Retro STrife

Sorry about the wording of my first post, as I can see now why it comes across as a seller post. While my wife wishes I was a seller, I'm much more of a hoarder instead. For this one, I just couldn't find any info about it online.. so my gamer side was wondering if it was a good game worth playing, while my collector side was wondering if it's obscurity meant that it had some rarity/value. I worried it'd be too obscure to get responses in a more general forum, like the sellers forum, so figured I'd try here. And we think alike - I think I'm going to keep this one as well.

I bought a big lot of Atari 400/800 stuff over the weekend for my collection. I recognized all of it, except this game - Seafox, made by Broderbund. I've searched all over for more info, and things are pretty sparse. There aren't any current or sold auctions on ebay, so I imagine it's a mildly rare game, at least. PriceCharting,com doesn't even have it listed as a game that they track for the Atari 400. Anyone have any info on it? Good game/bad game? And how rare is it and the approximate value? Thanks in advance for any help.

Is there concern about companies no longer making 9-volt batteries? That's the first I've heard of it, but I hope not. I imagine it's possible to do an AC adapter like you mention - you'd have to open up the Microvision, and solder in the right type of AC adapter in place of the battery connections. But I can't say for sure - it's not something I've ever considered before, and I've never tried that on any portable system.

Thanks for all the help guys, it's much appreciated. So from what I'm hearing here, my sense is that the NTSC version is the "preferred" version then for US gamers. Or do people disagree? It sounds like it's a little costlier, but that overall it's easier to use in the US than the PAL system, as long as you have a mouse to switch it to PAL for PAL games (keep in mind, the vast majority of games on ebay are PAL games, so it would be essential that PAL games work fine on the NTSC system). If that's the case, I'm leaning toward getting a NTSC system, assuming it's easy enough to get a mouse... how hard is it to find a mouse on ebay? Is there a specific CD32 mouse that I would need, or will any old Amiga mouse work fine?

For whatever reason, I've always had an interest in the more obscure or "bad" systems of the '90s.. CD-i, Jaguar, 3DO, etc. I like em, even if others say they're not worth it. The CD32 is one that's been on my radar for a long time, and I'm finally getting around to looking for one. I'm curious if anyone has any important tips for new CD32 collectors -- i.e., hardware and compatibility issues, must-have games and accessories, general unique "things to know", etc. But my biggest question is about the preferred setup for U.S. gamers... Since this system did much better in Europe, I assume PAL systems and games are much easier to find. Up to this point in my collecting life, I've avoided European consoles and the fun task of getting PAL systems to work in the US. Yet, I think most of the CD32 library is PAL games (or are they not region locked like that?). Anyway, I'm wondering if most people get NTSC systems - or do they prefer PAL systems and find a way to make it work in the US? For people with NTSC systems, are there issues with getting games to work for the system? And for people with PAL systems, what's the best way to get it to work here? Also, are any Amiga computer games or CDTV games compatible with the CD32? Sorry if some of these questions seem basic -- I've never ventured into the area of Amigas or European systems, so I'm out of my element here. Thanks in advance for any help.

Huge NBA Jam fan, but I never knew that you could see all the saved initials... where is that option? And I guess I never looked in the manual to learn that there was a system for getting the saves to work... I always just thought my NBA JAM TE carts had dead batteries! I can't be the only one. Sorry to slightly change the subject there, but wanted to let you know that at least you passed along some good info here.

Same here though- I only learned of it a few months ago myself. I've known about the Sensible Soccer series for years and years after hearing European gamers rave about it. Finally a few months ago I decided to seek out a copy. I thought the Jaguar had the only U.S. console version, but then someone told me about Championship Soccer being part of the series too. I still went with the Jaguar version though, because it was slightly cheaper (paid $30 for a loose copy; Sega CD version sells for like $40+).

True. Naturally my post is a little tongue-in-cheek, but I do wonder how they would have treated the 2-packs... it would have really limited the options to not count those games, since they never released standalone. And it would have been pretty messed up to not honor the deal if the game was bought in a 2-pack. Either way, interesting to see a few unreleased games on the ad. Now, setting aside rarity and value and all that nonsense, and just looking at gameplay... Among the games that exist on the ad, today I would definitely choose Championship Soccer '94 first. Best game of the bunch IMO, in terms of how it holds up. But back in '93, I doubt I would have been attracted to a simplistic soccer game. Back then, I'd more likely get roped in by one of those fancy FMV games or the beat em ups.

ooooow, now hold on guys. Of course we're taking this deal. In fact, we'll take it twice.... 1. & 2. The Exterminators and No Escape (both in the 3rd row down) were both never released. We'll snatch those two right up for our collections. (interesting that they were advertised on this flyer, but then cancelled) 3. Ultraverse Prime (bottom row, right) is a side-scrolling beat em up. It's nothing special, but it was only sold in a 2-pack with Microcosm. So, with this unreleased box variant, we'll snag that too as our first free game. While we're at it, let's do one more set of 3: 4. Next up, we gotta get Championship Soccer '94 (2nd row down). It may sound generic, but ever heard of Sensible Soccer? That's what the game really is. For the unfamiliar, Sensible Soccer is wildly popular in Europe, especially among old-school Amiga gamers... For us U.S. gamers to understand, consider it the European equivalent of Tecmo Super Bowl or NBA Jam - it's one of those sports games that people will love and play forever. Championship Soccer 94 is a version of Sensible Soccer with the name changed for the U.S. audience. As one of the few U.S. console releases of Sensible Soccer (the other being on the Jag), it sells for like $40+ still to this day. 5. After that, I'm gonna grab that 3 Ninjas Kick Back game (2nd row down). It's not a great game, but still, 3 Reasons for 3 Ninjas: (1) To my knowledge, it was never released as a standalone game like that -- it was only in a 2-pack with Hook. (2) The Hook/3 Ninjas Kick Back 2-pack scores nice money these days - it's worth about $60. (3) And most importantly, I loved the 3 Ninjas movies when I was growing up! 6. Now, we're getting to slim pickings for our second freebie. I guess we'll take Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (bottom row, middle). First, it's an absolutely terrible game, so at least we'll have a game to laugh at. Second, again I think this was only 2-packed with Bram Stoker's Dracula, so there was no standalone version released. Well guys, we're officially rich and just scored a bunch of super rare games. Funny how so many of these were never released in the form they show in the ad. I wonder how that worked out once people went to cash in their coupon.... If nothing else, can't beat the mayo discount.

Great discussion and really interesting to hear different points of view. I agree that the definition of classic gaming can vary, but I don't think the "line in the sand" definitions based on technology work that well. The definition of "classic" or "retro" works best with some flexibility and longevity. Saying "HD vs. SD" or "offline vs. online" as the cutoff works perfect now, but would you still use that cutoff in 50 years? (i.e., do you mean PS4 would not be retro in 50 years?) And did classic gaming not exist 20 years ago, when HD consoles and online-based consoles weren't really a thing? If you are using technology as the cutoff, you'll always be changing the form of technology that you use as your cutoff (i.e., 20 years ago maybe you said "16-bit and under" vs. "32-bit and over".. today you're saying HD vs. SD.. 20 years from now maybe you'll say "physical media" vs. "digital only consoles")... Just a thought.

It's funny - around 2005, I remember posting in a forum the simple thought that "it's weird to imagine, but the kids of today will consider the PS2 as their retro console of choice when they're adults." Some incredulous old timers couldn't handle it, and thought it was just crazy talk.. "how can a modern console be retro???"...well, "wait 20 years, that's how".. It's a premise that never ends -- wait 20 years, and the kids of today will consider the PS4 as their retro console of choice. We almost all start out in retro gaming by replaying the games of our youth when we're in our 20's or 30's. When your hobby is rooted in nostalgia, like this one, "what you grew up with" is almost always the initial hook. That's why I think the "when is it retro?" question is actually pretty straightforward -- Once a generation of consoles is firmly established (like we are right now with the PS4 / Xbox One), then you count back 2 generations to define what are now the retro systems (i.e., PS2, Gamecube, Xbox). For the young adults now entering the retro gaming hobby (most in their mid-20s), who grew up in the early 2000s, that's the era of gaming that draws them into the hobby. For me personally, I like the 2000 cut-off too, ending with the Dreamcast.. that cut-off is what's mostly guided my collecting. Other people might base the cut-off on technology -- i.e., when cartridges stopped, or when online connectivity started, etc... But really, think about it.. that's just us being old people. We established those definitions when we were 25 and we started out collecting. Now we're older and we keep holding on to that same definition. I say base the definition on what a 25 year old entering the hobby today would consider retro. And for that age group - growing up, 10 years old and turning into life-long gamers while playing their PS2 on the living room floor - they would define the system as retro.

One last addition. For the sake of completeness, below is my Super Blockbuster review (which is brand new, and not included in the original post), along with my revised review for Block Buster after playing the sequel and dropping it from an A- to a B-. (**Is a moderator able to allow me to make edits to the original post, so that I could add these in there?) Super Blockbuster (A): This is a Breakout clone and a pretty good one at that, considering the limitations of this system. Released in 1982, Super Blockbuster was the final Microvision game, sold only in Europe. It was the sequel to the Microvision pack-in title Block Buster. While Block Buster was your standard Breakout knockoff, Super Blockbuster added a new wrinkle to the formula. You still have your usual rows on the top of the screen to destroy, but there's also a row on the bottom that you must protect. There are no lives and you cannot lose a ball. Instead your game ends when the bottom row is destroyed. It's a lot more fun than Block Buster and controls better too. If there’s a downside, it’s that this is a Europe-only cartridge, and I prefer the button style of the U.S. games. Regardless, this is as good as it gets on the Microvision - the best game on the system. Block Buster (B-): Block Buster is essentially a dumbed-down version of Breakout for the Microvision. It was packaged with every new Microvision system back in the day, meaning it's common and easy to find. I originally gave this game an A-, but after playing the superior Super Blockbuster it became much harder to tolerate its imprecise controls and choppy ball movement. On the hardest setting (fast speed and one-pixel paddle) the game is unplayable. On the easiest setting (slow speed and larger three-pixel paddle) the game is still challenging, but becomes somewhat addictive in short spurts. You can choose from 1-9 balls, and it makes sense to choose 9 to compensate for some of the cheap losses. Just beating the first level is an accomplishment that took me about an hour's worth of retries, with a “just one more game” mentality the whole time. After that though, I had little interest in replaying it again. My addiction may have been short-lived, but that’s still enough to earn a B- in Microvision world. As noted in my original post, these scores are in comparison to the Microvision library as a whole. The A grade is not meant to imply that Super Blockbuster is a classic game that retro gamers should seek out. Rather, it means that if you're interested in the primitive gaming that the Microvision provides, then Super Blockbuster is the peak of the system and worth seeking out. In my new version, I also slightly upgraded Vegas Slots from a D- to a D. It's just a slots simulator, but it accomplishes that goal as advertised, even if I find that kind of game incredibly boring - so I bumped it slightly. The other scores all remained the same, but the reviews were all polished up a bit, with photos added, over at the final version: https://videogamecritic.com/extras/reviews/microvision.htm

Yes, just Super Blockbuster. The European games have a ton of name variants, and this can be very confusing for newcomers to the system (I know it sure confused me). One game might have 4 different names for its U.S. version, French version, Italian version, German version, etc etc... For example, Shooting Star might sound like a European exclusive, but it's identical to the U.S. game Phaser Strike. At the end of the day, only Super Blockbuster is an actual exclusive.

Hey guys, I just wanted to check in with a few updates on this old post of mine.. First off, thank you for all the interest and feedback on this post over the past few years, as it's helped me gain better knowledge of the Microvision and motivated me to keep polishing up these reviews! A few years back, I put these reviews together because I could not find a solid, complete list of Microvision game reviews anywhere on the internet. I had no idea which games to buy. Eventually, I just acquired all of the games and hoped that I could help fill the void by reviewing each one. Now this AA post comes up anytime someone googles "Microvision reviews", and I hope it helps someone else find the good ones and avoid the duds. With that, some quick updates: 1. A couple years back, I was finally able to get my hands on the rarest Microvision game -- Super Blockbuster -- to officially complete my set of Microvision games, thanks to an Atari Age member who pointed me toward a copy for sale on a European website. And let me say, it was worth it, because Super Blockbuster is a big upgrade from Block Buster. In fact, I think Super Blockbuster is the best game on the system. I would rate Super Blockbuster as an A in my reviews. Super Blockbuster also made me realize that I overrated the original Block Buster. I would drop Block Buster to a B-, just below Sea Duel, making it the 6th best Microvision game. Still a good game, but Super Blockbuster is superior in every way and far more playable. That said, spending an hour trying to beat the first level of Block Buster, and finally doing it, is still my most memorable moment with the Microvision. 2. These reviews have now landed on a permanent page over at the Video Game Critic's site. These days I only frequent two forums: Atari Age and the Video Game Critic (which is a great resource for classic game reviews, btw, including all Atari systems). I posted these reviews on both forums and then worked with the VG Critic to do a ton of polishing, add photos, and make a more formal review page out of it. I think his input and edits really helped tighten things up, and we posted it back in August 2018. If you're interested, please check out the final version here: https://videogamecritic.com/extras/reviews/microvision.htm

Check this auction out. I bought a Neo Geo MVS cartridge on ebay recently. Before bidding, I was looking through the seller's photos and noticed a dead bug lodged near the contacts of the cart. I was thinking, how much of a sloppy seller do you have to be to not only fail to notice a dead bug stuck in your game, but also take a photo of that bug without even realizing it? But whatever.. I figured it'd be removed or fall out before it reached me. Well that wasn't the case... I got the game in the mail about a week later. I opened the box, unwrapped the cart, and was inspecting it... and there was the dead bug, still there in the same spot! I was surprised it made it that far. But whatever.. I can remove a bug carcass from the cartridge myself I guess. So I grab a tissue and try to pick it up. Suddenly I realize, it's not dead at all!! It gets away and I have to chase the bug around my living room! I don't know what amazes me more..that the seller was blind and sloppy enough that he never saw the bug, or that the bug was so attached to making this Neo Geo cart his home that he had lived inside it (and the same spot inside, no less) through photographs, packaging, shipment, unpackaging, and all the jostling along the way. And never moved until I tried to pick him up! I almost feel bad taking it from him. While this seller clearly could use some glasses, I found some humor in the situation and had to share. I've attached the seller's photos here from his auction, including his bug photo. And this was the auction.. https://www.ebay.com/itm/382248215329. Ebay never ceases to amaze me....