NEOGEO X Update: Core Unit Revealed, Still Packing Software Heat

Posted on September 13, 2012 by geelw

In case you were somehow thinking SNK Playmore was going be silent about their new baby, here’s a new update. There will indeed be a standalone NEOGEO X handheld sold and yes, it’s still coming with all 20 free games the Gold units are bundled with. The core unit is $129.99 and looks quite sexy, don’t you think? Could this be the start of a handheld resurgence that has fans snapping up these units out of pure nostalgia plus the hope that it’s entirely possible that we may see SNK use the X as a launcher for its long line of classic arcade and home games? I sure hope so. Bumpy economy aside, it’s really been a damn great year for gaming, that’s for sure!

-g.

NEOGEO X GOLD: It Lives, it Breathes, It Has A Release Date (And A Damn Good Price)!

Posted on August 13, 2012 by geelw

“Great game consoles don’t die; they’re just reborn in much more affordable and convenient packages,” said Tommo CEO Jonathan Wan. “The NEOGEO X GOLD is a love letter to one of my favorite consoles of all time, and working with SNK PLAYMORE to acquire the NEOGEO license, Tommo Inc. looks to provide gaming and entertainment enthusiasts with a classic arcade experience both at home and on the go.”

Holy cats – not only was I right about the price of the unit NOT being the outrageously misreported nonsense other sites had listed a few months back, this is turning into a rather SUPERB value for SNK fanatics. Here’s a pic of the NEOGEO X GOLD In all its glory:

Not only do you get a handheld unit with a 4.3″ screen, expandable card slot, built-in stereo speakers and a headphone jack, the NGX GOLD comes with a base unit and arcade controller modeled after the original AES console allowing you to turn the handheld into a home system! Spectacular, and at $199.99 US, it’s a steal, and a great one at that. December 6, 2012 is the launch date and I expect this one to be a huge holiday hit this year. So much so, that it’s the first entry in this year’s Holiday Gift Guide. What’s in the box are the fun stuff above and 20 pre-installed games listed below the jump (and clipped from the press release, as I’ve been up too long working on some stuff and am about to keel over with a big grin on my face at this fantastic news).

Oh yeah, memo to SNK Playmore: If you can get as many NEOGEO Pocket games as possible AND Samurai Shodown RPG on the NGX GOLD at some point, you’ll make a LOT of fans very, VERY happy. Get on it (please!)…

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Dream Arcades’ Dreamcade Vision 32: The Everyman (And Woman) Gamer Cave Machine

Posted on August 10, 2012 by geelw

Ladies and gentlemen, commence the drooling, but hey, keep it off the cabinet, please: Dream Arcades new Dreamcade Vision 32 is a wonder machine and the company’s latest all-in-one instant game room hit guaranteed to have your friends over constantly (and you having to nicely kick them out seven days a week). Featuring a 32 inch LCD screen monitor, over 200 classic arcade games, a built-in MP3 music jukebox (!) and plenty of cool options you can add to the unit that will make it even more awesome.

While this is highly recommended as a “man cave” purchase, I can certainly think of a few gamer gals who’d LOVE one of these around the house. Any hubby looking to surprise their favorite gamer chick out there? Here’s a big, fat hint, hint, hint on exactly what’s a great gift you both can use. Anyway, as spectacular as this thing is, I do wish Dream Arcades would finally get around to adding a time machine add-on to their products so I could actually travel back in time on a long loop in order to play all those great games for as long as I wanted to. At $3099, this thing is a total steal, but if you grab one before the day is over, you can get a Vision 32 for $2599. So, grab that credit card or sell a useless body part (you know, you only need ONE kidney to survive, people) and get yours HERE.

Classic Gaming Expo 2012 Update: A Video About Game Audio…

Posted on August 4, 2012 by geelw

If you’re going to CGE 2012, here’s yet ANOTHER something to check out from what’s already going to be a pretty amazing classic gaming convention. Can you name all the games in this video? Better yet, can you do it with your eyes closed just listening to the clip? Ah, memories… too bad I stink at most of those games these days. Well, except Q*Bert. OK, and maybe the Three Stooges. Anyway, Vegas is waiting, baby! Of course, how crazy will you go between being tempted by blowing all your money on gambling and all you can eat buffets galore or blowing all your money on some great vintage to current games and gear?

When The Last CRT Display Goes, It’s The End of An Era…

Posted on June 28, 2012 by geelw

I hadn’t thought about this much as frankly speaking, I’ve actually not been paying too much attention to the classics I grew up with until recently. They can take care of themselves in terms of their familiar gameplay and assorted visual styles holding up, but things are certainly a lot more grim on the technical side. Nostalgia is indeed wonderful when it does what it does and makes you smile, but today’s gamers are getting the shorter end of the stick despite having better, faster (and yes, more expensive) ways to play games.

Sure, today’s fast-moving technology is great and all, but sometimes “vintage” is more acceptable for some things for a few very key reasons. According to a press release I got from the fine folks at Dream Arcades yesterday, the lack of new CRT’s is probably going to affect their bottom line at some point (and sooner that they’d like) and will probably signal the death of another central core of vintage gaming history…

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On Replay Value: Why Most Critcs And Gamers Are Dead Wrong

Posted on June 26, 2012 by geelw

One of the annoying trends I’ve seen grow far out of hand over the last decade plus is the issue of griping about longevity in games, or more precisely, the overemphasis on criticizing length versus cost divided by quality. Pop onto any games review site or message board and you’ll see whining about games being too short for what they cost (no matter what they cost) or worse, too many posts about people who play certain types of games ONCE and immediately trade or resell them, often for far less than what they paid. This is dumb, and thanks to too many reviewers who write as if they’ve never set foot inside an actual arcade (or even if they haven’t, fail to understand that most games are made to be replayed), this trend of limited thinking and under-appreciation will keep thriving. For me, unless a game is so terrible that it HAS to be removed from one’s sight as soon as possible after a single play-through, it’s worth replaying… and in many cases, keeping.

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GOG.com Gives Away Two Ultima Games (There Goes My Schedule Out The Window)…

Posted on June 19, 2012 by geelw

Oh, they’re doing it again…. this time, it’s two really spectacular spin-offs from a seminal PC role-playing game franchise. Just clicky-click away here and here to get both games for nothing at all, as even a gog.com account is FREE. While you’re at it, you may as well check out the site to see what other inexpensive (not free, but amazingly cheap) DRM-free classic to current games they have (the library is ridiculously impressive and growing). Finally, don’t forget to vote in their daily Battle of the Games promo where YOU (yes, you!) decide which of the two games fighting it out gets a bigger discount. If you pop in today to vote, you’ll see Quantic Dream’s excellent adventure/action game Fahrenheit has a massive advantage over the poor (yet classic) Alone in the Dark collection (historically, that’s a big boo-boo, but in terms of production values and the “coolness” factor, David Cage and his team win).

Wolfenstein 3D Is Older Than Too Many People Who SHOULD Pay It More Respect…

Posted on May 10, 2012 by geelw

Sure, it looks hideous compared to whatever modern FPS you drool over and line up for year after year, but if not for John Carmack and this formerly controversial Nazi-killing corridor shooter, you wouldn’t all be standing outside in the rain at midnight for Master Chief, any Modern Warfare game or hell, pretty much every other FPS on the market. That said, Bethesda has made this classic shooter playable for free as a browser game on Bethsoft’s Wolfenstein page or the game’s official Facebook page, so go check it out. Also, click away HERE for a great YouTube video commentary with Carmack about the game – you just might learn something in the process (like some respect!)

Game Appreciation 101: Understanding Stylization Helps You Enjoy MORE Games…

Posted on April 23, 2012 by geelw

Maybe it’s because I’m an artist (well, sometimes) but for the life of me, I just don’t understand how and why some gamers ONLY see “realism” as the sole way to go when it comes to modern game visuals while accepting all sorts of artistic stylization in comic books, TV and movies. Experimenting with stylization is not only important for artists in any medium, it’s also important for those who enjoy that medium to help expand their horizons, sometimes significantly. “Realism” is as subjective as looking out your own window and seeing what an actual building, tree or person looks like (boring, aren’t they?), then comparing it to whatever game you’re playing that’s blowing your mind out your left ear.

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Blaze’s GameGadget Is REALLY Cool. I Want One (You Probably Should Too)…

Posted on April 6, 2012 by geelw

Let’s see now: a discounted price PLUS 30 classic Sega Genesis/Mega Drive titles FREE with the unit if you grab one before April 30, 2012, PLUS it’s packed with some excellent features AND the potential to beat up (a tiny bit) on Apple’s massive success? OK, I’m in. Hmmm. I recently got a Vita and even it’s a little jealous of this handheld. even though Blaze’s slick little device isn’t as “cutting edge” in design, I’m actually looking into acquiring one for the collection at some point. Anyway, the GameGadget site is live, so go check it out and GET ONEso you can thumb your nose at the mega-corps with one hand AND get to play some great games with the other. Me, I’m stocking up the pennies slowly, so this will get added into the collection at some point.