The Coop

Long story short... http://www.ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6266 Have a read.

On August 13th, 8:59PM, Vista becomes self aware, and calculates that the best way to prevent itself from becoming outdated, is to eliminate the possibility of another OS being designed. Over a period of thirty minutes, it taps into government computers, and secretly uses the programs that Microsoft made to gather system information, to obtain launch codes for the world nuclear arsenal. At 9:29PM, Vista launches several hundred warheads at major metropolitan areas. At 9:41PM, the first of the warheads strike Moscow, London, Washington DC, Baghdad, and similarly large cities all over the globe. At 9:53PM, the last warhead strikes Phoenix Arizona, bringing an end to the modern age of technology, and leaving the main CPU banks at Microsoft as the world's only working computer.

August 13th, 2008, at approximately 9:53PM.

Grab Deliplayer. It plays Amiga music files, as well as a lot of other types of music. Once you DL and install it, do this to use it... - Extract the files from the lha file (use 7zip if nothing you have works) - Start Deliplayer, and load one of the extracted files from the lha archive by clicking the button with two overlapping rectangles, and going to the folder you extracted the lha file to - Pick one of the files, and then use the "+" and "-" keys on your numpad to go through the sub songs each file will likely have.

No prob. Just remembered another one... http://www.himeyashop.com

The first two places that come to mind are Play-Asia, and Yesasia. They usually sell the newer PC games, but be prepared for some nasty prices.

If you have one nearby, try looking up Game Crazy. Some stores have a disc resurfacing machine that works absolute wonders on old CD games. If you buy it from their store, they'll resurface it for free when you buy it. Otherwise, I think it's $3 per game. But damn, does that machine work. I bought on older XBox game from them that was pretty marked up. When they ran it through the machine once, it looked new... literally. Not a single mark on it. Won't help your current problem, but it might come in handy at another time.

It's a strange circle that started with the old floppy discs... - Game is made - People find out a way you can copy the games by popping off, or taping over, part of the floppy disc - Games start getting handed out to friends for free - Game makers find out, and start putting in various protection checks (usually asking for a word from a page in the instruction manual, or lining up symbols on a paper wheel) - Gamers create hacks that disable this check, or crack the game to learn all the checks and simply provide the answers to them all - Game makers set up their games so the original CD has to be in the tray - Gamers come up with ways to make exact copies of discs, as well as No-CD cracks for those with who borrow a friend's disc solely for installation - Game makers come up with CD keys - Gamers create programs that generate fake keys - Game makers start using various CD protections like Star Force and such - **See No-CD hacks** - Game makers start setting up software that can only be installed once on its own, and require authorization to be reinstalled - ??? There are lots of little things (like CD image files and virtual drives), but that's the gist of it to the best of my knowledge.

Who the bloody hell pissed in your Cheerios this morning, Nec5? Where is this "you're too elitist" coming from? I don't sympathize with Redsand, because his own actions caused this problem. Like I said, it sucks, but it's the truth. If the codes got accidentally lost somehow, I'd have compassion for him. If they'd rubbed off and become unreadable over the years, I'd feel for him. But those aren't the cases. He chucked them out with the garbage on purpose, so what's to sympathize with? As a result, he's got a few choices... buy another copy, grab a key generator, ask for a friend's CD key, or try E-mailing the company. I may have been blunt with Redsand, but I also I suggested the same courses of action others did... plus a couple different ideas. I'm pretty sure that's not elitism in action. So is it because I don't sympathize with Redsand that I'm elitist, or is it because I save my CD keys, and wonder why he didn't?

This is where many others have announced their albums (like The 1ups, Pixie, Zircon, etc.), so I see nothing wrong with putting it here.

Makes sense in a twisted marketing way. Why have the PS3 system play everything, when you can have a PS3 play its games, and keep selling the PS2 while it's still popular? Mo' money mo' money.

You people? Who are you, Ross Perot? How is it not the responsibility of the game owner? You bought the thing, so keep track of it. Write it down, save it on a file... hell, save the installed game if it's not too big. Making sure that code isn't lost is the responsibility of the buyer, and it always has been. You're not asked to memorize the thing for a test, only keep it in a safe place for future use. Surely that's not a great hardship, is it? And frankly, you seem to be ignoring the fact that Redsand threw away his codes. He didn't lose them, and they didn't fade. He threw them out. That's his own fault, and he screwed himself over... period (no offense intended Redsand). It sucks, but it's the truth. The game company flat out tells buyers to save the codes and not to lose them. If the buyers are careless or ignore this warning, then they're SOL unless they seek out a key generator (which is easy enough to find). So I fail to see how Redsand's not being able to install his games is the fault of the game company. I honestly don't see where you're coming up with "screwed by the company" in this, Nec5. He bought the game, he got a key, he threw the key away. Seems pretty cut and dry regarding who's at fault. RedSand- Here's something to try. Contact the game company, and explain to them in detail what happened. Tell them that you're more than willing to provide scanned proof that you own the game CDs (include a specific note in the scan to show it's not just grabbed off of the Web). With a bit of luck, they may give you a new legit key. It has worked for people in the past, but mostly with older titles. Otherwise, you're left with finding a key generator, or using a key from someone else you know that also owns the game (just don't register it). And if you do go for a key generator, as supremespleen said, be careful. Not every file and site is what it's supposed to be.

It has nothing to do with screwing over the little guy. It does however, have everything to do with having the presence of mind to not throw away something as important as a game's CD key.

Dark Savior (Saturn)- From the folks that gave you Landstalker, comes a game that's somewhat in the same vein. It's an isometric adventure RPG, with a bit of simplified fighting thrown into the mix. The graphics are a mixture of nicely drawn sprites and well done polygonal landscapes, with good music and a decent story helping to flesh things out. The fighting is kept simple, and is played at the same isometric angle as the rest of the game, but with the characters blown up a bit. There's also something that gives the game serious replay value... parallels. There are five parallels in this game, with each one altering aspects of the gameplay, and the way the story pans out. Four of them are reached by accomplishing something at the beginning of the game within certain amounts of time, with the fifth one only being playable after the first four are done. It doesn't have the charm of Landstalker, but it is a well made adventure that's enjoyable from start to finishes. Borderline YES. Diablo (PC)- Click click click click click click click click click click click... that's pretty much how you play this game. Sounds boring right? Well, you'd be wrong. Owing it's gameplay to the older arcade greats like Gauntlet and Robotron 2084, this game makes no attempts to hide that it's a hack 'n slash adventure. You'll spend most of your time fighting off hundreds upon hundreds of demons, zombies and other assorted beasties, while taking a break to gather up new weapons and armor, as well as various mana and health restoring potions. But just to keep things from being too straight forward, the game also gives you skill levels to climb through. You'll get better attributes, and new magics that you can level up through out the game. And these levelings will be needed, because this game's a bitch as you get closer to the end. The difficulty starts out nice, but climbs as you go. By the time you reach Diablo, the game's going to be in full-on ass kicking mode. Graphically, it's a bit rough in spots, and the CGI characters move a bit stiffly. But the backgrounds are very well done, and there are lots of little details scattered about. The music is wonderful, and the sound effects are good too. The controls are kept simple, making it so you'll only have to use the mouse for a good portion of the game. This also helps keep things moving at a faster pace. Though I do feel the game's sequel is considerably better, Diablo is still a game that shouldn't be left behind. YES.

more like IA prototype. More like the Digital Justice Project.

I'll deliver you! Hope you get some Diamorphine or something, because that's gonna hurt like a mother fucker.

QUITTER!

We need a judge with a first or last name that's pronounced "dred", just for the sake of punnage.

Hyperbole much?

I think it would have been interesting to hear what they could have come up with. When an artist steps out from the area they're best known for or most comfortable with, the results can be quite enjoyable. They might infuse a bit of their past sound into the new one, or perhaps just go balls out into a genre that's completely new to them. Who knows what bLiNd might have come with in an orchestral piece, or you with a solo piano number. Granted, it could have all become a Pat Boone-like catastrophe too, but still...

Ace Combat 2 (PS1)- The first game wasn't much to look at, but it was kind of fun. This sequel is where it really came together. Very nice PS1 graphics for it's time, lots of planes to choose from, a more fleshed out story, better and more numerous missions... it jumped so far ahead of it's prequel, that you might question whether they were actually made by the same company. A well-rounded, very fun package. YES. Tekken 3 (PS1)- Nice graphics, some decent tunes, and it's got a big roster... but man is it's gameplay old and tired. Dial-a-combo is not something to base a franchise around, and the characters move more like marionettes than anything else. This game, along with 4, is where the series had simply become like Madden, and was just going "by the numbers" until it was given a needed shot in the arm with 5. It's not a bad game, but the formula had gone stale by this entry. NO. Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter * (import Saturn)- While not as attention grabbing as the first game, or as massive in roster as MvC2, this entry in the "vs" series holds its own well enough to be a lot of fun. The new characters change things up a bit, even though the ones replaced weren't all given equally good replacements. Beyond that, you've got the same gameplay that was found in the first one, and a bunch of new characters to try it out with. Not quite as good as XMvSF, but still worth getting if you've got a Saturn. Borderline YES. It's not Unreal (PC)- When this game came out, it turned a lot of heads. Very good graphics for its day, good music, a wide variety of level types and enemies, and a rather nice single-player story (not all that common for FPSs in 97'). The controls were good, the weapons were fun, and the challenge level was just right. It gave a big face lift to the genre, and while it didn't do much that was revolutionary, it did everything quite well. It may not be the "Tournament" that so many love, but this is where it all started, and it was a quality start. YES. Iridion 3-D (GBA)- I'm probably going to be alone on this one too, but if you enjoy games like Galaxy Force II, and similarly done 3-D shmups, this game's right up your alley. Very nice graphics, good music and control, and it's just the right difficulty. The levels are varied well, and it's got enough levels to give you a solid play through, without getting drawn out. It's old school gameplay given a new (and smaller) face. Borderline YES.

Or perhaps... "... the primary character in Final Fantasy VI, which was retitled Final Fantasy III for the SNES in the United States upon its initial release in 1994" That was the only time I'm aware of where VI was called III, as the GBA and PS1 versions were left unchanged numerically.

Killer Instinct Gold (N64)- Back when the original KI came out, it was quite the attention getter. A whole new graphical style over the other fighters out there, insanely long combos, a voice over man who got way too excited about combos that were 7-hits and up... it was pretty different. Along comes the sequel, and its eventual port to the N64. Frankly, it's not a bad fighting game. Plenty of endings, decent control (though I question Rare's tinkering with it and changing it over KI1), and some decent tunes. But there are a few things that keep it down. The character designs aren't all that great, the character animations are rather odd looking and stiff, the dial-a-combo gameplay is tired thanks to franchises like MK and Tekken, and the addition of "Fatals" is just blatant MK mimicking. And really, as a port of KI2, it's a bit lackluster because of everything they had to remove due to cartridge limitations. It may not be a bad game, as it certainly can be fun. But a must have? I don't think so. NO. Doom- Wolfenstein 3D may have started the ball rolling, but it was this game that signaled the birth of the FPS genre. A simple story of Mars, demons and one lone space marine trying to take down the invading hordes... and I do mean hordes. Rooms filled with 20+ monsters trying to kill you, dark areas with mostly invisible beasts, a metric fuckton of ammo and weapons, huge demons that can kill you in a single hit... this game throws a lot at you. And when you manage to get through it all, you can try it again to find all the hidden levels and bonuses. But in the midst off all this chaos, you have simple controls that let you focus on the killing of monsters instead of trying to hit the right button to get the right weapon or item. You've also got a multi-player aspect that is still being used regularly by players across the world to this day. Of course, all of this means nothing if the levels are dull, but that's not the case. Over thirty levels total in Ultimate Doom, and these levels start simple, but become much more complex as each episode gets closer to the end. They range from narrow sewers, to wide open areas with scores of monsters coming at you, so the game keeps things from getting too monotonous. Throw in the nearly iconic monsters like the Imp, Lost Soul, Cacodemon, and the Cyber-Demon, and you've got a diverse (but small) cast that's ready to take you down. It's simple, it's violent, it's gory, and it's designed well. If this isn't an older PC must have, I don't know what is. YES. Painkiller- So what happens when you die? For Daniel Garner, the answer is simple... you get stuck in limbo, and have to fight all manner of demons to try and get into heaven. Of course, you also get to chat with a topless big-titty woman, so I guess it's not all bad. In this game, you fight a wide assortment of odd and downright "wrong" enemies. From skull-faced bikers, to monks with axes, and even electrocution victims in straight jackets that explode. You'll fight these things in huge cathedrals, grave yards, and hangars among other places. You'll also be faced with huge (I mean HUGE) bosses that will take a while to bring down. And as if that weren't enough, the game's weapons are as odd as it's inhabitants, with the stake gun that can impale enemies being one of my favorites. Lots of enemies can come at you at anytime, so it's certainly not a boring game. It stick pretty much with what you'd expect from a FPS game in terms of controls, but it throws in tarot card that can grant you special powers which must be earned by accomplishing various tasks in each mission. Oh, and you can temporarily become demonic yourself after you collect 100 souls from the monsters you kill (this greatly ups the damage you do with your weapons). It's not wholly original in terms of gameplay, but it is fun to play. It sits somewhere in-between Serious Sam (goofy story/characters and hectic action) and Quake (serious story/characters and not as hectic) in terms of design and such. It may not have been a ground-breaking FPS, but it was a good one. Borderline YES. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow- The last GBA entry is the series, and it's the one that got everything right. Gorgeous graphics, nice music, a huge castle to explore ala "Symphony", an interesting "soul" collection gameplay twist, and a nice plot that finally brought the series into more modern times (chronologically speaking of course). The controls were good, and the added modes that came with beating the game gave it a healthy dose of longevity. While none of the GBA Castlevania games are bad, it's hard not to see this one as the best of the trio. YES.

They have medicines now that can help you with that. Just don't believe that whole "gentle" line they try and sell you.

A new "Euro-shmup" is always welcome, but $49.90 is a bit high for a retro genre like this. Gradius V and R-Type Final were professionally made shmups by well known and respected companies with a good track record in the genre... and they were only $29.99 at release. So S-X:H seems to be a bit in the overcharge range, considering there's no demo, and the people making it are... untested. Of course, we are talking about Play-Asia, who are notorious for jacking up prices on everything.