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What game are you playing? by 2009-06-26 23:56:08


Winter Haven, FL

Predator Hunter
735 Posts
I'm currently playing Advance Wars Days of Ruin on my Nintendo DS. I love that game.

How'z about you?
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-06-27 23:15:24


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Currently Fate, might be familiar with it, it might've come with your computer (it came out in 2005). An action/RPG/dungeon crawler game. Pretty addicting and simple, although with somewhat 'kidified' graphics. Won a bunch of awards though. And I don't even have the full version yet, just going through the first three levels over and over (stuff's random with every game, so that has me satisfied for now...full version's only twenty bucks)

But that's at the moment though...might either get a games compilation by this weekend or will order a couple of cartridges for another format...stay tuned So either way, it'll be *several* games


 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-07-21 19:50:37


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Ok, get to update this now!

I'm currently playing Vaboom!, which, as you might have guessed, is a Kaboom! clone. Catch the bombs, but miss one, and you lose a bucket (or maybe it's a paddle in this one); run out of paddles, and it's game over, etc.

However, there's some new wrinkles in this one, like if you catch an X that floats down the screen by mistake that ocasionally appears throughout the game, you'll lose a paddle that way. However, catch the occasional heart, and you'll get a paddle back, and sometimes a bomb will be thrown back up the screen. Smack the bomber with it, and two bricks that supports the platform he slides across will be removed; hit him 10 times, and it's off to a bonus round, where the X, nor missing a bomb will count against you, and the bombs are worth 30 points each (usually only worth 10). There's also the occasional fast-moving diamond as well, worth 100 points if caught.

There's also Vectrace on this cartridge, which is ok, I've only played it a few times by mistake (meant to choose Vaboom! on the title screen instead ), you have a certain amount of cars to pass in a certain amount of time in order to advance to the next level. A bit like the Digital Derby handheld from years ago, for anyone who's played that.

In case these games don't sound familiar, I would divulge what system they're for, but Greg doesn't like it when I mention the *ectrex, so y'all will have to stay in the dark about that one However, these are the first games I've gotten for it in like a year and a half or something, so I've been due for it.

Got Vector Vaders too (obviously a Space Invaders clone), but I haven't played that one yet, Vaboom's pretty addicting! (Plus it blows away John Dondzila's Spike's Water Balloons clone on his All Good Things cartridge, which adds the Kickman element to it, where you get to kick missed balloons back up the screen, but it just turns into a button masher and doesn't really add much to the game.)

 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-07-28 18:36:37


Winter Haven, FL

Predator Hunter
735 Posts
Why must you torture me with Vectrex love?
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-07-28 21:24:25


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
lol! You ASKED what game I'm playing! Plus you didn't ask what system(s) either!

Playing Vector Vaders too, been doing that for several days. Runs slow as hell until several vaders are shot, but not a bad first effort.

Also a couple of the puzzle/'escape from the room' games of Submachine on the net (you're welcome, Greg!).
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-08-04 16:38:48


Winter Haven, FL

Predator Hunter
735 Posts
How about this?
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-08-04 22:35:54


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Yeah I know, I saw that posted from another site.

I forsee problems in that relationship if one person 'makes' you get rid of your things.

What happens if they break up in a couple of years? That guy will be DAMN lucky if he gets his hands on one of those very rare display stands ever again...and they cost a lot too.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-10-02 21:05:13


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Quote:

But that's at the moment though...might either get a games compilation by this weekend or will order a couple of cartridges for another format...stay tuned


Yeah, I was able to do the other one today, playing Pac-Man, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, Bosconian, New Rally-X, Galaxian, Xevious and Mappy, since I got the Retro Arcade Featuring Pac-Man Jakks unit

Pac-Man, Pac-Man Plus, S. P-Man, Galaga and Mappy all play exactly like the arcade originals. Some problems start arising with Galaxian though, having a widebox-type blank on the sides of the screen. Why the hell is this? The background "pulse" sound is also off, the purple aliens don't move in a wide arc like they're supposed to, and the flagships, at times, don't EVER come down the screen for a bombing run. That's a bit wrong. (You might also lose a ship or two at the far edges of the screen before realizing that it's not full screen.)

I think the shooting sounds are off in Bosconian a little, but the unit has a FOUR WAY joystick, meaning you can't move diagionally. That's also a bit wrong, but it doesn't detract from the game much actually. For Xevious it damn well does though; having to move down and left or up and right to dodge fire takes too long and you'll lose a lot more ships that way, as I couldn't even get to the mother ship the only time I played it, which is ridiculous (plus again the sounds are off).

Dig Dug makes no sense in having the screen being so big you have to scroll up or down a little when you play. This wouldn't be a big deal, except for when you're low on the screen, think you're done with a level, but the music continues, which you didn't realize a creature was at the top of the screen and chances are pretty good it's going to get away before you can get up there to blow it up into oblivion. It plays the exact same other than that though. New Rally-X plays a little differently than what I'm used to, but then, I had either never played it before (I had played the original though) until I got it on MAME or it was on a compilation arcade game (with original and new versions of Dig Dug, that and Pac-Man) and I don't recall if it's the same game or not, all I know is that the enemy cars start out fewer and tend to bunch up more on this version. It's still a bit of fun though.

Pole Position I can't comment on since I haven't played it yet, and the same goes with Pac & Pal, which will be totally new to me, since I never even HEARD of it until just a few years ago, can't say I ever played that one in the day. So I'll just rate that game as to how it plays as is, can't compare it to the arcade original at all.

As for the unit itself, it has two buttons and a sturdy joystick, just hope it lasts though. The menu/pause button is a recreation of the familiar old .25 coin slot and glows red when you power on the unit! The cord could be a few inches longer though (some of the plugs for tvs are in the back you know!) and none of the games have two player options!! That's just pretty pathetic, really. It'd also cut down on wear if several of the games had the fire option where you just hold down the fire button and that works, rather than mashing it to death (it's got it on Xevious, but it's too slow though...same with Bosconian, I think). It's also too early to tell how long the four AA batteries will last either, hope the unit doesn't suck them up like these games did quarters back in the 80s!

Anyway from what I've played so far I'd give it 80% out of 100, it's not bad at all, and worth it's piddling $18 price. I just don't see how some of the translations seem to be 100% (not counting that they could've made the graphics a little crisper) while others are screwy (again, NO eight way joystick for crying out loud?).

I'll update this once I play the remaining two games, along with links to pictures, once the digital camera returns from being out of town.



 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-10-05 22:10:40


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Ok, Pole Position seems to play pretty much like the original. I think the acceleration sound is screwed up, but I can't say for sure, I didn't play a lot of it in the arcade (nothing against the classic game that redefined the genre, but I'm just not much into racing games). Even though you'll never beat the original steering wheel controller, the joystick on this unit twists left and right, which isn't bad at all. I'm actually having a lot of fun with it too...guess I'm making up for not playing it in the arcades that much back in the day

And Pac and Pal's damn fun! Like Super Pac-Man, where not only do you not eat any dots, but you have to unlock parts of the maze to get at the food by eating these cards that are in the maze. Unfortunately your so-called "Pal" can swipe them and take them into the monster pen, never to be seen again (unless you eat them first). And really straying even further from the Pac-Man formula, you NEVER eat monsters...but you CAN grab the tractor beam from Galaga or the smoke screen icons from Rally-X and use those against the monsters...which having them freeze up with their eyes watering due to the latter is frickin' hilarious!

Pics:



The menu's easy to navigate, just move the stick left and right and press A to play...



Box...kinda embarassing walking through Target with it actually (since it looks like a blasted lunchbox)



I love the way the coinbox pause/menu button lights up when it's on!!
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-10-06 23:07:05


Winter Haven, FL

Predator Hunter
735 Posts
LOL... "Includes 1 game controller."

Um, yeah. It *IS* the game controller!!
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-10-07 00:54:42


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Yeah, I thought that was funny too
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-10-12 13:44:56


UK

Saboteur
1 Posts
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. True to the original 1980's RPG "Wasteland", you can buy the whole trilogy for $19.99 somewhere buried in the depths of the EA Fallout forum. I did.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-10-15 21:54:29



--Guest--
I remember these games Darryl wow these were soooo much fun. I use to play them in the arcade after school over the weekend. Nice Article too! very informative.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-10-15 22:41:34


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Cool, thanks!

Oh yeah, the article she's talking about can be seen here, which is pretty much just an expansion of my earlier post. I'm also working on a video for it for YouTube as well
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-11-01 13:35:38


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Oh, my review of the Jakks unit can be seen here. It's a full 10 minutes long though, and the video footage isn't good quality, although some of it's taken from MAME though.

I got the excellent Royal 21 homebrew for the Vectrex over the weekend, a bit of a sequel to Vector 21, which I did a 'mini-review' of on the old TAT forums. The basics are the same, where you must get stacks of cards to equal 21 or less; a stack will be removed if the total of five cards is equal to or less than 21. A 'bust' of over 21 will also remove the stack, but it'll count against you. There's also various bonuses and all.

However, the stakes are higher this time around, as well as a different gameplay environment. First off, and like the original, this is a combination of Solitaire and Blackjack...along with Tetris this time around?! Yep, cards don't drop from the sky like with Tetris, but they start at the bottom of the screen and scroll up. You must place them in appropriate areas before they reach the top.

And busts count against you big time now, you only have five busts before the game is over. However, there's various 'anti-bust' bonuses you can acquire, like getting a 'royal' 21 stack, consisting of three 7 cards, which nets a lot of points and one anti-bust. You will also acquire an anti-bust for every time you clear a deck and score 500 points, along with possibly one or two other ways (I don't have the instructions with me and don't have it all memorized).

Again like Vector 21, this is very addicting, which I give it a 9.5 out of 10.

Pics can be seen here.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-11-18 01:19:52


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Well I'm playing the Star Wars Original Trilogy Plug It In and Play unit, since I got it for my sister's kid for Christmas, since I had to open it up and give it a whirl to...you know...make sure it works

It's not bad, the games have either been done a million times already or they're flat-out rip-offs of others. I mean, geez, I can't BELIEVE what a rip-off of Atari's Return of the Jedi the Battle of Endor game is on here! First you control Leia on the speederbike, dodging trees and shooting Imperial troops, then you're Chewie in the AT-ST, and THEN you're Lando piloting the Falcon through the Death Star, then you have to work your way right back out after you shoot it...all JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL ARCADE GAME! Except that this time around it's side-viewed, and there's a few slight differences and power-ups and all. Still...sheesh! Infogrammes ought to take Amaze Entertainment to court on this one!

Not a bad unit though, I'm already having games that go on for a good half an hour in only 24 hours of play, so they're a bit on the easy side (but then, just like with how Star Wars was originally intended for kids, I'm sure this is their target audience too), I'd rate it at about 65%. I was thinking I'd possibly pick another unit up for myself later, but like I said, the games are too easy, due to too much of the 'been there, done that' factor.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-12-06 22:50:40


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Lets see, what all am I playing now?

Baseball and bowling mini-games, some kind of shooter like Duck Hunt and a bunch of other stuff.

(Mom just got a Wii, of all things Hence why I don't know all the games' names, just stuff on Wii Sports and Wii Play.)
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-12-06 23:01:52


Winter Haven, FL

Predator Hunter
735 Posts
Have fun with it! There's some creative games for it (like Boom Blox, Mercury Meltdown) and then there's lots of crap too.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2009-12-07 00:49:07


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Yeah I'm interested in Boom Blox, I've heard good things about that. Got plenty to keep me busy for a while though (especially when the nephew comes over!)!
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-02-06 17:09:09


Buckingham, VA

Extra-Terrestrial
34 Posts
I've been playing Namco Museum DS alot lately
 
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When u hit the walls of sanity.....u have no-where to go.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-02-08 23:29:40


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Here it is where Greg will read this with trepidation, seeing that I posted here again, but this one has a bit of interest to it (I think), since it's 2600-related...

Yes, it's for the you know what again. However, for those who know even just a little about the 2600 homebrew scene, you probably know about Thrust then (and/or Thrust + and Thrust Platinum, I think they're called). If not, it's like Gravitar, where you navigate planet landscapes, shooting bunkers (hopefully before they shoot YOU) and beaming up fuel tankers. However, this time around you have to collect pods via tractor beams that the enemy is using as power sources for their diabolical plans and fly off the planet with them. Unfortunately once you latch onto the pods, they make you swing around like a damn pendulum, so, in other words, it's like taking the easy mode out of Gravitar (yeah, like it was easy anyway!); the game's a bit of a nightmare, to say the least...not something to ease yourself down to after a hard day at work to relax, unless you're a sadomasicist (sp?).

Just don't ask me how the Vectrex version compares to the Commodore 64 original or the 2600 homebrews, I haven't played them. This is pretty good though, although you need nerves of steel, as this is one of THE hardest games I've ever played...perhaps even the hardest, I'm not sure. Yeah, I'm fairly sure actually, now that I think about it.

Oh, and check out the very clever box cover to it, I love that Photoshop
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-02-10 18:38:01


Buckingham, VA

Extra-Terrestrial
34 Posts
I also purchased that Jakks Pacific Retro Arcade joystick with all those sweet games in it. Pac n Pal is my favorite Pac-Man besides Pac-Man Plus.
 
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When u hit the walls of sanity.....u have no-where to go.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-02-10 18:41:35


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
DUDE! That's really cool, liking Pac 'n Pal. Yeah, I like it a lot too, since I had never even heard of it until just a few years ago, let alone play the thing. Others like Dave, the Video Game Critic, don't like it, along with Super Pac-Man, both of which I personally liked because they were more intuitive with the gameplay, having you unlock areas of mazes just so you could eat. Wah, they made a change, boo hoo, go back to just eating dots guys

And it was nice to play Pac-Man Plus again too, hadn't played that for years outside of emulation...without a joystick on the computer (makes it harder to control!)
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-03-06 22:59:50


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Well I'm playing the original arcade game of Breakout, or at least a close approximation of it, from the Taco Bell promotion deal for only a buck I'm surprised that I'm fairly addicted to it (it'll probably wear off in a few days...I think?), since there's almost NOTHING to it, really, since I still like 2600 Super Breakout, I thought I'd be bored with this in no time flat. But I guess it's because it's very challenging, as I've yet to clear the entire first screen (gotten down to like THREE freakin' bricks!) on the Classic mode, which is annoying.

Oh well, back to the game!
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-03-07 21:31:28


Buckingham, VA

Extra-Terrestrial
34 Posts
I play the heck out of Namco Museum for the Nintendo DSI. Is pretty good.
 
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When u hit the walls of sanity.....u have no-where to go.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-03-19 02:43:27


New Jersey

Laser Blaster
54 Posts
Mafia Wars on Facebook. I've killed almost 500 people in the last 4 days alone.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-04-28 01:40:43


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
Cool! Mortanoid is a morbid take on Arkanoid. This is a really well done web game; even good net games I can only play for a couple of nights maybe, I've been going on strong with this one for a little over a week so far

Only problem is if you lose track of that damn onscreen arrow (which you will), you lose control of your paddle. That shouldn't even be in there. And when you get the 's' power-up start pressing the mouse button, since you're able to shoot then.

Rest you should be able to figure out.

 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-04-29 23:47:20


Buckingham, VA

Extra-Terrestrial
34 Posts
Lol.....Doom on my pocket pc
 
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When u hit the walls of sanity.....u have no-where to go.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-12-27 23:14:57


Houston, TX

Bug Smasher
123 Posts
I'm playing some Tron Wii game that my mom got for my sister's kid when he comes over...I think it's called Tron Battle Arena Evolution Championship Edition, or something like that. Not bad for a license game (a lot of them suck and should be avoided like the plague), as there's Disc, Light Tank and Light Cycle games of course (in an arena and on a racing track...minus tanks in a race), the same thing, but with the "Runners" from the movie (i. e. the four-wheeler jobs; think Road Blasters, but they leave light trails behind!), and the Hyperball from the first movie, where the balls bounce off the ceiling and walls and it will take a ring out on the floor underneath the program when it hits.

Of course, there's all kinds of stuff to unlock and all, Storyboard and Championship modes and all. It's a bit of fun, although at times it becomes a button-masher, it's hard to tell what the (*#!'s going on, and hard to see at times in the Light Disc game when sections of the floor rise up and down.

I give it a 6.5 out of 10, maybe a 7 on a good day. Worthy of a rental, or when it hits the bargin bins in a while for $20 or less.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-12-30 10:32:51


Buckingham, VA

Extra-Terrestrial
34 Posts
Right now I'm playing a lot of Call of Duty on the DS
 
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When u hit the walls of sanity.....u have no-where to go.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2010-12-30 11:01:20


West Mids UK

Saboteur
3 Posts
Batman AA and Modern Warfare 2 on 360
Some Home-brew games and Pentagram on Spectrum
Tutankham and Riddle Of The Sphinx on A2600
Crysis on pc
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2011-01-08 22:50:53


Winter Haven, FL

Predator Hunter
735 Posts
Yeah, I'm playing Batman Arkham Asylum on 360... Great game...

Prior to that it was Pac-Man Champ Edition SE (or whatever that new one is called.)

And prior to that it was Hydro Thunder Hurricane. I love me some Hydro Thunder!
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2011-01-27 05:22:18


Buckingham, VA

Extra-Terrestrial
34 Posts
Lately its been a lot of Call of Duty on the Nintendo DS.....great game but it'll cramp up ur hands in ten minutes lol.....I'll get ''Trigger Finger'' from it lol
 
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When u hit the walls of sanity.....u have no-where to go.
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2011-01-30 12:23:26


Winter Haven, FL

Predator Hunter
735 Posts
I'm playing "Aragorn's Quest" on Nintendo DS. Also just finished "Batman Arkham Asylum" on Xbox. Yeah, I just love punching the crap out of bad guys!
 
re: What game are you playing? by 2011-03-01 21:43:30


Buckingham, VA

Extra-Terrestrial
34 Posts
I got some new titles on the Nintendo DSi via the game shop online (DSi Ware) like Tetris, Bomberman, Crazy Pinball, Uno and a Dragon Quest strategy game......it's sweet because 4/5 titles mentioned have the Nintendo WiFi compatible feature!
 
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When u hit the walls of sanity.....u have no-where to go.
 



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