Retro Gaming Vault

Dreamcast on a 3D TV!!!!!

2010-09-06T04:53:00.001-08:00

Well the wife let me buy a new toy...A Samsung 46" 3D TV! The best part about this is, when I am done playing every 3D PS3 demo I have , I have a plan. I purchased a VGA box for the Dreamcast!

That's right! A little known fact is the Samsung TV's can "upconvert" any 2d source into 3D! I sampled this feature in store and the effect that it has is Amazing! I can't wait to play games like Shenmue and Sonic Adventure in 3D! I knew I was going to be playing a ton so I even ordered a 50 pack of batteries for the shutter glasses on eBay lol. The TV will arrive the 14th or 15th and I can't wait to give you guys more info! It should looks astonishing to play Soul Calibur!

Shenmue is beautiful in HD !!!

2010-08-30T00:14:00.001-08:00

I am shocked. We didn't get a release of Shenmue 2 in the states. We can only import the EURO version or buy the Xbox release. I was worried at first about getting the xbox version but was glad to know it at least used the same voice actor for Ryo. But I was a little happier when I saw this game was backwards compatible on 360 and had 720p mode! Needless to say, this game is gorgeous on a 42" Plasma tv over HDMI! Hong kong is breathtakingly beautiful and every little attention to detail in the graphics is evident! Just the icing on the cake for what is so far the best game since Shenmue 1! My only complaint so far is, if you are playing on a 360 the music and sound effects will slowly stop working some times minus the voices. To easily fix it, just pause and unpause the game. It returns to normal right away! I will post a full review soon!

Shenmue: Just finished and now time for a review!

2010-08-30T00:00:00.003-08:00

Ok, so I have just finished what I now consider to be the greatest game I have ever played. And the fact I even think that is amazing. Because honestly, I went into this game with huge expectations after hearing all the hype. Normally doing that is like getting hyped about a new movie, it sucks when you finally get to go see it! I have already said once that I have never been a big adventure/RPG gamer at all. But this is one game that has really sucked me into the story. I should also add I may include spoilers, however I am sure most people who will ever play this already have by now. But I will keep it to a minimum for people like me who are new to the series!

Graphics: This is one place I feel I must start. I hate to judge a game by graphics but, the dreamcast manages to paint such a beautiful and intriguing world! The lighting effects of Dobuita at night can be breath taking. And I should add that I don't yet have a VGA box so I was plaing over composite on an old CRT TV I have in my gaming room! And the game even looked breathtaking there. I can imagine using a VGA connection on my nice TV! Even for such an old game the character animations and such are amazingly true to life. Each person has unique features and no two people look the same. There is a small amount of slow down in extremely crowded areas during free roam of while driving the forklift later on. I am glad to see there was no slow down during any of the fight scenes, where it really matters most! The cut scenes are insane! It doesn't matter if it's a dream or a romantic scene with Nazomi. They always feel epic and you always feel like you are more than a person holding a controller.

Music: The music in Shenmue always seems to fit the mood! Walking in town on Christmas you are even over come by the sounds of the holiday season! I think the most memorable moment is the beautiful graphics and music setting the mood when it changes from day to night. For some reason, witnessing this on a daily basis really drew me into the game! The mood of each scene is hugely increased and really draws you to an emotional level as if you were in Ryo's shoes. The cut scenes feature some greatly inspiring music as well! Just watch the trailer on youtube and tell me the music doesn't suck you in!

Gameplay: I will say that like alot of people the gameplay at first can be a tad slow paced. But the game does a great job of quickly picking up and slowly drawing you into it's world! The control is awesome and I rarely had a hard time figuring out where I needed to go or what I needed to do. Sometimes it's bound to happen but just when you start to get confused the game steps in and leads the way! The camera is amazing and very cinematic. I never ever had a problem with a camera angle blocking anything! And when you aren't out hunting for answers and talking to people there are a ton of other things to do! You can even find a Sega Saturn in your house!

At first it may seem like another useless prop. But no! Each time you buy a ceartin item at the convenient store you get to draw a prize....get the number 2 prize and you can pick a Saturn game! Space Harrier or Hang-on. You then go back to the house and can actually see Ryo put the game into the system, close the lid and turn it on! Then you can play whatever game you won! The detail is amazing in this world!

Lasting appeal: Well, after part 2 you are out of Shenmue games for a while. So after completing those you will surely be back to collect every possible item and explore every nook and cranny of the game! Other than that the replay may eventually become dull. But in the mean time I am off to play Shenmue 2!

Over all rating? a 5/5 !

Do you know where I can find any Sailors?

2010-08-20T14:14:00.001-08:00

Ok, so to be absolutely honest, I have never had any real motivation to play RPG games. I tried FF7 back in the day and never had the patience to finish it. I am however the type of gamer who is easily influenced lol. So when reading through the Retro Gamer Magazine I came across the Shenmue making article. I have always heard about this game but never tried it.

So being the type person I am, I fired up ebay and had a copy on it's way in mint condition. I will admit that I have not been able to put it down. I have bought like 200 bucks in Saturn games and still have not played them because I am so hooked! The entire mood of the game is just awesome. I even won a copy of Shenmue 2 for xbox on ebay and will be playing it on my 360. I wanted the UK version for the dreamcast seeing as how the US didn't get a release. But it is pretty pricey!

So for a guy like me that's not a typical RPG fan but is really enjoying Shenmue, are there any other RPG games you think I may like? Either on Saturn or Dreamcast? Maybe even ps1? Anything similar to this out there? Comment below to let me know!

Finally bought another Sega Saturn!

2010-08-17T01:35:00.001-08:00

Well, I could not stand it anymore. I finally bought another Saturn to replace to one I sold. Now I am kind of sad because I now have to re-aquire games like Bones and Panzer Dragoon. I bought a model 2 this time with hopes of being able to throw in a mod chip as well and maybe run a action replay 4 in 1 cart too! I have bought a tone of stuff for the Genesis and also the Saturn so I need to find some time to post more updates! In the mean time I have been trying to find time to explore Shenmue on Dreamcast since I have never played it before! I'm not a big RPG fan but I know there are a ton of good ones on the Saturn. Can anyone recommend some good RPG games for me to play for people who normally are not into them?!?!

I love mint boxed NES games: Double Dragon 2!

2010-08-06T02:35:00.001-08:00

There is something about finding a survivor. A game is just innocently sitting on a shelf somewhere in a mint condition box and 100% complete. It has survived 20+ years of owners and harsh playing conditions. As kids we threw the boxes away alot of times! Well I learned better around age 10. But this game blew me away. I can't even see any marks on the contacts to show it's even been played! The box is mint and still has the manual, sleeve, and all the little cards that you register with and get Nintendo Power subscriptions! This is the game I saw at Play n Trade but didn't bother asking the price.

$11.99. Yup, that's all I payed for a mint NES game. I understand it would be worth more if it weren't the second game in the series but to me it's cool to have sitting on the shelf in my game room. Right next to my boxed copies of Mario 1 2 and 3. I love finding this old stuff!

Picked up some more games for the ole' Genesis!

2010-08-06T02:28:00.001-08:00

Headed back down recently to the local Play n Trade and picked me up some more Genesis games! I had to buy Road Rash2! I know it may not hold up well today, but I remember going to my cousin's house and begging my parents for a Genesis after playing Road Rash every time! I can't wait to blow the dust off this one!

Then there is NBA Jam TE. I am not a sports fan by any means, but this was always so much fun to play! I still remember playing as Clinton to this day! The sound of the announcer saying "He's on Fire!" still echoes in my memories!

Sonic and Knuckles, I will most likely get alot more in depth on this one later! Wikipedia has a very nice article on this game and it's "Lock on" technology. I mainly wanted to play the new levels that it contains! But you can also attach older Sonic games and have access to knuckles as a playable character and other new levels and such in Sonic 3!

Gaming as a kid today:

2010-07-19T13:11:00.001-08:00

I couldn't help but think about how much gaming has changed today. My nephews are up visiting with some other family for a couple of weeks. They each brought a DS and seem to play them just fine. With the exception of when they wanted to try my Guitar Hero on the DS! But then they started looking at al my PS3 360 and wii games. They have a wii at home so they pretty much get the basics of using it.

But when they saw the great games on the PS3 and 360 they instantly wanted to play. It was then that I realized just how much more difficult it is for them to pick up and play. First of all you have fragile discs that have to be handled way more carefully than the cartridges of the past that we once were familiar with. Then you have the sometimes complex operating system of the console. For a 6 -7 year old kid it can actually be a bit odd to figure out how to get the game going once you are booted up if auto play is disabled!

Then once the game is finally up and running the menu structure and asking about saves and all the other prompts can confuse them even more. More times than not I have to get them started to prevent them from becoming lost in the menus. Why is the industry trying to dumb down gameplay so much?! Getting casual players involved needs alot more than some dumbed down game play! Make the games easier to get started! There are tons of places the industry can look to improve casual gamer experiences!

What is your take? Remember how easy it was for us? Pull a cart off the shelf and give it a good blow and jam it in! Then select one or two players from the menu screen!

Recent score for the Genesis :)

2010-07-17T09:21:00.002-08:00

Ok, so normally I can head down to my local Play n Trade and pick up some retro games for decent prices. They normally are the exact same price as what I would pay for the same thing with shipping on ebay. Some times they have some harder to find games for decent prices. While there yesterday they had a mint coy of Double Dragon 2 for nes in the mint box but I didn't ask the price. Maybe next time!

In the mean time I was looking to pickup some Genesis games and I prefer these to be in the box since the boxes are usually in great shape with them being plastic. Unlike the freaking cardboard boxes of other systems! I really wanted Rocket Knight Adventures boxed but on ebya it was around $15 -$20 bucks. Well I got lucky and it had just been traded in so I got it with box and manual mint for $2.99! Awesome deal! Been wanting to play the original since playing the demo of the XBLA release!

Also got Sonic 1 bundled version with case and no manual in great shape for only 99 cents! And I love how old fighting games still play well today. So I picked up a copy of Super Street Fighter 2 with a mint case for only $4.99 :) It was a really great day! They have a couple other things like Road Rash 2 that I will probably go back and pick up later! But for less than a ten dollar bill this was a great score I think!

What recent finds did you guys make?!?

Do I open it and play it or keep it sealed?!?!

2010-07-15T17:56:00.002-08:00

UGH! The first 32x game I buy for my new system and it's sealed! Keep in mind dI bought the 32x and model 2 Genesis in my last post with no games and I am dying to play the 32x when it gets here!

Some people say this game is really fun, but I hate to open and old game that's still sealed! I opened my copy of Perfect Dark for n64 and then hardly played it and I still regret it!

Should I play this or not? I am not sure if it's even something worthy of keeping sealed. It shouldn't be something of much value I would think. What are your opinions?!

Bought a Genesis and a 32X!!!!!

2010-07-15T17:50:00.001-08:00

More goodies coming! I couldn't pass this deal up! The same friend that had the Virtual Boy growing up in one of my earlier posts actually had a Sega CD and 32x after they marked them way down. Had so much fun playing Star Wars Arcade!

The main driver to buy this stuff was I got it on eBay for a BIN of just 39.99! I figure getting a 32x with all the RIGHT cables was worth it alone. Not to mention the fact that they all came in original boxes! I can't wait to post reviews!

Rare Pioneer Laseractive with PCEngine and Sega CD modules!

2010-07-15T17:44:00.002-08:00

eBay Auction Pretty sure this is very rare. And judging by the bidding I would say I'm right lol. This would be so cool to have in the old game room! It's your old school laser disc player but it also has modules that plug in to allow you to play Sega CD games as well as PCEngine CD games!

As if the JVC console CDX and the normal Sega CD weren't enough! I am guessing the production numbers for these units are very low and should be extremely hard to find! Who ever get's this is very lucky!

Conker's Bad Fur Day on N64

2010-07-11T17:06:00.001-08:00

Ok, when you think of Rare, you most likely think of Collect-a-thon games like Banjo right? If so you have not gotten your hands on CBFD! This is a platformer like no other! Released late in the N64 life cycle there are not a lot of copies out there really. Add in the fact that it was plastered with warnings that it was a mature game only didn't help it to sell a lot of copies either.

But if you can get your hands on this game you need to play it! The dialogue is insanely humorous and the game play is addictive. The controls even work really well as does the camera system. You are basically a squirrel that goes out and gets drunk one night only to wake up lost and far from home with a hangover! Bet you don't find that anywhere else?! You complete some pretty funny missions along the way and will always get a good laugh or have a WTF moment!

The cartoony graphics work extremely well with the settings. It's hard to believe when you have finished playing that you have just played such an insanely entertaining and dirty game on a Nintendo console! It's an experience unlike any other. Get on Ebay now and did up a copy of this classic! You can also get the remake on the original Xbox but I have heard it's got some changes and it would be best to play the original first!

Rare Unopened Gameboy listed on eBay for $500 USD!

2010-07-11T11:28:00.001-08:00

Facotry sealed original Gameboy!

Who knows if this will actually sell. But wouldn't it be pretty cool to own an unopened 20+ year old Gameboy?! The Warranty stick is still attached to the back as well. This is the car retailers removed upon sale to register that sold unit with Nintendo. Years later the stores just scan a bar code serial number from a window in the box.

I would like to have seen this as an auction to see what type of activity it would have had. There isn't even a page view counter. I don't think it will sell however. It seems most of the time the portable console market on eBay just isn't very big versus the home console market. You can easily buy a game boy or game gear for less than 10 bucks before shipping. I am sure however with time that the value of this item will make it a keeper!

Play free reboots of Classic games!

2010-07-10T20:43:00.001-08:00

While roaming Google, I stumbled across a pretty neat site. Classic Retro Games.It's pretty cool in that it offers lots of classic games from consoles, arcade and even computers. Bt instead of being the same old game they are remakes of the games that are slightly updated. I haven't had a chance to play alot of games yet on here but it looks nice!

Why do you guys collect?

2010-07-10T19:17:00.001-08:00

So what makes you collect? I sometimes have a hard time explaining to my beautiful wife why I am such a nerd and collect old gaming stuff. Perhaps it's a throw back to the old days when times were easy as a kid. Times when the summer vacation was a gaming marathon with you and your close friends. I still remember the Christmas that I got my NES action set! Man the sleep I lost!

Perhaps alot of the urge to collect is because like most kids you were often limited to only one new system every so often. You rented games alot more than you actually bought them. I remember having to try and decide between the N64 Sega Saturn or PlayStation one Christmas. I ended up going with the PSX, but I can't tell you how curious I was every time I would see a commercial for another system.

And now I can finally cure that curiosity! Most systems and games can be had second hand for little to nothing! With the exception of course rare titles or systems.But then you find your self with the urge to buy a particular game or system with all its original packing. I recently bought Super Mario 1, 2 and 3 for the NEW with original boxes and stuff. I overpaid slightly for a copy of Rad Racer at a pawn shop simply because I wanted the cool looking grey box!

So what makes you collect? What do you really look for when roaming Ebay? How do you feel when you pull out that old NES cart and blow out the connector ( just out of habit because you replaced your 72 pin lol) and slide it into that NES. You push the cart down and flip the lid closed hitting the power button to be greeted by the opening them to The Legend of Zelda. Pic up that square u not so ergonomic controller and flash back to the glory days? There are some thing emulation just can't touch!

We review the Dingo A320! You want this!

2010-07-10T18:50:00.001-08:00

I can't tell you how awesome it is to have an entire collection of classic games in your pocket for only $99! Of course you can also find it cheaper. This thing is very fun and can even be plugged into your TV! It's a great alternative to always playing roms on my hacked Wii! Let me know what you think of the review. Sorry but I can't find my charger for my video cam so I had to shoot this in 720p with my Iphone 4 :)

Power for my Virtual Boy

2010-07-08T19:06:00.001-08:00

So I got to thinking about how my friends Virtual boy always hogged the 6 AA batteries in no time. So I hopped on ebay in search of an A/C Adapter. You have the one from Japan that uses the NES AC adapter. You buy the tap from japan and it allows you to plug in a AC adapter from a NES into the controller. They were around 30-40 bucks for just that tap and almost all located in Japan. They were mostly new sealed in the Japanese boxes.

Then you have the USDM version which uses the SNES AC adapter. The plugs are different size between the NES and SNES. The US version included both the actual SNES adapter and the controller TAP but was usually hard to find. Well I found a auction that was actually located in my town here in Alaska that had the USDM version brand new sealed in the box :) I hate to open it but it's one of those things That's hard not to do. If it were a rare game I would keep it sealed but going to open her up and play when the VB gets here!

Virtual Boy flash cart!

2010-07-08T18:58:00.002-08:00

So I have kind of gotten on a Virtual Boy kick lately. Knowing there were very few games produced and sold, I knew it would be hard to come across some at an affordable price (water world). Well now there is a chance to experience them with the home made flash cart from PlanetVB.com you can load one ROM at a time into the cart to play on the virtual boy.

One possible problem however is that they are currently out. They build them from older common games by hand and should have some by late summer. Kind of sad however that it's one less copy of Mario Tennis or something on ebay that you can get your hands on. I would say the ration of Mario Tennis carts to Virtual Boys is probably close to 1:1 since the system included the game and I don't think it was available separately. Any ways, the price is also kind of high as well, coming in at 90 EUR or about $140 bucks our money depending on economics. But if you are interested be sure and keep a watch there!

I do and don't agree with digital downloads....

2010-07-08T18:51:00.002-08:00

Let's be honest here. Sometimes the best part of buying a game is the experience of buying it. Sometimes it is waiting in line for hours on end just to pick up a game you pre-ordered months ago and have been anxiously awaiting. Sometimes the game you want isn't really hard to find but you still make special plans to run out early and grab it before work knowing you can't play it for another 8-10 hours. What's not very exciting is sitting down and skimming the PSN or Xbox live or even Wii store trying to figure out what to download. Or even if you have read a great review about a game you still will usually be faced (XBL) with trying to figure out just how much hard earned money the damn points system translates into. Or you have 300 points but need 800 so you have to purchase a minimum of 1000 points. Which leaves you with yet again unused points.

What about 10-15 years from now. If you are here reading my blog you obviously are a retro gamer at heart. Or maybe even just a collector. When my PS3 dies in 15 years what happens to my downloaded game or content that I decide I want to play again some day? If my HDD crashes in my console or something I can't just hop on eBay and buy another copy anymore. The original service the game was purchased from either no longer exists or no longer supports that platform. And that means true gems like Flower on PSN wouldn't be experienced by future gamers that missed out the first time.......

Pause that Atari 2600!!!

2010-07-06T21:12:00.002-08:00

I still need to get myself another Atari 2600 soon. However, I now know the first mod it will get when I do! Can you imagine being in the middle of the game and the phone rings and you can't pause it?! Well looks like someone has finally made a self installed kit to add the pause function to your classic console and ANY game! Check it out!

Newest Purchase: Virtual Boy!

2010-07-05T13:12:00.002-08:00

Ok, so I remember my friend calling me to come over after school one day to see his new game. When I got there I saw the Nintendo Virtual Boy just chilling on his table! It had only been like a couple months since the launch and KB Toys had already drastically cut the price. So he got one for almost free and a handful of games! Despite it's quirks it was actually very fun to play! We played Wario Land for hours on end!

So after watching some Angry Video Game Nerd videos I decided to hit up eBay in search of a Virtual Boy after coming up empty handed in my local area. Some systems were pricey and included games. Some were cheap but had broke or missing stands. I finally found one and got it shipped and all for about $66. It does have a small crack in the stand so if you have one laying around let me know and maybe we can work out a deal!

I have yet to get it in the mail but I honestly can't wait! It came with no games so I bought a copy of Wario land for about $20 for the cartridge only. I also was very interested in the Vertical Force SHMUP type game. It seems more hard to find in a US version so I ended up buying a complete Japanese copy for less than $27 shipped. The Virtual Boy is region free (yay!). Can't wait to post some stuff up about my purchase!

NES Replacement controller review:

2010-07-05T12:42:00.002-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since any updates. I have been crazy busy getting ready to go to my next base. So things may be a little far and few between for a while. But anyways! So I stopped in at my local Play n Trade looking to see what NES games they had in stock. I was looking at the used consoles and such and saw they had replacement NES controllers.

These were in an aftermarket box and the picture looked like a perfect replica minus missing the Nintendo logo on front. I am usually EXTREMELY picky about not using 3rd party controllers! But for the low price of $4.99 I couldn't resist. I had at least one bad controller and another that seemed to have a short. So I picked one up.

The first thing I noticed when I got it home is that the cord is ALOT longer than the original controller! Thats a plus for sure. The connector that goes into the NES is almost identical in look as the original with a slightly different material and it fits VERY snug in the port. The cord was thinner and more flexible than the original but seems to be better quality.

The controller casing seems to be made from the exact same mold as the originals. It has the box on the back for the model number and such but the box is empty. Every little notch and everything is perfectly replicated. The front face is also identical in design minus the Nintendo logo. Even the Start and Select buttons have the exact same texture and feel as the original!

The buttons all feel very responsive and even the D-pad feels perfectly replicated! You could pretty much swap these internals into your old controller and nobody would ever notice. That's how much it feels like the original! I give this item a 5 star rating in my book!

2009-11-28T02:12:00.000-09:00

Well, I am sad to say I ended up selling my poor Sega Saturn. I was in need of some cash and had to let one system go. Sadly it had to be the Saturn. It's a great system and will always be one of my favorite. But let's be honest, it's a bitch to collect for. Only one place here in Alaska where I am stationed (Fairbanks) Even sells old used Saturn games and they are just overpriced sports games :( . Buying games online for the system usually can cary quite a premium as well. I have a Mustang that's my project car (2001 GT) so I tend to find it more fitting to spend the big bucks on it rather than a single game costing well over $100. I am really envious of all of you with the big Saturn Collections :) I have been busy for a while but I plan to try and get the blog back up to date again. Thanks for stopping by!

What are you playing? RGV is currenty Playing Mr. Bones for the Sega Saturn!

2009-09-10T02:20:00.002-08:00

Ok, I am going to resist giving away to much information on this game because I am dying to review it! It's a pretty pricey Saturn game but I got it for around 15 bucks on Ebay recently out of luck. I don't even know where to start with this game. It's so awesome and so unlike anything I have played! The game just screams Saturn gaming! It's extremely unique even in this day and age! I don't even know what genre I would really call it to be honest! The learning curve can be difficult at first but a look or two at a strategy guide online can help alot. It's easy to get frustrated and throw the game to the side but stick with it! The scores for this game back in the day were not very good but I have a feeling mine will be!

So what are you playing right now and on what system? Once I get at least 5 comments on this post saying what you are playing and a little bit of info on said game, I will send out a free gift! But remember I need at least 5 posts so tell your friends about our Blog and help us out! Thanks for supporting us!

Recent Ebay score: Christmas Nights Into Dreams! Sega Saturn

2009-09-10T02:06:00.001-08:00

Okay, after loosing auctions left and right I knew with the holiday season coming up I had to at least get the import! After All, if you already know how to play Nights I doubt that the language of the import should be no issue! I really want to play this and upload video, but I am forcing my self to wait! It's very hard and I can't guarantee I will make it but I am trying lol. If you have a extra copy of the US version feel free to Send it to me ;)

Product Review: Saturn Action Replay

2009-09-10T01:58:00.002-08:00

First let me start off by complimenting Classic Gaming Sega Style for offering a great deal on this product. It can be purchased Here for only $24.95 (USD)! This is one of the cheapest places anywhere I have seen it. The item is also brand new in the box unlike most Ebay auctions that are used and may be unreliable. They may be out of stock when you go to order, but they usually restock quickly. Mine arrived really fast, even being stationed in Alaska! So, anyway, onto the review.

What is the action Replay 4-1? It's a Saturn gamers dream come true! It features backup memory that allows you to copy all of your Saturn saves to the cart so you never lose them when the battery dies or while changing the battery. But it does so much more! Some of the best Saturn games, namely Capcom games, require either the 1Meg or 4Meg memory expansion packs. This cart offers both in one, giving games that support it a huge boost in graphics as well as being required for some games. But the best feature of all, is the ability to play import games! The majority of the rare and expensive US Saturn games can be had as imports for a fraction of the price.

Of course some games such as Panzer Dragoon Saga you will most likely want to stick with the US release as it may get confusing. But for SHMUP fans this is a must! One game we all know of comes to mind, Radiant Silver Gun! Some people may say these carts are unreliable as the years pass but I have heard of alot of people using the same cart for many years with no issues. If you love gaming on your Saturn there is no doubt this will open a new world to you. As a mater of fact, don't buy ANYTHING else for your Saturn until you buy one of these!

Score: 5/5

Review: Star Soldier Vanishing Earth N64

2009-09-08T23:34:00.002-08:00

So I figured this time around I would do a N64 review. Star Soldier is one of those games that doesn't really do anything wrong per say, but it doesn't do anything new or radical. But at the same time it is also one of the only SHMUP's I have seen on the N64 so you have to be thankful Hudson took the risk they did. The game was released in 1998 to little fan fair. It seems it was so far below the radar that most retail stores had no idea the game was even coming out. So you may could even call it a budget title. I have never seen this game in the wild anywhere that I can remember so it may even be a little hard to find. I picked it up on ebay for around 10 bucks. I have never had the chance to play the older games on the series such as the ones on the NES and NEC consoles. I have never even seen the arcade version of the game that I heard that I hear this is ported from. So long story short, the games is fun but nothing over the top. It satisfies the urge to play a decent shoot em up. Not to mention in this world of way overpriced retro Shmup games this game carries a easy on the pocket price tag. Pick it up if you can and give it a shot.

Review: Clockwork Knight ( Sega Saturn )

2009-09-05T03:36:00.002-08:00

Ok, I have to be honest. This game was alot like a much hyped movie. I remember being a kid and not having a Saturn and drooling over this game every time I would see it. So with a little searching on Ebay I got it for almost nothing. I was a little upset that it was supposed to be complete but the inside pages of the manual were missing. But enough rambling, on to the review.

Gameplay: ( 3 ot of 5 ) I felt from the moment I saw the opening FMV I wasn't going to like this very well. The game just really has no sense of feeling to it. It feels very drab and boring. There is really nothing to get excited about at all. And I know this can be common with old games but, I am 99% sure I would have felt the same if I played it as a kid. The videos on youtube can begin to tell you how boring and repetitive the game feels. Not having a save feature of any type only makes matters worse. Sega gave the Saturn built in saves and then doesn't use it in such a hyped platformer? I could save in Super Mario World for Christ sake! And that seems to be a big problem with Saturn games. The only "fun" part of the game is the boss levels. They are much more involving and actually give you a feeling of some accomplishment before being dumped into boredom again. Also, don't expect to go back and replay a level to get everything 100%. Because you can't. And maybe I just need to find a manual but I sure don't understand how you get 100% completion any way.

Graphics:( 3 out of 5 ) I always feel bad reviewing this part of a classic game. It's hard not to deduct points when you are used to the world of PS3 and HD TV's. this game was meant to be a showcase for the Saturn's capabilities. At times they can look good. Again, during boss battles mainly. The rest of the enemy toys are all very plain and boring looking. Adding to the overall dull appeal of the game as a whole. The back grounds are the best part. Seeing the trains go into the background and the huge Saturn posters are fun to look at for such an old game.

Control: ( 3 out of 5 ) The controls can be tight for the most part. It's not to difficult to land a jump in the proper spot. But other aspect will annoy the hell out of you. Such as trying to push and item onto a moving playtform, stop and try to start again and by the time the box moves , it's on the platform and you are stuck unable to get on in time. You really have no fun special moves or anything either. Just a basic attack and jump. The d-Pad response feels great on the awesome Saturn controller!

Sound: ( 2 out of 5 ) The music in CK is extremely dull and repetitive! The sound effects are FAR from the wonderful sounds heard in other Saturn games! The sound of killing an enemy sounds so weak and does nothing to add to the experience! Everything seems so basic and out of place. This is one of the things hat makes me so sour toward this game. In the days before force feedback sound was your feedback. This back to the sounds of Mario jumping and landing on a goomba. You won't hear anything that unique here!

In closing, I know alot of people hold a special place for this game in memory. While it's a great addition to your Saturn Library as a valiant effort by Sega, it's not anything you will have a hard time putting down. So if you find it cheap pick it up. In the mean time I will be on the hunt for what I hear is a much better game CK2. Feel free to leave comments on the review. I am sorting out my video capture stuff and will soon start posting video reviews. In the mean time, thanks to the youtube poster of this video!

Product Review: Retro Gamer Magazine (UK)

2009-08-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

The UK's Retro Gamer Magazine. I first caught wind of this magazine a while back. Well, I was recently checking out magazines at the local Barnes & Noble when I noticed it. The price seemed kind of high, at $11.99. But as I looked over it I couldn't help be be impressed at the quality. The magazine itself was huge in size with a beautiful cover. The amount of gloss on the pages and cover make you not want to put even a crease in the crisp pages. So being as surprised as I was I bought it, Later finding out some issues only cost $9.99 or so. Upon reading a couple of issues now, I must say I am still impressed. The amount of information and things in this magazine is mind blowing! Everything from the making of Metroid to a issue with the entire story of my favorite console, the Sega Saturn. They mange to fill the pages with interviews with some true industry leaders and pioneers. This isn't like most magazines here in the US where they are littered with ads from cover to cover. They are minimal here and have something for everyone! Some things may seem a bit odd when you read them as it's a UK mag and the talk tends to be different. Things such as the names of console and games that change from region to region. My only real complaint is the simple fact there is alot of devotion retro computer games. Atari computers and C64 type stuff is big in the magazine. Had it been pure console it would have been much more up my alley. However, I still buy it every month and have a blast reading! Pick it up today! Also feel free to comment on similar mags you may have found!

MY latest score...

2009-08-30T21:54:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I have been buying a ton of stuff here lately. I am pretty much starting my collection from scratch.And seeing as I am in Alaska where there are very few places to get retro gaming goodies, I looked deeper. I’m in the Air Force and on the base I live on we have a very small thrift store. I decided to check it out and managed to get there about 10 minutes before they closed. You know how it feels your first time in a place looking for games. You walk in puzzled as to where to start. So you wade past the racks upon racks of old musty clothes and such until you find a tiny electronics section. The one I found was littered with old CDs as well as a couple PSX games and maybe a hand full of old Xbox sports titles. I was aggravated at this this point and about to leave. First thing I always look for is games that are complete with box and manual. I know most people don’t care but I love to display the and read everything on them. So after not seeing any I thumb around looking at some generic jewel cases. Low and behold I found a hand full of Dreamcast games! I quickly grabbed eight of them and headed to the counter. There were no prices on them so I asked the lady how much and she said $1 each :) So I handed her the money and off I went.

I managed to snag The following titles as disc only: House of the Dead 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Power Stone, Jet Grind Radio, Bangi Gunship Elite , Crazy Taxi, Sonic Adventure and Blue Stinger. I just bought my Dreamcast since I sold my last two. I bought this one at a second hand store with only the AV cable and Sonic Adventure 2 disc for $4.99! I bought a controller at a pawn shop for 10 bucks. I overpayed seeing as you can get a BNIB controller on ebay for the same price but I wanted to play right then!

Welcome all!

2009-08-28T05:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome everyone! Retro Gaming Vault is my little side project I have decided to start. I should start by saying that I decided to do this after looking at other blogs like the Saturn Junkyard and the Dreamcast Junkyard. Both of these sites are also hosted here and have been great sources for me! I hope to give everyone a similar experience and try to build on it even more. I am still new to all of this and I am awaiting the video capture card for my MacBook to start video reviews. I have made alot of purchases recently however and will try to post at least one a day starting tomorrow! I have picked up alot of N64 , Saturn, NES and other games this past week! Also I plan to try and help you guys out in your hunt by letting you know when I come across some good deals on the net and Ebay. So sit back and enjoy and please keep me up on how you think I am doing!