davidbrit2

GT4 is LAN only - it actually has no online play. Many people complained about this, in fact. Heh. But setting it up requires you to connect all the PS2s to your network, then pick one of your network adapter configurations that will give them different IP addresses within the same subnet. One of the machines has to be designated as the host from the network options menu, and then you can configure each machine to be either a separate player, or part of a multi-monitor setup. GT4 doesn't exactly have the best interface in the world, but once you figure out what's going on in the menus, it isn't too bad. I just wish I actually had someone to try this with. Ha ha.

A few more iLink compatible games: Time Crisis 2 Time Crisis 3 Unreal Tournament (up to 6 players I think) And I know for certain that Gran Turismo 4 will let you network up to 6 PS2s using the LAN/ethernet port. You can play multiplayer, or set up the other PS2s as extra monitors to create a HUGE display. I'd love to see that in action.

Wait, hidden games on PS2 Atari Anthology? Man, I'm out of touch. :-) Got a list of what they are? I'm not having much luck with the search function. Heh.

If you're going to get Pop'n Music, you'd be better off with the Playstation versions. The series didn't start to get really good until around 5 or 6, and the Dreamcast releases only went up to 4. And I don't know if this matters, but the series wasn't very English friendly at all until 6. And even then there's still a lot of Japanese. Don't be scared off by that, though, because the game is tremendously awesome. The PS2 version of PNM 11 will be coming out in July.

Well, the only PSP game I have so far is THUG2, and about the only thing you use the analog stick for in that is running around when off your board, or panning the view around. It seems pretty good so far, though it doesn't hold up to even the Dual Shock. As soon as I pick up a racing game, then I'll know for sure how it's going to fare. But I won't even bother buying PSP FPSes, because I know it'll suck for that. My hunch says it has the DS beat for controlling platformers, and I'll have to see how they compare for other genres.

The touch screen works great for games that need absolute positioning control, which is why it's so awesome for FPSes. That's the genre where the DS will definitely kill the PSP on playability. But it's a little awkward for things that need relative control with centering, so I just stuck with the d-pad for Mario 64 and got all the stars without too much trouble.

Yeah, Mario 64 was good. I didn't have any problem with the d-pad control, though it can be a bit annoying on Rainbow Ride or whatever. I still got all 150 stars, though. And frankly, I just couldn't get the hang of touch screen control for that game. Don't bother with Ridge Racer. Asphalt is a WAY better game. Ridge Racer has laughably unrealistic physics, extremely awkward control, horrible collision detection, and cheap computer opponents. Or you could wait for Need For Speed Underground 2 in May. If it's anything like the GBA version, it will be completely awesome.

I'll probably just cannibalize the whole port assembly out of an old junked 4-switch or something. Or maybe a dead Jr. I think I've got one of those around somewhere...

That Kirby game (Cursed Canvas?) coming out this summer looks similar in that you use the stylus to form a path and guide Kirby, but I hear that it's got a bit more depth to it. So keep your eyes open for that. If you like racing games, get Asphalt. It's REALLY good, and probably one of the best looking DS games right now. If you like pen-and-paper kinds of puzzles, look for Polarium. I think there was a thread around here earlier explaining how the game works, so search for the name if you're curious.

Yeah, I wasn't too wild about the story mode setup in THPS4 or THUG. Fortunately they improved it considerably for THUG2, and rather than having to talk to individual people to begin a time limited goal, you just get a checklist of goals to complete at your own leisure. Plus there's the traditional "Classic" mode, which is basically THPS3 with THUG2 levels. Heh. I play both modes depending on whether I just want a few quick rounds, or I want a longer, more laid back session. Anyway, back to the original question. Ha ha. It sounds like what you have to do is jump off the board. (Not sure what you press to do that on the PSP - L+R?) Then get a running start, jump up onto the board, and do a grab trick before you hit the ground again. The combo will probably be something like Caveman + Grab. If you jump down from a high platform, you'll get a bit more slack time to execute the trick before you hit the ground again.

You know, I can totally see many of the same arguments being made in some boardroom back in the late '70s around the time of the gradual move away from dedicated consoles. :-)

Yup, you can have up to 6 players, I think. Unreal Tournament, Time Crisis 2, and Time Crisis 3 also support it, as I recall. And anybody feel like testing Gran Turismo 2? I have vague memories of that supporting the PS1 serial link, but I can't remember for sure...

Okay, allow me to elaborate on Polarium. The puzzle is made up of a grid of black and white squares. There is also a border of neutral squares surrounding it. Each horizontal row is independent of all the others, and in order to clear a row, all the squares must be changed to the same color (either black or white). In order to toggle squares, you draw a path through the puzzle, along which all the squares flip over and change color. You can also route the path through the border of neutral spaces with no effect on the puzzle itself. In order to clear a puzzle in Checkmate mode, all rows must be eliminated simultaneously. There's also Challenge mode, which plays like endless mode. The puzzle spans both screens, and new rows drop in from above at about 3 at a time. The object is to just keep drawing lines and flipping squares to clear rows before the puzzle overflows. I think the 2 player mode plays more like Challenge mode, but I've not had a chance to try it since the Japanese version doesn't have single-card multi. EDIT: Actually, just go play the Flash demo. http://polarium.nintendods.com/index2.html

Yeah, EB has Zoo Keeper for $20 now as well. I picked up a copy yesterday, and so far, it seems to have been worth it. Yoshi is an excellent game in terms of gameplay, but it's just lacking something in depth. It plays really well, though. Wario Ware is a good time killer, but it just doesn't feel like anything we haven't seen before. Someone who hasn't played the first Wario Ware might be a bit more captivated by it. Mr. Driller is a hell of a good frantic game, but the US version really got the shaft. They took out the hidden character Usagi, removed single-card multiplayer, and axed the entire "Drillstone" mode which is a lot more strategic than the standard mode. It's not any worse than the original Mr. Driller US release, but it doesn't quite stand up to the Japanese version or even Mr. Driller Ace for GBA. Also keep in mind that Polarion (Chokkan Hitofude in Japan) will be released in a few days according to the GameFAQs calendar. I imported that way back in December, and it's a great pen-and-paper style puzzler. It reminds me of a distant cousin of Picross in a way. I can go into greater detail if anybody actually wants to sit through my long-winded explanation. Heh.

Yeah, I've wondered about that ever since I read it back in 1987. Heh. As far as I know, nothing ever came of it. I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually evolved into DK '94 for GB, though. Or hell, it might have even ended up as the basis for Donkey Kong Country, judging from the description.

Kangaroo Roc'n Rope Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr (as if you didn't know about those already!) A few others that you may or may not like: King Kong Springer Miner 2049er (and vol. 2)

Yeah, PocketNES is just as good as - if not better than - Nintendo's own NES emulator used in the GBA rereleases.

Well, it's got a 16-bit address bus (I think - that would be 64KB addressable), but the ALU and general purpose registers are all 8-bit devices. But then the instruction register is probably around 16 or 24 bits, since the 6502 has some 3-byte instructions, and the memory address register has got to be at least 16. And of course the program counter is 16 bits as well. But all the general use registers and math operations are 8 bits, so let's just call it an 8-bit console.

Not a very impressive lineup. I'll probably get Zelda II, and maybe Castlevania. What's the deal with releasing Metroid? Wasn't it already included in Zero Mission or something?

Oh, I doubt it. If anything, it'll just be inspiration for some underground development of newer and better utilities for hard drive use.

Go into the shop on a day when the dick isn't working. Tell the guy at the counter there's some merchandise being held for you, for $20, and it's probably in the back room or the office somewhere. That would probably work beautifully.

I'm pretty sure PS1 games won't work, for much the same reasons that they don't work with a PS2 Gameshark or Action Replay (and I won't try to pretend to explain it intelligently).

If you've got the ability to run CDRs with your PS2, give this a look: http://www.jeexlabs.com/hdloader/ You can install HDLoader and another simple HD menu program onto your memory card so that it boots when you insert the specified PS1 disc. The other simpler HD menu program lets you back up memory card data to the hard drive if you like (though the official Sony HD comes with a preinstalled Browser replacement that supports this as well).

I've had Extreme since September, too. I'll be getting Extreme USA this September. The games are different enough that it doesn't hurt to get both releases.

That would be neat, yeah, and I wouldn't write it off for future releases, but the number of songs available on all 5 US PS1/PS2 releases far outnumbers everything available in Ultramix. And besides, the XBox doesn't have the Eyetoy!