Archive for Retro Games
iPhone review: Vector Tanks
February 25th, 2009 •
Tags: iPhone games, iphone gaming, reviews, Vector Tanks
Vector Tanks is an iPhone game that seems to appeal to the nostalgia of former Battlezone players. I have very little connection to the source material here so I look at it through a different lens than would a player of the original Battlezone. It was released about three years before my birth, and, although Wikipedia says its popularity was enduring due to the innovative nature of the graphics and perspective, it had long since been retired into gaming lore by the time I began my illustrious career as a gamer. Vector graphics were a fad that didn’t endure (although the style was revived for the Geometry Wars series).
It has a look very authentic to that of it’s inspiration. In fact, the presentation is slightly improved. It is more colorful, and the lines have sort of a glow about them which is a pretty cool effect. Explosions are cool and feel large with the entire view shaking as an enemy tank explodes.
The control scheme has been well-adapted to the platform. I can’t imagine a better way to translate the controls of the original. The extreme left and right edges of the screen control movement of the left and right tracks. The middle of the screen on each edge is neutral—no movement is taking place. Slide either side to the top and that track will move forward; slide to the bottom and that side moves backward. It’s a pretty intuitive system. I have to say that, even though authenticity is not compromised, the controls are not entirely satisfying. It seems that sometimes the tracks do not move even though my fingers are tracing up and down the sides. This two-finger movement scheme is also problematic when it comes time to fire. Firing is accomplished by tapping the middle of the screen at the aiming reticule. In order to fire while moving, you must snake an extra finger (since your thumbs are occupied) around to the screen and tap on the center. Not only is this difficult to do, but it obscures much of the screen from view while firing is taking place. I guess this control setup was the best way to please the purists, but, on its own, the controls don’t hold up to much extended play.
Be prepared to see this screen quite a lot.
There is no narrative and no progression to the game that I can find. In the style of older games (and even still with newer arcade games) you are merely presented with a simple gameplay mechanic and given an opportunity to repeat it until you run out of patience (quarters being the arcade analog). This leaves a shallow gaming experience with no “carrot-on-a-stick” to keep me coming back.
I’m certainly glad I got to try this game. It has an undeniably cool and retro look. I imagine players of the original will enjoy the ability to play an old favorite on the go. Also, unlike many retro titles, Battlezone is a well that has not been tapped very often leaving the experience feeling fresh. It’s unfortunate that the controls seem to get in the way of enjoying the game. It’s doubly unfortunate that there seems to be no reason to continue playing unless you find the play mechanics themselves particularly satisfying. Some games are perfect for adaptation to the iPhone platform. Others like Vector Tanks are best left elsewhere.
Purchase and download old PC games on the cheap
February 14th, 2009 •
Tags: Computer Gaming, games, Gaming, good old games, old games, pc games, Retro Games
Good Old Games is a digital download service offering PC games that, while they aren’t going to tax your new GTX 295, are some of the greatest titles of their time. Fortunately, they also won’t tax your wallet much. We’re not talking Ultima 2 or anything like that. Everything I’ve seen on the site was published in the last 15 years, and the quality of the games shows through in spite of the dated graphics.
Games are currently topping out at $10 and often include extras like books of artwork in PDF format, strategy guides, and other supplemental material. There is no client software eliminating a common step from the digital distribution model. Just buy and download the game you want, install, and play. The games work out-of-the-box with either Windows XP or Vista so you won’t have to manually run DOSbox to get your game working. It’s a pretty slick system.
I have to admit the beautiful web site is as much a draw for me as anything. The presentation is done with a level of care that frankly makes Steam look like a dog. (Note: I really do love Steam in spite of it’s ugliness.)
The site also seems to have a pretty strong community around discussing and reviewing the games offered. True to form, users of the site have setup an IRC channel on irc.quakenet.org. They offer forums for each game, and the catalog displays the average user review for each title.
If you’re itching for something new (to you), check out Good Old Games. According to the site, they actually screen for goodness, so you’ll at least get something that is worth a play. Just remember, good gameplay transcends and doesn’t need to rely on bleeding-edge technology.
Oregon Trail making a comback?
February 10th, 2009 • 1 comment
Tags: games, Gaming, iPhone, Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail, the computer game released on multiple platforms beginning way back in 1971, is making something of a comeback online. I have to admit I have gotten caught up in the fuss by playing through the game as emulated in Flash. It was rough going about three-quarters of the way through, but my carpenter and his family managed to make the voyage with only one casuality. The next day after rediscovering this game, I found that a lolcat had been produced with an Oregon Trail theme to great effect. The final nail in the coffin that fully assured me that the primitive game has, in fact, risen from the grave, is the recently surfaced screenshot of the upcoming iPhone version! What does it say about me that I am eager to buy and replay a computer game 12 years my senior?
Video: Building an arcade cabinet
February 6th, 2009 • 2 comments
Tags: arcade, arcade cabinet, emulation, games, Gaming, MAME, MAME cabinet, video games
It’s nice to have friends in high places. Failing that, it’s nice to have friends who can build you a sweet arcade cabinet! Brandon Haynes is a Rubik’s Cube virtuoso. He’s also pretty good with power tools. In this episode of the raddevon video podcast, we discuss his experience building a MAME cabinet.
The plans Brandon used to construct the cabinet were obtained for free from ArcadeCab.com. The only modifications made were to accomodate for the HotRod joystick as the original plan assumes a homemade control panel.
The monitor was found through an ad on the Freecycle Network which allows users to post giveaway items to be claimed by other users. BYOAC (Build Your Own Arcade Controls) has a video section which explains the ins and outs of different types of monitors.
The cabinet is not currently done (We will revisit it when it’s complete.), but the build cost is going to be less than $300 for the materials, monitor, and hardware necessary. I’m lucky enough to have an old Dell Pentium 4 lying around I can use as the brains of the cabinet. I also have some computer speakers. Check out the price list for details on the prices and sources of our components.
For more information, questions, or advice on this project, contact Brandon via e-mail (rcubeman [at] comcast [dot] net).
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Coming up on raddevon video for February 20th, I have an interview with a musician who distributes music online using equipment and software you probably already have. Check back in two weeks at 8pm Eastern.
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D-Pad Hero rocks it old school
February 2nd, 2009 •
Tags: D-Pad Hero, games, Gaming, Guitar Hero, music, Music video game, NES, rhythm games, Rock Band, roms, Video game
Have you ever stepped back and taken a look at the entire rhythm game genre (that’s Guitar Hero, Rock Band, DDR, Parappa, etcetera) and thought to yourself, “In terms of graphics, there was nothing preventing these game from existing 20 years ago.” Sure, they wouldn’t have been as pretty, but how pretty do you need arrows, circles, and text flying across the screen for it to still be fun? You can now rest assured you are not alone. A pair of developers has seen the light and retrofitted Guitar Hero as an NES rom! It’s called D-Pad Hero, and it’s harder than if Mega Man 9 and Ninja Gaiden Black consummated and gave birth. Fire up your emulator of choice and download it now. Sweet Child o’ Mine never sounded so… 8-bit.
Earthbound: A profession of love
January 29th, 2009 • 1 comment
Tags: Earthbound, Final Fantasy, Game, Mother, Ness, Nintendo, Nintendo of America, SNES, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Video game, video games
Once upon a time, Nintendo released a game called Earthbound for the Super NES. Unless you were gaming back in the 16-bit era, you may never have heard of the game. It stars you as a young boy called Ness who has been chosen to save the future from the mighty villain Giygas.
Let’s back up a bit. My awakening to the RPG genre was Final Fantasy II for the Super NES—in its own right a pretty fantastic game. This was the fourth game in the series but the second released here in the States. I completely enjoyed it, and this really was an awakening. For the console gamer at this time, there was no such thing as a “Western RPG.” RPGs were all from Japan. Unfortunately, Japanese RPGs all tend to be very… derivative. I would estimate at least 90% of JRPGs still today are swords and sorcery. This was even more so in the olden days. Despite all this, I fell in love with the genre and followed in closely throughout the console life of the SNES and beyond.
About six months prior to the release of the original PlayStation, Earthbound was released in North America. The game shipped in an oversized box with a strategy guide included. It came on the scene to a fair bit of critical acclaim, but it ultimately failed. Many claim this was due to miss-marketing by Nintendo. The marketing was rather strange. They seemed very interested in playing up how gross the game was. The game itself didn’t really feature this prominently, and this is certainly not what it is remembered for.
Regardless of the reason, Earthbound was a failure for Nintendo in the States. It has come to light since its release that the first game in the series (Earthbound was localized from the Japanese title Mother 2.) was completely localized for the US by Nintendo but never released. A collector actually purchased a prototype and made the Nintendo localization available to players via the magic of emulation. It seems Nintendo has never forgiven the failure of the original. A number of Mother releases have been shunned by the company for localization: the Gameboy Advance saw the release of Mother 1+2, a single cart containing the first two titles in the series, as well as Mother 3.
The release of Mother 3 ushered in something of a firestorm of fan activity here in the United States. Starmen.net is the home of Earthbound fans. Its founder Reid Young and the community have organized a number of stunts to attempt to gain the attention of Nintendo of America and to alert them of the interest in more US releases from the series. None of these stunts has been successful in achieving their ultimate goal. As a result, members of the Starmen.net community decided to end-run Nintendo by releasing a fan-made translation of the latest game in the series. This translation is now complete and available. It is also fantastically authentic!
Now that you have a quick history of Earthbound, you may wonder, “What could cause a game released nearly 15 years ago to still have such an active and rabid fanbase?” The possible answers are many. These are the aspects of the game that make it so enduring for me:
Its setting is different from most JRPGs- Earthbound is set in the modern world we all know albeit with some extras thrown into the mix. It is a fantastical re-imagining of our modern world.- People can identify with what’s happening- This setting allows for the game to feature concepts we all know as part of our culture. You’ll find arcades, vending machines, shopping malls, ATMs, telephones, baseball bats, and a plethora of other everyday objects.
- It gives players a sandbox world- Since the setting is very similar to modern life, the fantastical elements are much more satisfying. In reality, a young boy would never wander off on his own to embark on an epic adventure, but it happens in Earthbound. He is parented from afar; he calls his mom for comfort; and his dad deposits money in his bank account when he levels up. Players are given a world much like their own but much more freedom than reality allows.
- The game is light-hearted and fun- Excellent and tasteful humor abounds in the game. The actual in-game humor is nothing like the gross-out stuff played up by the marketing campaign.
- Great music- Earthbound’s score is nothing like that of the Final Fantasy series, but it really conveys the whimsical charm of the game. It’s also quite catchy.
- Innovative storytelling methods- The best example I can recall is the silly font used for Mr. Saturn to convey he is speaking another language.
This article may seem a bit more reverent than many I write. There are few games that really hold a special place in my heart; Earthbound is among these. In general, I tend to cheer for the underdog. Maybe that is another reason I still love and remember Earthbound to this day. It cast off many of the tropes of the genre opting instead to go its own way. It may have failed, but it is definitely a failure I can admire.
Stunning guitar rendition of Contra’s jungle theme
January 21st, 2009 •
Tags: Contra, game music, music, NES
One of my many geeky pleasures is listening to tracks from NES games. It’s unreal what the composers were able to accomplish given the primitive sound capabilities of the platform. The fact that a track can now be reimagined like this one and maintain lasting appeal is a testament to the vision of the original. If you’re into The Advantage and The Minibosses, you’re going to love this!
