CHIP72

Though I remember Next Generation saying many times various readers criticized them for being anti-Jaguar, I also had the impression the magazine tried to be kinder and fairer to the Jag than most other magazines. They were critical of many Jaguar games, but those were the games EVERYBODY criticized, but IMO they tended to be more positive towards Jaguar games that were merely competent or solid than perhaps they should have been (or at least compared to other magazines).

I have some questions about current consoles and HDTV that some of you may be able to answer. My uncle is giving serious consideration to buying a video game console for Christmas, both for himself and his near-6 year old son (my kid cousin). He strongly prefers either getting a PS2 or one of the newest consoles (either an XBox 360 or PS3). To help give him an idea about the PS2, I took my PS2 (which I've only had for about 3 1/2 weeks myself) over to his house last night to let him play with it. When we hooked it up and played with it, using the standard A/V cable and the default setting on the PS2, the display on his HDTV looked very poor IMO. I am sure the display could be improved by changing the settings on the PS2, changing the display on the TV, or changing the audio/video inputs to the TV, but because I'm not someone who pays that close of attention to TV set technical specifications, I don't know exactly what would work best. For what it's worth, his HDTV screen is at least 40+ inches, maybe 50+ inches, but it is a non-plasma model. I'm not sure what the native resolution is either. I did look at some information on these message boards to get an idea about things - it appears the PS2 for the most part is not optimized for HDTV, at least compared to the XBox. Of course, the XBox 360 (and PS3) are optimized for high resolution HDTV displays. Still, any information to answer my questions would be appreciated. P.S. Based on what my uncle has told me, he's not interested in getting a Nintendo console, either the GameCube or the Wii. Considering what I've read on here (and on other sites through the links provided in some threads) during my research about HDTV and the Wii, it's probably better he's not interested in a Nintendo console!

I just recently bought a PS2 and original XBox*, so my buying was related to those systems: PS2 Black Friday games: - FlatOut 2 ($15 at Best Buy) - Rampage: Total Destruction ($10 at Gamestop/EB Games) - Gran Turismo 4 ($10 at Gamestop/EB Games) XBox Black Friday games: - Rallisport Challenge 2 ($20 at Gamestop/EB Games) - MotoGP 3 ($5 at Circuit City) - PocketBike Racer ($4 at Burger King ) I bought the PS2 on 11/9, and have gotten Taito Legends, Atari Anthology, Burnout Revenge, Fantavision, Activision Anthology, ATV Offroad Fury 3, and Super Trucks Racing since then as well. I bought the XBox on 11/16, and have gotten Forza Motorsport (packed in with the system), Peter Jackson's King Kong, and Bumper King since then also. In addition, I bought Project Gotham Racing a while back in anticipation of getting an XBox when the price went down (which it never did). *The only reason I bought both a PS2 and an XBox at roughly the same time is because I thought I wouldn't be able to find a new XBox in the store (which is related to the discussion in this thread). When I found out how hard it was to get an XBox now, I figured I wanted to get one, even if the price still hadn't gone down to $100 (my typical buying price for a new system). However, I couldn't find one after looking at close to a dozen stores, I decided to get a PS2 (which I figured I'd get next year when it dropped to $100). Then last week I was out looking for some PS2 games to pick up at a Gamestop that only opened a month or two ago, and as I was buying Activision Anthology, I mentioned to the clerk how I wanted to get an XBox but couldn't find one anywhere. He said the store had 3 new units in stock; a store in the Philadelphia area had recently closed and 6 units were shipped to that store, 3 of which had already been bought. It was probably the only Gamestop/EB Games in the greater Harrisburg area to have new XBox consoles in stock. Figuring I wouldn't be able to find one elsewhere, I snapped up a unit, even though I knew I'd be a little tighter on funds than I'd like to buy going into the holidays. To conclude this story, my brother who lives in east central PA said he saw one XBox unit for sale at a local K-Mart, and earlier today when I was looking at one of the 2 Circuit City stores in the Harrisburg area, I saw 5 new XBox consoles for sale (this was probably around 4 PM). That same Circuit City didn't have any units when I was there looking for an XBox 3 weeks ago.

FWIW, that was the first copy of Next Generation I ever bought (primarily because of the Jaguar coverage)...and unlike many of you, I still have that magazine (and for that matter every edition of Next Generation magazine after that until it was discontinued after its January 2002 edition). Something related that was also in Next Generation (I believe in Vol. 1, No. 6) is Sony's Steve Race was asked by the magazine about price-dumping and could not provide an answer to the question. If I remember correctly, Sony changed one relatively minor part in the Playstation package from the Japanese version to the American version to get around the price-dumping issue.

The Saturn was launched in May 1995 (I think 5/11/95 to be specific, after an announcement at the 1995 E3), not one week before the Playstation (9/9/95). The scheduled launch for the Saturn was 9/2/95 (Saturnday), but that date was a decoy. Video games were nowhere near as big in the late 1970's or mid-1980's as they are now. I'm a little too young to remember the Atari 2600 launch, but I do know at the time video games were treated as more of a seasonal thing. The Atari 2600 didn't really enter popular consciousness (which I do remember to some degree) until the Space Invaders cartridge came along in 1980. As for the NES, you gotta remember the Video Game Crash of 1983 was still fresh in everybody's minds, and many people thought video games were a fad that passed. It took a couple years, until sometime in 1987, for the NES to become genuinely popular. I think the first system where there was genuine anticipation at launch was the SNES, and the first system were pre-orders were needed was the original Playstation.

FWIW, I went to a number of stores today - multiple EB Games/Gamestops, 1 Toys 'R Us, 1 Best Buy, 2 Circuit Cities, 1 Target, 3 K-Marts, and 2 Sears - and NONE of them had any new XBox consoles in stock. I knew it was unlikely I'd find one when I tried the K-Marts and Sears (especially one of the K-Marts in particular that I don't think has that many customers) and still couldn't find a unit. According to a clerk I talked to at one of the K-Marts, they haven't had XBox consoles in probably 6 months. I can understand the economics of Microsoft's decision, but it is absolutely ridiculous they didn't publicly announce (at least to my knowledge) they were going to discontinue manufacturing the XBox. That would have allowed everyone who wanted one or needed to replace their original model an opportunity to buy the console. At least when Sega discontinued the Dreamcast in 2001, they announced their decision before they stopped making the unit and were very clear about their plans. Microsoft needs to realize the video game market isn't like the computer software market - many people will continue to buy lower-end video games long after the latest, greatest thing is released. Many people also have a soft spot for video games, regardless of their age, something that's most likely not true for something like Windows 3.1. Their long-term hardware decisions should keep these things in mind.

I have both Tempest 2000 for the Jaguar and Tempest X3 for the Playstation. I think the Jaguar version is better. It is also somewhat easier.

Often, popular systems in a particular generation usually have one final, solid year of sales and Grade A games after Company X introduces their next generation system: *NES, last good year of sales/games - 1992; SNES introduced in 1991 *Genesis (and SNES), last good year of sales/games - 1995; Saturn introduced in 1995 (Sega of course screwed up a lot of things around 1995, one of which was dropping major support for the Genesis when it had a year of financial productivity left in it) *Playstation, last good year of sales/games - 2001; PS2 introduced in 2000 I'd expect the PS2 to have a number of strong titles and solid sales in 2007 before dropping off. It's also possible that if the PS3 and its competitors don't come down in price by a notable amount (at least $100 in the PS3's case, maybe more), the PS2 could even still remain viable in terms of getting good games into 2008. Regardless, I think the XBox would have had (and perhaps still will have software-wise) a solid year in 2007 had Microsoft not significantly reduced support for the system.

I apologize in advance if this has already been discussed on here, but I'm curious whether or not the original XBox is still being manufactured. From about January or February 2006 until a few weeks ago, I had been in a dormant period for video games, but now that I'm starting to play games again I've noticed most stores don't have any new XBox consoles and the few stores that do have a limited number of systems. The XBox is also still $180, after being at $150 a year or two back and despite the fact the Playstation 2 is only $130. Why has Microsoft apparently stopped manufacturing the original XBox? There are people out there who WON'T be buying the new consoles (XBox 360/PS3/Wii) and still are interested in getting one (or more) of the current generations of consoles. (I have a GameCube, bought it because it was cheap, but has few interesting games from my point of view.) If anyone can get me up to speed about what Microsoft is doing (or not doing) with the XBox, I'd appreciate it.

If you like sports games, you MUST try to get Tecmo Super Bowl. EVERYBODY who liked sports video games and had an NES played that game all the time in 1992. As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, there was nothing like an improvised running play with QB Eagles (aka Randall Cunningham)!

A few thoughts on this topic: 1) I can see "classic video game systems" (defined as pre-1983 crash systems) either staying roughly level or declining in popularity in the coming years. In popular culture, there pretty much has ALWAYS been nostalgia for bygone eras that occurred 20-30 years earlier. In the late 1970's, TV shows that focused on the 1950's like Happy Days were popular. When I was a teenager in the late 1980's, there was a lot of fascination with the 1960's. More recently, VH1 has had their "I Love the 70's" (and 80's and 90's versions as well) and movies based on 1970's/1980's TV shows like the Dukes of Hazzard have been made because of people's interest in retro culture. Of course, generally speaking there isn't as much interest in retro culture the longer in the past it occurred because fewer people remember when that retro culture originally happened. That could mean classic late-1970's/early 1980's systems will become less popular among retro collectors as that group of people gets even older and starts dying off. That really won't happen for awhile. Video games can also be looked at in a similar manner as movies or TV shows; some old movies or TV shows have retained their popularity for decades, despite being silent or being in black and white. Their content, not technology, is the key to their enduring popularity, and people who weren't born yet when those movies or TV shows were made still enjoy them. On the other hand, it should be noted video games, unlike movies or TV shows, are much more technology driven. Games from the PS2/XBox/GC or even PS/N64/Saturn eras are much more eye-catching than Atari 2600/Intellivision/Odyssey2 or even NES/SMS/Atari 7800 era games and people who weren't around when those early systems were made aren't going to naturally have as much interest in the early systems. 2) Though CD and DVD-based systems and games won't last as long and will be harder to find in working condition on an individual console/game by console/game case in the future, people need to remember that not only do many people take good care of their systems and games (as noted earlier in the thread), but also that more recent video game systems were MUCH more popular than classic era and even late 1980's era systems. A lot more PS2 and PS1 units were made and sold than were ever made or sold of the Atari 2600 or even the NES. So even though systems like the Atari 2600 or NES generally speaking are more durable, both in terms of the consoles and the games themselves, the much greater number of consoles and games made and sold for more recent generations of video games, especially for the most popular system(s) of their eras, will make finding consoles and games in 20 years for systems like the PS1, PS2, and XBox fairly easy.

It should be noted with the 32X that A) it had very few good games (though Virtua Racing Deluxe is really good and Shadow Squadron is a very solid game) and B) it can be a pain to get working on a Genesis model that DOES take the 32X, due to the metal pick-ups.

Though the SNES ultimately sold more units in the U.S. than the Sega Genesis, I think the Genesis was slightly more popular during the peak of the 16-bit era (1992-1994).

I didn't consciously try to do it, but I have a whole bunch of different versions of Ms. Pac-Man: *Atari 2600 *Atari 7800 *Nintendo Entertainment System (Tengen version) *Sega Genesis *Sony Playstation *Sega Dreamcast (via Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness) *Nintendo GameCube (both Namco Museum and Namco Museum 50th Anniversary) Incidentally, I bought or received all of these games new at retail when the console they were on was current. I'd also say the NES Tengen version, with its turbo boost option and very tight control, is the best version.

Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man were always my favorite arcade games when I was young, so I had to vote for one of the Namco collections. The fact the 50th Anniversary Edition includes Galaga '88 (a game I'd never played prior to buying the compilation), I had to vote for that compilation. It could have been a lot better (and more comprehensive) though - there's no reason why all the games on the 5 PS1 collections couldn't have been on the 50th Anniversary Edition, in addition to a few other games (like Galaga '88 and other, more recent games like Ridge Racer).

In terms of non-interchangeable game systems, my first system was an Odyssey 400 in either 1977 or 1978. My parents got it as a freebie for attending one of those ultra-boring land deal/time share presentations. I also got an Odyssey 500 in either 1978 or 1979 the same way. Those two systems were the ONLY positives from my point of view to ever come out of sitting through those time share presentations. In terms of interchangeable game systems, it was an Atari 2600 (wood grain 4-switch model). I even remember the day I bought it - March 6, 1983. I used my own money to buy it as a 10 year old. I'd wanted a 2600 for a long time and bought it at that time because it was the first time I'd ever seen the 2600 for less than $100 (not including tax). I bought Space Jockey at the same time for $6 and even though Space Jockey is considered crummy today, I really liked that game, definitely more than Combat (which was tough to play by yourself!). BTW, I still have both of those Odyssey systems and my Atari 2600. I've NEVER gotten rid of any of my systems.

Getting to the 5th (and final) lap on the Suzuka track on Pole Position II for the Atari 7800. I didn't complete the race, but considering I never made it past the 3rd lap in any other try EVER, I was pretty pleased. Being very good at the early 1980's arcade racer Turbo the very first time I played it. Considering I was usually mediocre at most games compared to most people, being a pro at Turbo always satisfied me.

I'm primarily a sports and racing game fan (and the Genesis was without a doubt the first great sports game system), and my choices reflect that: SPORTS GAMES - PGA Tour II (actually, any of the games in the PGA Tour series are very good, except for the horrid PGA Tour '96) - NHL '94 (it's much faster than NHLPA '93, which plays similar, and has tighter control than NHL '95, which was different than all other editions, and NHL '96/'97/'98, which are all interchangeable and kinda similar to NHL '94 but IMO inferior; the only negative to NHL '94 is the lack of a season mode, something all later editions include) - FIFA International Soccer (though later editions featured better graphics and excellent gameplay, it doesn't allow you to win with weak teams like the original FIFA does) - World Series Baseball '95 (the sound is a little screwed up, but the announcer is very good and more importantly so is the game play) RACING GAMES None of the racing games are as good as the aforementioned sports games, but these games are all solid. - Mario Andretti Racing (features Indy Car, stock car, and sprint car racing and is named after a guy who lives less than 10 miles from where I grew up!) - Virtua Racing (ugly by today's standards and skimpy track selection, but the sense of speed is unmatched on the Genesis - I'll note Virtua Racing Deluxe on the 32X is even better and the preferred choice if you have a (working) 32X) - Super Monaco GP (an oldie but goodie, though it is a bit touchy control-wise using an automatic transmission)

Believe it or not, I actually got a game at a store once where the store paid me $.01. This was back about 1996 or 1997 and it was a soccer game for the Genesis (I don't remember exactly which one). A local store called Laneco, which was sort of like Wal-Mart but only located in east central Pennsylvania (and has since gone out of business) had a sale where all Sega Genesis games and Super Nintendo games were $10 off. They happened to have some games that were marked at $9.99. So I went over to one of the two nearby Lanecos the second day of the sale (a Monday) and picked up one of the $10 games. When I got to the register, I figured the cashier would ring the game up and then take the discount, meaning I'd pay the tax on the game ($.59). However, the cashier took the $10 off BEFORE ringing up the game, meaning the store owed me 1 cent. I thought it was totally bizarre when the cashier gave me a penny out of the drawer without me even pulling out my wallet. I told my brothers about this, and they've NEVER forgotten about this. We all had a good laugh about my experience. As a postscript to the story, I went back to Laneco later in the week (on a Wednesday or Thursday) and the store had put a sign up saying the $10 discount didn't apply to $9.99 games. I thought that was pretty funny. Besides that occurance, I once was given the Sega Saturn 3-pack (Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter 2, and Virtua Cop) in late 1998 at an Ames where I bought many Saturn games. I've also bought games for as cheap as $1 + tax (some Atari 7800 games at Big Lots in early 1993) and have bought games for a variety of systems for $5 or less. Finally, I still remember the first time I bought games for dirt cheap - I bought Space War, Super Breakout, and Yars' Revenge for the Atari 2600 at a local K-Mart back in the spring of 1984 for $2 each, and a few weeks later bought Adventure and Warlords at the same K-Mart for $1.50 each. (I also bought Phoenix for $5 at that K-Mart probably a month or two earlier.) Not much later I saw Warlords marked down as low as $.75 at that K-Mart. That K-Mart (which closed relatively recently) proved to be fruitful for my brothers too; one of my brothers bought many very cheap Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation games at that store in recent years. Unfortunately, there aren't any K-Marts nearly as good as that one where I live now.

I played Tecmo Bowl A LOT back in the day, though I haven't played it for a long time. I'm pretty sure this was my strategy: In Tecmo Bowl for the NES, always pick a pass defense. Then you want to pick a fast safety or linebacker. (The speed of a player is determined by the number of sacks or interceptions a player has - the more sacks or interceptions, the faster the player is.) On run plays, simply go after the running back. If you repeatedly press one of the two buttons when engaged with the running back (the button that does NOT make you dive), you'll ALWAYS tackle the RB, unless another offensive player comes along to knock you off the tackle. This works against every RB, including Bo Jackson. If a blocker is near the running back, try for the diving tackle to reduce the likelihood of getting thrown off the RB. On pass plays, if you pick the same play as the offense, you should be able to get an interception, either with the player you are controlling or with the player covering the receiver. If the offense picks a play different than your pass defense, try to play the middle of the field (sort of like a free safety, regardless what player you choose) and react to where the ball is thrown. Picking a fast player on defense will increase the likelihood you'll be able to make a play on the ball while it is in the air. The way to play defense in Tecmo SUPER Bowl on the NES is totally different. In Tecmo Super Bowl, pick a run defense every time and blitz with either a defense end or an inside linebacker (whoever your fastest player is among the four possible positions). If the offense calls a running play, you should be fast enough to snuff it out before it gets too many yards, especially if the computer team runs into your blitz or tries to run wide. If the offense calls a passing play, you have a good shot of getting a sack. When the QB drops straight back, make the dive tackle to increase the odds of getting the sack.