RickR

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2016/04/08/first-look-book-celebrates-art-atari/82785834/
 
$39.95.  Looks like something that a lot of us here would love.
 

 

You got some really nice stuff there.  That Namco plug and play is excellent.  I have that exact one.  And I can spot the model 101 GBA SP.  Those things are the very best.  And man, the Pokemon games are easy to sell. 

From Mr. Rowsdower70.  Most appreciated. 

I myself with living and breeding Atari through the out my entire life, This will be the opus to that past, I simply loved this art form and works by so many incredible artists , I didn't even have to think twice, instantly preordered and like Lost Dragon, it cat get here quick enough.
 
It will be savoured to last page and then start all over again

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2016/04/08/first-look-book-celebrates-art-atari/82785834/
 
$39.95.  Looks like something that a lot of us here would love.
 

 

From Mr. Rowsdower70.  Most appreciated. 

From Mr. Rowsdower70.  Most appreciated. 

You got some really nice stuff there.  That Namco plug and play is excellent.  I have that exact one.  And I can spot the model 101 GBA SP.  Those things are the very best.  And man, the Pokemon games are easy to sell. 

We busted our butts this weekend, came away with some pretty good loot!

You literally threw smoke on that console? 
 
I've got a C64C that smells like cat.  Danged if that smell will ever go away.  

Smoke is easier IMO.  You just need to take the thing apart and clean it very carefully/thoroughly.  For anyone who needs a 7800, this looks like a winner to me. 

Just the system right now (I'd prefer to just trade the system, although for the right trade I may try to find a plug and cable for it)
 
I bought this from a smoker and I can still smell smoke on it when I sniff it. I also looked strange to anyone around when I sniffed it.
 
Hard to put a value on it since it is the rarer, expansion port model, but it has the smoke thing going.
 
So I'm throwing it out there to see if anyone is interested in doing a trade.
(Note: Do not physically throw systems)

A delivery today from No Swear Manor for Zap himself! 

It's a criminal offense that this game wasn't a light gun game for the 2600.  Ah well.  Love the cover art on this one -- thanks, nosweargamer!
 

Okay, rounding out the handheld electronic games from home...
 

 
Fact: Tiger's Electronic Bowling is loud enough to wake the dead.  Or at least this particular one is!
 

 
Marble Madness was the one game I just could not get working, and that's a big disappointment as I remember having tons of fun with it back in the day.  It may not be *totally* dead, as every now and then it makes a sad little crunch of a buzz when I try to turn it on... probably it's just pining for the fjords, though.  Don't leave batteries inside your games, kids!
 

 
This little thing went with me EVERYWHERE, for years.  This is another one that must wait for the LR44s to arrive to be tested.  Really hoping Epoch Man will live on!  Epic, man.
 

 
Mattel's Auto Race (1976), the ancestor of them all.  Gotta figure out a better way to clean it -- the textured plastic surface just seems to have absorbed dirt.  I'm also hoping that I'll eventually find the battery compartment door...
 

 
I'll need to ask my soldering-capable friend to re-attach one of the battery connector wires, but I think it'll be okay once it's fixed.  Hoping so, anyway.
 
Finally, the centerpiece of my handheld collection...
 

 
It's not in perfect shape, but it's full of great memories.
 

 

 
The last time I tried to turn this thing on was probably 15+ years ago.  4 C batteries later...
 

 
Success!  It still runs like the day it was manufactured. 

A great merchandising idea!

I've never owned a pair of Vans but I may have to pick up my first pair soon.
 
http://solecollector.com/news/2016/05/nintendo-vans-sneakers
 

 

 

Developed by Konami and released by Stern, Turtles features the player taking the role of a mama turtle trying to rescue her babies in a 8 story building.
 
The game features four different mazes that change every 2 levels(floors) in the building.   The play field has eight mystery boxes scattered about the maze that the mama turtle must open.   six of the eight boxes contain a baby turtle, while the remaining  two contain additional enemies!  As the mama turtle opens the boxes, if a baby turtle is inside it will climb up on mama's back.  At that time a home graphic will appear in the maze, this is the safe area to drop the baby turtle off.
 
Enemies in the maze are beetles that will change color depending on how long it is taking to complete the maze.  Beetles start of a light tan color and just randomly wander the maze, then they will turn into a brown color and will pursue the mama turtle if they catch sight of her, finally the beetles will turn blue and will actively pursue the mama turtle.   However the mama turtle is not defenseless, she has bug bombs she can drop that will stun the beetles.  Only one bug bomb can be on the screen at once and additional ones can be obtained from the center of the maze.  A good strategy is to stockpile bug bombs early in the game.
There were some limited ports of this game to the home consoles as well!
 
Turtles! - Odyssey 2 - Very good home port of the arcade game.  has only six mystery boxes but all the gameplay elements from the arcade are represented.   If you have "The Voice" module attached to your Odyssey 2 you can enjoy some neat music while you play the game. this music changes as you progress through the levels as well.
 
Turtles! - Emerson Arcadia 2001 - interesting port of the arcade game, does have all eight mystery boxes however the enemies are now delivery trucks.  This is from another arcade game called Turpin or 600, but the gameplay is still the same.   This version also allows you to drop multiple bombs in the maze and there is no bomb pickup like the arcade version.  The intro screen looks like the arcade version with what sounds like Morse code playing as the mama turtle enters the building.   Once a maze is complete a door will open at the edge of the maze for the player to pass through.
 
Turtles! - Entex VFD game - This is a very good VFD (Vacuum Florescent Display) version of the arcade game.  The gameplay and maze are represented quite well from the arcade game.  This version of the game is what first made me aware of the actual arcade game!  A neat twist this version of the game has is its two player feature, one player controls the mama turtle while the other controls a beetle!
 
Turtles! - Entex Adventurevision - A very well done version of Turtles for this obscure LED (Light Emitting Diode) tabletop game system.   the maze is compressed vertically, but all the elements of the arcade game are there.  Has all eight mystery boxes, the bug bomb pickup in the middle and numerous enemies (that look like centipedes instead of beetles in this version).  I was able to play this game at CGE (Classic Gaming Expo) in 2014 and really fell in love with it and the system.
So how would I rank these ports?
Adventurevision Odyssey 2 VFD Handheld Emerson Arcadia 2001 My high score for the Arcade Game 11,490 points.   If you ever see the arcade game or use Mame, give it a try and post your high score below!

Most of us Gearheads are familiar with the name Haynes that publishes auto repair manuals.  Now they are getting into making electronic kits in that same style!  From retro radio kits to visible engines, these kits from Haynes are both educational and fun!
 
Being a avid gamer, I could not resist buying this kit when I came across it.  The build is quite simple and can be done in under a hour.  Just needs a small screwdriver, soldering iron and wire strippers.  The actual box is the game case, it is very sturdy and has magnets to hold the lid down.  It runs on three “AA” batteries and features a working “coin slot” to coin up the game!
 
The instruction manual is very well written (as you would expect from Haynes) and features lots of pictures to help put the kit together.  It also gives play tips and describes other play modes you can activate on the device (1 player versus computer, 2 player mode or computer versus computer mode).  Activating the computer player is simply done by placing one of the paddles at the bottom of the screen then coin up.  That paddle will flash to indicate it is now going to be a computer player.  You can do this with either paddle or both (for computer head to head play).
 
In playing the game it is quite challenging to play against the computer.  The paddle and ball animation are very good and scoring is displayed as individual dots on the players side of the screen.  Once a game is over, the unit will go to sleep and power down waiting for another coin.
Pros:
Easy assembly Minimal parts Very clear and concise assembly instructions Challenging gameplay Fun! Cons:
No hold down for the battery tray (I used double sided tape) Getting the coin detect working can be tricky while setting it up. Little pricey for what it is (39.99) Overall I really enjoyed building this kit, playing the game with my wife we found ourselves giggling and enjoying playing this little device!
 
Rating: (4 out of 5 minicades)
 

 
Retro Arcade Kit – Build Your Own Arcade
Some cool hacks for this device!
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Released in 2005 by Excalibur Electronics, this mini arcade machine is loosely based on the classic Coleco Tabletop Mini Arcades of the 80’s.    Although it does not have the “classic” VFD (Vacuum Florescent Display) screen, it does have a back lit LCD screen that kind of simulates that VFD look.    Four “C” sized batteries are required to power the unit.
 
Playing the game you will find that you simply cannot hold the joystick to one side to have your base continue to move, rather you have to release the joystick and push it again.   The control panel also has a on/off, pause, mute and start/fire buttons.  controls are responsive but the sound effects are lacking.   The screen is divided in two parts (Left and Right) so as the invaders disappear of the right hand side of the screen you can follow them with your base.   This gives you six total bunkers to hide behind and each bunker can take five hits before disappearing (they do show damage).   The overall game play is kind of slow and the early levels are not much of a challenge.  The invaders will not start marching down until you get up into the higher levels.
 
I did notice that it appears Excalibur Electronics has updated the graphic display.  I had a 2005 released version that shows a much different play screen than what this unit is showing.   The older units had the same graphics as the other hand held space invaders games Excalibur Electronics has made, whereas this newer unit has graphics that look like the original Taito Space Invaders!
Pros:
Very well built Nice artwork Backlit screen Improved gameplay graphics Cons:
Smaller than the original Coleco minicades Repetitive joystick motion to get base to move Playfield is divided into two screens Sound effects are “tinny” at best Overall this is a  fairly nice electronic game to add to a collection, especially if you like Space invaders and these little minicades.
 
Rating:  (4 out of 5 MiniCades)
 

 
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Over this past weekend I was at my childhood home, and I knew there were some hidden treasures waiting to be found.  It took some poking around the dusty basement, but I found pretty much everything I was looking for.  Here are two of the things I was most hoping to find:
 


I've got some LR44 batteries coming in the mail, but until they arrive these Nintendo Game & Watch beauties will have to remain untested.  I see no reason why they won't still work -- fingers crossed, anyway.
 
What I *didn't* know was that I saved the boxes and documentation, too!  I am typically *not* a box collector, but for whatever reason I hung onto these.
 

 

 
Jeez, Nintendo -- want to be a little more descriptively specific about the potential danger to babies?
 
More handheld goodness to come in the next few days!

From RickR -- two manuals I was missing (including the earlier 5200 Soccer manual, with entirely different artwork than the later RealSports Soccer version), plus an Atari Corp. label 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe.  I love the picture label carts with no controller information listed.  Atari Corp was just like, "welp, we continually screw this up SOMEHOW, so let's just nix it completely!"
 

From Ballblazer.  Penguins, plumbers, and Pontiacs. 
 
 

Spongebob works!  Tested it out today, and it's actually quite fun. 

From Ballblazer.  Penguins, plumbers, and Pontiacs. 
 
 

Spongebob works!  Tested it out today, and it's actually quite fun.