hex65000

It's funny, I've been trying to inflict Mr. Driller on people for ages. I found the DC version for $10 at a local toy chain and thought it looked okay. When I finally sat down to play it, I was totally hooked. Oh and some nutshell bits about Mr. Driller 2 and Ace... Mr. Driller 2 handles a lot like the first one. The main difference is the appearance of your rival driller guy. You can play either one and you unlock some text collector cards as you complete tunnels. I think you unlock different stuff with each character. Mr. Driller Ace has 2 notably different modes: Mr. Driller : Knight and classic style. In the Knight version you can take your time, but each time you destroy a batch of blocks with your sword, you lose air. You also have access to special gems that affect the area around you. Some make blocks disappear, supply air, or make blocks a certain color for easier destruction. There is also a tomagotchi style thing that yo play with / pay attention to. Regular mode is mostly nothing new. The point of interest is each driller pal has a certain 'special' I know that the robot gets a brace so he can survive two hits per life. The dog can climb ledges 2 blocks high v/s 1 block. I have no clue with the rest of the group. Time attack on Mr. Driller A is a BEAR. you race the other 5 cpu controlled drillers. I never even come close with em. I do want that Gamecube Drill-land game though... Hex. [ tooth rottingly sweet, but fun! ]

I am also not a fan of rumble packs. It's just annoying to me. If I want that tingly feeling on my hands I'll eventually go mow the grass. While this is partially from a different thread, the most interesting thing to me was the Dreamcast VMU. I never got a lot of milage out of the stand alone games, but the mini display was just a good idea; an idea now emulated with the gamecube/GBA combo. As one of the few people who like the larger X-crate controllers, my only complaint is that huge green jewel telling me that I have an X-Box controller in my hands. That's good to know, but a hard wired LCD or _something_ would have been incredibly nice. Or a... MS-VMU! Hex. [Occasionally has to hug his DC and tell it that it is loved... ]

* * * in a single football in Madden 2004 as there were in an entire screen of Madden 2002, including players, grass, stadium—everything. - - - -- - - - Of course, there are a lack of specifics in this statement. If we are talking about Madden 2k2 for the PSx v/s the X-crate 2k4 version then there is no shocker to the statement. I just don't understand sports titles, why folks buy them, and how useless they become after the next version of the title comes out. Just put em' in a big pile and burn bUrn BURN! Hex. [' Now it's YOUR turn to BURN Optimus Primal!' --Inferno; Beast Wars]

No you are not alone. I actually like the form factor of the first GBA. And after doing the Afterburner kit and buying a batch of NiMH batteries and a charger It's virtually an SP. The rechargables don't hold out the best (about 2 hrs of play), but I don't care terribly. Of course Triton labs dropped the price of their kit to $25 v/s the $35 I paid for it... Doh! Hex. [ Look mom! No more eyestrain! ]

I think the trick is that the difficulty should have some balance or at least have a 'possible' setting where you stand a half decent chance at success. For example: I spent almost 12 hrs straight playing 'The Ring: terror's realm' for Dreamcast. It's a survival-horror type of game. I died many times. I missed out on a couple of objects, but I never got to the point where I went, "you're kidding! this cannot be done." It's the reason I can't stand the resident evil series. There needs to be more beatdown on monsters, and things like knives and pistols seem to be very good at annoying these things more than anything else. Grrrr I've decided, If I'm faced with a bunch of slow moving zombie types the best thing to get would be a shotgun. Followed up by either a chainsaw or a nice aluminum slugger. Even zombies slow down when they have broken legs. I think all my time playing deathmatch is showing... If you off all the enemies, all you have to do is get where youre going. Hex. [ "Aaaaaaaagh! Yourself... Uh-oh..." --Serious Sam ]

For me this is something to look forward to... Activision Anthology + Gamecube + Gameboy player = a bunch of 2600 carts I dont have to have in my life. Just one little GBA cart -- scrummy! [ FANBOY! ] Now if we could get the BIG N to start doing other giant retro anthologies I could start ditching more NES carts too. That and more US versions of Mr. Driller (Driller? I hardly knew 'er!) [ != FANBOY ] Hex. [ _finally_ got an NES topoader, but perfers his NesterDC disk... ]

I didn't do these, but I'm sure with permission you can resuse or at least link to the ones done by Robert Jung. The link: http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/atari/Atari.shtml Hex. [ Wants to spread his rotten opinions on games too, but I don't have that kind of time... ]

I have'nt sat down to play Pac man world 2 yet. I'm currently pounding on .hack//infection and am trying to get as much junk as possible from an unlocking standpoint. However, I do recommend Ms. Pac Man: Maze Madness. There's a lot of replay value to it and if you grab the Dreamcast version it looks good too. There is a PS1 version... but you are stuck using a PSx; my biggest complaint about the .hack series... Hex. [ "Every time you give Sony money, gawd kills a kitten." --From the DC emu site. ]

Monkey said... I am using a "Utopia Boot Disc" to play the Japanese games on my US system. So far only a couple of my Japanese titles won't work on it (Sega Rally 2, Puyo Puyo 4). = = = = = Add Godzilla Generations to that list. I wanted to inflict it on some friends using their DC and it looked dumb at me. Not that it's a good game, the camera ctrl is horrid, and Godzilla is VERY slow to any command issued, but you get to squish a city! I hear the sequel is better though. Hex. [ Ooo! Metabee hates it when people talk about themselves in the 3rd person. ]

Tempest 2k : I just got this one and found myself announcing to the room, "I'm in love again." Cybermorph : Those who say common != good game are wrong IMO Zoop : A cute, but overly simple puzzle game. Rayman : its beautiful! Ruiner / Fantasies pinball : Video pinball... GOOD! Bubsy : I like it, but I am rotten at this game. Now If they did Mr. Driller for the Jag... Well, that' would be a happy thing. Hex. [ It's Lorne, the friend for life.... ]

After I get it cleaned up a bit and see if this guy works I'll have to drop it on the scanner. I don't have access to a digital camera. Currently the system is very brown and Hex does not tolerate unnaturally brown things. I also need to scrape up some cash and grab me an intellivision 1. I bought a collection that had a BUNCH of generally complete carts and the voice box. But no system. I have no idea if any of that junk works. With my luck it'll end up living in the corner with my Oddesy2 and Colecovision (I did get the atari adapter with it though, that was pretty spiffy.) Hex. [ Yeah... like I'm gonna be 'productive'... ]

Yes they are deader than butterfly collars with glittery bits on the front. Please send all 'dead' NES carts to... Seriously tho, no, that's common practice to keep cost down. The contacts start life gold plated and gold (and extra traces) cost money. What sucks is when they rattle inside. Someone jammed a cart in so hard that some of the mounting for the board has snapped. Joy! Interestingly, I have encountered a few early NES carts that are easily opened with a flathead screwdriver. I discovered an odd connector that just acted as an interface board for a smaller NES cart. My knowledge of NES technical history is poor. I suspect that it was a way to use Famicom boards without having to lay out a whole new cartridge (which was done later). Oh, and the game was Excitebike. Whee!!! You could always make your own tool if things get desparate. I made a wrench for the SNES power bricks by combining an Allen wrench and a dremel. Hex. [ Has more NES carts to clean than he'd like to... But strangely won't send them out. Hrm.... ]

Yay! Now all I need is a CD bypass cart... Hex. [ It's never easy is it? ]

My Genesis stack is pretty trivial but there are a few items I qualify as must haves: The Sonic Series Frogger Ms. Pac Man Klax Hex. [ Foo != Bar ]

I recently picked up a 'High Definition Graphics' version of the Genesis 1. I noticed there is a db9 plug on the back of the system that my other Genesis 1 does not have. I poked through a Genesis FAQ and didn't find anything meaningful about the port or the system. Of course it didn't come with the power brick. Ah well, at least the video cables can be built if needed. Thoughts? Links? Hex. [ Must... clean... cartridges.... bleah! ]

Dreamcast -- (to make it region free) I think the mainboard died; I've got a _new_ plan to enable disable the modchip at will. Game Boy Advance -- (installed the Afterburner light kit.) Jaguar -- (Glued heat sinks onto the Tom & Jerry) Matter o fact I need some more low profile 486 heat sinks so I can do the other Jags I have. NES frontloader -- (Homebrew Toploader ; in progress) It works, but I've got some shielding and mechanical issues to work out. At least it plays better than my frontloader, but isn't as rock-stable as my real toploader. Pending projects / ideas Home brewed Jaguar, Nes, 2600, and 5200 controllers. the mother of all power bricks. A cooling scheme to help keep the regulators on the NES / SNES a little cooler. Turning my two dead Saturns into one good system. While original parts are nice, I can deal with a couple of changes to get better functionality or get a better life span out of a machine. I'm very inclined to modify all of the functional 2600s I've got so that they don't use an earphone jack as a power connector. I lost at least 2 of those bricks as a kid because the secondary lines got shorted together. (tripped over the cord and the output got shorted on the way out of the system. I think my dad got smart and put a fast blow fuse in the third brick. An easier solution would be to use an isolated connector. The downside is I have to desolder the power connecter on the system and put a new one on. Hex. [ Can hear the purists screaming from here... ]

I found my nomad for ~$35 and came with a home brew power brick. I thought it was DOA for a while, but it turned out that the power brick was inadequate to run the Nomad. I adapted an old Master system brick and all is well. Then someone told me that the Game Gear / Nomad bricks are interchangable. DoH! The battery pack appears to snap on the back of the Nomad. As for buying one, I'd prolly pay around $50 for one, but I don't wander around with portables very often so.... Hex. [ Last seen cleaning out the Freezer... ]

I'm also extremely cheap... well, it's not that I'm not willing to spend the money, it's that I don't have the money to spend = = = = = Amen! I tend to top out at around $45 for a title... and when I spend that much I _REALLY_ want it. (It was Ikaruga for the DC) Under normal circumstances though $20 and under is my typical range -- preferably under. . . . . . However, I don't see myself buying Crazy Taxi or Sonic Adventure DX for the Gamecube = = = = = I can understand that for Crazy Taxi, But I am under the impression there are some minor improvements for the two Sonic Adventures for the cube. Not that they are actually WORTH $35-$50. But if you see em' complete for $15 or so it is probably worth the bother. I was really mixed when I bought Crazy Taxi 3 for the Xbox. First of all it only has 3 maps in it and two of them are modified versions of maps from Crazy Taxi 1 and 2. My other complaint was that they changed most of the voices of the west coast cabbies. BD-Joe doesn't sound as much fun, Gena sounds a bit more like a stoned southern belle, and Gus sounds like Lurch the hitman. The eye candy is there though... Hex. [ Simplicity and actual planning... such a great formula... ]

As for cross-platform duplicates. Yes. Even if I own the best version of a particular game, I will grab the others just to have them. = = = = = I can appreciate that to a degree. However I really don't care if I ever find the NES version of Klax again; I have it for the Genesis and the Lynx (which I thought was a great game for the system). I will grab 'similar' items if I like the series (IE: Bomberman, Tetris, Mr. Driller, Pokemon, and Medabots) I've actually imported a few GBA titles just because the publisher was too lazy to bring the titles to the US. I do hope that Namco released Mr. Driller for the Gamecube domestically, I just don't want to crack my cube open to add a dipswitch. However, I have no interest in the Gameboy color or PSx version of Mr. Driller. (Unless there is something exceptionally good about those versions...) Hex. [ Colored blocks pop up everywhere... Mr. Driller and Co. are on the job! ]

I have been hunting through the Atari Age Web site and I'm finding a cornucopia of goodies on here. Among the things you can grab are diagnostic carts for the 2600 and 5200 (I must have these! ) I'd love to see something resembling a basic test cart for the Jag as well. It may not be as comprehensive as the test stands, but at least you could say with a moderate degree of certainty 'yes, it works just fine.' I know this lacks the glamour of writing a game for folks, but I do think that it would be a worthwhile pursuit. Unless, such an item exists already at an affordable price. Hex. [ Nearly inhaled his coffee on seeing $75 jag carts... EEK! ]

I got lucky one day and found just the system at the flea market a few weeks back. The price was definately right : $1.00 I took it home cleaned it up and threw on standard NES parts, it is my little champion. The unit allowed me to actually TEST all of my NES carts that had been piling up since my front loader started giving me fits. The system does get rather warm though so I try not to run it for extended periods of time. Accursed overtemped power regulators... bleah. Hex. [ Needs more 2 part thermal epoxy... ]

Problem with all systems: raging psychotic fanboys. = = = Well.. that goes without saying I was reaching near the end. Honestly, I like Sega products generally. I have blundered across a few more dead Saturns than I'd like. (one has bad System memory and appears dead. the other one seems to have a bad CD controller. If I had the soldering skills and knew which chip was the flash ram, I'd just pull the good one off the bad CD drive unit. I admit I'm not real familiar with the early PS systems, but that is good to know -- thanks. Hex. [ Last seen gluing heat sinks on his Jaguar... ]

I'm not talking about where you go. That one seems pretty obvious where you should look for stuff. The question is more along the lines of do you look for variants? Specialize in one specific platform or do you just grab what you can all over the map? If you collect titles for more than one platform what do you do with games where the same title exists for many different platforms? Keep them all, keep the best implementation of the title or the one that takes up the least amount of space? Honestly, I'm more of a best implementation / least amount of space kind of guy. (IE: I have the Jaguar version of Rayman so I don't care about the PSx version and I have Marvel v/s Capcom2 for Xbox so I don't care if I ever get the Dreamcast version.) Also, how do you folks set up / display your stuff? My collection (nest of wires): NES , SNES , N64 , Gamecube , Genesis , Saturn , Dreamcast , 2600 , 5200 , Jaguar , Colecovision , X-crate, PS2 , PSx , Lynx , Game Gear , Nomad , Gameboy , GBA Hex. [ Capn' Cramped... ]

Heh. Yep. Quick! Name one thing wrong with the following.. NES = = = Regular (common) Ver.: That infernal cartridge connector. The designer of that implementation should be slapped around for that idea. Top Loader Ver. : No Composite video out. Only RF. SNES = = = Plastic turns yellow. Non-standard video connector. Sub-par controllers. N64 = = = Underpowered system, that darn 'expansion' / jumper pack, Video connector again, no memory card manager -- you have to find a cart to do it FOR you. GameCube = = = Power brick in the middle of the cord, non-standard video connector, can't play DVDs, big N migrated to more fragile high density CDs. Xbox = = = Multiple major points of failure (hard disk & CD rom Drive), DVD player codec is extra money, ANOTHER non-standard video connector, not enough system Ram for a proper MS product, those tiny controllers, those HUGE controllers with the big useless green jewel in the center. Playstation = = = Hundreds of sub-par Titles, controllers that make my hands cramp up, pokey-slow CD drive, cruddy memory manager, older titles have no way of dealing with the analog input from a controller Playstation One = = = All of the problems of the Playstation except for better CD speed, but that goofy power brick, and it screams FRAGILE. Playstation 2 = = = Same problems of the other Playstations, and they seem to exhibit a high rate of failure. It does play DVDs out of the box though. Appear impossible to work on. Once they die I call em paperweights. Dreamcast = = = Couldn't play DVDs, the Lan adapter is impossible to reasonably afford, A bit more system mem would have been nice. If it was black or blue it would look like someone stepped on a Gamecube. Saturn = = = Affording any decent non cross platform title for this system. Huge and clunky. Hex. [ Bait and Whack! ]