Retro Active Podcast Level 3

Those of you who grew up in this time period know exactly what I am describing. To us, the local arcade was more than just a place to hang out. It was a place to gather with other people who shared your passion for for gaming, whether they be friends or just people who happened to ask if they could join your game. There was something about the local arcade that just felt right. Sure, they were not always the cleanest places, and some were definitely not what you would call safe, but to gamers growing up in that time period, the arcades will always hold a place in our hearts.

And yet when you look around now, arcades are almost non-existent. Sure, you might find one in the occasional mall, and there are still some attached to miniature golf or eateries like Dave & Busters. They are all a shadow of their former selves, however.

So just how did the arcades go from being the most popular place around to husks they are today?

Aliens, Ghosts and One Angry Gorilla

Beleive it or not, this game helped make the arcades what they are.

While we tend to think of arcades as places that carry coin operated video games, the term has been around much longer that that. It originates in the amusement parks and fairs, where the various ball toss and shooting gallery games were located in what was commonly refereed to as the midway arcade. Add to that the introduction of pinball in the 1930s, and you have a history that really goes back much further than most people realize.

Still, it was not till 1971 that the first coin operated game, a simplistic game called Galaxy War, was released. Throughout the 70s, more and more games started to appear and the video arcades were born. The big games, however, were yet to come.

In 1978, Space Invaders made its debut, followed by Pac-Man (1980) and Donkey Kong (1981). The importance of these games cannot be overlooked. While they may seem simple by today’s standards, each brought something to the table that had never been done before: Space Invaders was one of the first shooters to involve multiple different units, Pac-Man created a whole new genre of game, and Donkey Kong was one of the first games to really provide a very simplistic story, complete with cut-scenes. These games really helped to bring the local arcade into the focus of the public eye.

More games would soon follow. Tron, released in 1982 to coincide with the film, allowed gamers a chance to step into the movie, even getting a chance to race the ever popular light cycles. Dragon’s Lair, the first of the Don Bluth cartoon style action games and originator of Quick Time Events, captured the attention of gamers and non gamers alike. The game was so popular that Starcade, a tv game show where gamers competed against each other on various arcade cabinets, brought in an expert during one of its shows just so they could show the ending.

Then there was the Star Wars arcade game. Simple vector graphics, sound roughly edited in from the movie and only the illusion of full control over an X-Wing, and yet I guarantee you, if you ask anyone who grew up in the arcades, every single one will admit to spending a lot of time and money on that game. The chance to be Luke Skywalker, even if only in a limited fashion, was too much for any gamer to pass up.

With all the popular games hitting the arcades and more public attention being drawn to them, it seemed the arcades were unstoppable. Ironically, one of the characters who helped usher in the popularity of the arcades was almost its downfall.

Mario and NES: the Arcade Comes Home

Who would have thought Mario would almost be the end of the arcades?

When Mario made his first appearance in Donkey Kong, it was actually under the name Jumpman. He didn’t gain the name Mario till the release of Donkey Kong Jr. Mario Brothers was the first introduction of his brother Luigi, and it also introduced his penchant for jumping on turtles.

Any gamer worth his or her controller knows what came next: Super Mario Brothers. To say it was a huge hit would be a massive understatement; until recently, it was the top selling video game of all time. It was a major hit in the arcades; heck, I am not really a big fan of the series, and even I remember playing it on more than one ocassion. Only thing is, most of my time playing it was not at the arcade.

Right around the same time Super Mario Brothers hit the arcade, the Nintendo Entertainment System hit the stores. Along with it came a perfect port of the game, right down to the smallest details. It was rare to see a true arcade port come home, but that was just the beginning. Soon games like Legend of Zelda and Metroid had gamers playing games they could never imagine finding in the arcades. More and more, people started playing games at home, and the local arcades started to empty. As other home consoles took more and more of the crowds away, it looked like it was going to take something drastic for the arcades to make a comeback.

Here Comes a New Challenger

I remember thinking it was one of the more gimmicky ideas I had ever seen in a video game: a fighting game with two large pads where the buttons would normally go, one labeled punch and the other kick. They reacted to how hard you hit the pads, which made for interesting if exhausting gameplay. Still, there really was not enough to keep my interest, especially when the pads were replaced with six buttons, three for each type of attack. So when I first saw the sequel sitting there in one of my favorite arcades, I didn’t really think much of it.

Street Fighter II was a phenomenon, bringing new life to the arcades.

It would not take long, however, for Street Fighter II: The World Warrior to grab a hold of me. As I have said in the past, it was the game that made me a gamer. The characters, the moves, the battles with my friends; they were all unlike anything I had ever played.

I wasn’t the only one enjoying the game. Street Fighter II was a huge success, and it helped usher in a renaissance for the arcades. Game companies realized there were experiences in the arcade the consoles could not match, even with the ports getting more and more accurate to the real thing. Fighting games like Mortal Combat, Tekken and Killer Instinct were much more exhilarating when you had a crown of people forming around you, watching your every move. Light gun games like Lethal Enforcers, House of the Dead and Time Crisis just were not the same on your home television. Racers like Hydro Thunder and Daytona USA just never felt right without climbing in and challenging your friends. The arcades were full again, but it would not last.

Online Play Ushers in the End

In 1999, Sega introduced the Dreamcast. The system had unrivaled graphics, as was shown with the launch title, a perfect port of Soulcalibur. Oddly enough, that was not the part of the Dreamcast the arcades had to fear. Sega’s swan song had one thing no console before it had ever had: the ability to play games online.

You see, the consoles had been gaining on the arcades in every area except one, the ability to play against others. Sure, you could invite your friends over, but in the arcades, you could always find others to play. Online play made it so you could now play with other people from the comfort of your own living room, and not just with those who happened to be playing at your local hangout.

The writing was on the wall. As more consoles began to further improve the online experience, fewer and fewer people made their way to the local arcades. Soon all but the big ones closed down, and the ones that remained, with few exceptions, were mere shells of their former selves.

Still, for those of us who grew up with them, there will always be a bit a soft spot in our hearts for the arcade. There is something about standing side by side with your allies and opponents that can never be matched by online services. There is just something about that personal contact that you just cannot simulate even over the best of internet connections.

After all, the arcades weren’t only about the games. They were about going to a place where others shared your passion for gaming. They were about meeting new friends, even if you only for an afternoon. They were about a set of experiences that a whole generation of gamers has missed.

That is the saddest part of the story of the arcades. Those of us who had the chance to experience them in their prime know losing them is like losing a part of gaming history. For me, that history is very personal. I would not be the gamer I am now without the arcades.

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Retro Active Podcast – Level 2

Background music courtesy of pvcd.com.

Like Valve, Blizzard is known for its big titles, and the company is among the best selling in the PC market. Retrogamers, however, have a special place in their hearts for an older game from this company that was originally distributed by Interplay. That game is The Lost Vikings.

A game for all the Lemmings fans

The Lost Vikings is a puzzle platformer in the vein of Lemmings. You control three vikings who are kidnapped by aliens who want to make them part of an intergalactic zoo. Each viking has unique abilities you must use in combination to make it to the end of each level, much like the way you turn the various lemmings into different workers to make your way to the exit. As you try to make your way home, you will travel to ancient times and alien worlds, each presenting new challenges and puzzles for you to solve.

Advancing to the end of the levels in the game takes the ability to use the three characters and their abilities wisely:

Blizzard showed with games like The Lost Vikings that it was going to be a strong developer.

Erik the Swift: Fastest member of the group, Erik has both the ability to jump and to run at high speeds to destroy walls by ramming them with his head.

Olaf the Stout: Olaf carries a huge shield with him. The shield allows him to both block attacks from opponents and, when held above his head, glide down from heights.

Baleog the Fierce: Baleog is the hunter of the group. His arrows and sword allow him to deal with the enemies in the levels and hit switches from a distance.

Though each character can make it through certain areas on their own, it’s how you use them in combination that makes all the difference.

It’s all about teamwork

The Lost Vikings is a game that makes you switch among characters to deal with the puzzles in each level. Say for example there is a wall in front of you, a chasm after that, a switch on the far end of the chasm and an elevator at the bottom. To get through that, you would bash the wall with Erik, switch to Olaf and glide down to the elevator and then switch to Baleog to shoot his arrow to hit the switch, thus turning the power on to the elevator and allowing you to switch back to Olaf and bring it up to the others.

The puzzles and humor of this game will keep you coming back.

On top of that, the Vikings’ abilities compliment each other. Can’t quite jump up to a platform with Erik? Set Olaf under it with his shield pointed up so Erik can jump onto the shield and then up to the platform. Olaf can also use his shield to hold off attackers till you can bring Baleog over to deal with them. In order to make it to the end of each level, you will have to find ways to use each character’s strengths to overcome the others’ weaknesses.

It is but to laugh

Sure, The Lost Vikings has intricate puzzles that will challenge you, but it’s the humor that will keep you coming back for more. The alien who kidnapped you is the vile emperor Tomator, for crying out loud. Each time your characters take damage, they behave rather comically, doing anything from stumbling around a bit dizzily to lighting up when shocked.

The banter among the characters is the best part. In between levels, the characters will chide each other the way only good friends can. For example, when Erik starts complaining that his head will explode if he bashes one more wall, Olaf replies “I have dibs on his helmet.” Baleog then claims Erik’s boots, and Erick is left to contemplate the fact that he has “such good friends.” This game is a testament to the humor that is so rare to find in current games.

Though it may not be the most sophisticated game in the world, this early release by Blizzard is one any fan of the company should try. The Lost Vikings gets a 4 out of 5.

The main articles and the podcasts are not all we intend to do with Retro Active, however, and I can think of no better time to debut our latest feature in retrogaming than during the 30 Reviews in 30 days. Enter the Retroview, a Retro Active review of games from previous consoles. Our first Retroview is none other than one of my all time favorite games for the Sega Genesis, The Revenge of Shinobi.

The Ninja Returns:

Did you ever get the chance to play Shinobi in the arcade? I did. It was one of those games that always interested me, but I was never a huge fan. It was a difficult platformer, and the sequences where the ninjas were jumping toward you and you had to hit them with shuriken always seemed out of place. So when my friend was telling me I needed to playThe Revenge of Shinobi on his Genesis, I was a little skeptical.

That is until I actually started playing it.

Not the same old Shinobi:

At first, this game seems very similar to the old Shinobi game. You, a lone ninja, are taking on and entire force called the Neo Zeed. You have to force your way through waves of enemies and rough platforming to make it to the end of each stage, where you face off against various bosses. This is where the similarities end.

Ninjitsu, Double flips…. No, this is no the old Shinobi.

Gone is the stage where you have ninjas jumping at you in the “forced 3D” perspective. The platforming sections can be insanely difficult, forcing you to measure to the exact edge of a platform before jumping, realizing you will have to time the jump perfectly to be able to make the next one. You find yourself quickly mastering the somersault jump (hitting jump again at the top of your jump) both for the ability to transition between stages/levels in a stage and for the ability to throw 8 knives (though referenced as shuriken in the game, they look more like kunai). Of course, you had to be careful with that move, because you did have a limited number shuriken to use and always had to be on the lookout for more. That is, unless you knew the exploit: go to options, drop the number of shuriken to zero, then wait a bit for it to turn into an infinity symbol. That trick made life easier, but it in no way made the game easy.

The Revenge of Shinobi also introduced a whole new gameplay mechanic to the series: Ninjitsu techniques. Theses techniques, ranging from a lightning shield to protect you from some attacks to the ability to jump further, can only be used once per stage, so when you chose to use them was crucial to your success. There was one exception to that, however: Ninjitsu of Mijin, of the art of pulverizing. When you used it, you ninja would slam his sword into the ground and explode, killing all normal enemies on the screen and even causing serious damage to bosses. After that, you would reform, still having the ability to call on another Ninjitsu. This technique, though extremely powerful, cost you one life, and they did not take the ability away when you were down to your last life. In other words, a careless player could accidently end the game by using it with his last life.

Graphcis, sound and…Spider-Man?

One of the things that really set The Revenge of Shinobi apart from its predecessors on the Genesis is it was among the first to really push what the system was capable of doing. Graphically, it still stands out as one of the better looking games on the system, especially when it comes to the fluidity of movement of the characters and the rendition of the Ninjitsu. The sound is impressive, with catchy music that transcends the limitations of the Genesis itself. Even as I type this, I can hear the music from the first stage running through my head. It just sticks with you.

There was one other thing that really set this game apart, however: The Bosses.

Name another game where you will go up against the Terminator, which starts to look more like the Hulk toward the end of the fight, Batman, Godzilla and Spider-Man. That’s right; in the original edition of the game, all of those enemies make an appearanceam, though not necesarily as you would expect them to appear. Later versions of the game had to change things due to copyright issues, which meant Batman ended up getting replaced with a weird man-bat creature and Godzilla was replaced by a skelatal dinosaur, but since Sega was working on a Spider-Man game at the time, you still faced off against the wall crawler. While this could have just seemed either cheesy or stupid (and probably would today), when I ran across these enemies in the game, I found myself almost giddy with excitement. Theses light touches actually help brighten up what can ne a frustratingly difficult game.

The Bosses of The Revenge of Shinobi. They are definitely memorable.

In the end, The Revenge of Shinobi will always be one of my favorite games for the Sega Genesis. Maybe it is more the nostalgia talking then the “seasoned” reviewer in me, but I give this favorite of retrogamers a 5 out of 5.

Sega’s last stand in console gaming was a truly revolutionary console. For the couple of years that it was out, there was nothing that could really compare to it as far as quality gaming experience. And yet, merely 18 months after the console made it’s North American release, Sega pulled the plug on its “savior” and dropped out of the console business entirely.

So how is it that a console that was only around for a couple of years is considered by many, myself included, to be their favorite console of all time?

Sega’s Lost Reputation

Sega had made a huge splash in North America with the Sega Genesis, providing a true rival for Nintendo. Though the Super Nintendo did better overall in the US, the Genesis still managed to carve its mark into console gaming stateside, due at least in part to it being released before the SNES.

But then Sega started making reactionary decisions that began to turn gamers against them. Decisions like releasing the Sega CD, 32X and Saturn in rapid succession. Gamers were suddenly faced with the fact that, in order to keep up, they were going to have to fork out a ton of new money for consoles from Sega, and that coupled with the rising popularity of the Playstation really began to tarnish the name Sega in gaming console realms.

The Sega CD, 32x and Saturn all but ruined Sega’s reputation.

With this in mind, it was not surprising that gamers did not react well to the news in 1997 that Sega was killing the Saturn. It really looked like Sega was just about ready to leave the console business entirely, except for one thing: rumors of a new system in the works that was supposed to blow the competition away. Even as the details of this system were released, many critics questioned whether Sega’s reputation had been hurt too much by its recent failures to compete in the console market, no matter how good the system would turn out to be.

9/9/99 – Enter the Dreamcast

As the North American release of the Dreamcast approached, word started to get out that Sega may just have created the console that could win gamers back. Sega pushed the 9/9/99 release date and the tag line “It’s thinking” into the minds of gamers, while in store displays featuring launch titles Soul Caliber, Sonic Adventure, Powerstone and Hydro Thunder stunned critics. As the date drew near, gamers as a whole seemed to decide the newest Sega offering was worth picking up, with a record setting 300,000 units preordered. In the first two weeks after its launch in the US, Sega sold 500,000 Dreamcasts. It looked for all intents and purposes like Sega was back.

The Dreamcast was revolutionary in many ways. It was the first console to run Windows as an operating system, allowing programmers to create games without having to learn a completely new way of programming. The Virtual Memory Card had a built in screen, allowing for data swapping and play calling in sports games without giving other players in the room any idea what was called. It was the first gaming console to come with a modem included, allowing both for the system to be used as a web browser and for online gaming.

The Dreamcast seemed to have a lot of things going for it. Excellent launch titles, the introduction of online play and a phenomenal list of launch titles with more great games appearing consistently began to win over even the toughest of critics. Sega had even managed to turn what should have been its biggest handicap into a major asset.

The Dreamcastgained a lot of momentum, thanks to release titles like Soul Calibur and NFL 2k

EA Sports Meets Its Rival

When Sega announced it was pulling the plug on the Saturn, EA Decided it had had enough. The company announced it would not produce any sports titles for any new Sega consoles, including this Saturn. This meant that there was not going to be an NBA Live or Madden game for the Dreamcast, something that was not well received by gamers. Sega seemed to be out of options, since there were not many serious competitors to the EA Sports titles, especially when it comes to basketball and football. So Sega decided to do the unthinkable and make its own sports games.

While people may have been laughing when Sega first announced the 2K Sports Series, they were not laughing long. NFL 2K blew people away with its gameplay, graphics and online functionality. Not only did many people come to like the game better than Madden, but it outsold the EA powerhouse by 49,000 units in the first two weeks of release. NBA 2K surprised people as well, and it was not long before people began to realize that that 2K Sports was not just some quick fix Sega hoped would fill the void left by EA, but that Sega had truly worked to create a competitor in console sports gaming.

So with all of this going for the system, why did the Dreamcast Fail?

There were many factors, but in the end one thing more than any other lead to its downfall.

Sony Scores the Knockout

In March of 99, Sony announced plans for the Playstation 2. The system would not be out for another year, but Sony hoped announcing it would be enough to help hold in interest in the Sony branded console. The new console would have twice the graphical power of the PS1, and it would be able to play DVDs, a technology that was just getting started at the time. This was one of the key features of the system, especially since it would be introduced at a price that would make it one of the most affordable DVD players on the market.

Buzz about the PS2 built quickly. The only problem was Sony could not keep up with demand, and the company announced it would be cutting back its quantity for US release. Going into Christmas of 2000, people could not get a hold of PS2s, and Sega figured it could could capitalize on Sony’s misfortune buy convincing gamers to buy the Dreamcast instead. Thing is, it became apparent that people were more willing to wait for the PS2 than they were to buy the Dreamcast. Even a drastic price cut and offering to give the system to gamers for free for signing up for SegaNet could not stir up enough interest to keep the console going.

Despite offering huge discounts on the system and having amazing games like Jet Grind Radio, Marvel VS Capcom 2 and Shenmue, the Dreamcast could not compete with the PS2

January of 2001, Sega announced it would no longer be making Dreamcasts come March. The lack of DVD player and the poor reputation carried over from its previous failures was more than the company could overcome. Though Japanese games would still be made for the system as late as 2004, the last US release for the system was NHL 2K2 in 2002.

In the end, Sega was a victim of its own misfortune. Despite the fact the Dreamcast was ahead of its time, the lack of DVD support and gamers’ distrust thanks to the companies previous console mistakes doomed it to an early end.

So now you know why the Dreamcast failed. Why do we like it so much?

Well, that’s a whole different discussion. We’ll save that for the Retro Active podcast.

And yes, this podcast does prove that Eric is the old man of the group.

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Retro Active Podcast – Level 1

I could think of no better way to really kick off Retro Active than giving the staff of Everyday Gamers a chance to share some of our gaming memories.

Eric Bouchard- It all started in a laundry mat:

I couldn’t tell you what the first game I played was. More than likely, it was Pac-Man, though Space Invaders also may have been the one. I can tell you the first one I remember, though.

It was summer, and I was in Las Vegas with my mom (she lived there, my parents were divorced). I was probably about 5 or 6 at the time. We had to make a trip to the local laundry mat, something kids don’t exactly relish. Still, mom told me I would enjoy it. Why? Because they had a new video game I had to see.

That game was Donkey Kong.

May not look like much now, but Donky Kong blew me away when I first saw it.

Up to this point, all I had ever seen were games with no real point. Sure, you ate pellets in Pac-Man and shot enemies in Space Invaders, but to what end? All you got to do was go to the next stage and start all over again.

Donkey Kong was different. The goal sat right in front of you; rescue the girl from the ape. As the hero, you could jump over the barrels or you could grab the hammer and take them out. It didn’t matter to me that if you got far enough to rescue the girl it all started again; there was a tangible goal, and I was hooked.

From that moment on, I was drawn to arcades. I remember watching in awe as Dirk the Daring ducked sideways and bumbled his way to victory or defeat in Dragon’s Lair, feeling the thrill of sitting in the cockpit of an X-Wing in the first Star Wars arcade game, and grabbing my whip and chasing after vampires in Castlevania. Putt Putt, a local mini-golf and arcade center in Albuquerque, NM, used to have Super Saturdays, where for a reasonable price you got unlimited golf and 30 tokens. I spent many a Saturday there.

The Commodore brings it home:

As much as the arcades were starting to shape my love of video games, it was the Commodore 64 that cemented it. When my dad got us that computer, I’m sure he thought it would be a good teaching tool for me. In many ways, it probably was.

I just don’t think he ever dreamed it would also further cement my love of video games.

The game I really remember playing for hours on end in the beginning was Load Runner. I loved that game! Trying to figure out just how to get to the various gold pieces while avoiding or trapping the bad guys became an obsession. Each game, I strove to get further than I had before.

Load Runner, Jumpman and Aliens were just a few of my favorite C64 games.

My mom remarried when I was fairly young, and my step-father had a C64 as well. He had a floppy drive, however, and that was something my dad did not have. With that, I was introduced to a whole slew of new games, including Montezuma’s Revenge, Jumpman and the series of sports themed games by Epic. I spent hours playing those and many others.

Then came the ultimate C64 game in my opinion: Aliens. Based on the incredible movie, the game gave you the chance to fly the drop ship down to the planet, hold off the aliens long enough to burn through the door to escape, rescue Newt and climb into the power loader as Ripley to battle the Queen. Sure, the fight against the queen only involved slamming her against the sides till she was tired enough to grab and drop through the airlock, but I did not care. I was hooked.

THE GAME that made me a gamer for life:

It was the height of the arcades. Games were getting better, and more people were playing them. I had found an arcade very close to my home in Albuquerque, and I was visiting it frequently.

One game caught my eye. It was a sequel to a game that had one of the more…unusual interfaces I had seen. You see, in the original version of this fighting game, there were just 2 buttons, big ones that reacted to how hard you hit them. The sequel had gotten rid of that clunky interface in favor of 6 separate buttons, split by punch and kick and short, medium and hard. On top of that, you had a colorful cast of characters to choose from, and you traveled the world fighting other challengers in the attempt to take out an evil organization bent on world domination.

If you have not guessed by now, I’m talking about Street Fighter II.

Street Fighter II was an arcade phenom that will never be duplicated.

No other game in all the time I have been playing them has affected me the way this one did. In one summer, I spent over $200.00 in arcades, most of it being spent on this game. Nothing captivated me the way this legendary brawler did, in all its various forms.

I was not the only one. Crowds would develop around this game. Every arcade had its regulars, and everyone knew when they were there. People would watch these legendary players battle each other, gasping as moves were countered, blocked and timed to perfection. Quarters were placed at the top of the game to hold one’s place in line to battle one of these greats.

Street Fighter II was the first game I ever remember seeing “tournament” style rules used. It was not unusual to adopt the No Throws rule, unless someone was using Zangief who was all about throws. When a player was dizzy, you were not allowed to hit him; if you did, you had to give the opponent a free shot at your character. And heaven help you if these rules were in place and you refused to abide by them; the crowd of onlookers was not kind to those who broke the code, and you would not feel welcomed at that arcade again.

Even with all the competition of that game, however, there was a camaraderie that could not be denied.  Players would swap strategies, especially if they were trying to learn how to use a new character. It was also common to see someone help someone else who was trying to beat the game. The challenger would put his quarter in the machine and wait. If the player was struggling against the computer opponent, the challenger would jump in just before the finishing blow, giving his opponent the chance to beat him and then face the CPU anew.

And yes, before you ask, Chun Li was my best character.

There are many other memories I could bring up here, and many I will when we do our Retro Active podcast. These, however, are the ones that truly helped make me the gamer I am now.

So as you read about my gaming memories and those of the other members of the EDG crew, think about what you remember as a gamer. If you are interested in having some of those memories mentioned in the podcast, make sure to head over to our forums and post in the thread about under the podcast section of our forums here. We will be reading some of the best when we discuss the games and events we remember most.

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Thomas Pine- Down at the Arcade:

There’s no doubt that every gamer has that moment(s) when they can look back and emphatically say “that’s when I was hooked”. Much like Eric, I was introduced to the hobby that I have grown to love on an arcade cabinet.

It was the late 80′s early 90′s at The New Castle Square Mall. What was once home to booming businesses, profitable retailers, and excited shoppers – the mall had become a shell of it’s former self. Only a few shops still existed, and save for the pharmacy, a pizzeria, and a dollar movie theater not much remained to attract the crowds that once gathered there. It was inside that mall that I was introduced to my first arcade -  I can still make out the musty smell, sounds of quarters clinking, and bleeps from the cabinets – it’s all still there implanted in the memories that made up my youth.

I know what you’re thinking.. “Where’s Chris Hanson when you need him?”

Buried in the corner of that arcade was the one cabinet that would introduce me to the hobby that has consumed hours of my life. I still remember the first time that I saw Michael Jackson’s Moon Walker. I don’t know what it was, but something made me want to play that machine over any other cabinet in that entire arcade. Hours later and several dollars poorer I made my way home – changed – a gamer.

Nintendo Is What Genes-isn’t:

So there I was a gamer junkie, and like any junkie I needed my fix. The infrequent visits to the arcade would only temporarily subdue my pinned up gaming desires, and even at that young age I somehow knew that a full-size Moonwalker cabinet was out of the question. Nintendo to the rescue.

I can’t recall the exact Christmas, but I still remember the feeling I had as I unwrapped that magical box from Nintendo. Sure there was no Moonwalker (Genesis only), but I didn’t know and neither did I care. There was RAD RACER, EXCITE BIKE, GYROMITE… I mean Gyromite, and numerous other games that would devour hours of my life.

8 bit graphics and tube televisions!

The addiction quickly grew into a love for all things game related. Christmases, birthdays, and any other holiday would consist of requests only for video game related items. There was something magical about opening a new game, and for the first time exploring a world that was only accessible with a controller in my hand. I was experiencing the very thing that has created generations of gamers.This is what makes us passionate about our hobby – it’s the reason we read EGM (unfortunately no longer) – it’s why we wait in subzero temperatures for midnight game releases – and it’s why we do Rectro Active… press start to continue.