Just sounds like marketing to me. And this is not encouraged by the Star Wars PR people? Pay people a couple bucks to wait in line for a month, look at all the press it gets.
I can understand what you are saying. In Hot Topic, and other stores you can buy all those old school Nintendo shirts. So, yes, some are cashing in on classic gaming as a fad.
But I went to the convention last year. There were are a few kids who probably never played Donkey Kong in the arcade. But, for the most part, it is old school gamers (like me) who are now in their thirties, who are more entertained by games like pacman & tetris, than doom 3...
So, the question is "Which classic games are better on a modern console?"
Usually it's the opposite - the emulation tends to be off on the modern commercial "classic collections". Not usually too far off to disturb the casual gamer, but those who remember the game will notice the difference.
Having said that, I do tend to like the classic games better when played on an emulator on the PC. Why? Because I can load/save state when I'm not particularly good at the game! (ie) Kid Icarus NES)
Forgot to mention that it was my little sister playing the game;)
Although the one cool thing about the game is that you can give Barbie green hair like a punk rocker. Which is kind of funny - I used to do the same thing with her Barbie dolls - cut the hair with scissors and die it green with food coloring! (oh she absolutely loved that!)
Well I know that it is not always true that "worst = most boring". But, Barbie for the C64 can definitely qualify for both! Get this:
Ken calls Barbie, asks, "Would you like to go to dinner?". She says "sure", and he replies, "Great! Pick you up in an hour." So she drives around and goes shopping for clothes for dinner, gets her hair done, etc.
Ken calls back, "Barbie, plans have changed! Would you like to go to the prom? Pick you up in an hour." She drives, shops, Barbisizes some more.
However, when she gets home, Ken is again indecisive: "Barbie plans have changed! Want to go to the movies? Pick you up in an hour"
Finally Ken makes up his f*ckin mind and they goto whatever final destination he chose after Barbie has spent several hours answering to his every whim!
Not only is this the worst game, but what does this teach our children? To be ready for whatever demands Ken makes, not having any input for the decision, and making unreallistic demands like getting ready for "a Prom" in an hour?!?
I completely agree with the earlier comment that gameplay is most important - not the graphics.
Also, perhaps it's my age - I'm now 30 and honestly have less time to play games. I can afford the fifteen minutes needed to play Qix - but something like Final Fantasy X needs to be played in hour sittings!
The NYT article just brushes the surface. For more info on the on-line classic gaming community, check out some of these sites: AtariAge Retrogaming Radio Classic gaming
Honestly, the first article did not really give any new information, besides that something new is coming to DDR.
However, definitely check out the essay paper - there's some interesting stuff on 'DDR communities'. This is funny because some of the DDR players I've met were just discussing the same exact thing. We (us DDR players) have basically have met each other through the playing the game. Otherwise, we would have never met. In some sense, we participate in a DDR sub-culture, discussing the game and music, sharing tricks/techniques, talking about local heroes (people that can pass Paranoia Survivor Max Oni), etc.
Call it silly, but we even have DDR nicknames - I always play at 1.5X speed - thus I am "jason 1.5". Then there is a guy who disapproves of any mods in general, hence he is "captain anti-speed mod". (I suspect only DDR players will understand this!).
If you haven't played DDR, I definitely recommend it. Just try it on beginner mode in the arcade, or try it on xbox/ps2.
There are many games currently available written using PyGame. Solarwolf is a good one.
This might not be exactly what you are looking for, but in the spirit of slashdot and good karma, it is open source:)
I've got the first three, and am going to order the fourth.
Overall, I like all the books, as each of them is good in a different way:
"Supercade" has some a wide amount of pictures, however, sometimes the quality isn't too happening. It features pictures of arcade games, as well as home consoles: Odyssey, Pong, Channel F, Home PCs.
"The Ultimate History" is aptly named; it is mostly text, and covers the history of the video game industry. I enjoyed reading about the history of Atari, Nintendo, etc. Good book.
"Arcade Fever" covers mostly Arcade machines. There is a good mixture of pictures and text, and the layout looks cool. It is a good coffee table book. The arcade cabinets and screenshots (taken from MAME) are very clear.
"High Score" is another good one; I look at it everytime I'm in the bookstore, but haven't picked it up yet.
You can also check out:
Phoenix, the rise and fall of VideoGames Game Over (History of Nintendo)
Not to troll, but why does Akira get all the attention that it does?
I enjoyed the film, found it interesting, but it did not "blow me away", like it seems to do for everyone else...
The animation was very well done, but other than that - I found the plot confusing, and that the characters were not developed enough. The main character was hardly introduced; it was difficult to get a feel for his character - his struggles, his motivations, etc. I have not read the manga, but from what I have heard, there is more depth to the story. (Granted there is only so much that can fit into two hours.)
I'm assuming that if this is actually done live-action, and especially if the western audience is kept in mind, many things will be changed - some for the better, some for the worse. In which case, more time may be spent developing character background. But, it also quite probable that the overall feeling may get lost in the translation even using computer graphics. Regardless, I'm still interested and will probably see it.
Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-anime. Miyazaki's films, especially US releases Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro, are some of the most amazing films I've seen.
I just haven't seen the fascination with Akira yet. Perhaps I may, if I read the multi-volume manga, and watched it again...
REA can be bypassed by using a "selectable region" player.
Basically, both the disc and the DVD player are set to a specific region code.
The "region free" players set their region code to 0 (all regions). REA-protected discs that have a region code other than region 0 will refuse to play on such a player.
The solution? Choose a DVD player that allows you to select the region. You pick the region for the player, and then play the disc.
It sounds like most of the hacks that were discussed here are for "selectable region".
According to the codejunkies web site:
"This product is PAL compatible ONLY."
and "The DVD Region X (ps2) for United Kingdom is the only version currently available."
For PS2 in USA, the only DVD Region mod I've heard about is the Neo mod chips.
I've not used it myself, but read it here:
http://ps2modchips.com/charts/
Does anyone know of any Anime Clubs in Central NJ, specifically, near New Brunswick/Rutgers?
It looks like Rutgers used to have a club, but I cannot seem to find any information on the web. And I am not sure whether or not they still hold meetings.
If anyone has any information, could you please let me know?
I am living in Central Jersey as well (near New Brunswick). I'm not sure exactly where you are in Central NJ, but here is a list of what I have found:
Knight Dreams 82 Nassau St. 2nd Floor, Princeton, NJ 08542 (609) 497-4525
Knight Dreams
has an extremely huge Anime rental selection; if you name it they probably have it.
The only store which has a good selection on both VHS and DVD.
They also sell comics/manga and host gaming nights. The owner there is very nice. I highly recommend this place.
Video Stars 1745 State Route 27, Edison NJ (732)287-9444 Has an anime section, but it seems mostly Hentai
oriented (sexually explicit). Somehow, the owners think every anime is the same. Thus, "Ranma" (mostly a kids comedy) has an "18 or over" sticker on it, and sits next to "La Blue Girl" (hentai). However, the non-hentai material includes: Bastard!, Slayers, Video Girl AI, Gundam Movies.
Another annoying thing: for some reason, they often have just one tape of a series, and it will be a tape other than volume 1.
Raritan Video 75 Raritan Ave, Highland Park NJ (732)846-2224 This has a decent selection, has no hentai, and is located in the middle of the store. They have some Dragon Ball, Akira, Record of Lodoss War, Macross Plus.
Hollywood Video 725 Promenade Blvd, Bridgewater NJ (732)564-0245
Chain rental stores are a hit-or-miss, when it comes to Anime. This particular store has an Anime section that includes: Cowboy Bebop, Blue Seed, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Patlabor, Vampire Princess (OVA). They rent for five days, so it might be worth taking the trip.
Blockbuster Video 7000 Hadley Rd, South Plainfield NJ (908)561-1222
Another big-bad-boy chain. This store seems to mostly carry action-packed and shonen (boys) anime.
Some titles include: Akira, Macross II movie, Ninja Scroll (on DVD), Slayers movie.
Buying Anime If you are looking to buy Anime, the stores in the malls often carry a huge selection. Check out Sam Goody, SunCoast video or Saturday Matinee.
However, I usually find cheaper prices online at Amazon and Buy.com.
NYC: Metro Anime Shopping Guide This Metro Anime group seems to be very active, and has compiled a very handy shopping guide.
NYC-anime.com shopping guide
This guide has a good map of Manhattan, pointing out locations of Anime and Manga stores.
Conventions Shoujocon 2002
If you are into Shoujo (girl's comics/anime) at all, you might want to check out Shoujocon.
It is happening July 19-21 at the Hilton in East Brunswick. This will be my first year, so I cannot comment about it personally, but from what I have heard, it sounds like a lot of fun.
Web Resources Anime Turnpike This is a pretty good starting point for all things anime on the web.
AnimeFu Yeah, yeah - I know it's under the "Quick Links" section of Slashdot,but this is a good place to learn. I like to check the new reviews daily.
Recommended Anime/Manga Here's a list of recommended Anime and Manga. Opinions vary, of course, but this seems like a good starting point for Anime beginners. It sure helped me understand what's out there.
Slashdot Mirror
"Want to help me test my re-breather?", Jordan
Similar idea, but I guess this is more like gills, while re-breathers "recycle" the air.
At first I thought the article was about:
http://www.citybeat.com/1999-08-26/cover3.shtml
Just sounds like marketing to me. And this is not encouraged by the Star Wars PR people? Pay people a couple bucks to wait in line for a month, look at all the press it gets.
I can understand what you are saying. In Hot Topic, and other stores you can buy all those old school Nintendo shirts. So, yes, some are cashing in on classic gaming as a fad.
2 5051
But I went to the convention last year. There were are a few kids who probably never played Donkey Kong in the arcade.
But, for the most part, it is old school gamers (like me) who are now in their thirties, who are more entertained by games like pacman & tetris, than doom 3...
In fact, there is a huge online community for classic gaming. Check out my previous slashdot posting:
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=109823&cid=93
--
jason
2d activist/enthusiast
So, the question is "Which classic games are better on a modern console?"
Usually it's the opposite - the emulation tends to be off on the modern commercial "classic collections". Not usually too far off to disturb the casual gamer, but those who remember the game will notice the difference.
Having said that, I do tend to like the classic games better when played on an emulator on the PC. Why? Because I can load/save state when I'm not particularly good at the game! (ie) Kid Icarus NES)
Forgot to mention that it was my little sister playing the game ;)
Although the one cool thing about the game is that you can give Barbie green hair like a punk rocker. Which is kind of funny - I used to do the same thing with her Barbie dolls - cut the hair with scissors and die it green with food coloring! (oh she absolutely loved that!)
Well I know that it is not always true that "worst = most boring".
But, Barbie for the C64 can definitely qualify for both! Get this:
Ken calls Barbie, asks, "Would you like to go to dinner?". She says "sure", and he replies, "Great! Pick you up in an hour." So she drives around and goes shopping for clothes for dinner, gets her hair done, etc.
Ken calls back, "Barbie, plans have changed! Would you like to go to the prom? Pick you up in an hour." She drives, shops, Barbisizes some more.
However, when she gets home, Ken is again indecisive: "Barbie plans have changed! Want to go to the movies? Pick you up in an hour"
Finally Ken makes up his f*ckin mind and they goto whatever final destination he chose after Barbie has spent several hours answering to his every whim!
Not only is this the worst game, but what does this teach our children? To be ready for whatever demands Ken makes, not having any input for the decision, and making unreallistic demands like getting ready for "a Prom" in an hour?!?
I completely agree with the earlier comment that gameplay is most important - not the graphics.
Also, perhaps it's my age - I'm now 30 and honestly have less time to play games. I can afford the fifteen minutes needed to play Qix - but something like Final Fantasy X needs to be played in hour sittings!
The NYT article just brushes the surface. For more info on the on-line classic gaming community, check out some of these sites:
AtariAge
Retrogaming Radio
Classic gaming
Magazines:
Armchair Arcade
Classic Gamer
Manci Games
Retrogamer
Also, there are quite a few gaming conventions, most notably Philly Classic and Classic Gaming Expo.
--
jason
Honestly, the first article did not really give any new information, besides that something new is coming to DDR.
However, definitely check out the essay paper - there's some interesting stuff on 'DDR communities'. This is funny because some of the DDR players I've met were just discussing the same exact thing. We (us DDR players) have basically have met each other through the playing the game. Otherwise, we would have never met. In some sense, we participate in a DDR sub-culture, discussing the game and music, sharing tricks/techniques, talking about local heroes (people that can pass Paranoia Survivor Max Oni), etc.
Call it silly, but we even have DDR nicknames - I always play at 1.5X speed - thus I am "jason 1.5". Then there is a guy who disapproves of any mods in general, hence he is "captain anti-speed mod". (I suspect only DDR players will understand this!).
If you haven't played DDR, I definitely recommend it. Just try it on beginner mode in the arcade, or try it on xbox/ps2.
--
jason
Was I the only one who first read "Developers support Modding" to mean "mod chips"?
I would think in that case, there would be an opposite reaction, as most developers don't want their games pirated.
You don't need to take the subway to Queens. I was in Manhattan the past weekend and played some classic games:
Chinatown Fair Arcade has Jr. Pacman, Arakanoid, Ms. Pacman/Galaga combo, Ms. Pacman bootleg, Missile Command/Centipede combo, and tons of fighter games.
The arcades in Times Square (Broadway City and Lazer Park) also have some classic games.
Well, you can have portable NES, if you have a GBA and a flash card:
www.pocketnes.org
There are many games currently available written using PyGame. Solarwolf is a good one. :)
This might not be exactly what you are looking for, but in the spirit of slashdot and good karma, it is open source
--
jason
For game reviews, gamefaqs. The FAQs are great, but it is also a great place for reading user reviews. If I need more reviews, I head to Amazon.
For screenshots/video, I refer to the "biggies": gamespot and ign.
For Game Boy Advance, I go to: gbacentral.
For Dance Dance Revolution: DDRFreak
However, my favorite site at the moment is for the ol' Atari 2600: Atari Age
AtariAge is amazing: screenshots of almost every Atari 2600 game, very active forums, store that sells cartridges for new "homebrews", etc.
--
jason
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categories/products/pro duct.asp?pf_id=233034
This is the same price as new games. So, basically this is the same deal as the bundled game deal I mentioned in my previous post:
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/ads/shops/createabundle /gc/default.asp
Somehow, I'm a little disappointed, as I thought they would drop the price a little more. Regardless, I may still pick one up.
--
Jason
If you don't know what I'm talking about, several (all?) stores have been bundling a GameCube with a game for $149.
For example:
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/ads/shops/createabundle /gc/default.asp
The Gameboy player is definitely cool, but being I already have a GBA, I'd prefer the GameCube + Metroid Prime = $149.
--
jason
I've got the first three, and am going to order the fourth.
Overall, I like all the books, as each of them is good in a different way:
"Supercade" has some a wide amount of pictures, however, sometimes the quality isn't too happening. It features pictures of arcade games, as well as home consoles: Odyssey, Pong, Channel F, Home PCs.
"The Ultimate History" is aptly named; it is mostly text, and covers the history of the video game industry. I enjoyed reading about the history of Atari, Nintendo, etc. Good book.
"Arcade Fever" covers mostly Arcade machines. There is a good mixture of pictures and text, and the layout looks cool. It is a good coffee table book. The arcade cabinets and screenshots (taken from MAME) are very clear.
"High Score" is another good one; I look at it everytime I'm in the bookstore, but haven't picked it up yet.
You can also check out:
Phoenix, the rise and fall of VideoGames
Game Over (History of Nintendo)
--
jason
Not to troll, but why does Akira get all the attention that it does?
I enjoyed the film, found it interesting, but it did not "blow me away", like it seems to do for everyone else...
The animation was very well done, but other than that - I found the plot confusing, and that the characters were not developed enough. The main character was hardly introduced; it was difficult to get a feel for his character - his struggles, his motivations, etc. I have not read the manga, but from what I have heard, there is more depth to the story. (Granted there is only so much that can fit into two hours.)
I'm assuming that if this is actually done live-action, and especially if the western audience is kept in mind, many things will be changed - some for the better, some for the worse. In which case, more time may be spent developing character background. But, it also quite probable that the overall feeling may get lost in the translation even using computer graphics. Regardless, I'm still interested and will probably see it.
Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-anime. Miyazaki's films, especially US releases Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro, are some of the most amazing films I've seen.
I just haven't seen the fascination with Akira yet. Perhaps I may, if I read the multi-volume manga, and watched it again...
--
jason
REA can be bypassed by using a "selectable region" player.
Basically, both the disc and the DVD player are set to a specific region code.
The "region free" players set their region code to 0 (all regions). REA-protected discs that have a region code other than region 0 will refuse to play on such a player.
The solution? Choose a DVD player that allows you to select the region. You pick the region for the player, and then play the disc.
It sounds like most of the hacks that were discussed here are for "selectable region".
--
jason
According to the codejunkies web site: "This product is PAL compatible ONLY."
and "The DVD Region X (ps2) for United Kingdom is the only version currently available."
For PS2 in USA, the only DVD Region mod I've heard about is the Neo mod chips.
I've not used it myself, but read it here:
http://ps2modchips.com/charts/
--
jason
Does anyone know of any Anime Clubs in Central NJ, specifically, near New Brunswick/Rutgers?
It looks like Rutgers used to have a club, but I cannot seem to find any information on the web.
And I am not sure whether or not they still hold meetings.
If anyone has any information, could you please let me know?
Thanks,
jason
Hi there,
I am living in Central Jersey as well (near New Brunswick).
I'm not sure exactly where you are in Central NJ, but here is a list of what I have found:
Knight Dreams
82 Nassau St. 2nd Floor, Princeton, NJ 08542
(609) 497-4525
Knight Dreams has an extremely huge Anime rental selection; if you name it they probably have it.
The only store which has a good selection on both VHS and DVD.
They also sell comics/manga and host gaming nights. The owner there is very nice.
I highly recommend this place.
Video Stars
1745 State Route 27, Edison NJ
(732)287-9444
Has an anime section, but it seems mostly Hentai oriented (sexually explicit). Somehow, the owners think every anime is the same. Thus, "Ranma" (mostly a kids comedy) has an "18 or over" sticker on it, and sits next to "La Blue Girl" (hentai). However, the non-hentai material includes: Bastard!, Slayers, Video Girl AI, Gundam Movies.
Another annoying thing: for some reason, they often have just one tape of a series, and it will be a tape other than volume 1.
Raritan Video
75 Raritan Ave, Highland Park NJ
(732)846-2224
This has a decent selection, has no hentai, and is located in the middle of the store. They have some Dragon Ball, Akira, Record of Lodoss War, Macross Plus.
Hollywood Video
725 Promenade Blvd, Bridgewater NJ
(732)564-0245
Chain rental stores are a hit-or-miss, when it comes to Anime. This particular store has an Anime section that includes: Cowboy Bebop, Blue Seed, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Patlabor, Vampire Princess (OVA). They rent for five days, so it might be worth taking the trip.
Blockbuster Video
7000 Hadley Rd, South Plainfield NJ
(908)561-1222
Another big-bad-boy chain. This store seems to mostly carry action-packed and shonen (boys) anime.
Some titles include: Akira, Macross II movie, Ninja Scroll (on DVD), Slayers movie.
Buying Anime
If you are looking to buy Anime, the stores in the malls often carry a huge selection.
Check out Sam Goody, SunCoast video or Saturday Matinee.
However, I usually find cheaper prices online at Amazon and Buy.com.
NYC:
Metro Anime Shopping Guide
This Metro Anime group seems to be very active, and has compiled a very handy shopping guide.
NYC-anime.com shopping guide
This guide has a good map of Manhattan, pointing out locations of Anime and Manga stores.
Conventions
Shoujocon 2002
If you are into Shoujo (girl's comics/anime) at all, you might want to check out Shoujocon. It is happening July 19-21 at the Hilton in East Brunswick. This will be my first year, so I cannot comment about it personally, but from what I have heard, it sounds like a lot of fun.
Web Resources
Anime Turnpike
This is a pretty good starting point for all things anime on the web.
AnimeFu
Yeah, yeah - I know it's under the "Quick Links" section of Slashdot,but this is a good place to learn. I like to check the new reviews daily.
Recommended Anime/Manga
Here's a list of recommended Anime and Manga. Opinions vary, of course, but this seems like a good starting point for Anime beginners. It sure helped me understand what's out there.
Hope that helps!
--
jason