For most of my life, I’ve chased one seemingly simple goal: 100,000 points on Galaga.
Continue reading “Attainable Goals”
Here’s a project I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, and I finally made it happen!
I’ve been keeping an eye on the Arcade 1up machines since they started improving them, and they’ve become quite popular among gamers for their easy mod-ability…modibility…mod…er…moddib…
They’re easy to put a Raspberry Pi in.
What I really wanted to do, though, was a tate mode, or vertical, version, with the idea of playing vertical shmups and old school games like Pac-Man and Galaga full-screen. Well, the Space Invaders Arcade 1up is the most affordable of all the A1up products, and I was up for a project, so away we go!
I made this video to show it off and explain some of my choices, which may seem a bit odd at first but make sense to me. Enjoy, and don’t forget to like and subscribe!
I took a lot of photos of the actual process, which I think may become a feature in issue 4 of the Retro Game SuperHyper fanzine, so if you’re interested in the guts of the project, look for that next January!
Last week, Netflix began streaming a new 6-part documentary series on the history of video games, titled High Score. Immediately, my Twitter and Instagram feeds were filled with the impressions of my fellow gamers who were watching it. Of course, I checked it out too — I had to, it’s my duty as a gamer — so, how highly does High Score score?
Continue reading “High Score on Netflix”
Sometimes it’s crazy to think about how much time has passed in this gaming hobby. I can’t believe that it’s been almost 20 years since Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1971-1984 was released in 2001. It seems like just yesterday that I brought it home and had it sitting prominently on my coffee table, to be frequently perused for at least the next year or two. How much stuff has happened in the world of videogames since then — heck, how much has happened in the world in general since then?!
Supercade, by Van Burnham, is itself an examination of the first significant span of video game history, from its inception as an experiment, to a new entertainment medium, to its golden age, and ultimately to the era of the industry crash in the US. A highly-respected tome amongst game fans and historians, Supercade runs well over 400 pages and is absolutely packed full of information amidst its vividly colorful layouts.
And now, in a new chapter in the history of video game…uh…history, Supercade is getting a sequel. Supercade: A Visual History of the Videogame Age 1985-2001 has just been successfully funded via Kickstarter (full disclosure: I’m a backer), and promises to pick up right where the original volume left off. So I thought now would be a perfect time to revisit the first book, to suggest to us what we can expect from its successor. Continue reading “Gamers’ Library: Supercade”
If Space Invaders turning 40 two years ago didn’t make you feel old, how about today? It’s Pac-Man’s 40th birthday! Continue reading “40 Years of Pac-Man Fever”
I’ve been in a Neo-Geo mood lately — and with good reason! I am proud to announce the official Retro Game SuperHyper video game, exclusively for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade system! And wait until you hear the price! Continue reading “Retro Game SuperHyper for Neo-Geo MVS Redefines Game Pricing!”
“Hey Teej,” I hear you saying, “After almost 40 years of video game playing and collecting, what is your ultimate Holy Grail? Also, you’re looking particularly handsome today.” Well, thank you, and yes, I’m so glad you asked that question! If I won the lottery, was independently wealthy, got to spend someone else’s money, or was just plain financially irresponsible, what would I buy from that great mythical reef store that has everything I’ve ever dreamed of? This totally self-indulgent article has those answers! Continue reading “Grails”
I can still remember walking into my usual haunt, the Pocket Change arcade in the Fox River Mall in Appleton, Wisconsin, expecting my usual rounds of Street Fighter II, when I saw a new fighting game from Capcom. It was like SF2, but faster, funnier, and…it was full of monsters. Darkstalkers had arrived, and unbeknownst to me, it was about to rocket up my personal favorite game chart with a silver bullet, and stay there to this day.
In this installment of my ongoing series about arcade-style joysticks for home consoles, I’m going to talk about two very different sticks in my collection: The Capcom Fighter Power Stick, and…a struggle stick for the Atari 2600?! I also want to talk a little bit about the upcoming arcade stick units from Capcom and SNK. So join us, won’t you (sorry Karina), for Parte the Thirde of Joystickery on Retro Game SuperHyper!
