godslabrat

Well, you can if you know where to go. I've seen places like this popping up all over the country recently. Movie fans really should be encouraging this... let's push the moviegoing experience back to where it was actually a nice night out. I don't mind paying $40 for a night out if I really enjoy myself. I do greatly resent it if I have to leave dinner early just to have some middle schoolers ruin the movie with a laser pointer.

Oh sweet... so you can actually use that in the internet channel and everything? Nice! Even though I have a Mac Mini in my home theater, sometimes the wiimote feels "quicker" than using a mouse... even though I know it's not. And the Zoom function is fantastic for YouTube videos! And flash cartoons!

I think Nintendo still sells spares. I really should order a few for myself, now that you mention it...

Folks, I want to thank you so much for your help and suggestions. I'm now 99% sure I'm going to go for the 360 version. It seems that the only songs I'd really be missing would be Iron Man and Sharp Dressed Man. I'll cross my fingers and hope they show up for download. And I'm not really opposed to going back and double-dipping to get the PS2 version... we'll just have to see what 2008 brings.

Yet another reason I don't mind buying my movies on DVD/BR. Not only is it a better deal for me vs going to the theater, but home video sales are very profitable for the studios. More and more movies are "breaking even" at the box office and then going on to make craploads of money at BB and CC. I'm not a big fan of the push to "Video on Demand", but it's clear that hollywood wants it bad, because it gives them the steady income the theater offers, without the overhead of the theater building itself. But blaming halo? Come on, that's actually lamer than the record companies blaming poor music sales on Napster, and not the fact that not everyone wants to listen to gangsta rap and bubble gum pop.

There ya go... answered your own question. But seriously... GBA games, because they're used in portables and have a VERY wide userbase, maintain their value longer. People are more likely to want to play a game for months or years on end. They're less likely to sell off their games in the first place. Also, since the GBA has had such a long lifespan, there have been MANY waves of games come and then go out of print. I'm in the same boat, though more in the GBC end. I missed out on most of the early GBA games and the entire GBC generation, since those were my "broke college kid" years. Now I'm rushing to scoop up the games I missed. Sadly, I also like to get my games new-in-box, and that is proving to be difficult and expensive. Well, at least I'm no longer a broke college kid.

1. Never ask a player if they want to save their game. I 100% disagree with this. Too many games force you to save. Saving should be a habit one develops, not something the game does to keep you from falling behind 2. Always say "press any button" to start a game. By the same token, I often wonder why the end of games still reads "Game Over", when A) The game is obviously over since you either beat it or died and B) game hardware is now sophisticated enough to put more than two words on the screen. 3. Always let players remap controller buttons to suit their preferences. Why not? Although, I'll make the small point that games should still have intelligent and intuitive default controls. Being able to map your own controls is no excuse for making games that feel like the only person who could play them is Reed Richards. 4. Always let players skip cut scenes no matter how important they are to the story. I'd be content if the "skip" button weren't the same as the "advance text" button". I can't tell you how many cut scenes I've skipped by accident... probably as many as I've had to watch without a choice. 5. Never let a camera get too close to a player or bump into a wall. Fair enough, but camera issues have come a long way since Super Mario 64. 6. Never make use of every controller button just because you can. "Can we play this game with four buttons? How about three?" That should be the thought process when controls are designed. 7. Always give players full control of accessiblity options. 8. Never use insipid, indefensible enemy attacks. Yeah, right. Like programmers will EVER stop doing this... 9. Always present in-game tutorials, FAQs, and help menus for newbie gamers. I disagree. I'm all for making people read the manual or buy a strategy guide. If I know what I'm doing, don't baby me. 10. Always let gamers get in and out of gameplay as they desire (otherwise they'll just turn the console off). Agreed, though I've been known to cheat at this. If I'm playing a major RPG and I have to go to work/sleep/school/a party/hell, I go into a menu or pause it or do some game-stopping feature. Sadistically, some games are even making this difficult anymore. Why, I don't know. 11. Boobies.

I've been playing Guitar Hero at my friends' houses for the past year, and I do like the game a lot. I never really bothered to pick it up, but now I'd like to. The question is, which version? Let's assume for the moment I wanted to stick to one system, since then I could buy bundle packs of each game and get multiple guitars. I have a PS2 and Wii, and will have a 360 sometime soon, so it doesn't matter what system I buy for, I just have to make a choice. Here's the situation as I understand it (feel free to correct me) PS2: Pro: Original, most sequels appeared on this platform. Many feel the guitar offered is more comfortable than the 360's. Con: PS2 is on the end of its life cycle, little downloadable content 360 Pro: Best graphics. Downloadable new songs makes it possible for the company to sell me tunes that might not be included in the original release. I'd love the chance to do some Eric Clapton or George Harrison, for example. Con: Last I heard, the downloadable songs for GHII were just retreads of what was included in GH, making it not that big of an advanage over the PS2 version. Wii Pro: Newest system, guitar would be motion-sensitive. Other than that, unknown. Con: Not a lot of stuff available yet.

I never like to have a game delayed, but in my experience, when Nintendo delays a game it's always worth it. I can think of maybe one exception. Personally, I still have yet to get Metroid 3. I still have yet to finish Metroid 2. I just have no idea how people can get a game and be "done" with in in three weeks, ready for the next one.

With summer at a close, I'm not finding as much time for gaming. My big "projects" right now are to finish Dragon Quest VIII on PS2, and Mario & Luigi: SuperStar Saga on GBA. The latter just seems to be a never-ending game. Not boring, per se, just a lot bigger than I originally thought it would be. It's a good game, but I'm wanting to move on (not before I finish it, though!) My Wii has been getting a workout, too. Super C and Dragon Spirit on the WVC have been a blast. Next month, I'll be getting that Star Trek game on the Wii, so there will be much nerdly goodness coming.

There is a browser available for the Wii. It actually works pretty well within its limitations. It does support most video and YouTube, but oddly, doesn't support mp3s. For general surfing, it's great, and the Wiimote is not a bad substitute for a mouse. However, don't even try to post on a board or write an e-mail with it. The lack of a kb is a real bummer.

Cheating has been going on in games since the beginning... it's just that sometimes it's more blatant than others. My biggest gripe was Super Mario Kart for the SNES. When racing against the Mario Bros, they have the power to become invincible at will... which on the higher difficulty settings, will be ANY TIME they are near you. If you can't get right past them, Mario and Luigi can just become invincible and push you off the road. Where's Waldo for the NES cheated in numerous ways. First, it broke the cardinal rule of the books by putting Waldo in different colors, so you could see a 100% match but it wouldn't count since the game decided to make Waldo green. And worse, you have to beat the timer to finish the game, and the timer DOESN'T STOP in between stages. So, while you're watching Waldo take the scenic route to every stage, you're losing valuable seconds. I know this game wasn't the best idea for an NES game in the first place, but these extra "challenges" seem designed by programmers who couldn't think of a legit way to make the game challeging. For me, the biggest "cheat" in modern games occurs with overhead fighters... not allowing your character to progress until you beat all the enemies, and then keeping the enemies walking around off-screen. Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu is like that.

Classic examples of Lazy programmers cheating to make the game artificially hard. What's this? I have to stand on the background to jump? I'm supposed to leap into an abyss? When a game asks me to memorize arbitrary rules like that, it's a quick way to get me to say "why bother?"

What I truly can't stand about the X-Box 360 has nothing to do with the system itself, it's the owners. They're so proud that they can play shooters and RPGs, and then I'll mention that I don't have any interest because I have a Wii... See where I'm going with this? It seems like an odd point to make-- why are you resenting people for playing games they like, and not seeking out games they have no interest in? Especially when you have basically said that you feel the same way about the games they play? It seems perfectly logical that someone who got into gaming because of Wii Sports or Rabbids wouldn't be into Gears of War. Is it a problem if a GTA fan doesn't want to play Final Fantasy XII? If not, what's the difference between that scenario and the Wii gamer not liking 360 games?

Not a chance. If Nintendo was involved, they'd have their logo plastered all over the Super Joys, and they'd be advertising the fact that they contain Mario games. Also, Nintendo wouldn't likely be selling a whole self-contained unit for less than the cost of a GBA compilation or the same price as a Wii points card.

I think there's a certain breed of gamer who got very used to the way Sony, Microsoft, and (back when they were in the game) Sega marketed themselves. These companies pushed their own systems as being the "ultimate console", and appealed to the egos of gamers everywhere to buy the biggest, baddest, fastest, and flashiest thing there was. The industry rewarded these buyers with lots of games in their preferred genres- to the point of excluding lots of other genres and convincing the "bigger, better" crowd that they were the only group that mattered to the gaming companies. Now, Nintendo comes along, with the Wii and the DS, both of which were deliberately designed to not embrace the same-old-same-old design paradigms. Nintendo went back to basics on almost everything, and the customers are coming back to them. Not just a fair number of "bigger, better" types, but also casual gamers, fringe gamers, and newcomers. Detractors say that Nintendo "cheated" by embracing the previously non-gamer demographic, but how is it cheating to make a product people want? They can claim not to like the types of games Nintendo is putting out, but clearly plenty of people DO like these games. And now, all these "bigger, better" types are seeing a major player in the industry make tons of cash and race to the front of the console wars WITHOUT their help or blessing. Nintendo DIDN'T cater to their tastes, like Sony and Microsoft did, and yet Nintendo is laughing all the way to the bank. Meanwhile, the companies that are falling all over themselves to be "next gen" and "bleeding edge" are putting up sales numbers that range from fair to plain embarassing... while they themselves rush to mimic the stuff that made the Wii successful. THAT'S why you see such hatred for the Wii-- it's showing a lot of gamers that the industry will not live and die based upon their dollars ALONE. Or, to put it simply, Wii-nis envy.

Star Trek: Conquest (Wii) Duck Amuck (DS) I'd like to order more, but even that is pushing my budget and schedule...

Just tried a CD+G on my Xbox... no luck. Seriously, I never knew the SegaCD supported Karaoke discs. Looks like I'm going to have to redouble my efforts to find one! I've been meaning to get a karaoke machine for the setup, and so far I've just been too damned cheap... but it's a lot easier to convince me to buy video games! Of course, karaoke and SegaCD are hardly the most well-liked of CD innovations. For some, a visit to my house shall be pure pain!!!

Black Manta is beatable. I did it myself many moons ago. Not a whole lot of fun, but doable.

Was reading some posts in another forum when someone posted the info in the new 40GB PS3 SKU. Apparently, it looks like Sony is dropping backwards compatibility with the PS1 and PS2. After much discussion, someone chimed in by saying "Are PS2 games really a big deal anyway? I mean, I've seen those games and they look atrocious." Atrocious. Holy crap. We've got people already saying that PS2 games look bad. As a classic gamer, this is amazing to me. I know not all PS2 games were fantastic, but "atrocious" is not a word I think could apply to any of them. Compare even the WORST PS2 graphics to an Atari game, and it'll look better. Or, for that matter, any system prior to... maybe the N64 or Dreamcast. But for crying out loud, it's still essentially a current-gen system (with, admittedly, a successor on the shelves)!!! By what jaded, spoiled logic can anyone call the PS2 "atrocious"????? Freaking spoiled kids. BTW: This is not a post against the PS2 or PS3... just against them damn fool kids.

The memories make me feel all warm and fizzy, and it's actually a way to relax myself when I'm most stressed. Sometimes, the best therapy in the world is to be nine years old again... even if it's for just 15 minutes. But, this isn't limited to classic games. I feel nostalgic when I remember playing Nintendo for the first time when I was nine. I remember being bored at my uncle's house, and discovering a stash of old Atari games behind the couch, and hooking it up in secret so that I could play these treasures! However, I didn't stop developing game memories when I hit puberty. I remember being desperate for a Virtual Boy in middle school, I remember rushing home one day my Junior year of HS so I could play Zelda: OOT the day it was released. I remember buying myself a GameCube as a graduation gift when I finished college. I remember being stuck in the snow after work one day only a few years ago, and playing through Metroid: Zero Mission, simply because it was all I had at my disposal to pass the time. Yes, video games bring back good memories, just like music has a way of taking you back decades... but the bottom line is, there's a reason you were playing those games or listening to that music in the first place -- you just plain liked it.

Well, you're not less of a collector. Maybe less FORTUNATE of a collector, but your heart is in it, and that's what counts. Collecting is 100% about what you want out of it. Some people really like having everything perfect and all the boxes, and they get a thrill from being able to package the game like it was brand new. Me? Notsomuch. The only "vintage" systems I want boxes for are the SMS and Genesis, and I'm using the term "vintage" very loosely. I'll take just the card, gladly, as long as it looks good. OTOH, my Atari 2600 collection is over 50% homebrews, since that's the bulk of my interest. I like having a small collection of unique games, rather than a big collection of generic shooters. Now, since you say you want boxed games, that's unfortunate, since you don't have the resources to get them. Me, I'd want to be able to add the first 50 issues of Action Comics to my comic book collection, but I've pretty much come to terms with the fact that I'll never do that unless I start pooping precious metals. So, I've focused on goals that are more attainable and arguably more "fun", such as getting all the Superman/Batman comics from 1985-2005. Not quite as interesting, a hell of a lot less expensive, and for me, more satisfying, since those are the comics I read as a kid, not those magabucks comics printed in the 30s. There are plenty of video game parallels: Some people collect all the games for one system, or that star one character, or that belong to a genre, or were programmed by a certain team, or feature weird blocky Atari sex. Find out what you really want (boxes or otherwise) and go after it. And when you're done, post pictures on AtariAge*! *Unless you find out what you really want is to play your Atari next to a naked Betty White, in which case we'd appreciate you skimping on the visual aids.

This is an absolutely fantastic point, and what I'm about to ask applies equally to games and movies, not to mention other art forms: do you think after a certain point, the audience becomes so sophisticated that it becomes hard to look back with the same amount of innocence? "Innocence" in this context meaning a lack of experience, once we've experienced more of what is out there, can we ever truly get the same amazement from the basics? I say this because everyone has had the experience of returning to something they loved in their childhood, and finding faults that were invisible when they were young. I notice flicker on my NES games now, when I almost never did as a child. I can watch Star Trek reruns and know exactly how all the special effects were done. I can still listen to the soundtrack from The Lion King, but somehow it no longer strikes me as the greatest thing ever recorded. In all these cases, I still enjoy these more "innocent" pleasures, but my life experience has changed how I perceive them. For the people, like myself, who find it rewarding to go back to the basics.. how easily can you get round these challenges? Do you ever find yourself "innocent" again?

it's interesting news to share with the community and if i didn't post it, i'm sure someone else would have. Atari5200, I have to admit I find this puzzling as well. Why post so much about a system you have mostly negative feelings for, especially when there are a sizable number of fans willing to post about the Wii. If you're so certain this news would have been posted, why did you feel compelled to do so yourself? It does kind of paint the picture that you're reveling in any failure Nintendo might have. This may not be your intent, but coupled with your signature, please understand that's how people might see it. (Really, why do I care that some floozy didn't take a leak when nature called?) I mean, just to try and relate, I don't have much loveloss for the PS3 and I admit to being amused at how Sony seems to be dropping the ball a lot this generation... but I don't want to be a pill to the diehard Sony fans who frequent the PS3 forum. I only read and post in there when I have something worthwhile to say... which as you can see, isn't often. And I think that's okay. If you dwell so much on a system you don't like, it seems you must be trying to aggrivate others, or possibly yourself in some kind of masochistic way. Why? I'm not trying to be confrontational, just asking.

Well, yeah... that's why I'm trying to bring people back! There are still some good discussions going on, but it's limited by the number of posters.