Classic Gaming Expo 2010 Info!

Posted on March 7, 2010 by geelw

It’s baaaaaaaaack! Want to spend a weekend in Vegas surrounded by TONS of vintage to current games, game consoles and plenty of cool folks who love them (as well as a few that have created them)? Well, Classic Gaming Expo 2010 is set to take place at the Tropicana Las Vegas on the weekend of July 31 and August 1, 2010, so boogie on over to the registration page and get your pass NOW.

In addition to more games than you can shake a stick at (sticks not included at the show) , AtariAge and Digital Press are hosting a “Retro Rumble” tournament where the best classic gamers can compete to win fame and some awesome prizes. There will more likely than not be an incredible, eyeball searing auction where attendees can snag some really rare games, systems and swag (I’ll update this as info comes in) as well as many special guests

As the press release says:

“Classic Gaming Expo is the largest and longest-running celebration of classic video games, the designers who created them, the players who enjoy them and the fanatics who collect them.”

Anyway, c’mon down, bring the family and prepare to break the bank (or at least maim it slightly)… but not on slots or roulette! You’ll more than likely go broke picking up some great deals on classic to current gaming goodness.

Missile Command Is 30 (And I Feel Old…. But There’s A Sweepstakes To Make It All Better)…

Posted on February 27, 2010 by geelw

Yikes. I can actually remember playing plenty of Missile Command in assorted arcades back in 1980 and onward! Atari is certainly celebrating their classic (and making me feel ancient) by not only letting you young whippersnappers play the original version and a really cool remix, they’re also holding a nice little contest where the grand prize is a restored MC arcade cabinet. So go poke around and enter, already. Feel free to check out their other playable arcade and Atari 2600 classics as well.

The Madness is OVER (But Boy, Was It Fun While It Lasted)!

Posted on January 25, 2010 by geelw

Yes, I FINALLY completed my strategy guide for Neo Nectaris: Military Madness for the iPod Touch and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. I’ll be reviewing the game later this week, so keep a eye peeled. How is it? Let’s just say if you’re a fan of Nectaris, you’ll love what’s here. The game is pretty tough and definitely not a “casual” experience and it’s definitely not one of those cutesy Japanese strategy games with spiky-haired characters and cranky, demonic end bosses.

But I’m getting ahead of myself – back in a few with a couple of updates. I’m going to be catching up on a lot of stuff, that’s for sure…

Yakety Yak, Plus A New Place to Visit…

Posted on January 15, 2010 by geelw

OK, Comments are back, so fire away. Pirate Captain C, this probably means you (and what’s up with my Nutella supply?)

Also, if you’re at all intereted in a really cool RPG project that’s coming along quite niecely, check out the jClassicRPG developer blog! This Java-based homage to great classic RPG’s such as Wizardry and The Bard’s Tale is being cooked up by a small team guided by Pal Z. Illes (call him Paul), a Hungarian software programmer with a huge passion for the genre.

Anyway, click on over and check out the game (you can download the current version and yes, feedback is more than welcome, as it’ll help the team make a better final version). If you like what you’re seeing and playing, you can even donate to the cause and get your name in lights. Well, not in lights exactly, but if you like, Paul will give you a shout out on his blog!

That’s my good deed for the day done, so it’s back to finishing up a certain strategy guide I’ve been toiling away on for a few months – back soon with a more wordy update…

Review: Zaku

Posted on January 12, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Atari Lynx

Developer: PenguiNet

Publisher: SuperFighter Team

Players: 1

Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A+

Dust off that Atari Lynx* and get ready for some hardcore shmup action – Zaku is finally here and it’s an instant classic that you don’t want to miss. SuperFighter Team and developer PengiNet have cooked up a solid and spectacularly tough 4 Meg chunk of horizontal arcade shooting set in 16 stages set over five worlds packed with big-eyed cartoon enemies and wacky screen-filling bosses that will give you candy-colored nightmares on each of its difficulty levels. The game is a near-perfect throwback to the days of classic 8 and 16-bit shooters and every level, every second of the game oozes quality, if not sheer programming genius. How this is running on the Lynx and looking as great as it does is a wonder, but it truly shows just how powerful (and under appreciated) the hardware was (and is).

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Zaku Update: Ready to Launch 10/24/2009

Posted on October 17, 2009 by geelw

Well, alrighty then! Super Fighter Team has announced that its NEW PengiuNet-developed Atari Lynx game, Zaku, will be available for purchase on October 24, 2009, the same day the game makes its debut at this year’s Classic Console and Arcade Gaming Show in Cleveland, Ohio (see below for the full details).

And whaddya mean “What’s Zaku?” Hey! Go click that link above for the official site, then read my preview and interview with Super Fighter Team’s Brandon Cobb to see what I’m all hopped up about! At $40 US + shipping, this one looks like money well spent if you’re a Lynx owner.

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Interview: Bringing Zaku to Life With Super Fighter Team’s Brandon Cobb

Posted on October 8, 2009 by geelw

“Never Let Dreams Die!” indeed. When you get an e-mail from Brandon Cobb, President of Super Fighter Team, that credo is at the bottom, right under his signature. Based on the upcoming Atari Lynx exclusive shooter, Zaku, it’s clear that this credo was also a call to action that kept the project going for six years. Not only is Zaku the first complete new release for the Lynx in about five years, it’s looking like one of the best games ever created for the handheld system.

My interest in the Lynx led me to the Super Fighter web site and eventually, to have the opportunity to send off a few questions on the project over to Cobb, who took the time to answer them in a straightforward, non-nonsense manner with flashes of humor that’s more than welcome in this age of quick sound bites and evasiveness. Here, Cobb weighs in on bringing Zaku to market as an all-around quality product, sticking it to the man with citrus as well as a few other choice topics.

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Gallery: Ryo Hazaki is Baaaaack….

Posted on October 7, 2009 by geelw

Sega continues to crack me up in all the right ways these days. Shenmue’s lead character Ryo Hazaki is all set to make quite a comeback and nope, he’s not looking for any darn sailors this time! Check out these pretty slick screens from Ryo’s return in next year’s Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing.

All I’ll say (other than doing a happy dance after seeing Ryo after too long) is I’m hoping we also see the return of a certain Daytona racer, a Harrier or two from Space or some other Planet, and perhaps something colorful from a Fantasy Zone (among others). Hey SEGA! I have about 500 Mega Drive, Genesis, SMS, Game Gear, Dreamcast and Saturn titles here… If you need a few more suggestions of who to put in the game (or who to add as DLC), you know who to call…

The press release is a hoot and a half – check it out with more screens below the jump…

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Borderlands PC Now Available For Pre-Order on Steam

Posted on October 3, 2009 by geelw

PC gamers listen up! 2K Games and Gearbox Software’s upcoming open world post-apocalyptic Action/RPG/FPS hybrid with something like ninety-gazillion guns is now available as a pre-order on Valve’s always handy Steam game service.

I’ll be running an actual preview on this one shortly (it’s been on the radar for a while, but I haven’t had the chance to write anything yet). Based on the movies, images and art I’ve seen (plus Gearbox’ track record of quality games), Borderlands is looking very much like yet another must-buy release when it hits retail on October 20, 2009 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

PRE-ORDER BORDERLANDS ON STEAM NOW

Borderlands, the new RPS (role playing shooter) from Gearbox Software and Take 2, is now available for pre-order via Steam. Those who pre-order the title from Steam will save 10% off the regular price and be set to play the moment it is released. For more information click HERE

Data East Arcade Classics Coming To Wii In 2010

Posted on October 2, 2009 by geelw

Ah, memories… Remember the good old days of arcade games such as BurgerTime, Heavy Barrel, Caveman Ninja and other Data East quarter munchers? well, thanks to Majesco, G-Mode and developer G1M2, if you’ve got twenty clams burning a hole in your Side Pocket come early 2010, you’re in for a treat.

Anyway, read up below, then start saving up those quarters, folks – this press release has your name written all over it. Screens underneath all the wordy stuff so you can reminisce about all that time you spent snagging those 1-UPs and trying to beat those Hi-Scores when you should have been hitting the books…

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