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Justin

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    Justin reacted to Sabertooth for a blog entry, 015 - Asteroids: Recharged - An Update that Rocks!   
    ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED (VCS)
    Published 2021 (Atari)
    Developer: Adamvision Studios, Sneakybox
    Retail: $9.99
    ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED is a modern take on Ed Logg's seminal 1979 arcade space shooter. Like all games in Atari's recent "Recharged" series, it includes a neon vector-like graphic aesthetic and more modern gaming elements like power-ups, leader boards, challenges, achievements and more.
    ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED is available on multiple platforms, including: VCS, Switch, XBOX Series X/S, XBOX One, PS4, PS5, Steam and Epic.
    Let’s take a quick look at the VCS version!

    TAKE CONTROL
    Following the formula established by Centipede and Black Widow, ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED features two game-modes: ARCADE & CHALLENGES.  Both modes can be played in either single-player or couch co-op.  Arcade mode is the main game and is a pure high score chasing affair.  Of the games so far released in the series, ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED perhaps feels the most true to its original arcade inspiration.  While there are graphical updates, power-ups and enhancements like exploding asteroids, the objective remains the same: destroy the asteroids and any flying saucers that you encounter. The simplicity is a mixed blessing.  Its sure to entice fans of the arcade classic but may be too simple for modern gamers to embrace. 
    ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED features multiple asteroids from extra large to small. Some asteroids fragment while others explode, taking out adjacent asteroids.  As in the original game, you'll get further if you choose your targets strategically to limit the opportunities for collision.  There are three saucer types: a non-firing bubble-like saucer, a small and deadly accurate saucer, and a larger lumbering saucer that is slightly less accurate.  Players be wary when the small saucer appears.  They will almost always hit a stationary player ship on the first shot.  This means that it pays to move about in ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED.  No lurking exploit here!  The game also includes a small saucer embedded in an asteroid.  While embedded, the saucer is relatively harmless.  But once freed, it functions as a normal small saucer.  The bubble-like saucer is the source of power-ups in the game. 
    Speaking of power-ups, ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED features some of the most inventive power-ups seen yet in the series.  Those familiar with the Recharged series will recognize slow down, rotating bullets, spread shot and others.  ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED adds a bullet bouncing deflector shield, screen clearing mega laser, and explosive shots that open mini black holes that sucks in all nearby asteroids and ships.  The black hole effect is by far my favorite in the game.  Due to wrap around nature of the play field, other power-ups like side shot can be employed to quickly clear out asteroids. 
    In terms of control, the VCS offers multiple controller options.  Where the original Asteroids arcade game employed an unusual 5-button control scheme to control ship rotation, thrust and hyperspace, the VCS version effectively maps these to both the Modern Controller of Classic Joystick.  Using the Modern Controller, rotation is controlled with the thumbstick, thrust is the right trigger, fire is "A" and hyperspace is the "Y".  The Classic Joystick provides some true retro flare by using built-in paddle function to rotate your craft.  Here the main button is fire, the bumper is thrust and the return button is used for hyperspace.  The rotary function is effective and accurate but the placement of hyperspace on the Classic Joystick makes it hard to hit in a pinch.  I wish Atari had used up for thrust and left the bumper for hyperspace.  Still, the Classic Controller is my preferred way to play the game.  The sense of thrust and inertia feels true to the original.  Unlike the original, hyperspace is much less likely to result in instant death and instead gives you a fighting chance.  Never once have I used it only to immediately explode.  I call this an improvement over the original.
    Challenges mode expands the game, providing a wide variety of task-based challenge levels. These serve to unlock achievements but also teach you how to use certain power-ups or improve your piloting skills.  As with Centipede and Black Widow, its worth noting that 10 of the challenge levels are exclusive to the VCS.  Other versions of the game have just 30 challenges.  The VCS challenges tend to be the most difficult and rewarding across the series. 
    Most challenges revolve around destroying a certain number of asteroids or surviving for a certain length of time.  Despite the similarities in tasks, developers Adamvision and Sneaky Box did a great job creating some very unique challenge levels using the limited enemy types available to them.  My favorite is the final (VCS exclusive) challenge "LA Traffic."  In this challenge, players must destroy a certain number of medium asteroids amidst multiple "lanes" of asteroids and cross traffic.  As someone who regularly rides a motorcycle on the 405, I can say that this challenge is aptly named!   While the Challenges mode adds some depth, on the whole they were much easier in ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED than in previous series entries.  More difficult challenges would be welcome.

    Couch co-op returns to ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED and greatly enhances the game in either Arcade or Challenges mode.  Where the main game is single life, co-op mode provides the opportunity to revive your fallen partner and extend game play.  With two capable players, this can mean radically higher scores and lengthier games than would be possible in the single player mode. 
    One criticism of the RECHARGED series has been the single life nature of the games.  Atari appears to be listening to the feedback and there are reportedly patches on the way to add 3 lives.  However, as it stands all current RECHARGED titles are single life.  Keep this in mind if that's not your thing.  I personally like the challenge.
    GRAPHICS
    Like all games in Atari's recent "Recharged" series, ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED includes a neon vector-like graphic aesthetic. The simple rectangular ship, asteroids and enemy saucers are rendered in simple, yet effective art style that recalls the original arcade game's vector graphics.  However, this time screen has a star field background with nebula like gas that creates the feel of space.  Simple asteroids trail specs of space dust as they float along the screen.  There is a subtle grid pattern which overlays the background.  This warps and bends throughout the game. The color palette is limited and cycles to designate "waves."  Power-ups and explosive rocks and asteroids provide some modern pyrotechnics that look very cool. The future-retro aesthetic is carried through to the menus, which are all very clean and easy to navigate. Menus are fully animated.

    SOUND & MUSIC
    As with Centipede and Black Widow, music is one of the strongest points of ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED. For this game and all upcoming Recharged titles, Atari has wisely partnered with composer Megan McDuffee who is known for her work on the River City Girls series, among others. I cannot overstate how awesome the music is. Whether in-menu or in-game, it perfectly compliments the tone of ASTEROIDS. It may even be the best yet!
    In game, the shots, booms and explosions generally suit the theme of ASTEROIDS.  My favorite is the slight hum and muffle when your ship is enveloped in the spherical deflector.  Its a pretty cool effect!

    CREATURE COMFORTS
    ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED includes proper unlockable achievements which have become a staple of modern gaming. Some are progressive. Other achievements are awarded for completion of a single task. If you've played the other RECHARGED titles, these will be familiar to you. The inclusion of achievements is a welcome addition to the game, particularly on the VCS. However, as the VCS does not support trophies, the achievements are only viewable in-game. Compare this to the PS4 version, which utilizes Sony’s trophy system and is linked to a user's profile. It would be nice to have a way to share your achievements.
    The game also includes a leaderboard feature. The leaderboard on the VCS version is currently local only. High scores are displayed in game for both Arcade and Challenge modes. Other versions of the game feature global and friend leaderboards. Apparently Atari is working on a friend and leaderboard feature for the VCS. In ASTEROIDS, there are placeholders for this feature.  Hopefully this is implemented soon as competing against others is one of the more fun aspects of classic arcade gaming.

    OVERALL
    ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED is an excellent update to Atari's venerable classic. With the 10 exclusive challenges and multiple control options, the VCS version is an easy recommendation for fans of the original game.  The overall design of the game - both aesthetically and in terms of gameplay - honors its arcade inspiration.  Simply put, if you like Asteroids, you should enjoy ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED. 
    Have you played ASTEROIDS: RECHARGED on the VCS or on another platform? What do you think of the game? 

  2. Like
    Justin reacted to RickR for a blog entry, Disneyland - Dec 2021   
    I had to pleasure of visiting Disneyland / California Adventure while visiting one of my kids.  I thought I'd share a few notes, especially on the newer rides.
    One thing to keep in mind when planning your visit is that you'll need to make reservations at the park of your choice in advance.  You don't just need a ticket, but also that reservation.  They are limiting how many guests are allowed in each day, and I think that's a really good thing.  Pre-planning is necessary.
    The "Marvel" area at DCA
    They've replaced the old "Bug's Land" area with an all new Marvel-themed area and also re-themed the Tower of Terror to Guardians of the Galaxy.  It's a big improvement and a really fun area to visit for fans of the Marvel movies (and comic books).  There is one new ride in the area, and it's Spider-Man themed.  It's similar to "Toy Story Midway Mania" or "Buzz Lightyear" in that it's kind of a game with scoring.  You use your arms to "throw" webs.  The tech here is pretty cool.  The ride is fun, but it's also a bit too fast and confusing.  I wish they'd chosen a real villain to fight instead of generic bots.  It feels like a video game and it's fun.  Grade:  B.

    The GOG overlay of Tower of Terror is excellent.  It's fun instead of scary now, with a 70's soundtrack that seems to change with every ride.  Grade:  A+.
    The New Star Wars area at DL
    I've been before, but it's still amazing.  "Rise of the Resistance" is incredible in it's scope.  It uses every trick in the Disney bag.  Grade:  A+.

    "Smuggler's Run" lets you fly the Millennium Falcon as a team of smugglers.  It's a dream come true for every Star Wars geek.  Grade:  A+

    And now for a few random photos from the trip.
     










  3. Like
    Justin reacted to Sabertooth for a blog entry, 014 - JETBOARD JOUST (GOTY 2021)   
    JETBOARD JOUST (VCS)
    Published 2021 (Freedom Games)
    Developer: BitBull
    Retail: $9.99
    Ever since Eugene Jarvis and Williams Electronics unleashed Defender on unsuspecting arcades in 1980, there have been countless sequels, send-ups, hacks and tributes to the game.  With a rare exception, these tend to fall short of the high-water mark set by the original. Jetboard Joust by indie developer BitBull is one such exception.  The game takes the foundational elements of Jarvis’ classic and adds branching pathways, an intriguing upgrade system and fun joust mechanic to create an excellent modern arcade game. I enjoy Jetboard Joust so thoroughly that I’m naming it my 2021 Game of the Year!
    Jetboard Joust is available on multiple platforms, including Atari VCS, Steam, Epic and the Nintendo Switch. 
    Let’s take a look at the Atari VCS version of the game!


     
    TAKE CONTROL
    In Jetboard Joust, you use the VCS Modern Controller (or third-part gamepad) to guide Super Jetboy through 5 multi-level worlds, protecting helpless citizens - heretofore known as "little dudes" - from the ravages of evil mutant invaders! If one of the little dudes is picked up by a mutant, you will need to zip across the screen to free it before its kidnapped and becomes a super charged mutant baddie that you'll need to destroy.  Essentially, destroy everything that moves.  As you destroy enemies, you'll pick up drops consisting of health, ammo and coins.  Its a tried and true premise to be sure.  And while this game will be instantly familiar to many, it adds enough style, humor and variety to keep it fresh.  These include a cool Joust attack, randomly generated level maps, a deep equipment upgrade system and more.
    The "Joust" in Jetboard Joust is a special attack that propels your jetboard through multiple enemies.  This is great to use to get out of a jam or clear a group of baddies. Lower level enemies will be obliterated and higher level enemies will take significant damage. Plus, you're temporarily invincible when the joust is employed.  Be warned, there are a limited number of jousts available.  These can be replenished by picking up drops.  You can also add to your joust capacity as you build your capabilities. 
    Jetboard Joust features a wide variety of weapons.  This includes your base weapon (a gun) and several special weapons that are picked up along the way.  These come in a wide variety from lightning, to a gravity hammer to a giant circular saw (the Shredder), and everything in between.  Some weapons are more effective than others on different enemies, so it makes sense to keep a variety in your arsenal.  Weapons can be upgraded or repaired throughout the game.  Keeping your weapons in good condition maintains their effectiveness and increases ammo drops. With a click of the trigger, you can switch between your primary gun and a special weapon.  You'll only be able to carry one special weapon at a time.  The other special weapons that you've collected will be scattered across the playfield.  If you want to switch special weapons mid-level, you'll need to find and pick-up another one.  Special weapons have limited ammo so you'll want to use them wisely.  Ammo can be replenished by picking up ammo drops. 

    Upgrading equipment is a crucial element to success in Jetboard Joust and there are multiple ways to accomplish this.  Players may opt to use the store in-between levels to upgrade their jetsuit, jetboard or weapons.  The cost of doing so can be high.  Fortunately, you can sell off weapons to raise precious coinage.  Alternatively, you can select a route that leads to weapons pick-ups, equipment upgrades, repair, and hidden treasure.  However, to access these upgrades you'll need to summon a guardian - as sort of end level boss.  Only upon defeating the guardian will you gain access to the special item on that level.  Summoning a guardian is completely optional and some are much harder than others.  You will not know exactly who is showing up until after the summoning.  Its a nice bit of risk vs. reward that breaks up the standard level clearing action. Choose your path wisely to outfit Super Jetboy with the equipment needed to take out the end of world bosses!

    Another reason to save coinage is to continue a game.  If you happen to die and have no emergency jetsuits, you'll be given the opportunity to purchase a continue using available treasure.  If you have enough, you can continue the game.  If not, it's game over! The costs of continues raises as you progress.  If you don't have enough money in the bank, you can restart the game with the teleports unlocked to choose where you start.  Picking up lost jetsuits from an earlier play through will allow you to recover some coin.  This helps make your loss in a previous run slightly less stinging.
     
    SOUND & VISION
    The graphics in Jetboard Joust are highly stylized.  The playfield is populated by colorful cities, exploding pixels, glitch-like background animations and a large variety of aliens.  The color palette changes from level to level.  Sometimes they look a bit muted, and other times they pop.  Everything is alien.  Some of the aliens recall sea creatures, others look robotic or insectoid.  I really enjoy seeing the different enemy types as the game progresses.  Animations are constant, chaotic and wonderful. Screenshake and pixel explosions abound and really add to the frenzied vibe of the game.  Sound is equally fitting.  The in-game music is catchy, if a bit repetitive.  The background noises and explosions are satisfying and include an audible alert for abducted little dudes, and an affected electro synth sound that recalls the noise Defender makes at the start of each level.  Overall the art style and audio are effective in defining Jetboard Joust and give the game a character all its own.

     
    CREATURE COMFORTS
    Jetboard Joust adds in-game achievements.  There are 12 pages in all, with a wide variety of achievements to attain. Achievements are somewhat rare on the VCS, so this is a welcome inclusion.  There is also an in-game high score entry system.  Both the achievements and the high score entry add to the replay value of the game.


     
    OVERALL
    Jetboard Joust takes a familiar formula and successfully layers on modern gaming elements, combined with a distinctive art style and frenetic action to create a superb arcade experience.  Importantly, it's SUPER FUN! If I had a place to insert quarters in my VCS, I would have spent well over the $9.99 cost of entry. Retro arcade fans and modern indie gamers alike will find a lot to enjoy.  Recommended on any platform!
    Have you tried Jetboard Joust on the VCS or another platform?  What do you think of the game?  What's your 2021 Game of The Year? Let us know in the comments below!

    P.S. One of the things that I’ve enjoyed most about the Atari VCS experience is that the relatively small library with its focus on curated indie games has led me to play titles I might have otherwise ignored.  These games are often lost in the noise on large platforms and ecosystems. Were it not for the VCS, I would have missed out entirely on this excellent title.  
     
     
     
     
  4. Like
    Justin reacted to HDN for a blog entry, Flag Capture on VCS | Hard to Capture in the Wild   
    Recently, I have been thinking of my favorite games on the Atari VCS and coming to the realization that I have some pretty unpopular tastes. Pac-Man, the "worst video game ever", in my number two spot? Donkey Kong closely behind at number three? Artillery Duel in the top-ten? Video Chess near the top of my most-wanted list? These are some pretty unpopular, if not downright hated games. What's more, some of the 2600's most beloved games, like Yars' Revenge, Adventure, and Pitfall!, aren't near the top of my list. Not that I dislike these games; quite the contrary. I just have some that I prefer more.
    This also got me thinking of Flag Capture. Ever since the Wii2600 days, I have really liked this game. I'm very fortunate to have people in my life, particularly my dad, who will sit down and play Atari with me. My dad and I like to play video games together sometimes. With some experimentation, I have found that it is most fun to play the older, simpler games together, like 2600 through Super NES. I've also found that it's more fun to play games with direct competition rather than co-op. This game was always a fun one to play on the Wii or Atari Anthology on XBOX.
    Strangely, I've found that this is one of the more hated games on the system. It's not as famous as Pac-Man or ET are as Flag Capture (released by Sears as simply Capture) didn't sell too well. I never understood the hate for this one.
    This is also one of the less common games for the system. Not terribly rare, but I've never found one in the wild. And believe me, I've tried. This one was very elusive. I've found XONOX Double Enders in the wild at my regular used-game store. I saw a JVC X'Eye, a Sega Nomad, and a CIB Jaguar there, too. Motor Psycho, sure! Tengen Tetris, you betcha! But no Flag Capture. I simply couldn't find it in the 2600 rack, and I looked every time. Thankfully, Flag Capture isn't terribly sought-after and still goes for pretty cheap; about the same price as your average 2600 game.
    So where did I get my copy of Flag Capture after all? I never did find it at that store, despite their large 2600 collection. Instead, Atari.io's very own @socrates63 kindly sent it to me. Young was kind enough to send me something from our recent Retro Junk Box, which I was unable to participate in. What I didn't know at the time is that he was going to send SOMETHINGS, plural. Flag Capture was a big surprise for me. Thanks, Young!

    Flag Capture was released in 1978 for the Atari VCS and contains 10 "Video Games". Developed by Jim Huether, Flag Capture was initially designed as an adaptation of Stratego. If you're unfamiliar with Stratego, it's a board game that involves teams of two players traversing across the board attempting to capture the opponent's flag piece. Each of the pieces is assigned a number, one through ten, and the design of the pieces shields what it is from the opponent. If two pieces touch each other, the piece with the lower number is discarded. Along with the numbered pieces are spies, which are the only pieces that can kill the number ten pieces, bombs, which will blow up anyone who comes in contact with it (except 3), and the flag. On each turn, you can move one piece one space (except for twos which behave like rooks in chess) in any cardinal direction. Think of Stratego like Chess with a pecking order and end goal. I'm not very good at the game, but I enjoy it quite a bit.

    Due to the limitations of the VCS and the 2k ROM cartridges of the time, Huether couldn't make a straight port of the game to the lowly 2600. Instead, he took the core element of the game, finding the flag, and ran with it. What we're left with is Flag Capture, which plays like a mix of Stratego and Minesweeper.

    Flag capture is certainly a unique experience on the 2600. For most of the variations, two players go around the 7x9 grid of squares searching for the flag before the other. Each player can press the button while on a square to search underneath it. Several clues aid the player towards the whereabouts of the hidden flag. One could find arrows pointing in the general direction of the flag, numbers indicating how many spaces away the flag is from the player, and devious bombs that send the player back to their corner of origin. The goal of most two-player variations is to find the flag fifteen times before the opponent. Especially in the first variation, games between players can get pretty hectic and fun.
    The variations are where the game really shines. The default mode has both players freely moving around the grid simultaneously. This mode challenges players to not only think faster and smarter than their opponents, but also use their reflexes to get to the right block before the other. If you'd prefer something a bit slower-paced, there is also a mode in which both players take turns moving around and checking spaces, a bit like a board game. There are also modes in which both players solve their own individual flag puzzles and compete to see who can get the flag in the least amount of space-checks, as well as variations where the flag will move after every space checked.
    If you're going solo, Flag Capture has you covered to an extent. The last few variations are one-player time trial modes. You must find the flag as many times as you can within 75 seconds. This game mode is fine, though it's missing a little something without another player. Still, Flag Capture has a much better for a single player than many other 1970's games on the VCS. I'd rather play Flag Capture by myself than Combat or Outlaw.
    Flag Capture, while not a must-have for the system, is a worthwhile pickup if you can find it. Especially if you have another person willing to play Atari 2600 with you, Flag Capture is a spectacular time. I'd say that Flag Capture is one of the better 2600 games of the 1970's.
     
  5. Like
    Justin reacted to 1Littlebeast for a blog entry, Sly Spy   
    Have you ever wanted to try your hand at being a spy? Well the arcade game Sly Spy from Data East is for you. The arcade game came out in 1989 and the plot resembles movies and books from the James Bond series as well as some other spy media out at the time. In fact the game mentions the Golden Gun as pictured below. There are eight playable stages and a 9th stage which is the final boss level. There are different levels in the game you have an underwater level, a skydiving level, a beat em up style run and gun level, and a side-scrolling driving level. Throughout the game there are items that you can pick up like jetpacks and more bullets for example that will help you through the stage. There are also several different bosses some of which are pictured below. If you play make sure you have lots of quarters or credits to continue the game. I had a lot of fun with this game but I'm giving it a 6 out of 10 because although it was fun and I wanted to continue playing until I beat it, it did seem repetitive at times and I don't know how often I will go back to it. I hope you guys enjoyed my review alongside the pictures of the game I'm also uploading the arcade manual for the original arcade.
    manual.pdf

  6. Like
    Justin reacted to Sabertooth for a blog entry, 013 - Black Widow: Recharged   
    BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED (VCS)
    Published 2021 (Atari)
    Developer: Adamvision Studios, Sneakybox
    Retail: $9.99
    BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED is a modern take on Atari's vector twin stick-shooter Black Widow (1982). Like all games in Atari's recent "Recharged" series, it includes a neon vector-like graphic aesthetic and more modern gaming elements like power-ups, leader boards, challenges, achievements and more. What sets BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED apart from the other Recharged titles is that this marks the first time that Atari has ever revisited this IP. There has never been a sequel to the 1982 arcade original and it's a bit of a "deep cut" choice for a reboot. This makes it possibly the most intriguing game coming from Atari and developers Adamvision and SneakyBox!
    BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED is available on multiple platforms, including: VCS, Switch, XBOX Series X/S, XBOX One, PS4, PS5, Steam and Epic.
    Let’s take a quick look at the VCS version!

    TAKE CONTROL
    The most important element in any twin-stick shooter is the sticks. Fortunately, the VCS Modern Controller is more than up to the task. Using the dual thumbsticks, your spider dances effortlessly across the screen. Control with the Modern Controller is both accurate and responsive. The VCS version also adds support for the Classic Controller in two variations. Using a single Classic Controller, players use the joystick to move and the built-in rotary to pivot and shoot. Alternatively, you can use two - YES TWO - Classic Controllers simultaneously for true twin-stick action! Personally, I prefer the Modern Controller, but the added options for the Classic Controller are pretty cool. If only Atari produced a coupler to secure both sticks...
    There are two game-modes: ARCADE & CHALLENGES.  Both modes can be played in either single-player or couch co-op.  Arcade mode is the main game and is a pure high score chasing affair.  Challenges mode expands the game, providing 40 task-based challenge levels. These serve to unlock achievements but also teach you how to deal with various insects.  In Centipede: Recharged, the developers used various elements - rocks, bombs, mushrooms - to create visual and mechanical variety in its challenge levels.  By way of comparison, the design of BLACK WIDOW is considerably more limited. Challenges feel similar from one to the other despite differences in web barrier layouts and insects.  Further, the difficulty of some of the challenges is really amped up! This might put off some players. It's worth noting that 10 of the challenge levels are exclusive to the VCS.  Other versions of the game have just 30 challenges.  
    The gameplay has strong echoes of the original in that you still control the spider and fight off an endless onslaught of various insects moving across the web.  However, there are key differences.  Where the original used red and green sections of web to indicate barriers, BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED randomly generates bright white sections which your spider cannot pass.  There are no longer waves to indicate progress.  Instead, the colors cycle on a timed basis to designate "waves." Different insects have different attributes.  One swarms in a circular pattern, one drops power-ups, one takes multiple shots and attacks when hit, one shoots projectiles, and another lays eggs that hatch into exploding bugs.  Most of the insects drop dollar-signed shaped "Grubsteaks" when eliminated.  In the original, these were a source of extra points.  Here, they also charge up a web shot that can be used to eliminate a large number of enemies all at once. It's one of the cooler power-ups in the game.  Other power-ups include 3-spread shot, side shot, 7-spread shot, fear, slow down, rapid fire, shield, and explosive shot.  These must be used strategically to maximize points and help to survive as long as possible.  Action is frenetic and there is a lot going on all at once.  However, the power-ups are generous and the game feels pretty balanced despite its fast pace. 

    Critically, you only have a single life. This game is tough.  You will see the "GAME OVER" screen a lot.  And seeing that screen means that you're starting over from zero.   Gamers that enjoy single life, high score challenges will enjoy this.  Gamers who want multiple lives and the ability to earn extras may not.  For me, I appreciate the design decision and have thoroughly enjoyed chasing my high score.  The game ramps up quickly, so it is never boring to start over again.  Deaths don't feel cheap.  I know immediately where I made a mistake when I die. This doesn't mean there aren't some controller throwing moments though! 

    GRAPHICS
    Like all games in Atari's recent "Recharged" series, BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED includes a neon vector-like graphic aesthetic. The web, player sprite and enemies are rendered in a simple, yet effective art style that recalls the original arcade game.  The web itself has a subtle motion that emulates the movement of a real web.  The color pallette is limited and cycles every 60 seconds or so to designate "waves."  The overall aesthetic is carried through to the menus, which are all very clean and easy to navigate. Where Centipede:Recharged had static menus in the VCS version, this time they are fully animated, putting VCS BLACK WIDOW on par with the Switch, Playstation and XBOX ports. It's a welcome improvement and one that I hope is implemented in the rest of the series.
    I really like the graphic style that Atari has chosen for the series and its particularly effective in BLACK WIDOW.

    SOUND & MUSIC
    As with Centipede: Recharged, music is one of the strongest points of BLACK WIDOW. For this game and all upcoming Recharged titles, Atari has wisely partnered with composer Megan McDuffee who is known for her work on the River City Girls series, among others. I cannot overstate how awesome the music is. Whether in-menu or in-game, it perfectly compliments the tone of BLACK WIDOW. It may even be better here than in Centipede. 
    The in-game noises are a mixed bag. Some of the bugs - particularly the hornet - make an odd yelping sound when hit. There is a persistent buzzing from the various insects.  These may be distracting to some players.  Otherwise, the pops, shots and explosions generally suit the game. 
    CREATURE COMFORTS
    Like Centipede: Recharged, BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED includes proper unlockable achievements which have become a staple of modern gaming. Some are progressive. Other achievements are awarded for completion of a single task. If you've played Centipede, these will be familiar. The inclusion of achievements is a welcome addition to the game, particularly on the VCS. However, as the VCS does not support trophies, the achievements are only viewable in-game. Compare this to the PS4 version, which utilizes Sony’s trophy system and is linked to a user's profile. It would be nice to have a way to share your achievements.
    The game also includes a leaderboard feature. The leaderboard on the VCS version is currently local only. High scores are displayed in game for both Arcade and Challenge modes. Other versions of the game feature global and friend leaderboards. Apparently Atari is working on a friend and leaderboard feature for the VCS. Hopefully this is implemented soon as competing against others is one of the more fun aspects of classic arcade gaming.

    OVERALL
    BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED is a solid update to a forgotten game from Atari's classic era. With the 10 exclusive challenges and multiple control options, the VCS version is an easy recommendation for fans of the original game or of twin-stick shooters in general.   It may be the strongest title yet in what's shaping up to be a stellar series! 
    Have you played BLACK WIDOW: RECHARGED on the VCS or other platform? What do you think of the game? 
     
  7. Like
    Justin reacted to 1Littlebeast for a blog entry, The Legend of Zelda Nintendo 35th Anniversary Game & Watch   
    The recently released Legend of Zelda Game and Watch scores a Solid 8/10. When compared to the original Game and Watches its missing some features but there is a lot of goodies that make up for it and it will bring you hours of joy. When comparing it to the Super Mario Brothers edition that released last year there are some improvements. To start the box has a protective sleeve over it with a neat design on it. (Pictures below) But lets get into the meat of the Handheld the clock has Link running through different areas of the map that change as the day progresses. (If you hold A and B on the clock screen the numbers will flash.) While on the clock screen you are able to take control of Link and run around collecting items and killing enemies.  Depending on the time of day the face will also change to morning, evening, and night screens as well as change the enemy's that Link is facing. To set the time, auto sleep and change the volume and brightness you will want to hit the pause/set button on the clock face screen. For the new auto sleep feature you're only able to turn it off or on for 3 minutes. If you have it plugged in it will stay on. One hidden feature on the device is on the clock screen if you press and hold the A button for about 5 seconds music and effect sounds from the game will start playing. This makes it feel as you are playing a game on the clock face. Now there are four games on the device which are located under the games button you have The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Game and Watch Vermin. If you are in any of the games by pressing the pause/set button you will pause the game and will be met with 3 options Sound, Brightness and Reset game. Now there are some hidden features on the games as well on The Legend of Zelda if you click the game and when you get to the screen that has your profiles hold A for about 5 seconds before starting the game completely you can enjoy the game with full hearts. (Also if you die when you hit the continue button anything you collected stays in your inventory) On Zelda II: The Adventure of Link when you get to the screen that has your profiles hold A for about 5 seconds before starting the game completely you can enjoy the game with full hearts and magic. On The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening when you get to the screen that has your profiles hold A for about 5 seconds before starting the game completely (wait until you hear a charm) you can enjoy the game with full hearts. (this game has a bonus thing that none of the other games have while playing Link's Awakening if you hit the pause/set menu it will allow you to change the screen size to full or original) On Game and Watch Vermin if you do the same thing you unlock Game C which is super fast. This year under game they added an extra feature which is a timer. The timer will countdown from a maximum of 10 minutes. You are able to select your stage by hitting B and select how long you want the timer to be by hitting up and down and then A or Select to start the timer. One cool thing about the timer is you can allow Link to play by himself or just like the clock you can take control of link and battle enemies. As you are battling enemies on the timer it'll keep track of how many you kill. There's also a hidden feature on the timer when you go to start your timer if you hold down A for about 5 seconds it'll start counting up from zero. Now before we talk about what is missing I want to mention that if you have the auto sleep timer on after not being used for 3 minutes it will show you a going to sleep picture. (On the back of the handheld there is a triforce that lights up when the device is on. See pictures below 👇) Now my only Gripes for this Handheld is since it is a clock it would of been nice if Nintendo would of had a alarm function. Overall I have had a lot of fun with it and would say if you find it at a store I would pick it up. It would make a great stocking stuffer or Clock for your desk you can buy stands to put it on at a arts store or online on sites like Etsy etc. They did include an insert this year that will hold your Game & Watch but unlike the original kickstands from the og Game and Watches the insert they included is made of cardboard and could break easily. I hope you guys enjoyed my review and have a good weekend everyone. 😃 | Website | Trailer |   pan widget
    The Legend Of Zelda Manual.pdf The Legend Of Zelda Links Awakening Manual.pdf
  8. Like
    Justin reacted to 1Littlebeast for a blog entry, Burger Time   
    BurgerTime for me is a solid 9/10. BurgerTime is a arcade game created in 1982 by Data East. In this game you have to help Peter Pepper create hamburgers while trying to avoid Mr. Hot Dog, Mr. Pickle, and Mr. Egg. The easiest way to do this is by just focusing on the top buns. You can score extra points by crushing Mr. Hot Dog, Mr. Pickle, and Mr. Egg under a falling ingredients, or by dropping an ingredient while they are standing on it. You can use pepper shots to help stun enemies for a few seconds but beware you only have a limited amount of pepper shots. 5  pepper shots and 4 life's to start with to be exact. Like in other games for example Pac-Man food items appear on occasion, raising your score and adding one extra pepper shot when collected. There are a total of 6 boards and the levels increase as you go on. My one complaint about the game is at times it can get to hard for me to figure out which way to go as the more enemies on the screen tend to get me cornered. BurgerTime is an arcade classic in my opinion and every time I go to a Barcade or Arcade if they have a BurgerTime cabinet there I have to play it. If you haven't played this gem of a game I highly suggest it.

  9. Like
    Justin reacted to RickR for a blog entry, RickR Trip Blog - Reno   
    This is a quick blog entry with just a few pictures from a short trip to Reno, NV.  I'm not a gambler, so I visited several museums in the area and had a great time.  Here are a few pics appropriate to this site from the National Automobile Museum (highly recommended if you like cars).  They had tons of cars, all drool-worthy.  But here are a few of the TV-based pieces they had. 
     








  10. Like
    Justin reacted to Sabertooth for a blog entry, Annex 001 - Robotron 2084 Controller for Atari 7800   
    Welcome to the first "annex" entry into the Game Cave.  I'll post reviews of homebrews, community projects, and other goodies here. First up, my review of the Robotron 2084 controller for the Atari 7800 by Mike @RetroGameBoyz   I ordered my controller last week after reading about it on the forums and received it on Friday.  It was shipped in a plastic mailer with plenty of bubble-wrap for protection.    
    As many of you know, the Atari 7800 version of Robotron can be played with either one or two controllers.  With one controller, you can only shoot in the direction in which you are moving.  Using a two controller configuration, the first controls the direction of movement and the second controls the direction of fire.  Honestly, this is the best way to play Robotron 2084 and closely mirrors the experience of the arcade version.  That said, as you can imagine, without a coupler, using two unsecured joysticks or gamepads can be difficult. This is where Mike's gamepad comes in.     Using a 3D printed gamepad, modern style pad holder, dual d-pads and two 9-pin cables, the RetroGameBoyz Robotron 2084 controller allows you to play the game in the way that it's meant to be played.  

    First impressions:

    The game pad itself is just about the size of an NES pad.  In the optional holder, it's just a little larger than a Dual Shock 4 and is pretty comfortable.  At first, I was worried that the square-ish shape of the holder would feel clunky.  I'm happy to report that it actually feels quite nice and I don't anticipate taking the pad out of the holder.  

    The parts have that "ridged" look that is typical of things made with a 3D printer. However, this isn't to say that it doesn't feel substantial.  The build quality is legit and the controller responds nicely in all directions.  I really like the custom sticker; it's a nice finishing touch.     The two 9-pin cables are extra long, measuring 9 feet!  No extension cables needed! 

    Let's see how it plays: 

    I really love the 7800 version of Robotron 2084, although I'm not that great at it.  On the default "intermediate" setting, I can generally get up to wave 8 before giving up the ghost.  Playing with one controller requires you to play in a defensive way.  With the dual pad, I was able to get to wave 12 and score over 170,000 points.  Being able to have independent directional control over both movement and fire allows you to play much more aggressively.  Simply put, it's an entirely different - and better - game.     The controller also includes independent fire buttons for use in other 7800 games.  Its important to note, this works with the left pad only; the right pad isn't used outside of Robotron.  I played Xevious, Choplifter, Centipede, Ms. PacMan and Food Fight to put the controller though its paces. I found it to be light, comfortable and responsive. The buttons seem to work correctly.  The d-pads hit all of the directions accurately.  After a solid two hours of gameplay, I didn't feel the least bit of fatigue in my hands.  Compared to the Atari 7800 europad, this controller was at least as good if not better in most every respect.     Final thoughts:   The dual-pad Robotron 2084 controller for the Atari 7800 is a winner.  It looks cool, plays great, can be used for more than just Robotron and - for $49 - is just about the best damn controller you can get for the 7800.  I really like it and can see this becoming my goto for the 7800, 2600 and A8 although Mike has a single pad variant on offer via eBay.    If you want more information on this controller, check out the original thread or visit Mike's eBay link: https://www.ebay.com/sch/retrogameboyz/m.html         




  11. Like
    Justin reacted to RickR for a blog entry, The Collectorvision Phoenix   
    What is it?
    It's a modern rendition of the classic Colecovision.  It has a cartridge port and will play all of the original cartridge games.  In addition, it has an SD card slot and can run Colecovision ROM files.  It also has an Atari 2600 core to run Atari ROMs.  Real Colecovision controllers work with it, and it also has a Super Nintendo socket to use a SNES gamepad.  And it has HDMI output for use on modern TV's.  It comes with the "super game module" built in -- so you can use the latest improved homebrew games with no issue. 

    Willie at ArcadeUSA has a very good review up on Youtube, which I suggest you check out. 



    What do I think?
    In the short time I've spent with the system, I can honestly tell you this thing is pure awesome.  I love that real cartridges work (why can't more "flashback" systems include a cartridge port?)  I haven't found any compatibility issues.  Even my "new-to-me" roller controller works fine.   It plays, looks, and sounds PERFECT.  I really like how they made the unit look like a tiny Colecovision.  The inclusion of the SNES port is genius.  No more complaints about the "just-ok" Colecovision controllers. 

    Any issues?
    Please know this:  this list is insignificant and nitpicky.  But an honest review must include some cons.
    There are some HDMI compatibility issues.  I have one TV that won't play the sounds correctly.  And I've read on-line of some Samsung TV's not being able to display the picture at all. The "core" slots for the SD Card are a touch confusing.  I haven't messed with it much.  My guess is that I'll set up the Coleco and Atari cores and try to never touch it again.  I wish it had composite output to enjoy the system on an old CRT.  I know that I can buy a converter of some kind, and I think I may go ahead and do that.  Overall Opinion?
    It's a huge ball of awesomeness.  Congratulations to the Collectorvision team for producing such an incredible system.  I've heard talk of a third run of consoles, so get your name on their list if you are interested.  Highly recommended.  RickR gives this an A++++.



     
  12. Like
    Justin reacted to HDN for a blog entry, Metroid (and Metroid Zero Mission)   
    Revolutionary.
    This word is tossed around a lot when it comes to NES games. Indeed, a lot of NES games were groundbreaking titles unlike anything else people had seen on the Atari 2600, Colecovision, or any other system prior to 1985. Super Mario Brothers was revolutionary because it offered a game with a size unlike 99% of the previous generation's games. Zelda was revolutionary because it had a massive open world with secrets to explore in every nook in cranny, offering an adventure so vast that it had a battery installed in the game to save one's progress across multiple sessions without the need of a password. But what if we took both these games and mixed them together? We perhaps get the most influential game Nintendo has ever published on the NES. This is Metroid.

    Metroid was unlike anything else when it came out in 1986 for the Famicom Disk System. It barely had any precedent at all on home consoles at that point. The game had no score at all. It didn't even have levels (even Zelda had those to an extent). No, Metroid was truly a world you could explore to your heart's content. It seemed like there were secrets hidden everywhere, like there was no end to the game at all. Nowadays, the map of Metroid seems tiny, but back then it seemed to be a massive, sprawling, never-ending adventure.
    You start Metroid in the middle of a place called Brinstar. You control the little orange-and-red "space robot". He can jump shoot up, left, and right. He can't duck, he can't shoot down, he can't jump on enemies or shoot farther than a few feet from himself. In other words, you seem very limited and outmatched at this point in the game. Enemies are too close to the ground to be shot. You only start with thirty health and die in just a few hits. This is intentional.
    You head right, as anyone in 1986 or 1987 coming off of Super Mario Brothers would. Enemies crawl around the ground and swoop down at the space robot (maybe he's named Metroid?). You find out that shooting the blue hatches opens them and allows you to go into the next room. You keep heading right until...

    What's this? You're officially stuck. Remember, "Metroid" as we're calling him now can't crawl or duck, and the passage is too short to walk under. You TRY to duck under this passage, but pressing the down arrow doesn't seem to do anything at all. This means, at this point, there's absolutely no way to clear it. Out of desperation, you move left and realize that unlike Super Mario before it, Metroid allows you to go left. And if you keep going left, past the point in the game you started at, you'll find this:

    The game pauses for a moment as a jingle plays. This is the Morph Ball, sometimes called the Morphing Ball or Maru-Mari. The game doesn't show you what this strange ball-shaped item does with a text box or anything. It doesn't even tell you what the name of it is. But after collecting it, you'll soon find out that the passage you entered this place with is too high up for Metroid to jump to. The passage below you is too small to walk under either. So you try to duck again by pressing down on the D-Pad again, and this time something happens. That strange sphere seems to allow you to turn into a ball once collected! Now you can roll under the passage and get out of the area you got the item in. You immediately remember the narrow passage from earlier and start running right again, and this time, you're able to clear it. Then, Metroid truly starts.
    After this experience, you find out that Metroid is no Super Mario Brothers. This is a game you're going to have to pay more attention to. A game where you're going to have to spend countless hours looking for secrets that help you progress further in the game. You'll find obstacle after obstacle; blocks you can't break because you can't shoot down, red hatches impervious to your beam, areas too high to jump too, etc. Eventually, you'll find items like the Bombs, which are in Morph Ball mode and can be used to break blocks below you, Missiles that take out enemies quicker and let you open those red doors, and High-Jump Boots that let you jump higher than before. The Metroidvania genre is born.
    Let's back up a bit. What are you supposed to do in this game? Basically, there's a group of space pirates on the planet Zebes who are using and breeding life-sucking, jellyfish-like creatures called Metroids (yeah, you're not actually named Metroid, like how Link isn't named Zelda) to try to take over the galaxy. The galactic police have sent the bounty hunter Samus Aran (that's Metroid's real name) to defeat the space pirates alone. The brain behind the operation (pun intended) is the "mechanical life-vein" Mother Brain, who is basically a cybernetic supercomputer with extensive databases and networks throughout the planet. Her two main henchmen are the "mini-bosses" Kraid and Ridley, who live in their own lairs below Brinstar and Norfair respectively. While exploring the early parts of the game, you'll most likely come across a room with two statues and an inescapable pool of lava should you fall in. This is the road to Tourian, Mother Brain and the Metroids' hideout and the final area of the game. You'll need to come back to this place once you kill Kraid and Ridley. Then, once you shoot their now-flashing statues, a bridge will be built leading to the final stretch of the game. But first, you'll need to find them, which is easier said than done.
    Now is a good time to mention that the original Metroid on Famicom and NES didn't have a built in map. The game has five main areas to explore: Brinstar, a hub that connects most of the places together and is also the area you start out in, the firey Norfair, Kraid's and Ridley's lairs, and Tourian. That's quite a bit to keep in mind while playing, and in 1986 and 87, there was no Google to look for maps on. Your best bet was to draw out your own as you went along, or get Nintendo Power once that became a thing. That wouldn't be much of a problem if the game was easy to navigate on your own. Metroid requires you to take random shots in the dark until something works. For example, you may need to bomb a completely random floor tile in a random room that looks just like the hundreds of other floor tiles you've seen in the game to access a route to a boss's lair, or shoot out a random ceiling to access a crucial item. That's bad on its own, but Metroid also likes to blatantly copy/paste rooms over and over again. In Kraid's lair, for example, there are over a HALF-DOZEN rooms in the first shaft of the game that start out IDENTICALLY! This makes the game very frustrating to navigate around blindly, and coupling that with tougher enemies that hit harder in the later areas means that you'll end up dying a lot without making much progress.
    And that leads to another thing: dying. Dying in Metroid is brutal. Throughout the game, you can find energy tanks that increase your max health by 100 HP. Despite that, however, every time you die Metroid will start you off at the beginning of the area you died in with only 30 HP, the same amount you started with when you first arrived on Zebes. That means that you'll have to spend dozens of minutes of your time shooting enemies and grinding the health refills they occasionally drop. Each health pickup restores 5 HP, and the drop rates are very, very low. You'll likely spend your time standing in one spot next to an enemy spawner holding down the B button to shoot until you collect enough health to continue on exploring. There are no other ways to recharge your energy or missiles. This happens every single time you die, and you don't stand a snowball's chance in Norfair surviving unless you grind for health. The energy tanks do refill your health to the max, but there are only a few of them in the game and once you run out of them, you'll have to grind. This is EASILY the worst part about this game. Metroid is brutal, with hard-hitting enemies, instant death pits, and cheap deaths aplenty (you can even get killed during room transitions). This sucks the fun right out of the game for many people. I've gotten to the point where I almost never die in a playthrough, but even if you load up your game via a password you STILL start with 30 health and have to grind. This isn't fun. It's just padding.

    Throughout your journey, you'll find many more items to help you reach places you couldn't before. I've already mentioned the Missiles, Energy Tanks, High-Jump Boots, and Bombs, but there are much more than just that. Alongside Samus's peashooter he gets at the beginning of the game, he gets three more basic guns. The Long Beam is the only beam in the game that stacks on top of others in the game. This simply allows Samus's bullets to travel across the entire length of the screen instead of disappearing a few feet from his face. The other two beams, the Ice Beam and the Wave Beam, can't be used with each other. The ice beam will temporarily freeze enemies and allow Samus to use them as platforms, though they require twice as many shots to kill. The Wave Beam can travel through solid objects and travels in a sine wave pattern, finally allowing Samus to shoot the ground-based enemies shorter than him. Sadly though, the Wave Beam is somewhat pointless in the game as the toughest enemies in the game, the eponymous Metroids, can only be disposed of once frozen and shot with five missiles. Speaking of missiles, they are completely separate from the beam weapons. Missiles, unlike the beams, have limited ammo. You can increase your maximum amount of missiles you can carry by collecting more missile tanks scattered about the world, each one bumping the limit up by five. These missiles become quite important when it comes to the bosses and the final area of the game. You simply press the select button to toggle between the beams and missiles, and that's as advanced as inventory management gets in this game.
    You also have items like that Varia Suit and Screw Attack. These are completely optional and good bonuses for those who were able to find them. The Screw Attack charges your running jump with electricity, allowing Samus to instantly kill almost anything just by jumping into it. The Varia Suit (which can be seen in the second picture) is a pink palette swap of Samus that simply doubles his defense. The suit will become much more utilized in later games, but here it simply acts as a defense boost.
    Let's talk about those mini-bosses, Mother Brain's henchmen Kraid and Ridley. Technically, you're supposed to fight Kraid first, but the game is so open-ended and nonlinear that you can fight them in any order without the game stopping you. Kraid's lair is incredibly hard to navigate. The enemies do a ton of damage and the layout of the place is so confusing that it's nearly impossible to find Kraid without a map. It's so BS that you even find a fake version of the boss. Who does that? EVENTUALLY, you will find the real Kraid, though. He's easily the harder of the two. He'll shoot spikes out of his stomach and through his toenails at you without mercy. The best plan of attack here is to freeze the center spike in place, drop into Morph Ball mode, and spam bombs that'll hopefully blow up in his face. Hopefully you'll have enough energy to damage-boost your way through the fight and have Kraid die before you do. When he dies, you'll get 75 more missiles and begin the worst section in the game.
    There is a tower in the chasm that leads to Kraid's boss room made completely of breakable blocks. This tower is no wider than one block and goes up for several screens. You have to shoot a hole in the block tower, shoot the blocks above you, and keep jumping until the blocks respawn below your feet. This requires precise timing and persistence, as if the blocks respawn ON TOP OF you, you'll take damage and be knocked back, falling off the impossibly high tower and having to start all over again. This is outright terrible game design. I have the timing down now that I've played the game for years, but initially this seemed completely impossible. This has absolutely no reason to be in the game other than to pad the length and frustrate players. You're better off committing suicide back at Kraid's room and respawning back at the beginning of his lair.

    Navigating through Norfair will eventually lead you to Ridley's lair. His lair is a lot more straightforward and less labyrinthine than Kraid's, but the enemies are even more aggressive and dangerous to make up for it. Once you find Ridley, he's super easy. Simply freeze his fireballs midair (he won't shoot more until they unfreeze) and pump him full of missiles. Then he just dies and you get 75 more missiles. Yeah, if you couldn't tell, these first two bosses are terrible. This is one of the most broken boss fights in any game I've ever seen. I don't think I've died to this guy a single time before. But that's okay. The game more than makes up for it in just a few minutes.
    Before we get to that though, I want to tell you all about what this game means to me.
    One of my first games ever was Super Metroid, and it immediately became my favorite game. I was only four or five years old (I can't remember if it was 2010 or late 2009) when I started playing it with my dad (he did most of the playing anyways), and that experience really influenced my gaming tastes for the future. We did get stuck a few times, though, and used YouTube walkthroughs to help us. Sometimes the tab would be open and I would click around YouTube and watch the videos that they played. I couldn't really read at the time and just clicked the videos based on the thumbnails. Thankfully I didn't find any naughty things I shouldn't have been watching, thank God. What I did find was a different Metroid game. This game looked AWESOME to me back when I was little. It looked like Super Metroid, but the graphics weren't as good. I really wanted to play it. I assumed, based on the inferior graphics, that it was an older game, but I thought at the time it was the original Metroid. I now know it was actually Metroid 2 played on a Game Boy Player. So my dad, bless his soul, persuaded his brother to give me his old NES and went to the now-long-defunct Star Video and bought a used copy of Metroid for me. This was back in the day when you could buy expensive NES games like Metroid and Castlevania for like five dollars, which is what he paid for those two games. Only one problem though: the NES didn't work. At all. It was in the shop being repaired for what seemed like an eternity, and I spent much of my time laying on the sunroom floor, staring at that silver Metroid cartridge, waiting for the day to play it.
    When the NES finally was fixed, I eagerly popped in the game once my dad set the system up, and... I got this. I was completely wrong; the Metroid I wanted was actually the SECOND game, not the first! I was only disappointed for a second though. I really liked this game. I was terrible at it but I played it a lot. Though I still really wanted to play Metroid II, but it would be five years before I would have the chance to.
    My dad started up a caramel business in 2013 for reasons I don't want to get into here. He leased out a building that used to be a diner called The Villa to use the commercial kitchen in to make the caramel and sell it at farmers markets. Nothing was sold out of the building, so my sister and I had the entire front of it to ourselves. The front of The Villa was a piece of garbage, though the kitchen was perfectly fine. Every spring there would be a giant puddle of water in the middle of the place, and during the winter there would be no heating or anything. There were also no bathrooms. My parents didn't trust us kids home alone yet, so we had to stay there for hours at a time while my dad and his business partner Jon (same Jon as Atari Jon) made stuff. Our only entertainment was a couple of my sister's Barbies, the NES, and like seven games. One of which was Metroid. I remember playing that game quite a bit there and I have fond memories of repeatedly starting new games and telling myself I was going to beat it this time, only to get stuck in Kraid's lair and quit every single time. Still, it's a fond memory.
    I eventually got good enough at this game and beat it, though I gave in and used a map. I think I was 11 when I did this on the 3DS Virtual Console. Nowadays I can beat the game effortlessly with a map and well enough without one. I have had a map of this game and its direct sequel hanging on my wall for years now. I do love this game, though I will admit it has not stood the test of time.
    Anyways, let's see what Samus is doing.
    As you leave Norfair and make your way back to the statue room, you realize how powerful Samus has become. Rooms that you once struggled with now are cakewalks. As you climb the same vertical shaft you did at the start of the game to get to Tourian, you feel really good about how far you've come. As soon as you shoot the statues and build the bridge, though, that feeling of power turns into one of pure dread and helplessness.

     This is Tourian, the final area of the game.That green thing is a Metroid, this game's namesake. These are the toughest enemies in the game by far. They dart towards Samus with unparalleled speed and latch on to him, rapidly sucking his energy away. The only way to escape is to lay down bombs and hope the Metroid loses its grip. To kill one, Samus must freeze one with the Ice Beam and shoot it with missiles five times. Metroids are always generous enough to drop loads of missiles and energy when they die. And you'll need every bit of them you can get for the final battle.

    This is the final battle. Before this, Samus must shoot down several "Zebetite" barriers that can only be destroyed by missiles, which is a pain in itself. The fight against Mother Brain, though, stands alongside the block tower as the most frustrating part of the game. You'll need all the energy you can get to stand a chance here. The floor is lava and the platforms are small. Cheerio-like Rinkas and acid turrets are shooting at you as you try to pump Mother Brain full of missiles. These nearly-unavoidable attacks will send Samus into the lava, which is very hard to get out of. And remember, if you die here, it's back to the start of Tourian with only thirty health. Eventually though, you'll blow up Mother Brain, who will set off a self-destruct sequence that'll blow Tourian to smithereens. The last room of the game involves Samus climbing to the top of a large shaft on tiny platforms while a timer ticks away. If you make it to the top of the elevator and have beat the game fast enough, you'll see one of the most shocking moments in video game history:

     
    SAMUS IS A GIRL?!?!
    This came as a shock to many back in the day. You almost never saw a woman in the leading role of a game before. In most games at the time, women were the damsels in distress meant to be saved by a male character, like Princess Peach or Zelda. They were almost never badass, awesome space bounty hunters. The game's manual even keeps this a secret by referring to Samus using only male pronouns, which is why I used them in this blog up to this point. This game was incredibly progressive at the time, not just for influence but for women's representation in games. And though the whole goal of "beating the game faster so more suit comes off" isn't GREAT by today's standards, I suppose you have got to walk before you can run.
    So that's the end of Metroid. Has it aged well?
    NO.
    This game is frustrating in almost every way possible. I might like it, but I would never, NEVER recommend this game to someone playing the series for the first time. To the right kind of person, though, I'd recommend this game with a map. For most, though, Metroid is nothing more than a historical curiosity for those who just want to see where the series started.

    In 2004, however, Metroid recieved a full, ground-up remake for the GBA: Metroid Zero Mission. I won't be going into too much detail with this game (I might cover it more in the future), but I will say that it does improve almost everything from the original. The map is incredibly faithful to the original game, but slightly different, though that has the unfortunate side effect of making the game incredibly short. There are now save rooms and places to recharge your health and ammo. The secrets are more well-hidden and the levels better designed. The bosses are actually bosses this time, and there's more of them. Items and abilities from Samus's later adventures are here too. It even has a special surprise twist at the end. This game is pretty good and completely replaces the original, even going as far as including the original game as an unlockable when you beat the game on any difficulty.
    Zero Mission, unlike the original game, is a GREAT place to start with the 2D Metroid series. A little too great. You see, I actually don't care much for this game because I feel that it thinks I'm stupid. Metroid Zero Mission, to ME at least, seems like "Baby's First Metroid". Unless I'm trying to collect everything, I don't think this game is much better than "good". I seem to be the only person to think that, though, so please don't listen to me and play it.
    And that wraps up Metroid and its remake. These games are good, don't get me wrong, but as far as the 2D Metroid series goes, every other game in the series beats them to a pulp. I still pull out Metroid every few months and have a blast with it, and Zero Mission has been growing on me more and more the past few months since I got a repro cart for my GBA. All the 2D Metroids are great games, but these two are slightly less great than the rest, at least to me. This shows us, though, that there is a lot more to look forward to in the series. And that's coming very soon.
    Next week: Metroid's flaws are ironed out in my favorite Game Boy game, and Samus starts two new eras of 2D Metroid twenty-six years apart.
     
    I hope you are enjoying Month of Metroid so far. This took me a long time to write! Hopefully you guys like this and consider trying out the Metroid series. It's not my favorite series ever without a reason.
  13. Thanks
    Justin reacted to Sabertooth for a blog entry, 012 - Centipede: Recharged is Retro-Modern Bug-Blasting Fun!   
    CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED (VCS)
    Published 2021 (Atari)
    Developer: Adamvision Studios, Sneakybox
    Retail: $9.99

    CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED, as the title suggests, is a modern update, or “recharge” of Atari’s 1981 arcade classic.  Just like the game that inspired it, CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED is a single screen shooter where you use your cursor to blast bugs into bits!  The tone of the original is largely intact while adding modern gameplay elements like power-ups, challenges, achievements, local co-op and leaderboard.
    The second in Atari’s RECHARGED series, CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED maintains the wireframe pseudo-vector vibe and endless arcade mode originated 2020’s MISSILE COMMAND: RECHARGED.  However, whereas Missile Command was conceived as a mobile game and migrated to consoles, CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED was purpose-made for consoles and PC.  As such, it serves as a bit of a re-launch for the young series and is the first of four planned RECHARGED titles to be released in 2021.  The game is available on multiple platforms, including: VCS, Switch, XBOX Series X/S, XBOX One, PS4, PS5, Steam and Epic. 
    Let’s take a quick look at the VCS version!
    TAKE CONTROL:
    Controller options on the VCS consist of Atari’s Modern Controller, Classic Joystick or third-party gamepad.  Some Centipede purists will no doubt bemoan the lack of mouse/trackball support.  This is completely understandable as the original arcade game was designed with the trackball in mind.  Personally, I find playing with either the Modern Controller or Classic Joystick to be more than adequate. 
    Control is intuitive.  Use the left thumbstick or joystick to move the shooter.  The A button fires.  That’s all there it to it. 
    There is something refreshing about the simplicity of the control scheme. Shooter movement is smooth and responsive. 
    GAMEPLAY:
    Gameplay comes in two flavors:  Arcade and Challenges. 
    Arcade mode will be instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the original game.  Single screen?  Check.  Mushrooms?  Check.  Centipedes, fleas, spiders and scorpions?  Check, check, check.
    The entire affair is on a single screen but this time its horizontal for modern displays.  Player movement is limited to the bottom third of the play field.  Centipedes enter from the top of the screen and begin their march to the bottom.  Fleas drop from the top creating mushrooms in their wake.  Scorpions enter from either side, moving horizontally in a straight line and turning any mushroom that they touch poisonous.  As in the original, poisoned mushrooms drive the centipedes mad and cause them to race directly to the bottom of the screen.  Spiders still enter from the side, but they serve a different purpose in CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED. Instead of frantically and unpredictably jumping, the spiders move more slowly and serve as the source of important power-ups. 

    Where the original Centipede had clear waves and three lives, CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED features an endless arcade mode where you have one life to attain the highest score possible.  However, progress is noted with color changes.  The onscreen action starts out slowly but very rapidly builds to a frenzy with multiple centipedes, spiders, fleas and scorpions to contend with.  Once the explosions start and the whole screen rains fleas, you can feel very overwhelmed.  Its easy to get boxed in.  Fortunately, there are several different power-ups to aid you on your way, courtesy of the spider. Here's a quick run down of each:
    Spread Shot: A three bullet spread shot.
    Rapid Fire: Increases speed of shots fire.
    Burst: A five bullet spread shot.
    Side Attacks:  Allows simultaneous shooting from the front and to each side.
    Bullet Trail: A powerful trailing shot that cuts through enemies and mushrooms.
    Ghost: The ghost scares centipedes and sends them scurrying to the top and off screen.
    Bomb: These come in two varieties.  The large single bomb icon creates a line of bombs somewhere on screen.  The cluster bomb icon creates a small cluster of bombs somewhere on screen.  When bombs are hit, it clears out bugs and mushrooms with a fantastic fireworks display.
    Slow Down Enemies: Significantly reduces the speed of all onscreen enemies (and the music) while player maintains speed.
    Mirror: Creates a mirror of your shooter at the top of the screen which mirrors your movement and shots.
    Explosive Bullets: A powerful shot that can take out a cluster of bugs or mushrooms.
    Orbiting Bullets: Surrounds the shooter with a circle of orbiting bullets.  These will destroy enemies and mushrooms on contact. 
    Line of Death: A powerful one-shot laser beam.
    Heart: Regenerate your partner in co-op!
    Most power-ups are time limited.  Some are immediate.  You will lose a timed power up if you pick up another while it’s in use.  Learning how to strategically use power-ups is critical to survival.
    Overall, Arcade mode provides a healthy dose of single-screen, high score chasing action that anyone who grew up in the arcades will appreciate.  While great in small doses, it does become somewhat tiresome.  Fortunately, CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED includes a Challenge mode that adds 40 different challenges to the game, 10 of which are exclusive to the VCS. Shout out to Atari for including 10 extra challenges on their home platform!
    Challenge mode provides additional depth and value to the game.  The challenges vary significantly from timed survival challenges where you can’t kill certain enemies, to score challenges, to task challenges. The key to solving some of the challenges is not always obvious. This is equal parts frustrating and rewarding. Careful use of power-ups and a lot of trial and error are required to progress and unlock later challenges.

    Additionally, there is local co-op for two-player action in either Arcade or Challenge modes.  This is a great feature and changes the dynamic of the game.  It's also truly co-operative as you actually work together and share the final score. What’s better than blasting bugs?  Blasting bugs with a friend!

    GRAPHICS:
    As previously noted, CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED maintains the wireframe pseudo-vector vibe originated 2020’s MISSILE COMMAND: RECHARGED.  Clearly inspired by the future-retro esthetic of games like Geometry Wars, players, enemies and mushrooms are rendered in simple and bright neon graphics.  Different shots and power ups result in pyrotechnic spectacles of blooming explosions.  This can be somewhat distracting but looks absolutely fantastic. Additionally, there are subtle background graphics of leaves and plants animated on the sides of the playfield.  Finally, there is an Immersive setting that zooms in the graphics.  This looks very cool and amps up the difficulty as your field of view is limited. 
    The esthetic is carried through to the menus, which are all very clean and easy to navigate.  Recent updates have added animated menu boards to the VCS version, bringing it on par with other platforms.
    One tick against the VCS version is lack of 4K support.  The game runs fine in 1080p but when using the console's 4K setting, the FPS noticeably dips.  For a game like this it hardly makes a difference but Atari heavily advertised 4K support for the VCS.  While 4K performance on the console has improved with continued updates, I recommend this in 1080p only for VCS owners. 

    SOUND & MUSIC:
    Music is one of the strongest points of CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED.  For this game and all upcoming RECHARGED titles, Atari has wisely partnered with composer Megan McDuffee who is known for her work on the River City Girls series, among others. 
    I cannot overstate how awesome the music is.  Whether in-menu or in-game, it perfectly sets the tone of CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED.  That there is no jukebox is a real tragedy.  I’ve found myself letting the menu screen go on in the background.  Its truly enjoyable.  Fortunately, all 16 tracks that Megan has composed for the series are available via her bandcamp. 
    Aside from the music, the in-game sounds have an almost “wet forest” vibe.  Gone is the relentless march of the original.  Instead, the sound of bug movement is quiet and almost “squishy.”  Sure there furious explosions, but there are also juicy pops and various rustling noises.  Its very fitting.

    CREATURE COMFORTS
    CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED includes proper unlockable achievements which have become a staple of modern gaming.  Some are progressive.  Other achievements are awarded for completion of a single task.  For example, “Harvester of Eyes” requires you to kill 800 spiders, whereas “I Am the Storm” is awarded when the player detonates 50 bombs in a single shot. There are 16 achievements in all. 
    The inclusion of achievements is a welcome addition to the game, particularly on the VCS. However, as the VCS does not support trophies, the achievements are only viewable in-game.  Compare this to the PS4 version, which utilizes Sony’s trophy system and is linked to a user's profile.  It would be nice to have a way to share your achievements.
    The game also includes a leaderboard feature. Previously, the leaderboard on the VCS version of CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED was local only.  However, the March 2022 update added World and Friend leaderboards to the game. In addition, the VCS leaderboads are viewable and scrollable in AtariOS. This gives the VCS version a leg up on other platforms, which only displays yoiur score plus the 5 adjacent scores. Scores are displayed in game for both Arcade and Challenge modes.  The addition of online leaderboards is a welcome change to the VCS version as competing against others for the High Score is one of the more fun aspects of classic arcade gaming.

    OVERALL
    I wholeheartedly recommend CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED if you are a fan of the original or single-screen shooters in general.  It perfectly captures the spirit of the arcade classic, while adding depth, modern features, excellent music and visual flare that make it relevant for today.  CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED is a future-retro bug-blasting spectacular. If this is where Atari is headed with the RECHARGED series, I’m in!
    Have you played CENTIPEDE: RECHARGED on the VCS or other platform?  What do you think?  What titles are you most excited for in the RECHARGED series?
  14. Like
    Justin reacted to 1Littlebeast for a blog entry, Pac-Attack   
    It's time for my Pac-Attack review. Recently I've been spending a lot of time with this game. For those who haven't played Pac-Attack it is a 1993 falling-tile puzzle video game developed and published by Namco for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Or to put it in simpler terms it's Tetris featuring Pac-Man. 😂 Your goal just like in Tetris is to eliminate the blocks to get as many points while trying not to hit the top of the board. In this game to add a little twist the Pac ghost's 👻 are lumped in with the blocks and to get rid of the ghosts and make the blocks fall just like in Pac-Man he's got to waka waka over and eat them. I enjoy the soundtrack I find myself humming along to it. On top of your regular mode there's also a puzzle mode with 100 levels and a multiplayer option. I give this game 8 out of 10. It's a fun game and I recommend giving it a try if you haven't.
    Below is some screenshots of the game and a PDF of the manual..Pac-Attack (USA).pdf
  15. Thanks
    Justin reacted to 1Littlebeast for a blog entry, Gates Of Zendocon   
    Gates of Zendocon gets a solid 10/10 . I never got to experience this game on original hardware but I've been playing it on and off the last few days on my Evercade and have been having a blast. I'm usually not the biggest fan of Space Shooters,  Shoot 'em ups or Horizontally scrolling shooters, but this game has held my attention where others have failed. From cool looking enemies to explosions and safe spots like the awesome looking base, this game has it all. This game was released in 1989 and developed by Epyx and published by Atari Corporation in North America and Europe exclusively for the Atari Lynx. In this game you travel through different universes by going through gates that teleport you to a base where you can repair your ship and then launch into the next level/Universe. Each level has different enemies from eyeballs to dragons. While going through the levels if you take damage your ship can loose its laser cannon leaving you with only your destructor shield and Phantom bombs. There are a total of 53 levels I am currently on level 16. Supposedly there are alien's that you run into that will help you along the way I haven't run into any that I am aware of yet, but I wanted to mention it in this review. On the first level there are two gates the first one will put you on easy and the second one will put you on a harder difficulty. If you haven't checked this game out yet I would highly suggest it! Below is a Map of Zendocon.
    Gates of Zendocon Map: Each level's gates are numbered left to right, top to bottom, as the terrain scrolls from left to right. Start AAAA -->BASE 1 2/ `--. / ZYBX 2 / 1/|3 `--. / / | XRXS / / | | / / | 1 ANEX / / | .--' |2 / / NEAT | / / | | | | YARR | | | | | | | 1 EYES | | | .--' /2 / | NYXX / / | / / / | ZYRB / / | | /______/ | SRYX / | / | BARE 2 | 1| `--. | | XRAY | STAX `--. | | RATT | | | SZZZ NYET `--. .--' `----------->RAZE___ 2 1/|34 `--------ROXX / | `--. / | NERB / | _ | / | TERA TREY / | | .--' / | | 2 STAR / | | .--' |1 | | BYTE SSSS | | | | | | 1 BETA | | | .--' |2 | | TRAX | | | | | | | 1 ZEBA | | | .--' |2 | | TRYX ROXY | | | | | | STYX NEXA 1 | | | |2 `--. | | YARB | NEST | | | | ____ | EBYX | | .--'-------<-' 1 BREX .---'2| 3___ ZEST | / | / | STAB / | | ZORT | | | | | | | 1 BOXX | | .--' |2 | SEBB | | .--' TENT | SNEX / | | / BRAN ZAXX / `--------`--. / BROT | STOB | XTNT | BOTZ | SNAX 2 1| `--. | NEAR | .--' ZETA  
    Below are some screenshots of the game and a pdf of the manual.

     Gates of Zendocon.pdf
  16. Like
    Justin reacted to 1Littlebeast for a blog entry, Super Mario Bros 35th Anniversary Game and Watch   
    The recently released Super Mario Bros Game and Watch scores a Solid 7/10. When compared to the original Game and Watches its missing some features but there is a lot of goodies that sort of make up for it and it will bring you hours of joy. To start the box has a protective sleeve over it  with a neat design on it. (Pictures below) But lets get into the meat of the Handheld the clock has Mario running through a level which you have 3 level faces to choose from that you are able to pick by pressing the Time button. While on the clock screen you are able to interact with the computer Mario that is running on the screen by pressing A or B. By doing so it will drop enemy's into the clock face and Mario will have to try and avoid, or defeat them. There are 35 events that happen on the clock face, from Mario moonwalking to Monty Mole appearing from the ground and running around. Depending on the time of day the face will also change to morning, evening, and night screens as well as change the enemy's that Mario is facing. To set the time and change the volume and brightness you will want to hit the pause/set button on the clock face screen. One hidden feature on the device is on the clock screen if you press and hold the A button for about 5 seconds you will be met with a screen for the Mario Drawing song which has subtitles in 7 different languages. Now there are three games on the device which are located under the games button you have Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 2, and Game and Watch Ball. If you are in any of the games by pressing the pause/set button you will pause the game and will be met with 3 options Sound, Brightness and Reset game. Now there are some hidden features on the games as well on Mario Bros 1 and 2 if you click the game to start and hold A on the menu for about 5 seconds before starting the game completely you can enjoy the games with Infinite lives which can be nice lol. On Game and Watch Ball if you do the same thing you can swap Marios head for Luigis. Now before we talk about what is missing I want to mention that if you do not have it plugged in it will shut off after not being used for a few minutes and it will show you a going to sleep picture. If you have it plugged in the device will remain on. Now my only Gripes for this Handheld is since it is a clock it would of been nice if Nintendo would have included a kickstand on it like the originals had, and if it would of had a alarm function. I also wish that they would have included one more Game and Watch game making it have a total of 4 games 2 Mario and 2 Game and Watch. Overall I have had a lot of fun with it and would say if you find it at a store id pick it up. It would make a great stocking stuffer or Clock for your desk you can buy stands to put it on at a arts store or online on sites like Etsy etc. I hope you guys enjoyed my review and have a good week everyone. 😃   | Website | Trailer |   

  17. Like
    Justin reacted to 1Littlebeast for a blog entry, Dreamfall Chapters   
    Dreamfall Chapters is an episodic adventure game developed by Red Thread Games and Published by Deep Silver. It came out for PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One. It is apart of the game series The Longest Journey. ( I haven't played the previous games yet but I bought them recently) I discovered this game in 2018 and absolutely fell in love with it. From its Amazing Soundtrack. (Soundtrack YouTube) To its Beautiful Sci-Fi Futuristic level design and environment. (Which I enjoyed exploring every inch of)
    All the way to its core. Its Chose your own adventure style gameplay gives it a high replay value and its story is bound to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. My friend and I played it roughly at the same time (He started playing a week after I did) and because of choices we made, we had different story's and even a different character. I give this game a 10/10. I have played it multiple times and have had fun every time. If you would like to watch my playthrough of it Click Here. ( Lightning Wolf Corp is a defunct thing I tried if you are curious about it maybe ill make a blog post) You can get the game for $20 on PlayStation and Xbox and $25 on steam. I hope you guys enjoyed my first review I decided not to go to much into the story as to avoid spoilers for those that want to play it. If you want to know more about the story here is the official Website.
  18. Like
    Justin reacted to Atari Creep for a blog entry, Friday the 13th safety mask cover   
    So it sucks having to put a mask on every time we go out. Sucks but important. There is no reason however we can't make it a little fun.
     
    STRONG LANGUAGE
     
  19. Like
    Justin reacted to MaximumRD for a blog entry, Been a little sick (don't worry!)   
    I been suffering severe sinus issues past 3 days. FINALLY everything that was jammed up in my nasal passages released into my nose and I was able to blow it out, required much sudafed, inhalation and mostly ibuprofen and Tylenol because I get a severe sinus headaches from it, the first day really bad and painful but the next couple days even after doing everything still experiencing a constant low underlying headache which clearly was wearing me out. Today is the first day I actually feel relief. Blew a bunch a shit out of my nose and throat in a hot steamy shower, unclogged finally!  I will continue on sudafed for the rest of the day until I go to bed then hopefully I can do without it after that, knocks me on my ass though, I hibernate like  bear but it makes me dream like crazy and I feel it helps in the body healing process. First thing I noted was no cough or any other symptoms so not jumping the gun or being paranoid about Covid but at the same time need to be careful, don't want to be compromised by anything that might cause me to be even more susceptible to virus. Would not be the first time where I was sick and got through it only to be knocked on my ass by something even worse! But yeah, feeling much more like my old self which may never be GREAT these days but at least it allows me to be functional and for that I am thankful.

  20. Thanks
    Justin reacted to MaximumRD for a blog entry, RE: My Tragic C64 incident   
    RE: Commodore 64. Once (I learned a lesson 😎) back in the early days, my first C64, the classic breadbox model, I loved it so, I even painted the case a cool shiny BLACK with spray paint. NOTE: Image shown is not mine and included for descriptive purposes only. Sadly, I had more balls than knowledge and was always tinkering, wanting to see the guts of a machine etc. Do you know where this is going? I disassembled the machine BUT, and I think this was my biggest mistake in all this, with the cover and shielding OFF for some reason I still had it plugged in and turned on and poking around looking at the chips with screwdriver in hand I explored the guts noting numbers and labels when suddenly I dropped my tool (I MEAN MY SCREWDRIVER!) and there was a pop sound followed with a spark. It all happened so fast, I do not recall seeing any obvious damage but....well after putting everything back together, at first I was happy to see the machine start up and at first thought eh, everything's fine but.....nope. Turns out everything I loaded, whether from cassette or disk just ran at the wrong speed, everything was now super slow, like slideshow slow, as if every process went from normal to the speed of a snail crawling through molasses, it seemed to work normally otherwise from what I recall but nothing was playable or usable after that. Oh man, I was soooo upset and mad at myself. Such things were rare commodities for me at that young age and I was never going to get a replacement that's for sure, I had gotten it used as a hand me down. I learned a valuable lesson that day I can tell you. Oh I still tinkered, took things apart and explored every electronic item I would be lucky enough to get, MOST reassembled and working again successfully. Anyway, there was a time I got ONE hell of a shock that I think made my heart possibly stop temporarily while working at the back of a 26' cabinet RCA CRT Television but that's another story 😛 
     
    Note mine (it's long gone 😢) but similar


     
     
  21. Like
    Justin reacted to Atari 5200 Guy for a blog entry, Lunch Time With BurgerTime   
    The almighty hamburger.  A hot sandwich starting with a beef patty, topped with trimmings like lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese, and smothered with ketchup and mustard.  A monetary staple for fast food drive-ins and a popular item to cook for some outdoor grillin'.  It's also one of the easiest food items to cook where almost anything on it will compliment it.  Almost.  That is until you come across evil food.  Hot dogs, eggs, and pickles are tired of being on the menu and have gone on strike!  That is the formula it takes to have a little video game called BurgerTime.
    The object of the game is to guide a chef, named Peter Pepper, through various mazes.  Each maze contains scattered ingredients that make up a hamburger which has to be assembled on plates at the bottom of the mazes.  Making hamburgers should be easy, right?  Wrong.  To add salt to a wound our chef is constantly being hunted down by food whose only goal is to stop chef from completing his mission.  The only weapon at your disposal is the almost empty pepper shaker that was grabbed at the last minute.
    For a simple sounding concept BurgerTime is anything but simple.  One false move or turn will have our chef meet his demise instantly.  And no matter which way our chef goes the food will not be far behind.  Our chef gets very little no time to stop and get a heading on where everything is.  Even stopping for a split second will end up with him being cornered with no where to run.  Hit them with pepper and he can slide by.  Catch one on a hamburger part when you make it fall will take that evil food with it for a long ride.  Want an egg on your burger?  Catch one between all the layers of the burger and it becomes part of the burger.  Pick up the desserts and side items that pop up to gain extra pepper.  
    Originally developed by Data East and released in North America by Bally/MIDWAY BurgerTime is one of those games that's a bit of an odd-ball.  Out of all the video games made there hasn't been another game that has tried to imitate or use a similar formula that makes BurgerTime tick.  My Arcade managed to cram all that into a miniature arcade cabinet that's as much fun to play as it is to look at.  But is it any good?
    On the outside BurgerTime's cabinet contains artwork that is inspired by the original but not 100% accurate.  For whatever reason the chef on the sides has an "H" on his hat where as the original chef on the real deal has a "P" for Peter Pepper.  I'm not quite sure what the "H" is all about unless his name is Hamburger Harry.  Maybe Peter got fired and Harry took his place?  Your guess is as good as mine.  At least all of the artwork fits together nicely.
    All of these My Arcade Micro Players made to date remind me of the NES standard controllers with a removable joystick handle.  With that you have a D-Pad/joystick combo that tries to act as a four-way joystick from the arcades.  The two smaller buttons are to Start and Reset the game.  The Start button doubles as a pause button for times when you need a break.  For some odd reason there are two pepper buttons.  Well, should one button fail there is a back-up.  
    Even though it uses the NES version of BurgerTime it's still a blast to play but BurgerTime on this unit is very unforgiving and very fast paced.  Before you know it food will be on top of you in the blink of an eye.  I have not managed to see if all the mazes from the arcade are here but I did manage to see five of them.  Getting that far was not an easy task at all.  Concentration is definitely the key to getting anywhere in this game.  You can sometimes trick enemies to go one way while you take off in another direction.  But not always.
    BurgerTime has its place in video game history as one of the most original and iconic designs of all time.  No matter how unforgiving this game gets its addictive and hard to put down.  It is for me anyway.  We hear more about Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Centipede, Frogger, and other popular games from the same era than we hear about BurgerTime.  And these attractable micro arcades I have found hard to resist.  My only wish is that they would have used actual arcade ROMs.  BurgerTime takes its place next to my other micro arcades where it will be enjoyed time and time again.  Not a bad way to preserve some of the arcade games my generation grew up with.
  22. Like
    Justin reacted to Atari 5200 Guy for a blog entry, Diggin' With Dig Dug   
    Grab that joystick, mash that button as we go on a journey digging underground to collect vegetables, pump up Pookas, and dropping rocks on Fygars.  This is Dig Dug -- the strategic underground arcade digging game that took the video game industry by storm in the early 1980's.  Released by Namco in Japan, the game was brought to America and Europe by Atari's arcade division.  It wouldn't be long after that when Atari's console division made home versions of the game for the Atari 2600, 5200, and 7800 consoles.  All three versions capture the essence of the game but which one stands out the most?  
    That is the purpose of this writing.  I sat down over the weekend and played all three versions of the game to answer my own question of which one was the better Dig Dug.  Fans of the game and Atari consoles might have a personal favorite because it was probably the one they played growing up.  I get it, I know that way of thinking very well as I, too, grew up on Atari's Dig Dug for my first Atari console.  But I went in to this being completely biased and taking mental notes on what I liked and didn't like about each version on an individual basis.  I also kept mental notes on which one I was playing the most.  This one is more for my own personal satisfaction.  It is in no way saying which one is better for everyone, everywhere.  The answer I came up with may surprise you.  But it would be foolish to give the answer away first thing and make for a very short blog post.  So I will start off with the version I grew up with first.
      
    The 5200's Dig Dug is the version I grew up with.  I spent many hours on this game without reading the instructions of course.  Then again I'm sure those of us who had an Atari did a similar thing...in goes the cartridge, in the trash went everything else including instructions.  If only I had read those instructions but more on that later.  The 5200 version gets points for looking more like the arcade with the exception of the single-colored sprites or characters. 
    Everything else looks good.  The game play is definitely here and the sound effects that make Dig Dug enjoyable are also present and done very well.  Having grown up with the 5200 allowed me to gain an appreciation for the system so the controller was nothing new to me.  The controls worked fine, no issues.  However I could easily understand how this game would be a flop if and when a controller decides to stop working properly.  
    The 5200 was marketed as an at-home arcade system and its ports of the then-popular arcade hits were nothing short of a miracle and Dig Dug still holds up well on this console.  On a more personal note I think the game would have been a bit better with multicolored characters.  At least Fygar looks like a dragon.  I just wish that the Pookas had their iconic yellow masks.
    Now...on to the next version I played.
     

    Dig Dug on the 7800 gets points for the much improved graphics...and the characters finally look like their arcade cousins.  The game play is smooth, graphics are good, sounds are OK, and the controls works.  The only thing about this Dig Dug I don't like has nothing to do with the game but more with the controller.  The 7800's original controller is so uncomfortable that playing this game for any kind of enduring high score run is almost impossible.  This is easily eliminated by using a Europad controller or even the standard 2600 style controller.  Using any kind of controller besides that 7800 controller would be a blessing in disguise.
    However, to stay true to my original concept of trying Dig Dug using all original hardware I hung in there.  I found myself playing this one a few times before reaching the point my hands simply couldn't take it any more.  I had fun with this version and the 7800's Dig Dug can be fun.  It's a real shame that this was not released when it was ready and when it would have mattered.  What I did notice was how quick the game was unforgiving.  It didn't take long for three or four monsters to turn into ghosts and come after me.  Usually within the first and second rounds.  I simply couldn't do as good on the 7800 version as I could on the 5200 version on the default settings.  And we have now reached the final version of Dig Dug I tried.
     

    Dig Dug on the 2600 was one I remember playing after years of owning the 5200 Dig Dug.  At first glance the game doesn't look as good as its 5200 and 7800 siblings.  The characters look OK, the controls are good, the sounds are as good as they can be (which the 7800 has the exact same sounds), it's just the dirt, or what is suppose to be dirt, is just thin solid bars.  There is a little bit of flicker which is understandable considering the hardware and memory limitations.  But the game play is what is all about when the 2600 is in the spotlight.  To my surprise the 2600 Dig Dug holds its own.  And considering the large amount of various controller styles for the 2600 I can see how anyone could sit and do a decent high score run on this system with very little to no fatigue.
    I have to say what impresses me the most about this version is how colorful it seems over the others.  Bright, solid, vibrant colors that are easy to look at.  They don't appear dull, dark or dingy like the 5200 and 7800 versions can sometimes appear.  It's just an overall fun experience.
     
    Now, to the section that was hard for me to decide...which one ranks above the others.  The 5200 I am sentimentally partial to so that would normally rank it above all others.  If it was the only Atari Dig Dug I had I would be satisfied with it.  It does play well for what it's worth.  The 7800 version looks remarkably better but I do wish they would have done different sounds instead of just copying those from the 2600 version.  And if I was stuck with the original 7800 controllers there's no way my hands could tolerate lengthy amount of game play.  I'd have to use a different controller.  The 7800 controllers are just not balanced well.  With that being said...
     
     
     
    ...the 2600 version wins this round.  I have to be honest here because the 2600 took a really long time to capture my heart.  It was very much ignored, overlooked, frowned upon during its production run and even years after.  Trying to be biased for this game on the 2600 was not easy for me to do.  When I played it before I wasn't sure why I was playing it or if I even wanted to play it.  Over the last few years I have slowly discovered all the games I missed that ended up being a lot of fun.  And that's what the 2600 was about...fun.  It wasn't about the graphics or sounds...it was all about the game play.  And Atari nailed it on the 2600 version of Dig Dug.  It's colorful and after a while the appearance of the dirt just starts to blend in.  It's a formula that just works, pure and simple.
    To my surprise I found myself playing Dig Dug on the 2600 more often than on the 5200 and 7800 systems.  The 2600 keeps proving to me time and time again what its true nature is.  It's a game machine where it is not always about how the game looks but how the game is played.  And Dig Dug on the 2600 plays very well.  And it would be easy to do a long running high score attempt on it without worrying about fatigue or sore hands.  The 2600 has a lot of character for a simple machine and Dig Dug fits in very well into its library of arcade ports.  Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to return to my 2600 to play some more Dig Dug.
    Oh...I almost forgot!  Getting back to those instructions.  It wasn't until I recently picked up a new copy of Dig Dug for the 2600 where I learned how to get those vegetables to show up.  All I had to do was drop two rocks.  I sat down to read the instructions and that's when I discovered it.  I've had Dig Dug, buying it new in box as well, for the 5200 for at least ten years now and I've never read the instructions or I would have known that tip a lot sooner.  OK...back to more Dig Dug.  Have Fun!!
  23. Thanks
    Justin reacted to Atari 5200 Guy for a blog entry, Small Size, Big Heart   
    What to write about?  I know I want to write about the 2600 but I just don't know where to begin.  Do I talk more about the iconic woody console or the Junior model?  I don't have much to say about controllers because it's either paddle, driving, keypad, or more joystick designs than anyone could fathom.  Games?  Do I talk more about games that I have managed to pick up since my last post?  I might have to think on this a bit more.  While I'm thinking...
    As I sit here writing this there is a 2600 Junior model sitting in front of me.  Recently acquired in unknown condition I spent the better part of a day taking it apart all the way down to the motherboard and gave it a good cleaning.  Wondering why I couldn't get bubbles off the chrome strip I finally discovered that the protective covering had never been taken off.  Nice surprise.  So I removed it.  I couldn't let all that moisture remain trapped and ruining that beautiful chrome strip.  It still has some color issues I have to work out but is functional otherwise.
    Since I'm here, and more Atari games have been added to my collection, I'll do a bit of an updated version of my favorite cartridges.  Keep in mind these are personal favorites solely based on two factors...they are favorites and played the most.  Let's get started.
    Favorite Black Label Carts

    I have two black label favorites.  Video Chess and Yar's Revenge.  Yar's Revenge was a 2600 title I could have seen as a Saturday Morning cartoon show.  It wasn't until a recent Squad Challenge that the true nature of this game proved to me just how challenging Yar's could really be.  Because of that, and the few years I've been biased about the 2600 in general, that this game moved up the ranks as a favorite and played often.  It's arcade-style game play is rock solid and sure to give the joystick a workout.
    Video Chess is my go-to black label game when I want to play a relaxing game.  I still haven't managed to beat the computer but I enjoy playing Chess and don't really have a human opponent to go up against.  I'm not a pro at the game but I enjoy this classic strategy game.  I have never found a perfect computerized Chess game either and the 2600 is not without its own flaws.  However the 2600 is a very strong opponent no matter which skill level you attempt at trying to win.  And it will always plan its next moves carefully but at times it seems as if its first few moves are preset.  Still fun, though.
    Favorite Silver Label Cart

    One of my favorite games on the 5200 is Vanguard so it shouldn't be no surprise that the 2600 port of Vanguard became a favorite.  I love the artwork on the label and surprised that it isn't the same one that was used on the 5200 as was often done.  Compared to the 5200 port Vanguard on the 2600 seems a bit more challenging and a bit more unforgiving.  One mistake can mean sudden death.  I also believe this is the only 2600 game I have that has a continue feature.  It's also the only one where the player can move diagonally while firing because you can't do that in the 5200 port.   Graphics in this game are absolutely stunning and the sounds are not much different from the 5200.  I do miss the music that plays during some of the vertical scrolling segments.  I also miss the Striped Zone that is absent in the 2600 port.  And I have yet to destroy the end boss before it takes me down.  Believe it or not, I never knew this was an arcade game for the longest time until I discovered an actual cab during the NES days.  Very well made 2600 port with very little to no flicker issues.  My favorite shoot'em up on the 2600.
    Favorite Adventure Cart

    For most other 2600 gamers Adventure might be their favorite adventure-style game but for me Dark Chambers has slightly taken an edge above Adventure.  I enjoy having to figure out the levels to find items and exits that are often hidden.  I also enjoy having to go through the level screens to figure out how to reach those items.  For this reason this game gets more play time than Adventure in my library.  I personally think it is even slightly better than the 7800 version.  That one looks better but, as NSG has mentioned, if only it would have taken the game play concept of hidden items to find the 7800 version might have been the better game.  But, alas, the 2600 once again shows just how well it can capture a gamer's attention and hold it when properly developed for.  And Dark Chambers is one of those games.  I've not been able to spend as much time with it as I would like to fully enjoy it but what little I have played of it I keep finding myself spending more time in every level trying to find items than what is probably required.  Seriously, I've spent about 15 minutes in some levels.
    Favorite Pinball Cart

    Again, it should be no surprise that Midnight Magic makes for one of my most played 2600 games.  I like Video Pinball but at times you just sit there waiting to do something.  Midnight Magic manages to capture some of the pure essence that makes pinball tables fun.  There are targets, bumpers, a spinner, kickbacks, dual flippers, rollover targets...this game has the basics that are perfectly placed and captures what made some of the early pinball tables memorable.  Knock down all the targets at the top and the game goes into double points.  The table also changes color and plays a short tune.  Knocking down targets again advances the multiplier all the way up to five times the points obtained.  Lose your ball, however, and it's back to single points again.  Do it right and the player can obtain extra balls.  Lose all five balls and the game is over.  Easy to pick up and play, no flickering, and it looks good.  I'm also a little partial to this game because when I got my very first paycheck the NES and Sega Genesis were on the market.  Instead of buying anything for either of those I picked up a new 2600 Junior, Jr. Pac-Man, and this game.  All for about $50.  I played Midnight Magic the most.
    Favorite Arcade Cart

    The 2600 got lots of arcade ports.  While the limitations of the system kept most ports from looking like their arcade parents the game play managed to remain intact.  Two arcade ports stand out in my collection.  Space Invaders and Gyruss.  Space Invaders was the very first Atari game I remember playing many moons ago on a store display.  Dangling from a chain I put the game in and quit playing only when it was time to leave.  This game was the one that introduced me to Atari, the VCS, and the only reason why I kept hoping for one.
    Gyruss, on the other hand, was a game I remember playing in arcades and enjoyed it immediately.  I must have been sleeping when Parker Bros. ported this game over to various consoles.  Being fairly new to my collection Gyruss on the 2600 has quickly become a favorite.  It might not be graphically impressive but the game play is there and the music that constantly plays in the arcade was put in the 2600 port in all of it's 2-channel glory.  And it's really not all that bad.  Missing are the sound effects because the music constantly playing doesn't leave room for any sound effects.  A valiant effort that is a very worthwhile cart to play.  One of my favorite arcade games and one of my now favorite 2600 games.  Space Invaders and Gyruss.  What more could one ask for?
    Favorite Dot Munching Cart

      Mouse Trap is an easy to pick-up and play dot munching game where the player controls a mouse.  The object is to eat all the dots in the maze of which I'm not entirely certain what they are suppose to be.  In each of the four corners of the maze are X's that change the player into a dog temporarily when the fire button is pressed.  This helps keep the cats chasing the mouse at bay.  A unique feature of this game is the ability to change the maze by opening and closing doors.  Doing this can help block cats from catching the mouse.  Originally released on the 2600 by Coleco of ColecoVision fame the cart I has is the re-release Atari did with a red label.  Still an easy game to pick up and play today.  This one and Jr Pac-Man get lots of attention but I find myself coming back to this one more often.
    Favorite 3rd-Party Carts

    Fast Eddie and Planet Patrol are great 3rd-party 2600 games.  I'm sure there are others but I have to base this post on games I have in my collection.  Something about Fast Eddie is addictive.  The ladders are vary in position with each game played, enemy characters are basic but challenging, and the only real thing the player has to do is collect things like hearts, tanks, fish, etc., to grab a key being guarded by the enemy at the top.  It's a bit of Popeye (the collecting hearts part) mashed up with Lode Runner in a easier format.  Very colorful game that is fun for hours on end.
    Planet Patrol is another shoot 'em up on the 2600.  The only real difference is the changing of day to night, destroying enemies and reactors/power plants, and scrolling from right to left over left to right or vertically.  A bit unusual.  What makes this so appealing to me are the small details of this game.  Easy to pick up and play, takes a while to master.  I also love the chrome label, something rarely seen.  It's very attractive and I could see how eye appealing that package would have been sitting next to other games, fighting to be taken home.  It does that now in a large library of 2600 carts.  
    Favorite Activision Cart

    It's almost unlawful to mention the 2600 without thinking immediately about the first 3rd-party game developer known as Activision.  Activision literally pushed the 2600 as hard as they could and, in the end, it paid off.  Almost every title they released for the 2600 was an instant classic.  While I enjoy all Activision games in my collection the two that I go to the most are Enduro and Space Shuttle.  
    Enduro took me completely by surprise in 1988 when I picked up a used 2600 with a bunch of games.  This cart was one of the games included and when I first plugged it in I expected it to be a Pole Position rip-off.  The next thing I know I had been playing it for over an hour and forced myself to stop when it was time for dinner.  I was in 8th grade then.  Enduro left such an impression that I would have an agonizing 24 hour wait time to return home to play it again.  To help with that I woke up an hour early to get a game in before having to get ready for school.  Space Invaders game me a reason to want an Atari, Enduro gave me a reason to hang on to one.  Enough said.
    Space Shuttle.  Gee, where do I begin with this one?  You're a NASA astronaut and your mission is to dock with a satellite in space currently orbiting the Earth.  Sounds simple, right?  Then you give it a shot and wonder why in God's name you can't seem to leave the planet without killing you and your crew members.  Then you grab the manual for some pointers.  It is at this precise moment you realize what you have plugged into your 2600.  This isn't a game...this is a simulator.  The author wanted to capture as much as he could about space flight that he literally went to NASA and participated in learning everything the astronauts have to do and even used NASA's flight simulators used for training.  I would have to say that his efforts paid off in probably the only simulation game made on the 2600.  The amount of detail in unreal.  Every switch on the 2600 does something to the space shuttle.  There's a switch for running gear, brakes, deploying parachute when landing...let's see what else?...one to turn on ignition I think...it's unreal!  The instructions alone are like a shortened step into NASA's school.  The manual is thick and can take a lot of time alone to absorb.  But it is also probably the most expensive instruction book made for any 2600 game ever.  Full color, exploded views of an actual space shuttle, step-by-step instructions on what you are suppose to do.  And it's on the 2600 to boot.  I'm not very good at it but I keep finding myself coming back to this simulator because its visuals and sounds are absolutely amazing to me.  I consider this one of Activision's, and Steve's, holy grail.  If only today's games went this far.  I believe there was only one other game to do something similar but it was at least a decade after Space Shuttle.  For those that wanted to be astronauts but never did...here's your chance.  This is as close as it gets.
    Favorite Paddle Game

    The 2600 had plenty of games but it also had plenty of controller options.  I don't know how many times I would play a 2600 game without paying attention only to realize I needed paddle controllers.  For the longest time I felt the paddle controllers for the 2600 could have been better.  Once I found Warlords, however, that thought quickly changed.  It didn't take me long to realize just how comfortable those paddle controllers actually are.  And after hours of playing Warlords the design of the paddle controllers made sense.  What makes playing Warlords for hours on end a must on the 2600 is the fact it's a mix of Pong and Breakout put together and then shaken up with steroids in the mix.  The 2600 might not be graphically impressive but when it comes to game play it can strut its stuff like no other.  Warlords offers four-player game play either solo against three computer players or with a group humans be it they are friends or enemies.  And once the action starts it's hard to put down.  All you have to do is break down your opponents' barrier to their castle to hit the center of their castle with the ball.  That's it.  Yea...good luck with that.
    Favorite Red Label Cart

    Since I did my favorite black and silver label carts I might as well tell my favorite red label cart.  I kept wanting to put Solaris on this list but that game makes me rage quit so much that it could take me weeks to return to it.  Radar Lock on the other hand is a well done game, by the same author, using most of the same mechanics found in Solaris.  This is easily the 2600's answer to those needing an After Burner fix.  It looks good, sounds good, uses dual joysticks (one stick is used to select weapons), plays good, and is just all around fun for hours on end.  This on is probably one of the more rare red-label carts out there so if you find it I would suggest picking it up.  
    Favorite Non-Game Cart

    One cart in my collection that is not a game at all is Basic Programming.  The 2600 is interesting not only from a gaming point-of-view but also from a technical perspective.  It's hard to believe a game console designed to do strictly tank and pong games showed that it could do so much more, often times surpassing what it was originally designed for.  For the curious this cart would allow anyone with the enthusiasm and patients to write small programs for the 2600 to perform.  While it doesn't unlock the full potential of the 2600's inner workings it does give a taste of what it's like to program the 2600.  However, with the memory limitation, don't expect to write the next Adventure game as there simply isn't room.  Also, once turned off any programs you've written are erased.  Pencil and pad are your best friend.  I use this one often just to toy around with the system.  Kind of neat to see what can be done with it.
    Final Thoughts
    The 2600, no matter which model you own, has always been a small system with a big heart.  Even the almighty six switch models are not that large.  When taken down to just the heart of the system only a small footprint remains.  Big things do sometimes come in small packages and the 2600 has proven time and time again that it is very capable of entertaining for hours on end.  I still run across games that are just unbelievable in terms of what the developers managed to pull off.  Again, here is a console designed for simple Pong and Tank style games.  It was never designed to play Space Invaders, Galaxian, Gyruss, Pitfall!, or anything close to Space Shuttle...but it did those things and did them pretty well.  Truthfully, the video game genres we have today have their roots dating back to the 2600.  This is the console that started it all and it is still showing it can stand its ground against modern gaming hardware.  And that, my friends, is no small achievement.
  24. Like
    Justin reacted to Atari Creep for a blog entry, You are ALL my children now!!!   
    I love taking something old and giving it new life. That said when it is a creation from someone else past it can be a bit touchy. Anxiety on red alert. This kit was someones work of art, their creative outlet in the time in witch it was created. No matter, some things need to be restored and given new life. I am more than happy to do so. In fact it's an honor. Someone its giving you something VER PERSONAL regardless if they feel so or not. Regardless of the extent I do or do not put my spin on a restoration I try to retain something, even a small part of what was there to start with. 
    Thanks to @btbfilms76 for entrusting me with small slices of your childhood, even if you do not take it as serious as I do.
     
     
  25. Thanks
    Justin reacted to Sabertooth for a blog entry, Annex 002 - Rikki & Vikki (Atari 7800)   
    Welcome to the second "annex" entry of the Game Cave.  In this entry, I'll discuss the PenguiNet game Rikki & Vikki for the Atari 7800.  
    Rikki & Vikki was a surprise release on Steam (12/2018) and the 7800 in February 2019 from PenguiNet.  Some of you may be familiar with PenguiNet for their amazing work on Zaku for the Lynx; arguably one of the best original titles on the platform.  Zaku really pushed the Lynx and stands as a tremendously fun, graphically stunning and amazing sounding game.  For Rikki & Vikki, PenguiNet continues in that tradition, delivering an original gaming experience on a classic console that largely exceeds Atari published efforts in key areas of gameplay, graphics and sound.  Make no mistake - this is not a homebrew.  This is a professionally developed game with a high level of production value and a stellar physical product.  Now for some impressions & observations! 
    Gameplay:
    Rikki & Vikki is a sort of puzzle platformer.  The goal of the game is to save your two children - Mary & Sam - from Misery the Inconvenient.  Misery has kidnapped your children and taken them to the six cavern Miseryland Themepark - "a downward spiral of inconvenience."  On each level, use Rikki or Vikki to collect all of the keys within the time allotted to progress to the next level.  Collecting keys isn't always easy.  You have to move cubes, navigate enemies, spikes and other hazards to get to the keys.  Some puzzles are more obvious than others and don't be surprised if you run out of time before solving a puzzle. 
    Rikki & Vikki requires a 7800 compatible controller with independent fire buttons.  This means that you can't use a standard 2600 controller or a Genesis gamepad for the game.  The left button is used to "interact" with the cubes and the right button is used to jump.  When you grab a cube you can throw it at an enemy or stick it to the floor or wall in order to gain access to an otherwise unreachable area of the play field.  Falling into a void will cause you to re-emerge from the top - this is sometimes necessary to solve a puzzle.  Each area of the Park - called "caverns" - consists of several levels and culminates in a boss battle.  Gameplay modes come in three flavors: co-op with Rikki & Vikki, solo Rikki, and solo Vikki.  I have not yet played co-op mode and from what I can tell, the solo experiences are the same whether playing as Rikki or Vikki.  
    This is a hard game.  You will die.  You will run out of time.  You will make stupid mistakes.  You will get stuck.  While you can continue, doing so forces a restart at the beginning of the cavern. Fortunately, after a few continues, a character named "Dut", a large penguin and "salesman" of you unlimited continues in exchange for your points.  You will no longer get points in game - so no high score - but you will get to keep problem solving.  This makes it a little less arduous to develop your skills and improve your puzzle solving strategies.  
    Graphics:
    Rikki & Vikki boast what are possibly the best graphics on the 7800.  The character animations, level-design, character and enemy sprites all look amazing.  Add to that, the game runs in the 7800's 320 mode - a higher resolution mode that few games have taken advantage of.  I struggle to think of a single game published for the 7800 that looks better.  It looks first-party NES/SMS good folks.  The animations are not just good, they're thoughtful and add depth to the game.  The levels look great with coherent themes throughout.  Its clear the people at PenguiNet are getting all they can out of the 7800.
    Sound: 
    Like the graphics, PenguiNet went all in with the sound here.  Apparently, they developed a custom chip for sound that allowed for NES level music.  The TIA is still there and - at least on my 7800 - the harsh crashes are a bit louder than the music.  However, that's my LHE mod and not the game.  The music here is absolutely fantastic. 
    Packaging: 
    The packaging on this game is beautiful folks.  Everything from the cart, to the box to the manual screams professional.  The game comes on a custom transparent orange cart shell with a wrap around full color label.  It fit my 7800 perfectly.  The box is likewise full color and is in the same size and style as original run 7800 games - just missing "Atari."  The instructions are full color and come as a "Miser Land Official Tour Guide" fold out with gameplay and character info.  The package even comes with a warranty card, two passes to Misery Land and a PenguiNet sticker.  Top notch all the way! 
    Final Thoughts:
    This is 7800 gaming at its best.  It has game design, graphics, sound and amazing packaging. If you own a 7800, I urge you to support the developer and grab a copy today.  For $59.99 plus shipping, the package is well worth the price of entry.  Even if you don't own a 7800 or don't have the $$, the game is also available on Steam for $9.99.  For that price, you could hardly find a more fun and complete game play experience.  
    Have you played Rikki & Vikki?  What are your thoughts on the game?  How does it stack up to other games on the 7800?  
     
    PenguiNet Rikki & Vikki Trailer:  
     

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