Dreamcast on a 3D TV!!!!!

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 !!!

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!

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?

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!

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!

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!

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:

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 :)

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?!?!

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!!!!!

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!

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

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!

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!

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?

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!

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

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!

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....

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.......