We're of the opinion that you don't need to understand Japanese to enjoy the clip seen here from episode 33, in which the "Kacho," Shinya Arino, is presented with a Game Gear game (Ganbare Gorby, or, roughly, "Go Gorby" or "Do Your Best Gorby") starring a cute chibi version of Mikhail Gorbachev.
Posts with tag retro
Friday Video: Friday Video CX
We're of the opinion that you don't need to understand Japanese to enjoy the clip seen here from episode 33, in which the "Kacho," Shinya Arino, is presented with a Game Gear game (Ganbare Gorby, or, roughly, "Go Gorby" or "Do Your Best Gorby") starring a cute chibi version of Mikhail Gorbachev.
Siliconera posts answers to Our Video Game Exams
We're no strangers to scrawling information across our arms and concealing it beneath our sleeves before taking an exam -- it's precisely this kind of devilish act that got us through most of school. Yet thanks to its intensive use of Japanese, Bokura no Terebi Game Kentei (Our TV Game Exams) left us stumped -- at least until Spencer of Siliconera sneaked into the headmaster's Namco Bandai's office and grabbed some of the "answers" to the title's numerous tests.In his time with the microgame compilation, Spencer passed exams by hitting a home run in Family Stadium, collecting 13 balloons in Mappy, getting a ship captured and then recovering it in Galaga, and digging to the bottom of the stage in Dig Dug. Head past the break to read more of Bokura no Terebi Game Kentei's challenges, but don't even think about telling teacher we told you.
Continue reading Siliconera posts answers to Our Video Game Exams
Collecting & Obsessing: Game & Watch
Throughout the 1980s, Nintendo's Game & Watch series of handhelds provided the soundtrack to innumerable school playgrounds across the globe. A pre-Game Boy attempt to capture the portable games market, Game & Watch titles were relatively cheap but sturdily built toys which came with a single game and, as the name suggests, a watch. For the best part of eleven years, Nintendo kept manufacturing these forerunners to its other handheld devices, only for the Game Boy and Tetris to emerge in 1989 and squash the whole enterprise flat.
Nevertheless, the spirit of Game & Watch lives on through the hundreds of individuals who collect the games. For this one-off piece, DS Fanboy decided to interview two hardcore collectors in a bid to understand their love of Nintendo's first portable phenomenon.
Both 35-year-old Michael Panayiotakis (founder of Mike's Nintendo Game & Watch forum and the author of a quite superb FAQ on the subject) and 38-year-old Andy Cole possess the kind of retrolicious Game & Watch collections that we would maim (and possibly kill) for. To find out what they love about this charming series, why they collect Game & Watch, and why they dedicate so much time and money to their hobby, hit the break for our full interview. Once you've done that, don't forget to browse our gallery for a pictorial history of the Game & Watch phenomenon!
Nevertheless, the spirit of Game & Watch lives on through the hundreds of individuals who collect the games. For this one-off piece, DS Fanboy decided to interview two hardcore collectors in a bid to understand their love of Nintendo's first portable phenomenon.
Both 35-year-old Michael Panayiotakis (founder of Mike's Nintendo Game & Watch forum and the author of a quite superb FAQ on the subject) and 38-year-old Andy Cole possess the kind of retrolicious Game & Watch collections that we would maim (and possibly kill) for. To find out what they love about this charming series, why they collect Game & Watch, and why they dedicate so much time and money to their hobby, hit the break for our full interview. Once you've done that, don't forget to browse our gallery for a pictorial history of the Game & Watch phenomenon!
Famicom Lite
Genius modder Kotomi is at it again. A couple of years ago, he redid a DS Phat in the old Famicom colors -- his favorite console, apparently -- but as he recently came into some free time, he realized it was time to live in the now. At least, as "now" as you can be when doing a modern system over in the colors of a retro console.With a black DS Lite as his base, the modder worked his magic, and the result is simply stunning (and shiny!). Kotomi says he's got some more projects in the pipeline at present, so we'll be keeping an eye on this master.
Want more? We've got a few of his other, older projects in the gallery below.
Friday Video: Edutainment
We feel like we could score in a fairly high percentage on the TV Game Exam, but right now it's only available to Japanese students. This short commercial for the game, which arrived to Japanese retailers this week, plays up the "exam" concept of the game, presenting the mini-challenges within as tests of specific retrogaming aptitudes.
It turns out that it's not only possible, but easy to make learning fun! As long as you're learning about Galaga. A longer trailer featuring micro-clips of the microgames (and a very happily dancing Picotto) can be seen after the break!
Cool hoodie, Space Invaders -- what more do you need?
Which is rad -- or at least, we think so. Are friends really your friends if they don't like Space Invaders? Maybe, but you'd better educate them in the ways of video gaming history quicksmart. In fact, start them off right here, then move along to the way of the future. That hoodie will cement your place in stardom for years to come -- until Space Invaders becomes uncool. Which is probably never going to happen.
[Via Technabob]
Game Center CX at New York Asian Film Festival
We're pretty upset at the limited nature of the showings (as in, limited to places that are really far away), but Stylejam's first tentative steps into a U.S. release of Game Center CX give us hope for a subtitled DVD release (as does the poster text) and, in our wildest dreams, a localized release of Namco Bandai's Game Center CX mock retro game collection.
[Via Ray Barnholt's 1UP blog]
Ponder the paddle as you watch Space Invaders Extreme videos
Space Invaders Extreme is out next week, at which point we'll be able to put paddle speculation to rest. The Arkanoid DS demo found on the Nintendo Channel doesn't support Taito's paddle controller, but, it turns out, neither did the Japanese demo. That means it's still possible for the retail Arkanoid and its contemporary to include paddle support -- don't offload your paddles on eBay just yet. Besides, Square Enix told Game|Life in April that the U.S. games would still support the paddle, though of course that could have changed!
We can confirm that these two Space Invaders Extreme videos are awesome. We have proof: the awesome videos. Two minutes of single-player gameplay are in the video above; a multiplayer video, featuring a different musical track, follows after the post break.
Continue reading Ponder the paddle as you watch Space Invaders Extreme videos
All aboard the Game Training train
As the writers accrued points in minigames, they were decorated with 5-point and 10-point stickers. At the end, the winners were awarded with yellow baskets containing yellow foods (to match the game's Pico mascot) including curry, corn and bananas.
After the break, as a consolation prize for those of us unable to attend the preview event, we've got a trailer. It may not be free food, but it's still enjoyable.
Everything you wanted to know about Space Invaders Extreme but were afraid to ask
Oh, and that paddle controller. Sigh. Go check out all the shooty goodness anyway.
Space Invaders Encased
If there are several things we love, Space Invaders swag is somewhere on a list of those things, especially with Space Invaders Extreme so close, feeding our Invader mania. These keychains feature pink, blue, and yellow Invaders embedded in acrylic cubes like prehistoric flies in amber. Each order comes with three of them for $8.50.
It's up to you whether the awesomeness of the Invaders is worth cramming a big plastic cube into your pocket. That's a personal decision. Alternately, you could get a bunch of them and stack them in the classic Space Invaders configuration. Inside the clear cubes, they'd look vaguely like they were suspended in midair!
Space Invaders Extreme
 Space Invaders Extreme |
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|---|---|
| Taito/Square Enix |
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| Release Date: June 17, 2008 (US), July 4, 2008 (EU) |
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Aliens are invading the DS! Are you ready for the challenge? Better brush up on everything Space Invaders Extreme, from the gameplay to some of the awesome merch available.
See Nanashi no Game's fake RPG in action
Square Enix made a very smart move in the design of Nanashi no Game. The DS isn't exactly the best system for creating an immersive environment conducive to horror, so they've created a scenario in which the game system itself is, both inside the game and in real life, a frightening element. Most of the game puts you in a 3D environment, but the use of a "cursed" mock 8-bit RPG allows you to experience some of what the main character is supposed to be going through all by yourself. And that helps force you into the 3D game world, where you will find the RPG basically chasing you around.
We have no idea how effective this design will be in the final game, but it totally works on video.
Gallery: Nanashi no Game
Inside Nanashi no Game's game
Famitsu has blessed us with screenshots of Nanashi no Game's game within a game, a fictional cursed retro RPG that kills anyone who plays it. Of course, you (and your character) play the thing, otherwise there wouldn't be too much horror content. Horror movies (and games) just wouldn't work if the characters had any damn sense!The game is faithfully 8-bit until, randomly, it begins showing unexpected things -- in this screenshot, the screen has gone dark and the kanji for "death" has appeared in white. The cursed game also affects your character's real world: mysterious flower symbols appear on train doors, for example, as the 8-bit character looks toward a flower bed.
Genmu no Tou: enter the dungeon tentatively
Success's Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite has gotten us interested in dungeon RPGs like no other, due almost entirely to its visuals. While most dungeon games are bland, Genmu's default look can be likened to a black light poster. The alternate visual scheme, which is retro black-and-white line art, is also amazing.You can play a little trial of the game, if you'd like the full Genmu no Tou experience. The arrow keys move you around, A is your main action button, B cancels, X confirms attacks, and Y turns the map on. You may not be able to read the text, but you can listen to the fantastic music and brute-force your way through some bats. If you like the way it looks, check out a bunch of screens in our gallery.
Gallery: Genmu no Tou to Tsurugi no Okite
[Via Insert Credit; screens via Inside Games]
