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roberto

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Posts posted by roberto

  8. Posted · Edited by roberto

    I consider it an interesting and relatively fun game (though I played it only on emulators, not on the real thing).

     

    I didn't find the flickering too annoying while the music jingles are cute and funny and in stark contrast with a shoot'em up in the style of Xevious... I'm not really sure if this contrasting mood between the gameplay and the music was intended by the designer or it was unintentional, but I find it amusing nonetheless. :P

     

    I also like the bug (feature? :D ) that if you shoot a second projectile while the first is still flying on the screen, the earlier one disappears: if you are used to shoot at a fast pace, as in many other games, you definitely have to review your whole gaming style!

  10. Posted · Edited by roberto

    CIB Worm Whomper and River Raid! eBay Auction -- Item Number: 3005602508901?ff3=2&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&item=300560250890&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER] and eBay Auction -- Item Number: 2905689084891?ff3=2&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&item=290568908489&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]

    I'm bidding on these two... let's see how it goes! ;)

     

    There's also this very nice looking Pole Position still at a very cheap price: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 1106901690691?ff3=2&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&item=110690169069&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER] (trying to turn your attention to something else here so you will forget about the two Atvi titles... :roll: )

  15. Posted

    I really wish I'd come! Unfortunately my working trip to Seattle is scheduled just three weeks after SRGE... such a bad luck! :sad:

     

    Anyway, I was wondering if you can suggest me a few video game shops or thrift stores over there where I may be likely to find some classic games and related material (I'm mostly interested in the 2600, Inty, Famicom and early Commodore stuff).

     

    Thanks in advance!

    Roberto

  16. Posted · Edited by roberto

    Top 25 and still so difficult to decide...

     

    These are my favorites but in no particular order, otherwise I can't really decide! Besides, there are still some classics I never played yet and still have to test and... "evaluate" ;) so this list is subject to change

     

    Fathom (I believe this was one of the last games I bought for the system when a kid... maybe that's why I still love it so much)

    AD&D Cloudy Mountain (the fog of war made me really scared...)

    AD&D Treasure of Tarmin

    NASL Soccer (the first time I could lead my team to countless, albeit virtual, victories!)

    Tennis

    Lock'n'Chase (one of the games I played most back in the day)

    Burger Time

    Shark! Shark!

    Utopia (everyone agrees this one is Civ 0.1!)

    Safecracker (though I dodn't know anyone saying it, to me this is GTA 0.1!!)

    Microsurgeon

    Bump'n Jump

    Dracula (being the bad guy was never so much fun!)

    Tropical Trouble

    Dig Dug

    Happy Trails

    Swords and Serpents (very immersive game. I remember getting to the final dragon with a friend and then asking each other "and now what?? :D )

    Frog Bog

    Snafu

    Mission X (River Raid on steroids!)

    Beamrider

    Space Battle

    Tron Maze a Tron (I always loved the idea of getting into a computer... :roll: )

    Bomb Squad

    Astrosmash (simplicity perfected)

     

    There's enough to play for a whole lifetime here!

  18. Posted

    Pretty good choices for the INTV.

     

    Yeah, I voted months ago and I liked how they kept the choices balanced across different systems and generations.

     

    Unfortunately I see many kids not appreciating this approach and remain focused on modern games instead (see for example this blogpost on Gamasutra commenting the choices I guess the Inty and Coleco games are among those he "hasn't even heard about" :sad: )

  20. Posted · Edited by roberto

    Hi all,

     

    It seems my book The Golden Age of Video Games is finally readily available and, luckily, the early feedback I received so far by colleagues and some early customers was positive. Anyway I trust you guys more than anybody else so, if anyone from here has a chance to read it, I'd really love to have your comments and impressions.

     

    Like other authors, my aim was to describe the early days of video gaming from their origins till the mid 90s and, throughout the book, I tried to maintain a very strong focus on carefully researched data and events while still providing plenty of interesting anecdotes to keep the narration alive and exciting (or, at least, that was my intention!)

     

    The book is subdivided in 3 parts: "From research labs and academia to the birth and booming of a new industry" (obviously, there's a special focus on Atari here, thanks also to Mr. Ted Dabney who, besides writing the foreword, helped me a lot by providing some very interesting information I was not aware of), "The crash, home computers and an extra life" (offering an in depth analysis of the several reasons that triggered the infamous 1983 crash to proceed then to 8 bit machines, home computers and, obviously, the rise of Nintendo) and "16 bit power, new generations and the rise of the PC" (covering the systems up to the PlayStation and the rise of the IBM PC while early pioneers like Atari and Commodore sadly went out of business).

    Each part is further subdivided in two halves: besides the historical analysis, also some among the most important games of the time are briefly reviewed and commented to point out their original elements and how they contributed to push the industry forward.

    Last, two appendices, covering handhelds and the modern retro game collecting scene (the latter thanks to an interview with GameGavel's Mike Kennedy) are also included.

     

    Overall, I put a lot of effort in this work: trying to provide an objective view of the developments of such a cutting edge and "fanboy" driven industry, of its memorable successes and failures, while also offering an international perspective, wasn't easy at all but, as an European working in Asia for an American company who started getting exposed to video games since the late seventies, I hope I got the proper background and inspiration ;) .

    I can say I am quite happy with the final result and, hopefully, it would ultimately be considered a worthy addition to the game history catalog, along with classics like Kent's "Ultimate History of Video Games", DeMaria/Wilson "High Score!" and Barton/Loguidice "Vintage Games", but that's up to the readers to decide!

     

    And, if you read my whole rant till now... well, thanks a lot for your attention and support!!

    Roberto

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