the Universal Pictures film of the same name." We previously covered Target: Terror earlier this year on Slashdot Games. -
Eugene Jarvis Shifts From Terror To Fast, Furious
Thanks to GameSpot for its interview with seminal game designer Eugene Jarvis, best known "for arcade titles from the eighties... including Defender, Robotron, NARC, [and] Smash T.V.", discussing his attempts to revitalize the arcade market. The article mentions his recently released, terrorism-themed Target: Terror lightgun arcade shooter, apparently "the number two most profitable arcade game in its first month in general release" - Jarvis comments of the content: "So Target: Terror is this extreme paranoia, but gosh, it could be real. We take it to the extreme--they're taking over the Golden Gate Bridge and you have to retake that." It's also revealed of Jarvis that "This Fall, his three-year-old, self-funded company, Raw Thrills, will debut its second arcade title, The Fast and the Furious, a driving title based on the Universal Pictures film of the same name." We previously covered Target: Terror earlier this year on Slashdot Games. -
Eugene Jarvis Shifts From Terror To Fast, Furious
Thanks to GameSpot for its interview with seminal game designer Eugene Jarvis, best known "for arcade titles from the eighties... including Defender, Robotron, NARC, [and] Smash T.V.", discussing his attempts to revitalize the arcade market. The article mentions his recently released, terrorism-themed Target: Terror lightgun arcade shooter, apparently "the number two most profitable arcade game in its first month in general release" - Jarvis comments of the content: "So Target: Terror is this extreme paranoia, but gosh, it could be real. We take it to the extreme--they're taking over the Golden Gate Bridge and you have to retake that." It's also revealed of Jarvis that "This Fall, his three-year-old, self-funded company, Raw Thrills, will debut its second arcade title, The Fast and the Furious, a driving title based on the Universal Pictures film of the same name." We previously covered Target: Terror earlier this year on Slashdot Games. -
Revenge Of Pac-Man - Vintage Gaming Still Hot?
Thanks to the New York Times for its article (free reg. req.) discussing the cresting popularity of retro game chic over many types of media, noting: "Last month Saturn introduced a commercial featuring its Vue sport utility vehicle rolling through a town, absorbing dots to the officially licensed sounds of a grazing Pac-Man. Billboard magazine's Hot 100 singles chart includes 'Game Over (Flip),' a song by the rapper Lil' Flip that contains a beat built from the sounds of Pac-Man." There's also insight into the financial benefits: "Robert Ennis, chief operating officer of Namco, publisher of the transcendent Pac-Man, said that classics represented about 5 percent of his company's revenue. More important, he said, the company's several 'museum' collections have involved little financial risk." -
Make Your Own Paper Videogame Arcade
Thanks to Way of the Rodent for its feature providing printable plans for making your own mini classic videogame arcade using paper cut-outs. The accompanying text explains: "Finally - relive those early-to-mid '80s arcade glory days without the hassle of paying for stuff or having to learn how the machines work so you can keep fixing them or negotiating with strange, staring men at frightening auctions", before linking to printable color templates for games including Gauntlet, Defender, Robotron, and Tempest and asking: "Send pictures [of your completed mini-arcade], too. We'd love to see how you interpret and arrange all of this", in a move reminiscent of Konami's Metal Gear Rex paper model kit handed out at E3 2003. -
Make Your Own Paper Videogame Arcade
Thanks to Way of the Rodent for its feature providing printable plans for making your own mini classic videogame arcade using paper cut-outs. The accompanying text explains: "Finally - relive those early-to-mid '80s arcade glory days without the hassle of paying for stuff or having to learn how the machines work so you can keep fixing them or negotiating with strange, staring men at frightening auctions", before linking to printable color templates for games including Gauntlet, Defender, Robotron, and Tempest and asking: "Send pictures [of your completed mini-arcade], too. We'd love to see how you interpret and arrange all of this", in a move reminiscent of Konami's Metal Gear Rex paper model kit handed out at E3 2003. -
Make Your Own Paper Videogame Arcade
Thanks to Way of the Rodent for its feature providing printable plans for making your own mini classic videogame arcade using paper cut-outs. The accompanying text explains: "Finally - relive those early-to-mid '80s arcade glory days without the hassle of paying for stuff or having to learn how the machines work so you can keep fixing them or negotiating with strange, staring men at frightening auctions", before linking to printable color templates for games including Gauntlet, Defender, Robotron, and Tempest and asking: "Send pictures [of your completed mini-arcade], too. We'd love to see how you interpret and arrange all of this", in a move reminiscent of Konami's Metal Gear Rex paper model kit handed out at E3 2003. -
Make Your Own Paper Videogame Arcade
Thanks to Way of the Rodent for its feature providing printable plans for making your own mini classic videogame arcade using paper cut-outs. The accompanying text explains: "Finally - relive those early-to-mid '80s arcade glory days without the hassle of paying for stuff or having to learn how the machines work so you can keep fixing them or negotiating with strange, staring men at frightening auctions", before linking to printable color templates for games including Gauntlet, Defender, Robotron, and Tempest and asking: "Send pictures [of your completed mini-arcade], too. We'd love to see how you interpret and arrange all of this", in a move reminiscent of Konami's Metal Gear Rex paper model kit handed out at E3 2003. -
Indie Gaming Gets 2004 Mid-Term Grades
Thanks to Game Tunnel for its 2004 mid-term report card on the independent PC gaming scene, rating what "is turning out to be one of the most impressive years yet in the Indie world." Among the approved-of titles include action games such as Hamsterball ("a wonderful surprise that plays a lot like Marble Madness would play [if updated]"), platform adventures such as Gish ("[starring] a ball of tar [whose] goal is to find his girlfriend who was taken down... the sewer"), before looking forward to interesting hopefuls that include Oasis ("takes all the strategy of a game like Civilization and then turns it into a 3 minute experience.") -
Majesco Adds Konami TV Games To Diverse Line-Up
Thanks to Yahoo for reprinting the press release noting Majesco are getting into the 'TV game' business by signing a deal with Konami to "publish five plug-and-play video game systems. The first two systems will contain classic versions of Konami's popular Frogger and Konami Arcade Classics video games and be available at retail this fall." Majesco was recently featured on Slashdot Games for its GBA video/messaging/link products, but also holds an intriguing game portfolio for a smaller publisher, from Bookworm for the Game Boy Advance ("immensely popular [PopCap-developed] web-game [converted to GBA]") to Guilty Gear X2 #Reload for the Xbox ("popular fighting franchise makes its debut on Xbox with head-to-head Xbox Live support.") -
Atari 2600 Excellence Awards Announced
Thanks to AtariAge for its 2003 Stan's Atari Excellence Awards, commemorating "fascinating advancements in Homebrews, Hacks, Programming Technology, [and] Hardware" for the Atari 2600 in the last year. Highlights include Hack Of The Years for Adventure Plus ("an incredible example of taking a game you know by heart and giving it new life"), and Homebrew Of The Year for Star Fire ("an exceptional port that actually improves on its classic predecessor.") -
History Of Video Game Music Explored
Thanks to GameSpot for its feature discussing the history of video game music as an artform, as they point out: "Once an afterthought in terms of game design and overall pop-culture consciousness, video game music is now a legitimate industry of its own." The feature goes on to chart game sound from 1972's Pong ("The sonar-blip sound that's generated as a digital ball is batted back and forth is the first true video game sound effect"), through the 1980s and Tetris ("...millions of glassy-eyed players endure endless loops of vaguely martial Russian Muzak playing in their heads"), right up to new titles such as Frequency ("notable in that it reduces visuals to a near-abstract level... and provides a gameplay experience that is primarily aural.") -
Two-Fisted Computing
whiterat writes "3Dconnexion is selling a variety of input devices that provide a left-hand complement to the traditional computer mouse. The devices control the position of on-screen objects in design programs such as Adobe Systems' Photoshop and its 3D modeling application, Maya. That enables designers to work without constantly togging between 'view' and 'create' modes." Smash TV veterans need no extra training. -
A History of Video Game Controversy
Decaffeinated Jedi writes "Sex, violence, animal cruelty, and scandalous pixels -- GameSpot has posted an in-depth feature examining the history of controversy in the video game industry. The feature examines several "major offenders" dating back as far as Death Race in the arcades up through more recent games like Grand Theft Auto III and Manhunt. Also included in the feature is coverage of the so-called "retail rogues" (games controversial enough that they were pulled from the shelves), as well as a docket of game-industry lawsuits and a look at the lighter side of game controversy. Who wants to bet that that the use-confiscated-drugs-for-short-term-benefit gameplay of Midway's upcoming NARC will make the cut in future articles about video game controversy?" -
Midway's Controversial NARC Update Ups Drug Intake
Thanks to IGN PS2 for its hands-on preview of Midway's PS2/Xbox action title NARC, an update of the classic '80s anti-drug arcade title of the same name. This game, which Game Informer notes has been "built on VIS Entertainment's State of Emergency engine", takes the "good cop/bad cop" gameplay concept to an extreme, as GameSpot explains: "You'll actually be able to use the illegal drugs you confiscate throughout the game. In fact, they'll actually give you short-term benefits." The drugs include "pot, speed, LSD, crack, and the newly invented Liquid Soul", and effects vary - for example, IGN notes: "Smoking marijuana in NARC slows time down and makes the screen blur, but also gives incredible focus", and GameSpot mentions: "Dropping acid fills the screen with crazy colors, but it also gives innocent citizens large jester heads while giving criminals large devil heads, for easy identification." But GI also cautions: "By taking one of the addictive drugs... the controller vibrations will get longer and longer until the player will literally have to fight to keep the shakes at bay." -
Scott McCloud On Micropayments And Gaming
Thanks to Game Girl Advance for its discussion of a lecture by comic creator Scott McCloud at EA's Redwood Shores campus, during which he floated "the idea of using micro-payments for online gaming, which he analogizes to feeding quarters into the arcade machines of yore." The article's author muses: "Would you pay 25 cents for 100 credits of Bejeweled? What about a dollar for six hours on EverQuest? How about a virtual penny arcade that let you play multiplayer Joust or Gauntlet II online with people from around the world? No monthly subscriptions, just pure pay-to-play." We've previously covered McCloud's hands-on interest in micropayments on Slashdot. -
Scott McCloud On Micropayments And Gaming
Thanks to Game Girl Advance for its discussion of a lecture by comic creator Scott McCloud at EA's Redwood Shores campus, during which he floated "the idea of using micro-payments for online gaming, which he analogizes to feeding quarters into the arcade machines of yore." The article's author muses: "Would you pay 25 cents for 100 credits of Bejeweled? What about a dollar for six hours on EverQuest? How about a virtual penny arcade that let you play multiplayer Joust or Gauntlet II online with people from around the world? No monthly subscriptions, just pure pay-to-play." We've previously covered McCloud's hands-on interest in micropayments on Slashdot. -
Eugene Jarvis Returns To Arcades With Target Terror
Thanks to 1UP for its story noting that famed arcade game designer Eugene Jarvis has resurfaced with a new company and arcade-only videogame. According to the report: "Raw Thrills is the name of the company, and Target: Terror is its game", and this new title is "...a two-player shooter, set in real-life locations threatened by terrorist attacks. Levels mentioned in the announcement include the Golden Gate bridge, the Los Alamos nuclear research facility in New Mexico, Denver International Airport, and a climactic stage where an airliner threatens to crash into the White House." Jarvis, the creator of creator of Defender, Robotron, and other arcade classics, says he plans to change the depressed arcade market by bucking the trend of "...ultra-low budget dogs, ports of faded consumer titles, or overpriced white elephants that just don't earn." Update: 02/02 21:53 GMT by S : A member of the development team has confirmed the game is "a light-gun shooter". -
Eugene Jarvis Returns To Arcades With Target Terror
Thanks to 1UP for its story noting that famed arcade game designer Eugene Jarvis has resurfaced with a new company and arcade-only videogame. According to the report: "Raw Thrills is the name of the company, and Target: Terror is its game", and this new title is "...a two-player shooter, set in real-life locations threatened by terrorist attacks. Levels mentioned in the announcement include the Golden Gate bridge, the Los Alamos nuclear research facility in New Mexico, Denver International Airport, and a climactic stage where an airliner threatens to crash into the White House." Jarvis, the creator of creator of Defender, Robotron, and other arcade classics, says he plans to change the depressed arcade market by bucking the trend of "...ultra-low budget dogs, ports of faded consumer titles, or overpriced white elephants that just don't earn." Update: 02/02 21:53 GMT by S : A member of the development team has confirmed the game is "a light-gun shooter". -
Neglected Classic Games That Deserve Remakes?
Thanks to GameSpot for its feature discussing neglected videogames that nonetheless deserve remakes. The "games that may have been forgotten but were at least pretty well known in their day" include Roadwar 2000 ("[an] innovative adventure set in the ruins of American civilization"), Biomotor Unitron ("an exceptional game... [that] had the poor luck of being released on the profoundly underappreciated NeoGeo Pocket Color in 1999"), and Xenophobe ("a lighthearted and memorable arcade game... [that] takes itself less seriously than the average alien shoot-'em-up.") -
Classic Arcade To Atari 2600 Conversions Rated
Thanks to PeekNPoke for its reviews of the best and worst of classic arcade game conversions on the Atari 2600. The piece looks at which early '80s conversions came off well, and notes Missile Command as one of the best ("Plays even better than the game it tries to emulate, and works very well with the standard joystick"), and Pac Man as less promising ("Usually voted as one of the worst arcade conversions on any system ever, and it is not hard to see why.") Which arcade conversions were you eagerly awaiting, only to find them ruined by classic hardware restrictions? -
Classic Arcade To Atari 2600 Conversions Rated
Thanks to PeekNPoke for its reviews of the best and worst of classic arcade game conversions on the Atari 2600. The piece looks at which early '80s conversions came off well, and notes Missile Command as one of the best ("Plays even better than the game it tries to emulate, and works very well with the standard joystick"), and Pac Man as less promising ("Usually voted as one of the worst arcade conversions on any system ever, and it is not hard to see why.") Which arcade conversions were you eagerly awaiting, only to find them ruined by classic hardware restrictions? -
On The Untapped Potential Of Abstract Videogames
Thanks to the IGDA for their 'Ivory Tower' column discussing why abstract graphics and gameplay are often unfairly ignored when making today's videogames. The writer notes that: "Quite a few classic board games are fairly abstract in design, including Chess, Go, Scrabble, Checkers, and so on... it's what's at the core of the game that matters." He goes on to argue that "the figuring out of a game can be made as interesting as any puzzle the appears within the game itself", and references newer titles such as Rez and Frequency as carrying on the abstract aesthetic pioneered by games like Tempest and I, Robot. -
On The Untapped Potential Of Abstract Videogames
Thanks to the IGDA for their 'Ivory Tower' column discussing why abstract graphics and gameplay are often unfairly ignored when making today's videogames. The writer notes that: "Quite a few classic board games are fairly abstract in design, including Chess, Go, Scrabble, Checkers, and so on... it's what's at the core of the game that matters." He goes on to argue that "the figuring out of a game can be made as interesting as any puzzle the appears within the game itself", and references newer titles such as Rez and Frequency as carrying on the abstract aesthetic pioneered by games like Tempest and I, Robot. -
Sonic Conquers UK's Favorite Games Poll
Thanks to GamerFeed for its report on UK videogame trade organization ELSPA's poll to find "the 30 most popular games of the past 30 years." In somewhat of a surprise, Sonic The Hedgehog was voted most popular title of all time, and the top 5 were rounded out by Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Pac-Man, Tomb Raider and Space Invaders. Interesting votes further down the list included Elite at No.7, Championship Manager at No.23, and Shenmue at No.26. -
Sonic Conquers UK's Favorite Games Poll
Thanks to GamerFeed for its report on UK videogame trade organization ELSPA's poll to find "the 30 most popular games of the past 30 years." In somewhat of a surprise, Sonic The Hedgehog was voted most popular title of all time, and the top 5 were rounded out by Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Pac-Man, Tomb Raider and Space Invaders. Interesting votes further down the list included Elite at No.7, Championship Manager at No.23, and Shenmue at No.26. -
Best Holiday Gaming Seasons Ever?
Thanks to GameSpy for their feature discussing the best videogaming holiday seasons of all time, as they point out: "Most of the biggest and best games, and many of the best game consoles, have all come out during the final months on the calendar." Their nominations include 1982, in which "Ms. Pac-Man ruled the arcades, and the previous arcade king, Donkey Kong, could finally come to our homes, packed in with the snazzy new ColecoVision", and 1996, where: "With the introduction of Mario 64 in September, gamers discovered the joys of games in 3D. With the release of Tomb Raider that same month, gamers discovered their hormones." What was your all-time favorite gaming Christmas? -
Best Holiday Gaming Seasons Ever?
Thanks to GameSpy for their feature discussing the best videogaming holiday seasons of all time, as they point out: "Most of the biggest and best games, and many of the best game consoles, have all come out during the final months on the calendar." Their nominations include 1982, in which "Ms. Pac-Man ruled the arcades, and the previous arcade king, Donkey Kong, could finally come to our homes, packed in with the snazzy new ColecoVision", and 1996, where: "With the introduction of Mario 64 in September, gamers discovered the joys of games in 3D. With the release of Tomb Raider that same month, gamers discovered their hormones." What was your all-time favorite gaming Christmas? -
Cable Boxes Get Gauntlet With Set-Top Games Deal
Thanks to Yahoo for reprinting a press release revealing a U.S. company called TvHead is attempting to make inroads into the games-via-cable-TV market, and has "secured agreements with... Midway Games [and] PopCap Games" to publish games such as Bookworm, Gauntlet, and Smash TV for availability as part of a cable TV service. The company's founder claims that: "Gaming revenues via interactive television have been projected to be as high as $2.7 billion by 2006", and players are meant to "...access the TvHead Games Channel with their remote control just as they would any other channel." The company's official site links to a recent CED magazine article that discusses advances in this area, including ICTV "showing off a version of Quake playing on DCT-1000s and DCT-2000s [cable boxes]." -
Cable Boxes Get Gauntlet With Set-Top Games Deal
Thanks to Yahoo for reprinting a press release revealing a U.S. company called TvHead is attempting to make inroads into the games-via-cable-TV market, and has "secured agreements with... Midway Games [and] PopCap Games" to publish games such as Bookworm, Gauntlet, and Smash TV for availability as part of a cable TV service. The company's founder claims that: "Gaming revenues via interactive television have been projected to be as high as $2.7 billion by 2006", and players are meant to "...access the TvHead Games Channel with their remote control just as they would any other channel." The company's official site links to a recent CED magazine article that discusses advances in this area, including ICTV "showing off a version of Quake playing on DCT-1000s and DCT-2000s [cable boxes]." -
Midway Arcade Treasures Released, Rated
Thanks to GamerFeed for their news that Midway Arcade Treasures for the PlayStation 2 has shipped, with the "next-generation console offering of more than 20 classic arcade games" also due on November 24th for Xbox and December 17th for GameCube. This budget-priced compilation, previously mentioned on Slashdot and including Gauntlet, Paperboy, Marble Madness and Robotron: 2084 among many others, is basically well-received by IGN PS2, who suggests that "many of the games on the disc retain their fun and addictiveness, even to today's standards", but GameSpot is somewhat less impressed, commenting: "Games that feature analog input feel very loose and are hard to control", although noting that "...almost every game... is completely and totally enjoyable once you get a handle on how they play." -
Midway Arcade Treasures Released, Rated
Thanks to GamerFeed for their news that Midway Arcade Treasures for the PlayStation 2 has shipped, with the "next-generation console offering of more than 20 classic arcade games" also due on November 24th for Xbox and December 17th for GameCube. This budget-priced compilation, previously mentioned on Slashdot and including Gauntlet, Paperboy, Marble Madness and Robotron: 2084 among many others, is basically well-received by IGN PS2, who suggests that "many of the games on the disc retain their fun and addictiveness, even to today's standards", but GameSpot is somewhat less impressed, commenting: "Games that feature analog input feel very loose and are hard to control", although noting that "...almost every game... is completely and totally enjoyable once you get a handle on how they play." -
Midway Arcade Treasures Released, Rated
Thanks to GamerFeed for their news that Midway Arcade Treasures for the PlayStation 2 has shipped, with the "next-generation console offering of more than 20 classic arcade games" also due on November 24th for Xbox and December 17th for GameCube. This budget-priced compilation, previously mentioned on Slashdot and including Gauntlet, Paperboy, Marble Madness and Robotron: 2084 among many others, is basically well-received by IGN PS2, who suggests that "many of the games on the disc retain their fun and addictiveness, even to today's standards", but GameSpot is somewhat less impressed, commenting: "Games that feature analog input feel very loose and are hard to control", although noting that "...almost every game... is completely and totally enjoyable once you get a handle on how they play." -
Midway Arcade Treasures Released, Rated
Thanks to GamerFeed for their news that Midway Arcade Treasures for the PlayStation 2 has shipped, with the "next-generation console offering of more than 20 classic arcade games" also due on November 24th for Xbox and December 17th for GameCube. This budget-priced compilation, previously mentioned on Slashdot and including Gauntlet, Paperboy, Marble Madness and Robotron: 2084 among many others, is basically well-received by IGN PS2, who suggests that "many of the games on the disc retain their fun and addictiveness, even to today's standards", but GameSpot is somewhat less impressed, commenting: "Games that feature analog input feel very loose and are hard to control", although noting that "...almost every game... is completely and totally enjoyable once you get a handle on how they play." -
Space Invaders & Qix Twinned For Silver Anniversary Cabinet
Thanks to ClassicGaming for pointing out that Namco is producing a Space Invaders/Qix Silver Anniversary arcade cabinet, combining these two Taito-licensed classics into one arcade machine. The PDF brochure for the machine boasts: "The game that caused a national shortage of coins in Japan is back!", as Namco continues its classic arcade cabinet series that's also spawned Ms. PacMan/Galaga, explaining: "Why bring back these hits from the past? For the past few years, our distributors and we have received comments from operators all over the USA about how well their [classic arcade] games continue to perform, but how beat up the hardware had become." As for Ms. PacMan/Galaga, the info page reveals "the original PacMan is in the game", unlocked by a mutant version of the Konami Code. -
Space Invaders & Qix Twinned For Silver Anniversary Cabinet
Thanks to ClassicGaming for pointing out that Namco is producing a Space Invaders/Qix Silver Anniversary arcade cabinet, combining these two Taito-licensed classics into one arcade machine. The PDF brochure for the machine boasts: "The game that caused a national shortage of coins in Japan is back!", as Namco continues its classic arcade cabinet series that's also spawned Ms. PacMan/Galaga, explaining: "Why bring back these hits from the past? For the past few years, our distributors and we have received comments from operators all over the USA about how well their [classic arcade] games continue to perform, but how beat up the hardware had become." As for Ms. PacMan/Galaga, the info page reveals "the original PacMan is in the game", unlocked by a mutant version of the Konami Code. -
Space Invaders & Qix Twinned For Silver Anniversary Cabinet
Thanks to ClassicGaming for pointing out that Namco is producing a Space Invaders/Qix Silver Anniversary arcade cabinet, combining these two Taito-licensed classics into one arcade machine. The PDF brochure for the machine boasts: "The game that caused a national shortage of coins in Japan is back!", as Namco continues its classic arcade cabinet series that's also spawned Ms. PacMan/Galaga, explaining: "Why bring back these hits from the past? For the past few years, our distributors and we have received comments from operators all over the USA about how well their [classic arcade] games continue to perform, but how beat up the hardware had become." As for Ms. PacMan/Galaga, the info page reveals "the original PacMan is in the game", unlocked by a mutant version of the Konami Code. -
Pac Man Nostalgia Helps Enhance Memory?
Thanks to icWales, who have a brief report revealing claims that playing classic videogames can help enhance your memory. The report reveals: "Researchers found that playing video games such as Pac Man and Space Invaders induced a 'positive emotional state' connected to a past happy memory. That in turn increased the players' focus, attention and memory." Apparently, the more oldschool the game, the better the results, since the unattributed, rather bizarre survey claims: "Games from the 1980s triggered the biggest improvement in memory, followed by games from the 1990s." -
Pac Man Nostalgia Helps Enhance Memory?
Thanks to icWales, who have a brief report revealing claims that playing classic videogames can help enhance your memory. The report reveals: "Researchers found that playing video games such as Pac Man and Space Invaders induced a 'positive emotional state' connected to a past happy memory. That in turn increased the players' focus, attention and memory." Apparently, the more oldschool the game, the better the results, since the unattributed, rather bizarre survey claims: "Games from the 1980s triggered the biggest improvement in memory, followed by games from the 1990s." -
Dungeon Siege Latest Game-To-Film Adaptation
Thanks to Ferrago for their story confirming a film version of popular PC RPG Dungeon Siege is in the works, from the same creators who gave us the 'horrific' House Of The Dead movie, in which Sega's ghoulish gun-game series was shifted to "an island off the coast of Florida, [where] a techno rave party attracts a diverse group of college co-eds." The German producer and director of the forthcoming Dungeon Siege film, Uwe Boll, also currently working on the Alone In The Dark movie starring Christian Slater, breathlessly proclaimed: "Based on the success of House of the Dead, I believe Dungeon Siege contains major crossover potential because of its unique blend of action and fantasy, on the order of Lord of the Rings."
