The odd one out

[The odd one out]

I was the odd man out too when it came to computers since I had the Coco 1/2/3 growing up and most everyone else had some version of the Commodore in high school. Only a couple of other kids had Color Computers and we got teased because the games didn't look as good (although I thought a lot of them actually did)

 

While I was never teased for having a Coco growing up, I only knew one other person who had a Coco (and him not until grade 12), so there was really nobody to "share" with. It was bloody hard to find games locally, too -- just the limited selection at Radio Shack stores and one independent retailer located in the distant suburbs.

 

I was very envious of the Commodore 64 crowd.

[Tandy CoCo 2 Computer Games]

I gave away my Coco set-up about 1990. That said, a few games do stand-out in my memory:

 

Galactic Attack -- your basic Galaxian clone; I played this one a lot when I was younger. The Coco does not have hardware sprites, but this game makes it look like it does. This was a cartridge.

 

Bustout -- a pong clone, but still quite fun; also a cartridge

 

The King -- This is an excellent Donkey Kong clone; it is available on tape.

 

Zaxxon -- one of the very few officially licensed titles on the Coco, it is surprisingly good given the hardware limitations. It is also available on tape.

 

There was a good Joust clone that I played endlessly; alas, I've long since forgotten the name.

 

Most of the major arcade games of the day appeared on the Coco in some form.

 

Note that the graphcs are not comparable to the A8/C64 systems. The maximum resolution is only 256x192x2 colours (4 with artifacts).

[Trs-80 Model 4, A month of use reviewed]

The very first computer that I ever used was the Model III. About 1982, my school bought one. It had a single floppy disk drive; I have no idea how much RAM.

 

I was too young to take the BASIC programming class (I was only in about grade 6), but I did get to play some games on it. One of my (older) classmates was quite bright and he developed several rather fun games in BASIC; I don't think that we had any commercial software for it (at least through 1985 when I started at a new school).

 

I actually miss the blue phospher screen; it was very easy to read.

[Opened my first vintage sealed game today]

I did notice something funny about the Commodore 64 carts though. The connector pins had to be cleaned even though the games were sealed. The pins on them still look kind of ugly. Not like dirt but like the metal was in bad shape. It's possible that the metal eats away at itself if it doesn't come in contact with new air for years? I have no idea.

 

I highly doubt that the seal was air-tight. Oxygen (and other impurities in the air) would have interacted with the base metal to cause this corrosion -- e.g. look what happens to silver when it is stored.

 

Higher-end electronics often use gold for connectors, etc. as that does not react with the air and tarnish.

 

Back on topic, I currently have a small handful of sealed games (mainly PSX and PS 2), but they will remain sealed only until I get around to playing them.

 

In the early-1990s, I bought a significant quantity of Atari 2600 titles from a retalier that was closing its doors and I did not hesitate to open the sealed and shrink-wrapped boxes as I really wanted to play those games. I did carefully save the boxes, of course.

[Capcom Collection Volume 2 for PS2]

Actually several PS1 compilations have games that were not rereleased for the PS2. There are a handful of games from Midway's various collections that are only on the PS1 collections, including 720, Toki, Moon Patrol and Burgertime. I suspect a combination of licensing and analog control kept those games at bay. And then there is the Konami PS1 release which didn't see any kind of repackaging for the PS2.

 

Ok, it looks like I need to pick-up a few of the PS 1 compilations that I'm lacking -- Moon Patrol is one of my favourite arcade games, ever. I spent so much time and money on that game in the 1980s.

 

This is the correct link for the list of arcade titles:

Classic Arcade Game compilations for the PlayStation 2

[Capcom Collection Volume 2 for PS2]

I have all of the PS 2 classic game compilations released in North America. I have compiled a list of what acrade games are in which compilation: Classic Arcade Game compilations for the PlayStation 2. I have not included the various home console collections, except those unlockable arcade titles in the Genesis collection.

 

I may have missed one or two games, but I believe that the list is mostly complete. Many of these titles (especially on the Taito Legends 2) are quite obscure and may be Japan-only releases. The PSX Namco Museum series also includes some realy obscure games that were not re-released on the PS 2.

[Im surprised i have not seen Wii games at Goodwill yet.]

I've seen only a few (perhaps 1 or 2) Wii titles at thrift shops in the past year; I don't recall the specifics. I've seen a few more Xbox 360 titles, and nothing for the PS 3.

 

As others have noted, the vast bulk of what shows up for any system is older sports games. The PS 2 and original Xbox are the most represented systems -- with the very occasional PSX game and even rarer N64 and Genesis cartridges.

 

I was in Portland, Maine a few weeks ago, and one local Goodwill had a whole shelf full of Guitar Hero/Rock Band guitars. I did not see any consoles or other hardware at that store.

[Red Sea Crossing Ad]

*Possibly Canada too.

 

This title is quite widely held by Canadian libraries; the list is too long to post here. If anyone wants to know about a specific city or province, please PM me for details.

 

It might also be interesting to search for ads for "Music Machine". As that was produced in conjunction with a major religious record label (what is now Sparrow), I expect that it would have been very well advertised.

[Do you have a collecting plan?]

I currently have a 2600, a PSX, and a PS 2.

 

I am not actively collecting 2600 games (I now have ~150 titles), but I will purchase any interesting, cheap titles that I see at thrift shops, etc. I am averaging about one new title about every 18 months or so. My 2600 collection is currently in storage.

 

I still buy the occasional PSX title, especially RPGs and classic game compliations. For example, I recently bought the three Final Fantasy titles (Anthology, Chronicles, and Origins). I am actively seeking demo disks for this system, but I have only found one in about the past two years. Most of this collection is currently in storage. My PSX Collection

 

When I got my PS 2, my main collecting goal was to acquire all of the Arcade and Classic Console game compilations. With the exception of the Japan-only releases, I have accomplished this goal! I am now seeking strategy games and RPG games (as well as other titles that look interesting and are cheap).

[Would a relaunched VCS sell?]

Also, I have to believe in the lower-end economic market. There are many families without internet (so no Atari Age, imagine that) that are looking for a little family-friendly entertainment. They cannot afford to spend $200 on Xbox 360, nor $50-$60 for new games. No, these people live in a tight economic situation but would be more than glad to have good video games available at an affordable price. New game releases would fuel the market, and re-releases would draw the enthusiasts.

 

Not to dog-pile on to the OP, but would not this segment of the market already be well served by used game systems? A product aimed at this demographic would be competing directly with the old, used NES and PSX bundles listed on Kijiji, sold at flea markets, etc. Those games are at least newer and, depending on the audience, would have rather better brand recgonition and/or more nostalga.

[Power Joy NES clone power adapter]

I have just dug-up the external power supply for my PowerJoy Famiclone. I don't recall if it came with this model or another, but it works.

 

The specs are: DC 6 V, 850 MA.

The centre post on the power plug is NEGATIVE (and so the outer part is positive).

[Best dos freeware/shareware games]

Did anyone else enjoy the various MoraffWare games?

 

I recall one title in particular that allowed the player to select the type of graphics (from CGA to SVGA) and also the machine's processor speed. This made it playable on a very wide range of hardware.

[Will you be buying a 3DS after the price drop?]

I had the chance to play a store demo unit (with some fighting game) last week. This convinced me not to buy one.

 

I do not have binocular vision, so I can only barely see 3D "in real life" (and so I cannot drive a car, catch a baseball, etc.).

 

With the 3D setting turned on, the screen just looked really blurry to me. With it turned off, well then I might as well buy another (cheaper) system.

[Are educational titles for consoles gone?]

I've seen pictures of a few educational titles for the original PlayStation released in the UK -- aimed at the elementary school level. These were not official, licensed titles. Apparently the business model was to sell them to schools as a PSX + TV was supposedly cheaper to buy than an actual computer.

 

 

There is also the PS 2 title Chessmaster, which is supposedly able to teach someome to play (better) chess, if that counts as an "educational" title.

[TRS-80 Model 2...any games?]

I seem to recall that an early version of Nethack (Hack?) was available on the Model II (or perhaps that was the Model 16, it's been a long time...).

 

Can the Model II run CP/M? If so, this would expand the selection of text-mode games a bit.

 

Getting new software onto the machine may present a challenge, however.

[Does anyone collect third party controllers?]

I have amassed a small handful of (original) PlayStation controllers from various thrift shops, etc. None are especially memorable or even very much better than the originals, though the Canadian made Commanding Player is pretty decent for playing Pac Man and the like.

[whats the deal with bobby is going home?]

In terms of religious music in 2600 games, Challenge uses an off-key version of The Battle Hymn of the Republic as its background music. I'd hazard a guess that the original programmer in Taiwan(?) was not even aware that this was a hymn in the United States.

 

Atari Mania database entry for Challenge

[Is there a secret to keeping Sodas]

The local flea market has a vendor with a selection of vintage beer cans, presumably still full. They are wrapped in multiple layers of plastic wrap (not shrink wrap). This would address the issue of damage from any leaks, but I don't know if the plastic would eventualy damage the label.

 

The New Brunswick Museum has on display a 1940s-vintage bottle of beer from a local brewery. The cap is still factory sealed, but the bottle is now only about 2/3 full.

[A Pac Question]

I got my original Atari console back in 1982, but I never had Pac Man. (I did, however, have Asteroids, Bezerk, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, etc.)

 

I first played it at a friend's place at some point in 1982. I remember how very disappointing it was and I was amazed that my friend could clear the rest of the screen and then get the energizers all at once.

 

I eventually got a copy for myself when I got back into collecting in the early 1990s. Pac Man was almost always part of a large lot of cartridges found at a garage sale or flea market.

[Classic Game Stores in Maine]

In about a month, I will be visiting Bangor and Portland, Maine.

 

Can anybody recommend any decent game stores in either city? I won't have the time to sift through thrift shops and pawn shops, but I'd like to find someplace other than Gamestop/EB Games.

 

I've checked online, but nothing comes up.

 

I'm mostly interested in original PlayStation and PS 2 games.

[NES Advantage book thing?]

Here is another example from the same publisher:

 

NAME(S): Surhone, Lambert M
                  Timpledon, Miriam T
                  Marseken, Susan F
        TITLE(S):*Psychodynamic diagnostic manual : ICD, diagnostic and 
                   statistical manual of mental disorders, american 
                   psychoanalytic association, international 
                   psychoanalytical association / Lambert M. Surhone, 
                   Miriam T. Timpledon, Susan F. Marseken (ed.)
       PUBLISHER: Beau Bassin, Maurice : Betascript : VDM, 2010.
     DESCRIPTION: 85 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.

           NOTES: "High quality content by wikipedia articles"--Couv.
                  Bibliogr. à la fin des chapitres.
                   ARTICLES :  Psychodynamic diagnostic manual  
                   ICD  Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders  
                   American psychoanalytic association  International psychoanalytical 
                   association  American psychological association  Sigmund Freud 
                    Psychoanalytic  Anxiety disorders
         NUMBERS: ISBN:  9786131092121

[What's your oldest email address you still use?]

I set up a Freenet (remember those?) account around 1994 or 1995. The Freenet has largely morphed into a commercial ISP, but I still use the space to host my website, and my original e-mail address there is still valid (though it is now forwarded to my main, personal account).

[Coleco Gemini]

If space is an issue, it is the smallest 2600-compatible system readily available. All of my consoles are currently in storage, but I think it is a little bit smaller than a Jr., and is is way smaller than a woody.

 

I've used my Gemini way more than any other models, and I've had no compatibility issues with anything I've tried (though I don't have a Supercharger or Harmony cart).

[Battlezone vs Robot tank]

I don't have much to add to what has alreday been said -- but I certainly prefer Robot Tank.

 

I really like how individual systems can be damaged (e.g. video, radar, movement) yet the tank can still function. I once finished a round "blind" with no functioning video or radar!

 

Edited to add that I just realised that Battlezone was not re-released by Atari in a modern compilation, although most (all?) of their other vector games (i.e. Asteroids/Deluxe, Space Duel, Major Havok, and Tempest) were.

[MORE Atari gold !]

It looks like 2 different styles of pins were offered employees. I've never seen anything larger than a 5 year. Is there a 10 year? Would anyone have even qualified for a 10 year?

 

I obviously cannot speak for Atari in the 1980s, but my employer has a similar incentive program. There are gifts of increasing value for each five-years one is employed with the firm. For example, for my five years long-service, I received a modest desk clock. My manager (at 20+ years) received a lovely framed print.

 

A few weeks before their anniversary date, employees receive a catalogue to select their gift. Instead of the clock, I could have gotten a pair of wine glasses or a few other choices. Presumably Atari employees had a choice of different styles of pins (or possibly even other types of items).