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Retro Game SuperHyper

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My weird obsession with Famicom Gradius II

Back in the late ’80s-early ’90s, when Electronic Gaming Monthly featured lots of Japanese import coverage and was therefore completely awesome, they did a 2-page spread on Gradius II for the Famicom. I liked the original Gradius, but the sequel looked unbelievable. It boasted of huge bosses, amazing graphics, and — holy shit — SPEECH! Yes, like the arcade version (which I hadn’t seen back then, because America), a voice would call out each powerup as you activated it. It was like a 16-bit game crammed into an 8-bit cartridge! I HAD TO HAVE THIS!! Continue reading “My weird obsession with Famicom Gradius II” →

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Upgrade!

When I first bought Super Punch-Out!!, it was a lonely, loose cartridge. Look at it now, all CIB and happy!

As I’ve mentioned, I’m actually working on downsizing my video game collection. I’m still planning on writing about the how and why of this stage in my gamer life, but for now it’s a backdrop to this post.

So even though I’m not adding a lot of games to my collection, I naturally still have the urge to collect. How does one scratch that particular itch? My solution is to make my existing collection better. Continue reading “Upgrade!” →

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Repros: I dig ’em!

Doesn’t that NES Earthbound look awesome on a shelf with its buddies?

Without getting too deep into it, repros, or reproductions, are physical video game cartridges of rare or unreleased games that are being made by hobbyists for enthusiast collectors who want to enjoy these previously unavailable games on their original game consoles. Usually they’re prototypes, cancelled games, translations (fan or unreleased) of games that never came out in certain regions, or very hard-to-find titles that are otherwise cost-prohibitive for the average gamer to obtain.

Okay, actually, I guess that’s about as in-depth as it needs to get.

Anyway, I’m a big fan of the repro scene, as I do love playing games on original hardware as opposed to on a PC or mobile emulator. And as as collector, I love having unique, unusual pieces that many (if not most) collectors won’t have. Continue reading “Repros: I dig ’em!” →

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What are we playing? 11.04.16

At the risk of making Retro Game SuperHyper appear handheld-centric (I promise it’s not — don’t worry, I have plenty of console and arcade stuff to talk about, I’ve just been on a Game Boy kick recently), I’ve spent the last few days playing another game that’s been in my collection for years, but I never really played: Bionic Commando for the original Game Boy!

Continue reading “What are we playing? 11.04.16” →

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Gamer’s Library: Art of Atari – The Book I’ve Always Wanted

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I wanted this book before anyone ever said they were making it.

For most of my life, I’ve wondered about the artists behind the amazing artwork on the Atari home video game boxes.

Continue reading “Gamer’s Library: Art of Atari – The Book I’ve Always Wanted” →

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The Scariest Game Ever?

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Are you kidding?

Nope, not Silent Hill. Not Fatal Frame. Not Dead Space, Alone in the Dark, House of the Dead, Juggernaut (although I do wanna talk about that freakfest at some point)…not even Haunted House on Atari.

Today, for Halloween, I wanna show you Resident Evil 2. But not just any Resident Evil 2.

Resident Evil 2 for Tiger’s Game.com. Now THAT’S scary.

Continue reading “The Scariest Game Ever?” →

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Zelda: Link’s Awakening: FINISHED!

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I moved the operation from the GBA SP to the Game Boy Player for the final stage

To follow up on my earlier post about playing Link’s Awakening, I finished the game after picking away at it for a few weeks!

Overall, I liked it quite a bit. It felt really good to play a traditional, top-down, 2D Zelda game that I wasn’t very familiar with. Games like this never feel dated to me even when I experience them for the first time, so it says a lot about its quality that it’s aged very well. Continue reading “Zelda: Link’s Awakening: FINISHED!” →

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Um

I see a theme here

I just realized that almost my entire PlayStation Portable library is retro game remakes and collections. Continue reading “Um” →

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10.5shot

My reissue Hudson Shooting Watch, still showing my record of 10.5 shots per second

Ever use one of these? It’s a Hudson Shooting Watch. They came out in Japan in the ’80s and were reissued in the late 2000s. It’s a gadget that measures how many times you can press a button in 10 seconds, thereby telling you how many shots per second you can achieve, which I guess is useful information if you’re a shmup enthusiast, which I am. Continue reading “10.5shot” →

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Arcade Pilgrimage: Gameland, Lake Geneva, WI

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As I mentioned in my first post here on RGSH, I make it a point to travel to arcades around the country. My wife and I love to travel as it is, and if I can find an arcade to visit, even better. But I’ve been known to take huge detours or even special trips just to find arcades I’ve heard about. I always document them with lots of photos too; I think in the back of my head, I always wanted to write about them, and now with RGSH, I finally have that chance.

Back in 2008, it became semi-widely reported among news outlets that historic Gameland arcade in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin — opened in 1944 — would be closing after over 60 years in business. Continue reading “Arcade Pilgrimage: Gameland, Lake Geneva, WI” →

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I have this thing: Lupin the Third for Super Cassette Vision

As videogame collectors, sometimes we obtain games for systems we don’t even own. It just happens; other people might ask us why, but we don’t need to explain it to them. Mostly because we can’t. Continue reading “I have this thing: Lupin the Third for Super Cassette Vision” →

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Video Vinyl 1

My original copy of Pac-Man Fever that I got at age 7 in 1982

Vinyl is hot among music collectors again. I happen to be one of those, as well (records and retro games are pretty much my two collecting hobbies these days). I’ve always bought tons of music, whether on vinyl, cassette, or CD (I’m not a downloader, I prefer physical media – which is probably evident as I’m blogging about collecting old videogames), so it’s not a trendy thing for me (cue the “I was buying vinyl before it got hip” line).

Anyway, with the current hipness of vinyl records comes a proliferation of video game soundtracks on said format. Companies like I Am 8 Bit, Data Discs, and Ship to Shore are producing high-quality editions for collectors of both games and music.

But let’s go back…way back. To the beginning.

Pac-Man Fever.

Continue reading “Video Vinyl 1” →

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