A Sprite

NextGen: Because gamers are old enough to kill strippers. WOO-HOO! A book burning! Does anyone know their home phone numbers? We should call them up, and tell them lots of people are going to start buying their magazine to see how bad it SUCKS VAGINA! God, I HATE when people make fun of stuff. We should burn more stuff, instead...

It's built in. I owned a few of these games. Until I saw this thread, I thought the reason for the improvement was entirely due to programmer skill.

http://www.dmgice.com/review/ Just discovered this one...

http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/formats/6...ndo-gameboy.php Older original gameboy games only, but solid reviews.

But that's because I wasn't paying attention to the post. My apologies. If you mean it as an after market add on, you could do the same to any system. But, as Gorf said, half the charm of a retro system is it's "personality" - the unique look and feel of it's games caused by working around or with the system's limitations.

Pokey or 32x? Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. You need the intellectual property to make it worth buying, before you can even think of offering it. IP? On the processor, you mean, right? I'm just talking theoretical here, not actual product (though maybe a developer wants to run with the idea). As for Pokey or 32x, I was actually thinking more along the lines of Sega's aborted plan to issue an SVP pass through cartridge instead of putting it in the cart (as it made the Genesis version of Virtua Racing retail for $100). Think lower power than 32x, obviously, but without the need for extra power supplies, etc. But, yeah, you could imagine it as like a Pokey on a 7800 pass through cartridge that doesn't have a game on it. So instead of developers adding the chip to each cartridge (thus driving up the cost), they'd just have to have support for the pass through cartridge. On Jag, it would just be a chip to add more "oomph" to the games, and assist TOM in it's functions, freeing TOM to focus more on graphics calculations rather than run double duty. Or, if an embedded ARM or even 020, to take over what developers who didn't know any better had the stock 68k do (AI logic operations). But maybe it's not possible. That's why I ask. Did Jag CD actually add anything processor wise to Jaguar? Non-sound related, I mean. I know you meant it as a hypothetical - it's just my hypothetical consumers want to know what justifies the hypothetical cost...

I can't find any way to tell what games you review on the page at a quick glance. They're out of order, but I feel guilty picking that nit, as this isn't a finished revision...

Two atari 2600s at the top of the page is a bit silly. Perhaps an atari mountain or sprite rips might replace the smaller. Can the negative space around it's big brother be filled?

1. Screen shots. 2. Is it really necessary to have the same picture next to every 2600 review?

Pokey or 32x? Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. You need the intellectual property to make it worth buying, before you can even think of offering it.

You can't see it in this picture, but there are three enemy ships and a humanoid. My own ship disappears when I fire. The game is trying to murder me, but moves slower than Jason Voorhees' gumless greatgrandfather. With the superchip, I don't stand a chance. The VCS gains consciousness. Humanity is doomed. But epileptics can safely play the game too, during their last hours alive. It is our only comfort.

Heh, sounds like your controls are suffering from use of a three button controller. All Genesis games after like 92-93 were designed for use the 6-button control pad. They even quit making the 3-button. Anyhow, to run all you have to do is hold down "C." Double-tapping is only needed for a 3-button controller. I just even double checked the booklet, which isn't something I like to do with my 32X games, because in crinkles the cardboard box. (WTF is up with Sega switching to cardboard? Cheap bastards!) Grrr... I had to open it twice now because I forgot to put the stupid registration card back in! Nope, using a 6 button. BUT Fear not, I have a theory as to what went wrong - My talking heads don't look like your talking heads. Maybe someone got frustrated with double tapping in the original and rewrote the controller maps...?

Finally played it....it's not bad, for 32x. But it would be bad, almost anywhere else. Generic enemies can hide right in front of you on a bright and clear summer day - no attempt is made to hide the pop in....in fact, you can even see building far off into the distance, miles past your blind spot. Controls also suffer from a lack of thought - double tap to run, then hold the d-pad down or you lose the speed - it's like driving a used car, bought on the cheap. The kind whose engine completely stops on a red light, and needs to be started up again. Not that it didn't have it's charms. More 1st person shooters should offer other viewtypes. The overhead angle looks horrible, but eliminates pop-in, and gives off a sweet retro vibe. I loved sneaking up on enemies from behind. Being able to shop for power-ups after each death adds a strategy feel. So in the end, I'm torn. As a game it nearly fails, as a postcard from what might have been, it's something that must be experienced...

From Wikipedia -

Let's just agree that it's the first 3D game to think past x and y...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercenary_(computer_game) Let's not get too carried away.

I agree with the second half of that statement. I hope to agree with the first half soon, but what can I say? I've been burned before...

Good topic. Let's take it from the top. Atari 2600 1. Defender: Yes, the broken flicker fest that slushed in lobotomized slow motion across the screen. Make all the Special Olympics jokes you want, it's the only version of the game that's fun. First, let's talk graphics. Defender works better in cities at night instead of mountains. It's the only time I've seen insanely bad graphics improve a game...imagination is key. On to gameplay The enemies are larger. The ship disappearing when you fire is an awesome defensive gameplay mechanic. It is the definitive version of Defender. It's also the sole reason I signed up for the forums here, strange as that seems now in retrospect. 2. Berzerk. Wild west style shoot outs with lasers and suicidal robots. Evil Otto gave me nightmares as a child. 3. Spider Fighter: Not as slow as Defender. 4. Communist Mutants From Space: Better than the classics. 5. Star Path Frogger: For the graphics whore in all of us. 6. Pitfall 2: Just for the soundtrack. 7. Yar's Revenge: the first boss to die right. 8. Activision Fishing: I hate fishing. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate.... That's how good this game is. It sets an impossible standard that the real thing can't hope to match. 9. Empire Strikes Back: David and Goliath and Goliath and Goliath and Goliath and Goliath... 10. I have twenty games I need to go play so as to answer this honestly...don't wait up.

Just saw it for the first time today - my thoughts: 1. You have my respect for championing an underdog. We need more critics who can get us excited about something in a good way. 2. HOLY SHIT! That looks good. 3. It looks downright hideous in still shots. Brown and blue are seldom appropriate outside a toilet, and neutral gray is the only color that clashes with every other color ever made - it doesn't even exist in nature, due to atmospheric tint. 4. Despite that, I can't wait to play. I thank you for the introduction.

I concede. Thank you for a well thought out response, as always.

What were the sales figures for Nintendogs, Brain Age, Lumines, Katamari Damacy, and Guitar Heroes?

Which? Far Cry: Vengeance? Mortal Kombat: Armageddon? Resident Evil 4? Metal Slug Anthology? SSX? Mario 64? Other than the Party Game genre, which games are dramatically improved by waving the magic wand?

Appeals to nostalgia. More people played the 2600 version. Also, the Intellivision control scheme is notoriously difficult to recreate on modern systems. Atlantis was part of the Intellivision Rocks collection for PC - maybe the keyboard made the difference in the attention given the title?