Retro Active Podcast – Level 3: The Arcades

In the third level of the Retro Active Podcast, Eric Bouchard, David Rennich and Chris Maeurer share their memories of the arcades.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Retro Active Podcast – Level 2: Dream On

Listen in as Eric Bouchard talks about his favorite console of all time, the Sega Dreamcast, in the return of the Retro Active Podcast.

Subscribe to Retro Active in iTunes

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Background music courtesy of pvcd.com.

30 Reviews in 30 Days, Day 20: Retroview – Jet Grind Radio

It’s no secret if you have been following the podcasts that my all time favorite system was the Sega Dreamcast. It was short lived thanks to not having a DVD player among other things, but it had some amazing games. Part of the reason for this is it ran a variation of Windows, which made programing games for the system a snap. One of the reasons the Dreamcast is loved by old school gamers is the creativity of several of the games for the system. There were some truly ground braking and trend setting games on the console, including the game many have credited with starting the Cell Shaded Graphics trend: Jet Gring Radio.

Crossing In Line Skating with…graffiti?

Jet Grind Radio takes place in Tokyo-to, a city loosely modeled off of Tokyo. The city is divided into three quadrants, each ruled by its own graffiti gang. Shibuya-cho is ruled by the Love Shockers, Benten-cho by the Noise Tanks and Kogane-cho by the Poison Jam. You start out as Beat, a runaway “rudie” who has decided to form his own gang, the GGs. After proving you can both skate and tag, you are joined by Gum and Tab. Your first mission: tag the Shibuya-cho bus terminal to prove to the Love Shockers that you intend to be the rulers of the area. That’s right, I said tag. Graffiti plays a big part in the game, As you skate throughout the game, you run across areas you need to tag. Sometimes, all you need to do is hit the button to spray a quick tag. Others,especially when creating a big bit of graffiti, require you to follow the arrows on the screen using the analog stick on the controller. Failure to do so will waste spray paint, and you cannot afford to do that, especially not in the latter stages. So the gameplay is basically just those two things: skating and tagging. Sounds a little repetitive and boring? Trust me, it is anything but.

The intricacies of the game

As you may imagine, there are people who are trying to stop you. One of these groups is the cops, lead by Officer Onishima. The main group of cops are…inept may be too nice of a term. Think the Keystone Cops of the silent film era and you have an idea of just how bad they are. Still, if they get a hold of you, they will slow you down. Onishima is another matter; he carries a rather nasty over sized pistol, and he will send you flying if he hits you with shots from it. If you can get behind him, however, you can tag him, keeping him from shooting you for a time. Then there are the gangs. First they will just try to tag over your graffiti; then they will start being more and more disruptive until finally it becomes time for a showdown. This showdown involves you choosing one of your team members to try and chase down the members of the other gang and tag them enough times that they give up and allow you to claim their turf. As you move on, things become more difficult. The police start to bring out riot cops with tear gas, tanks and helicopters that make it much more difficult to hit your tags before your time or you life bar run out. There is also something much more sinister at work, which you begin to uncover as the game goes on.

As you make your way through the game, you are guided by your ever present ruler of the airwaves, DJ Professor K. K runs Jet Set Radio, a pirate radio station reaching out to the the skating, tagging rudies like the GGs (you knew I had to define the term rudie at some point). He gives you updates on what the police are doing, what the other gangs think of what you have done and a little bit of an inkling to the rather sinister plot to suck all the unique character out of Tokyo-to. At once both entertaining and over the top, DJ Professor K helps tie the game together between missions, giving you the felling of being in a living, breathing world. Of course it helps that the graphics are just amazing.

This game is gorgeous

As I mentioned earlier, Jet Grind Radio was really the leader in the cell shading craze, and the game just looks amazing, even now. Seeing these cartoonish characters running thorough the 3D world of Tokyo-to is impressive. Each section of the city has its own feel. Shibuya is a shopping district bathed in daylight, Kogasne is a residential area built on the water that is always on the verge of sunset and Benten is the overnight entertainment district. You go from the waterways and playgrounds to the neon lights to the crowded malls, all without missing a beat.

The graphics for Jet Grind Radio set a standard that many other games tried to match.

Then there are the animations. Your character is never really standing still, always moving to the music even when you are just sitting there. Get enough air on a jump, and your character will go into beautifully animated tricks from spins to flips. Large tags are painted by your characters almost in a type of dance step. Even DJ Professor K’s exaggerated updates are just a joy to watch. The level of care taken with the graphics of this game is just impressive.

Not everything is as polished as the graphics

Unfortunately, not everything in the game is as well handled as the graphics. Though most of the controls are fairly well laid out, the camera will drive you insane, especially in levels where you are constantly making rapid turns. You will find yourself hitting the center camera button a lot, which doubles as your tagging button, which can be a bit of an issue. Then there is the one trick that is just really difficult to master: wall riding. Though you will not have to use it a lot, there are a couple of missions later in the game where you have to wall ride to reach certain tags, and one in particular that is just a pain in the but to reach. Try as I might, I really struggled hitting that one within the time limit of the level. Don’t let those issues keep you from playing this game, however. Oh, and don’t think you know all about this game if you have played Jet Set Radio Future. As interesting and fun as this sequel is, it cannot hold a candle to the original Dreamcast gem. Jet Grind Radio gets a 5 out of 5.

Three fives in a row. What can I say? I’ve just hit a high point in my reviews.

30 Reviews in 30 Days, Day 14: Retroview – The Lost Vikings

When I mention Blizzard Entertainment, what comes to mind? Warcraft? Star Craft ? Maybe even Diablo?

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.

30 Reviews, Day 4: Retroview – The Revenge of Shinobi

You may have wondered whatever happened to Retro Active. It hasn’t vanished completely. We still hope to do a Dreamcast podcast one of these days, but Tom and I both have been rather busy, and trying to schedule a podcast has been next to impossible.

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.

Retro Active: Dream On – The All Too Short Life of Sega’s Dreamcast

It was the late 90s. Sony’s Playstation had revolutionized gaming consoles. Sure, Nintendo was trying to compete with the Nintendo 64, but mostly to no avail. Sega was definitely on the outside looking in, with commercial failures of the 32X, Sega CD and Saturn. In 1997, Sega decided it was time to try something new, and thus was born the Sega Dreamcast.

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.

Retro Active: Remember where you were when….

Anybody who has been playing games for a while can point to moments that define them as a gamer. These are the games, memories and decisions that truly lead to the passion we now have for these virtual worlds in which we spend so much time.

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.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

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.

Retro Active: The Rise of Retro Gaming

Welcome to Retro Active, a new feature here on Everyday Gamers that will cover the history of gaming, including reviewing some of the games that were the the inspirations for what we play today. For those of you who grew up with video games, we hope this feature will take you back to when you first identified yourself as a gamer or maybe remind you of that first console or game you truly fell in love with. If you are new to gaming, we hope this feature will give you a greater appreciation for what came before the current consoles and PC powerhouses. Maybe you will even find yourself wanting to play some of the games we discuss. There are many that still stand the test of time.

So why are we starting this feature? Retro Gaming is on the rise. You don’t have to look very hard to find games being remade or more and more older games being made available like never before. It is much easier to find and play older games now then it ever has been.

The Rise of Retro Gaming: Retro Gaming is nothing new. Like most things in life, there will always be a group of people who cling to the past. There is also a tendency to look back on what has come before with kind of “rose colored glasses.” We have all experienced this. Think about that old cartoon or movie you loved as a kid that, when you got to see it years later, you realized how bad it really was. Still, there is a genuine love for the things that we grew up with, and that is not a bad thing.

The Virtual Console, Atari Flashback and C64 DTV are examples of the rise of Retro Gaming

Recently, however, Retro Gaming has truly been gaining steam. The last generation of consoles helped spur this on. The Playstaion 2 still allowed you to play PS1 games, allowing those who wanted to play some of the best games from the previous generation to do just that. Then you started seeing the rise of video game collections highlighting anything from the Colecovision to the arcade hits from such companies as Sega and Capcom. As more and more of these collections started to appear, it became apparent that people really did want to play the older games.

Then came the rise of the “Plug and Play” game systems. You could take a device no larger than a joystick and plug it directly into your TV to instantly be able to play gaming classics. It did not take long for some of the gaming giants to jump on the bandwagon. Atari released the Flashback in 2004, which had 20 games built into the system, including Adventure and Haunted House. Many other companies have released plug and play games, including EA with a plug and play Madden and the QVC exclusive C64 to TV, which plays Comodore 64 games.

What really brought Retro Gaming into the spotlight, however, is the Virtual Console on the Nintendo Wii. Back when Nintendo’s next console was still codenamed “The Revolution,” one of the most exciting bits of news for gamers was going to be the ability to download games not just from Nintendo’s rather impressive console library but also from Sega Systems and the Comodore 64. Those of us who grew up with these consoles were excited to get out hands on the games we played as kids. Though it may not have completely lived up to its potential, the Virtual Console has been a welcome addition to the Wii, especially for hardcore gamers who have not really found many games on the console to their liking.

The growing popularity of Retro Gaming has not stopped there. XBox Live Arcade is home to the original Golden Axe and Gauntlet as well as the re-rendered Street Fighter 2 HD and Bionic Commando: Rearmed. Games like Geometry Wars have borrowed from an old-school design and ascetic to create addictive games, while the PSP and DS are seeing re-releases and remakes of older games all the time, as evidenced by the recent release of Chrono Trigger DS. We have also seen older games getting completely revamped and renewed, whenther it means rebuilding from the ground up with games like Tomb Raider Classic or completely changing the game like the new Bionic Commando or the unfortunately lackluster Golden Axe: Beastrider.

Some retailers have also caught onto the trend. While GameStop has primarily turned its back on those who want to play games from older consoles, Play N Trade has gone as far as carrying the Retro Duo, a system that plays both old NES and SNES games. Go through a Best Buy or Walmart during the Christmas season and try not to bump into the latest Plug and Play games. You might even find knock off systems in malls that have a few name brand games and a whole bunch of not so well known in an attempt to take advantage of the growing interest in retro gaming. It is here to stay.

Retro-Active: So that is why we are starting the Retro-active feature. Many of us, the writers of Everyday Gamers, have a soft spot for the older games, and we want to share what we know and hear what you have to say about the experiences that lead us to identify ourselves as gamers.