hex65000

PM Sent... Hex. [ Has chosen a random action. Can you guess what that action was? ]

Old thread, but I had the same problem... I've found Amazon and Newegg useful in terms of customer reviews. If the reviewer can articulate what's good/bad/other and doesn't come off like a maroon, it's probably helpful in painting a picture of how adequate a product is. Link to old thread... Hex. [ Is now wanting a CRT so he can play light gun games... <facepalm> ]

Uhh.... I think CC is trying to help you out man. I don't think anyone is discounting your record; the intent is more that the machine goes for a decent price. I'm not into arcade machines for one reason: space -- and the lack thereof. Otherwise, I'd have been throwing in on this too. Hex. [ Wants a couple of cocktail cabinets, but it's just not realistic... ]

A PM has occurred. Hex. [ Quick! to the LOL-Cave! ]

Yeah, I was starting to suspect that after staring at the schematic for a while. I was hoping for something where I could inject a voltage level of my choosing and alter the behavior. I was at least smart enough to not attach anything to the input pins. (IE: a bench supply as I swing it around between 0 and 5V) I think I've got a solution worked out. It'll be harder, but that's nothing new. Hex. [ FEARS the I2c interface... ]

Got an E-mail yesterday from Amazon that this title isn't available, and that my pre-order is canceled. It's not showing up on the major retail chain's radar either. So I guess it got canceled after a couple of delays on the order. The basic question is WTF? I had a pre-order in a good while back (I think back to last year) Not sure what happened, but it looks like the title is either gone or canceled and nobody said anything. I guess we were all playing Modern Warfare or something. Hex. [ Forgot something important today... ]

So I'm doing a little research and I am curious if anyone knows what is going on inside the POKEY chip. Specifically, with the analog inputs. What exactly is going on between that variable resistor in the controller? Is it a fixed voltage? Is it oscillating? And how does the chip translate that into something meaningful for the rest of the system? Hex. [ Lots of questions... It's better this way. ]

Most likely you have the bios set to try to boot from the CD rom first then the hard disk. Reverse that and you should have no problems. It looks like the system sees something bootable on the Frogger CD and then it turns out to be junk and the screen goes wonky. Try the fix mentioned above -- that should heal it. Hex. [ ... has snippets of YYz stuck in his head... ]

Shifted gears and I'm playing Sacred 2 right now. Yeah, it's a Diablo-2 wanna-be but it's still good, and a lot less linear due to the bazillion side quests that the game has. I've logged some crazy time on this and have not even pushed that far into the first chapter of the story. And I'm still rocketing on Geometry Wars 2. Of the AAers that are on my friends list, I have claimed the top spot except for beating Lord Helmet in Pacifism mode. Also still trying to get the Treaty, Ricochet, and Wax Off achievements... Damn you MS for inventing achievements! Hex. [ Will probably throw Bayonetta back in after I clear Sacred 2... All I gotta say is that Baynetta in normal mode is pretty freakin' hard. ]

The gray figure is a prototype in progress. I assume that the painted one is a pre-production model. According to the BBTS link, it has some poseability and will talk. I did a quick look at some other figures NECA has done. Several video game franchises ranging from statues to figures. They look decent from the photos. Hex. [ Notes that this is a 'bleedover' topic at this point... but still felt it was relevant and interesting. ]

Yeah, I'm pretty much with you on that. Of all the stuff that I have heard on E3 this year, the 3DS is the most compelling overall. However, part of me does feel that it's a bit gimmicky. Of course, that was the argument raised against the DS and implementation is everything. This will remain the case for the 3DS. I also caught in one of the kotaku articles that it has tilt sensors (like a Wiimote) While that and the wide screen could be regarded as incremental upgrades, they are welcome features overall. What does bother me is the commentary that the 3d works within a certain 'bubble' or the illusion doesn't work. I know from my own portable gaming habits that this may or may not be a problem. I typically will game before I fall asleep for example, sometimes ending up in odd positions as I lay in bed. It's not a dealbreaker, but something that will be scrutinized as the product becomes available. Also, sadly, I'm hoping for an improved web browser. I really like using the DSi for light web browsing, but the screen size really hurts the experience. Hex. [ Is guilty of owning a crapload of Nintendo portable stuff. I guess that could qualify me as a fanboy? ]

Resurrecting an old thread... Stumbled across this novelty and had to share. Hopefully they'll have photos up soon. http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu.aspx?menu=2394 Oh, Here's a few I found on figures.com... Hex. [ Sometimes it's the oddest stuff that gets you spinning... ]

PM-Zilla! <gronk!> Hex. [ Does not know how to make that Godzilla noise. You know the noise. Imagine it now and that'll have to do. ]

I have to disagree with Hex. Chips Challenge is probably my favorite game for LYNX, next to California Games. It is an original EPYX title for the LYNX, and I tend to like stuff from EPYX so maybe it's just me. But Chips Challenge is a great puzzle game that challenges your logic and ability to think fast! It's cute and nerdy and personally I highly recommend it if you enjoy puzzles and problem solving.I do like puzzle games, but some just don't do it for me. Chip's falls in that category. As does Polarium for the Nintendo DS. However, Klax is a staple for me, and the Lynx does action titles rather well for the age of the hardware. I'll even dust off a majong game every once in a while. As for California Games... It's an Epyx classic -- just not one that did anything for me. I wish some of the Asphai series made it beyond the 8-bit machines. That actually might be a pretty cool and ambitious homebrew project. As a side note, watched some of the posted Zaku footage... that's some solid shooter action there. Hex. [ Is currently starting to juggle three different RPGs at the same time... weird. ]

Here's my Lynx collection. I don't do much with it currently, and Block Out isn't shown, but it's an easy way to list off some of my favorites... Toki Qix Xybots Klax Rygar Zarlor Mercenary Gates of Zendocon Crystal Mines 2 I need to add Zaku to my collection too, it looks good from the screens I've seen. You will wind up with at least 1 Chip's Challenge. It's not that great a game, and it's the Pac-Man cart of the Lynx in my mind. Lastly, if you can, scrounge up an ESD(static) bag or 2 to keep your carts in, it's a good thing. Just a neurotic thing I do with carts that have exposed contacts on them. Less dirt and some static shielding. Shameless plug: I do have 3 loose lynx carts I don't need for sale on Game Gavel. Hex. [ Is just all over the place today... ]

More slims for me. ... and fewer discs for everybody. Congratulations! You've missed the point. The point is that with a bit more effort and most likely a little more cost, the tilting problem could be easily fixed. Just like how the 360 has had an asinine thermal solution as of day 1. These are both _preventable_ problems for a small cost increase. We are so well trained to go "Oh it's broken, I'll just buy another one." that it's scary. Consumer electronics aren't built with margin anymore. There is more complexity and more moving parts that draw more power. Heat is easy to handle if done right, but they speced the power supply at the hairy edge of operation and then skimped on the cooling. The CD can be secured mechanically from flopping around the system so the drive doesn't wreck media. The downside is that it incurs an extra cost to do it right. Nevermind that they are making money hand over fist off of us or anything. Also, you guys are assuming that the drive won't randomly gouge discs even if it is laying flat. A slightly warped disc? Alignment problems? <sarcasm> Perhaps I should buy a level instead of Microsoft addressing the real problem. </sarcasm> Hex. [ Crappy designs in consumer electronics is a major pet peeve of mine. It can be sexy all day, but if it just 'dies' because it wants to -- that isn't acceptable. ]

I know I have some of those sitting in a box... send me a PM and I'll check when I get home tonight. Is this for another art project? Want them cleaned and tested first? Hex. [ Also needs to dig through his genesis collection for Chris so I can finish a trade... ]

My sister recently bought a Wii too and she asked me for help with it... As for games, there are a few nice shooters for it. Geometry Wars, Castle Shikigami 3 are good starts. You can also add Chaos Field and Ikaruga from the GCube as well. The first thing I did was order a component video cable on Amazon (~$5) and the revised classic controller ($20) Then I have to set up the wireless access point for her, She just uses hard LAN connections in her apartment. The extra Linksys with DD-WRT will meet those needs. Hex. [ Really has only been playing Wii Fit lately... other than that it's Sacred 2 on the 360... <shrug> ]

I view this as a failure from their design group/management. You can't stupid-proof anything. That said, you _can_ reduce the risk of failure due to minor mistakes. When I watched that video it didn't look like he grabbed it and shook it around. If that was the case, then yeah, the ones that say the guy is an idiot have a leg to stand on. It is simply MS saving money again... "Do not tilt or move while the disc is spinning in the drive"* * = We saved a ton of money by printing this awesome sticker instead of actually addressing the problem. Not to mention, since we think that the lot of you are barely literate, you'll wreck 70% of the discs out there. This will pave the way for digital download content. Buy our crap. We are Effing awesome! Hex. [ Will not buy a "slim" at all until MS gets their sorry act together... ]

So I grabbed the multiplayer demo for the new Transformers offering and while I'm not huge on multiplayer, here are my initial impressions based on about 45 mins of play and getting my skidplate handed to me pretty regularly... First of all, I do like the Transformers franchise quite a bit, and for those who pay attention, I've been half-heartedly jonesing for this title in previous posts. The character models look great, and it is a good and glorious thing. The environment is a nice fusion of the origami Michael Bay-formers with the classic look that old-schoolers are used to. There are only two of the four classes available at this point, the soldier (tank) and the scout (car). I played as the scout hoping the improved speed would buy me an edge here and there. I was very wrong about that. A lot of the time, I wandered about the map just a little lost and never sure if the character I was about to open fire on was friend or foe until the reticule turned red. The option to transform is pretty cool and does have an impact on how you fight in the arena. You have a limited amount of vehicle and handgun ammo and you can occasionally pick up dropped weapons for extra fun. The trick for me was staying alive after you pick them up. You also have a leveling system in the game -- I really don't play much online, but my impression is that this is a derivative of the Team Fortress class system and the Modern Warfare series. (Or was it call of duty? Honestly they all seem way too similar to me.) Anyway, Penny Arcade gave the demo a quick plug as well. Check it out if you like 3rd person shooters that remind you of the Modern Warfare series. Anyone else trying this? Thoughts? Hex. [ Just wants the hurting to stop... ]

Pretty much. If you can lift it and it's less than 12" in depth it's a flat panel. If you pull your back lifting it and the screen is made of glass it's a CRT. I'm having the same problem because of my flat screen TV. I want to come up with a good flexible solution for all of my light-gun games that are now unusable because of my display. The pictures below should help sort things out for you. Of course, the Wii solves this problem, but I can't try out Dino Stalker on the Wii. Hex. [ Space + (time)^cash on hand = solution to all my storage problems... ]

Another good source is Allied Electronics for all your coil needs... http://www.alliedelec.com/sensors-switches-relays/ Hex. [ Had at least one success today... ]

New additions to my PS2 and XBox collection have been posted... Hex. [ Is just chillin' in a rather warm house... ]