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Tetris, Genesis 'TV Game' Devices Detailed

Posted by simoniker on from the surreal-controllers-101 dept.

Thanks to Spong.com for its report on the announcement of Radica's new Tetris 'TV game' device, to be launched in the UK alongside previously mentioned Sega Genesis and Taito all-in-one devices. Apparently, "The [oddly designed] Tetris unit comes with two specially designed controllers containing several variants of the classic Russian puzzler: Tetris, Battle Tetris, Garbage, Timed and Hotline", and in addition to this, the previously-confirmed Genesis 'TV game' is "...fueled by the 16-bit pleasures of Sonic, Golden Axe, Altered Beast, Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Flicky and Kid Chameleon."

12 of 30 comments (clear)

  1. oddly designed by antizeus · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wonder how much testing they did with that square joystick. Looks painful.

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    -- $SIGNATURE
    1. Re:oddly designed by drinkypoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The first "tolerable" (some might say excellent) controller is that of the NES. While it was decidedly non-ergonomic in shape, all controls can be reached comfortably by people with hands of any size, plus it has four buttons and one of the best D-pads ever created by mankind.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:oddly designed by coaxial · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Probably not much more painful than the original NES and 2600 joysticks

      The NES didn't come with a joystick, it had a joypad. Later Nintendo simultaneously came out with the Max (similar to a joypad, but used a sliding tab instead of the standard cross rockers), and the Advantage (a joystick and large buttons making a reasonable standup controller facsimile).

      The 2600 had a true joystick. It wasn't painful at all. In retrospect, a stiff, but not painful.

      Now in the interest of full disclosure I did hurt my hand on a 2600 controller before. I was playing Defender all day everyday one summer when I was 6 or so and I got a blister on my left hand from sticks base slightly rubbing the webing between my thumb and forefinger. I didn't stop playing though. My mom gave me a a white glove to wear, so I made like Michael Jackson and kept playing for as long as I could. I loved Defender, because I was really, really, really good at it. (reaching levels beyond 100 was routine.)

    3. Re:oddly designed by cmpalmer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The best 2600 (and, subsequently, C-64) joystick was the Wico Command Control. I've still got one that I don't want to get rid of even though I don't have anything to use it with.

      Maybe I'll use it for a Mame controller...

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      -- stream of did I lock the front door consciousness
  2. heh by no-arg+constructor · · Score: 2, Interesting

    it really shows just how one simple game, still after all these years, sill has replay value. tetris is a rare game that to this day has me twitching in fits that i can't place the t block where i want it to go. 7 simple geometric shapes still rule the puzzle game landscape. its just amazing what a following this game has after all these years. i STILL love tetris!

  3. Mandatory Penny Arcade strip by (trb001) · · Score: 2, Funny

    Fitting Penny Arcade strip. Yet Another Tetris Product.

    --trb

  4. Re:That's one freaky-ass controller by stuph · · Score: 2, Funny

    ouch

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    --Less Thinkin', More Drinkin'...
  5. As with any retro product... by lightspawn · · Score: 2, Informative

    It may look cool, but we'll have to reserve judgement on whether it's actually worth owning (or giving) until we can tell how accurately the games are reproduced.

    P.S. Also available: Spongebog squarepants. Guess which part of his body is the joystick!

  6. The Genesis Device? by S.+Baldrick · · Score: 5, Funny

    Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!!!!

    1. Re:The Genesis Device? by badfrog · · Score: 3, Funny

      You forgot the link!
      http://www.khaaan.com

  7. Colony 7? by British · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Nice to see Colony 7 is included with the Space Invaders pack. It's tiresome to see the same set of "popular" 80s arcade games over and over and over and over again in emulator packages.

    Consider the fact that in my MAME directory ther's over 1800 games, many of them obscure arcade games forgotten over time. Mind you, I think a 3rd of them are just Space Invaders clones from 1979.

  8. Welcome to your DOOM!!! by elasticwings · · Score: 2, Funny

    Because of this video. I can never look at Altered Beast the same.