FujiSkunk

When all else fails, read the rules. Edit: Corrected my failed spelling.

The differences between the two C-64 versions are similar. The Parker Brothers version had to be crammed into a 16K cartridge, and the game suffered as a result. The TIE-fighter dog-fight is done with non-animated sprites, and the tower sequence with custom character sets, neither of which look very convincing. The Domark version, released on disk, is done almost completely with 3-D wire-frame renderings. Unfortunately, the C-64 isn't quite capable of generating these graphics at 50 or 60 frames per second, so the frame rate suffers at times. Even so, I would rather have this authenticity than the cheap short cuts in the Parker Brothers verison.

Use a hair drier. Seriously. Most hair driers have no-heat settings, and in most cases will work just as well as a can of compressed air. Just be sure to work outdoors or in your garage, so that there isn't a big cloud of dust in your house when you're done. If nothing else, you can use a hair drier together with compressed air, saving the cans for those stubborn or hard-to-reach bits of dust. Also, while this wouldn't be as cheap of a solution, you could also get an air compressor. If you buy used, and know where to look, you can get one fairly cheaply, and then you'd never run out of air.

I own a Game Cube, so it's not a problem. I've been buying the emulator/old-game collections for the PS2 so I could keep them all on one console, but that's not something set in stone. Sigh.. so many games, so little time.

A-ha. I just might have to pick this up, then. Did these make it into a PS2 version as well, or just the Game Cube?

While rear plates are more easily seen, front plates do make sense. If some incident happens on the road, and there are witnesses, plates on the front and back of the car means that more people had a chance to see the license number, even if they had already driven past (not that I condone rubbernecking drivers; get a passenger to rubberneck instead!). Oh, and I live in Texas, a 2-plate state with no income tax. Just don't ask what I pay each year in car registration fees. Semantics.

The Game Cube has a port of the original Star Wars arcade game? Explain, please. It was included as an extra in Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike. And for that matter the arcade version of Empire Strikes Back was included too. 845652[/snapback] But no Return of the Jedi? Pity. Are they emulations or ports? What's the quality like?

The Game Cube has a port of the original Star Wars arcade game? Explain, please. I cast my vote. I haven't played the Domark Atari 8-bit release, but if it's anything like the Domark C-64 release, I would say it's probably a toss-up on which one's better.

Domark made a C-64 version as well, released through Broderbund. So, are you referring to the Parker Bros. version or the Domark version? If Domark, then the C-64 gets my vote. Oh, and while you may be wanting to limit this to the early-80s era of game hardware, Broderbund also released versions for the PC, the Macintosh, and the Atari ST. I haven't played any of those, tho'.

You're a lawyer, aren't you? Anyway, Oldschool, check your private messages!

I'd be interested to know what the other games are, sure.

Colecovision and Atari 2600 games are not interchangeable, regardless of who made them. There are no games for the Atari 2600 that were published under the "Atarisoft" name, and those cartridges won't even fit in an Atari 2600's slot. I'd make an offer, but I already have Centipede, and someone else will probably be interested in getting both.

Zaxxon. The change in perspective and the change in the enemy cast of characters is almost enough to make a case that this does not deserve the Zaxxon name. Still, even then it could have been a decent game... were it not for the sloppy programming that made the game literally unplayable at times. Ever tried to play a 2-player game from level 4 on? Quite simply, you can't, and that is unforgivable.

DarkStalkers for the PlayStation also has redbook audio. I'd say that most of the early PlayStation games use CD audio. Digital audio compression wasn't really widely used until MP3 made it popular, which was a smidgeon after the PlayStation's original launch, if I'm remembering my history correctly.

Well I posted the ColecoVision list, we need two more people to populate the "Arcade Port" lists for the 5200 and the 7800, any volunteers. 845165[/snapback] I have all this in a database. Maybe when I get home tonight I can print out the entries I have for the 5200 and 7800. In the meantime, you can look at my list of all arcade ports for all known systems by following the link in my signature. Yes, I know, it's a little out of date. It's going to be updated Real Soon Now.

I don't remember any differences myself, but if this is true, it wouldn't surprise me. The Genesis has a fairly low number of colors it can show on-screen at one time (64, if I remember correctly), so colors are always being recycled. The color of the birds may be tied to the color of the main character. If that's the case, then Sonic by himself would have the same-colored birds as Sonic with Tails. You need help.

Hot Wheels and Matchbox collectors were obsessive long before anybody had even heard of Quadrun or Swordquest: Waterworld. This is not news.

You may be misunderstanding how the memory card works. First, you need a card reader/writer for your Windows computer (MacOS X software is also in the works). You use your computer to create the necessary configuration files, and then you copy them along with the games onto the memory card. Once that's done, you pop the memory card into the Cuttle Cart 2. There is no "downloading" directly onto the cartridge.* As for menu navigation, it's a snap. You're using the very same code that the original cartridges did, so, yes. The files are the same as those used by many emulators, so you can find them anywhere there are emulator games available, and that includes the AtariAge web site. * - Actually, that's a bit of a lie, but you probably won't be using the download feature unless you're into 2600 or 7800 development.

I don't think it ever got much distribution. I've never seen it in stores. I bought my disc from Amazon. It's definitely worth finding, though.

Sonic does the final stage alone, even if you play with Tails tagging along. When Tails plays alone, Sonic flies the plane that rescues him. That's about the only difference in the endings.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was the first beatable game that I beat. I can still remember that night. Congrats on your win, it was hard-earned. As for the music, all I can say is that I made my own CDs of music from Sonic the Hedgehog through Sonic + Knuckles.

People have argued constantly back and forth about 5200 vs. ColecoVision technicalities, and they probably will again in this thread. The bottom line is that these systems are just about evenly matched, and which one you prefer is usually based on two things: which game library you like more, and which controllers you hate less. The 7800's graphical ability trumps both the 5200 and the ColecoVision, but its sound is left in the dust. The 7800's original controllers don't help its cause any, but better replacements are available. Whether the 7800's offbeat game library helps or hinders, that depends on who you talk to. Ironically, all three offer Atari 2600 compatibility, so that isn't a deciding issue. Of course, this compatibility is easiest to get on the 7800. If I were forced to pick one, I'd probably settle for a 7800, thanks to a slightly broader selection of arcade titles when paired with the 2600 library. I'd much rather keep all three systems, though.

Got both. Get both. $10 each should do it. That's what I paid for each, and I got them new.

Except for the different castles and the fact that the 2600 version wasn't really 3-D, I thought this one was spot-on. All the characters and their personalities were captured perfectly. Besides being a great game and a surprisingly faithful translation Crystal Castles is one of tne of the best examples of AI programming on the 2600, in my humble opinion.

Right, and to be fair, they didn't really pretend like it never happened. In the American dub of Sonic Adventure, Robotnik calls himself Robotnik, while everyone else calls him Eggman. It gave me the impression the good guys were adopting "Eggman" as a tease. I haven't played Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes enough to know if this trend has continued, but the name change wasn't quite the exercise in newthink that some people make it out to be.