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Thursday, May 31, 2007

A ColecoVision emulator for the PSP

What good would the PSP's shiny huge screen be, if it weren't able to play classic '80s ColecoVision games? Apparently not much, and to make sure you're enjoying your fair share of retro gaming on the go, do give the brilliant freeware PSP Colem a try. Oh, and did you know Coleco stood for Connecticut Leather Company?

Related post: PaRappa the Rapper, Atari 7800 PSP emulation, Sierra adventures on the Pocket PC

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Creating games on the Game Boy Advance

If you thought brilliant e-books aimed at professional game makers haven't been free since Chris Crawford's classic The Art of Computer Game Design, well, think again, for here is the unreleased Programming the Game Boy Advance: The Unofficial Guide in all its freeware glory. And if anyone's interested in paying a modest price, the CD that would accompany said book were it ever (despite Nintendo) to grace the shelves, is also available for download, as well as quite a few developer friendly links.

Just know, that this is a programmer's book and, I'm afraid, modest C++ experience is required in order to appreciate it. Then again, it's never to late, is it? Learn some C/C++.

Related posts: GBA real-time 3D (video), Simpson's Road Rage review, Qwak GBA, Sega Smash Pack

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Disaster!


NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I just went to pick up my two Mega CDs and Megadrive from Mr. Khan. When he went to test them out, one didn't work and the other started to smoke! He let me take them away for free, but with no leads. I'm no Caleb , and therefore, fixing it myself is not an option.

So I am now the owner of two defunct Mega CDs and one (possibly) working Megadrive.

Why God why!?

Master System Monday # 11: Let's Buy A Master System...

Crikey! Master System Monday # 11! And instead of just lazily trawling Youtube for a piece of Master System video history, I thought I might actually do a relevant post for a change...

Inspired by the fact that the fantastic Gnome has actually just bought this lovely 8-Bit retro system, I decided to actually check out how much one of these babies might cost you if you were compelled to by one due to the ongoing saga that is, "MSM"... That's the abbreviated form of 'Master System Monday' in case it wasn't obvious...

OK so I went to ebay and discovered this...

I was really lucky (as I often am) and received my Master System from a lovely colleague who found it (along with an N64) in the basement of a house she had just bought...

I would URGE any of you who read this blog to snatch one up while you can. The advent of XBLA and the Wii Virtual Console will have retro junkies running to snap one up, rendering their availability obsolete by 2009... Possibly! LOL :)

For more video game nuggets of gold, that you could own any day now, visit the only blog that combines the wisdom of Father Krishna, The Elderly and Gnome... Retro Treasures!


Related posts: Pokemon Game Boy Color, MSM 7: the Master System guitar, the Bit Corp. Gamate

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Streets Of Rage On The Game Gear...

Well, hello!

Probably a bit inspired by the last Master System Monday post, I've just secured Streets Of Rage for the Game Gear! This cartridge cost me a fiver, and I reckon it was a bargain....

Bought from the fabulous Mr. Khan of Rusholme Consoles fame, this purchase needs little introduction...

Why its a time tested piece of gaming history... THE side scrolling beat 'em up!

What is (possibly) of more relevance is the fact that the same lovely Mr. Khan has agreed to sell me a Sega Megadrive/Mega CD console add on PLUS unique Sega Mega CD console and five games for the princely sum of forty English pounds! Hoo- Fuckin-Ray!

And all with Mrs. K's blessing! Cripes! Heck! Blimey!

Related posts: Castle of Illusion speed run, Sega Game Gear gear, Panzer Dragoon Mini, a GG feature

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Resident Evil DS (Lack Of) Progress...

Well I've been playing this bloody game on and off for about four months now, and I'm still stuck! I've reached a very familiar stage in most of my Resident Evil outings, where I start off from my save point, only to find I've got woefully inadequate health/inferior weaponry/have forgotten where all the really badass enemies are/have no type writer save facility/play for about twenty minutes then die.....

Still, when I play it for a while I love it, remember why it still thrills me and then sack it off for a bit! I'll probably be back for more but for now it's doing my head in... The sensible option would be to give up and move on. But I won't! I'll be back for more in a couple of weeks time... I'm in RE DS limbo... DOH!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Pokemon Racist?!!!

Holy motherfeckin' cripes peeps!

Pokemon... racist???

Well perhaps! As if Tom from Shenmue didn't labour racial stereotypes to the max, it seems that Pokemon itself might encompass the fear of 'outsiders' that is endemic within Japanese culture...

Until the US blockaded the ports of Japan (forcibly) back in the 19th Century and insisted it indulged in outside trade, Japan was by choice a very insular society... Look here...Now, within the twenty first century, popular franchises like Dragonball Z and Pokemon are hitting Western youth with images like this...

and this...


What do you think? Is it a big fuss about nothing? You decide...

Insecticide Nintendo DS

As if the ultra popular Nintendo DS didn't have enough quirky non-mainstream and/or adventure games, here comes Insecticide by indy developer Crackpot Entertainment (web), an action-adventure with a distinct Schafer-eque feel, no Tim Shafer, a noir mood and some seemingly impressive production values. More info and a smart teaser video is available over at the game's official site, GameZone and publisher Gamecock.

Related posts: Cool Herders DS, Overclock the DS, Sonic Rush BETA, a ZX Spectrum on the go

An Interesting Phenomenon...

Well I've just enjoyed an evening on my DS exploring for the first time in proper detail, the Games 'N Music accessory, first flagged up by Gnome.

I'm not going to say too much about it, other than I bought it expressly to play the emulation of Dragons Lair (the 80s laser disc/arcade phenomenon which looks like a Disney movie) on my DS.


Having successfully installed it on my DS, I bemoaned the fact that it wasn't a playable demo.

Well in fact it IS! I was watching it again for the umpteenth time, when I decided to mash buttons, as Dirk The Daring was about to be swallowed by some tentacled monster in the moat...

and somehow he evaded his fate and ended up within the castle!


Of course my rhapsody only lasted a mili-second before he was crushed by a ton of falling rocks, but it proved that it's not just a demo but a playable game! I'll get back to you on whether or not I ever managed to play any further but it was something of an epiphany to progress that little bit...

Anyway! That's not what I wanted to tell you about... It's this...

The middle PSP owning Ginger has traded in his PSP for a DS! Although this was a financially crap deal, the pleasure he has got from his new console is exponential! Now I know what goes on within the good Father's household, is not symptomatic of gaming trends throughout the nation,
but I suggest to you that it is quite significant.

The middle Ginger is perhaps the purest gamer in Krishna Towers. Aged 5, he once cut a family holiday short to return to Manchester with his mum, 'cos he was missing his Megadrive!

Having coveted owning a PSP (and saved up to get one) he has eventually succumbed to the might of the DS! And he's LOVING it!

He's 13 - quite a significant target age to console manufacturers, and he's voted with his feet!




What franchise has swung his allegiance? Why the second biggest selling video game franchise of all time... Pokemon! (Pearl to be precise...)

The Nintendo phenomena has swept the sales figure in Japan, and is currently sweeping my house!


Nintendo! DS! It's gonna come out the winner... Watch this space!

Related posts: Freeware Zelda DS, Homebrew NDS Quake, Atomix, oh, and of course Dragon's Lair DS

Thursday, May 24, 2007

It's Not Been The Best Of Evenings...

Well, here we are...

Me, Gnome and the other three people that populate this blog...


I've just watched my second team Liverpool getting unceremoniously dumped from the Champions League Final by *cough!* AC 'Mother-feckin' Milan...

Not good, obviously... and at times like this, you clutch at straws that can uplift you...

Well how about this...

On Monday, (when I originally posted the piss poor review of "Stweet's Of Wage" for the Master System) I actually received a lovely package...


An original Gameboy Colour 'Pikachu Edition' PLUS a Gameboy Camera peripheral AND a roll of film filled PRINTER!

Gee Whillickers Batman!
You mean I could take pix on my Gameboy Colour? And actually print them out?

Hell Yes!

How about that?

So far, I've actually only taken one pic... But at some point I can dick about with it and actually print off photos!! Cripes how retrospectively cool is that?

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Master System Monday # 10: "'Ave Some Of That Yer Bastard..."

Jesus! Monday again and this time with the MOTHER of all hangovers, after a three day birthday binge that at one point included absynthe...

I've felt like a hollow shell of a man all day, so it's fitting that the artistic merits of this particular post are suitably empty and vacuous... The video 'review' of Streets Of Rage (or Stweets Of Wage...)has got to be one of the most piss poor pieces of video blogging ever aired. The guy doing the voice over and describing/reviewing the game sounds like a Brummie Arthur Pewty, continuously recoursing to " 'Ave that..." every time he runs out of something to say about the game...

It made me laugh and I hope it will give you a chuckle!

"'Ave that yer bastards..." LOL! :)

Friday, May 18, 2007

Classic Sierra adventures on the Pocket PC

Pocket Sarien, a fantastic AGI emulator, FreeSCI, an aptly named Sierra Creative Interpreter emulator, an easy to use guide on installing & using them and some links to freely available retro adventure games are all happily available in one convenient place. And if you are still wondering what the fuss is all about, well, following the link provided will give your Pocket PC a chance to host classic Sierra adventures. You know, King's Quest, Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Quest for Glory, the lot. Oh, and you could even try some pretty obscure classics such as Gold Rush!.

Related posts: Warring States PPC, Top 5 emulators for Pocket PC, Pocket UFO

Thursday, May 17, 2007

The Game Boy Advance does stuff in 3D


See the lovely YouTube video box directly above this sentence? Great. Now, press play and watch the GBA produce some amazing 3D graphics, almost on par with (very) early and not very well-coded N64 graphics. The video is a product of the BlueRoses engine and an excellent contribution of Unseen64 to the retro gaming community.

Related posts: Pokemon Pinball GBC, the GameBoy Color feature, pirated GBA cartridges

Monday, May 14, 2007

Master System Monday # 9: Caleb's Collection!




"Monday Monday... Looks good to me..." So sang California soft rockers, The Mamas and The Papas. But obviously they didn't have a clue about the true nature of the day, because Monday is always a ball ache. Waking up knowing you've got the whole working week ahead of you, scraping yourself out of bed and facing the dreary prospect of the same old shit on a different day...


It's at times like this that we have to look for the things that can brighten the gloom of this darkest of days. One such glimmer comes from the opportunity to wax lyrical about the Sega Master System, (you know that 8 bit marvel, whose games can coincidentally be played on the equally fantastic handheld Sega Game Gear...)

Today's topic is to showcase the truly wonderful collection of Caleb (he of Saturn Junkyard and Hunyak fame).
Caleb is a commited Retro Gamer and self confessed good will store/garage sale addict. He recognises the intrinsic value of older games that other gamers have consigned to the scrap heap. His Master System collection is rather lovely... Look here...


Consequently he is amassing quite a collection of retro consoles and games. Showcased here is Caleb's quite fantastic Master System collection, replete as it is with TWO light guns AND the legendary 3D glasses.


(There are many reasons to enjoy retro gaming, as considered by the marvellous Racketboy here...)

Oh and the other wonderful feature is that Caleb also cleverly informs us that any Dreamcast owner (and you all should be...) can also enjoy Master System fun via an emulation disc!

You see Monday aint so bad after all...

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Master System Monday # 8:Tribute to Sega Master System

A very quick post as it's late and I'm missing being in Barcelona (bah!). This lovely video montage, to the strains of AM2's Space Harrier (the first game in the clip) is a lovely synopsis of the systems graphical abilities! Enjoy!

Monday, May 07, 2007

Cool Herders DS

Having got all giddy about the re-emergence of the Sega Saturn classic NiGHTS, on the Nintendo Wii, imagine my absolute delight in finding out that the independently produced homebrew Dreamcast game Cool Herders was being ported to Nintendo's flagship handheld console, the DS!

This cute sheep herding (yes you read that correctly, sheep herding) game is actually far more suited to the DS than the Dreamcast, as the graphics are more in keeping with Nintendo's style, and its agricultural theme can be likened to Harvest Moon games for the DS forerunner, the Game Boy Advance. (Jeez that was a long sentence.)

I'm hoping that this might lead to more homebrew Dreamcast appearing on the DS. Alice Dreams or Last Hope perhaps?

Oh and while I'm on the subject of Dreamcasts and DS games, having armed myself with both my VMU game Chao Adventure, and my DS and my entire games collection of DS games for this weekend's trip to Barcelona - only my Dreamcast VMU saw any action! So a seven year old peripheral for the Dreamcast can still cut the gaming mustard! Happy days! Photo evidence of this phenomena will appear on this forum soon...

Related posts: Overclocking a DS Lite, the leaked Sonic Rush BETA, Resident Evil DS: Inappropriate Touching

PaRappa the Rapper PSP

PaRappa the Rapper, one of the first rhythm video games ever, hit the PlayStation in 1996 and bizarrely featured a rapping dancing dog and an appropriately abnormal plot. PaRappa quickly achieved hit status and was in part to blame for the video game invasion of clubs and other bastions of mainstream culture such as ...uhm... open air parties.

Now, more than ten years later, Parappa the Rapper is ready to invade buses and hopefully classrooms, using only a Sony PSP, as Sony announced the handheld version of the game should be hitting shelves early this summer. The game will be more or less a straight PSOne port sporting a few enhancements such as wireless multiplayer and downloadable songs. Yummy & porny, if I may say so.

Related posts: The PSP Final Fantasy remakes, Atari 7800 PSP emulator, Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars pics

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Pokemon Pinball (Game Boy Colour)

I have taken a Game Boy Colour into my place of work this week, in order to snatch those illicit minutes of gaming that one can only sneak when you should be doing your job. Game Boys of various types are big news in my house at the moment, due to a resurgence of interest in Pokemon.
Now I never got into Pokemon, despite indulging my kids interest by buying cards, Pokeballs, capsule toys (and even going to the cinema to watch Pokemon the Movie). Hell, I can even name a few - Squirtle, Blastoise, Bulbasaur and Pikachu! But as a game, the Game Boy franchise just never appealed. My middle son -13, is now teaching his younger brother- 9, the ways of the Pokemon on GBA, like some sage like guru... They've both abandoned PS2, DC, PSP and DS to concentrate on the different versions of Pokemon for the GBA, with such names as Sapphire, Fire Red and Leaf Green. In fact it's safe to say that my middle son has got a good eight whole years (on and off) from these games...

Now, as well as a rather lovely Mario game (definitive Nintendo fayre), I have a rather fabulous Pokemon Pinball game which I'm loving at the moment. This is not in any way like the 'gotta catch 'em all' Pokemon franchise they are playing, just a rather fabulous Pinball sim, but very heavily Pokemon themed.

The cartridge itself has a rather lovely rumble pack, supported by two AAA batteries. It looks a little ungamely, but works extremely well. This game does not feel in any way like a retro title, (unlike Game Gear games), it actually retains a feel, stylisation and flavour that stands up very well against any of its PSP or DS peers. I'm lucky enough to own two Gameboy Colours.


You can pick up these babies for peanuts these days. If I were you I would snag one and Pokemon Pinball ASAP!


Related posts
: Game Gear & Burnt Face Man, Game Boy Color Colours, the Game Boy Color feature