The Coop

Dimps, the good people behind the Advance games, and the apparently well received Rush. That team is far more in tune with what people are wanting than Sega is.

Spiderman: Web of Shadows

Ostriches and buzzards. And it's the arcade version (as Solo guessed).

As has been learned, Midway filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, giving them a chance to try and straighten themselves up, rather than go down the gaming tubes. But, that's not all that's been going on... http://kotaku.com/5162447/midway-offloading-mortal-kombat-and-screwing-former-employees Is it simply a matter of protocol, or is it a means to sneak away from promised funds? Time will tell. But that's not all... http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/958/958267p1.html As the first article hinted at, and the IGN articles addresses, Midway may try to sell off their most well known franchise, Mortal Kombat, very soon. They're still trying to get money, but at the moment, it seems more like money to give bonuses to various employees, and less like money to stay afloat. Could Midway be following the questionable lead of various banks who got bail out money, or are people reading too much into their choice of words in this distrustful time?

They forgot a really important part, and have to start over... like someone telling a joke poorly.

E: Genesis Sure, I've played them a lot over the years, and God knows the Saturn, Master System, and others have given me a lot of enjoyment over the years, and my Atari XE is a damn close second. But I think it's the Genesis that's given me the most gaming enjoyment over the years in terms of games per genre, and sheer numbers.

Fear 2

Several years ago, I linked to how a few folks got the DOS version of MechWarrior 2 running in DOSBox. It was a great day for all of us MW2 fans, as the work of those guys meant we could play the regular DOS version of a classic PC game. Since then, the game's gotten more compatible with DOSBox, but what of MechWarrior 2: Titanium Edition? Well, an answer has arrived... http://files.filefront.com/Mech+Warrior+2+Titanium+Patch/;6944187;/fileinfo.html Right there is a patch to run MW2:TE on Windows XP. I've tried it, and it does indeed work. I don't know how perfect everything runs visually and aurally, as I've never gotten to play TE up until now. It does chug once in a while during play, but the game runs. However, there have also been other updates... http://www.warp13.co.uk/mech2 Those are other patches. I believe the TE patch (the middle one) is the same as in the first link, but the other ones are for the regular version of MW2 95, so that it too may run on XP. The top one worked for me on the first try (you install it to the MW2 95 directory), but I haven't tested the second one. So, that one's still up in the air. Anyway, I thought I'd share these discoveries in hopes that others can get them up and running. And of course, a big kudos to those coders who sat down and did what Activision simply refused to do. EDIT: BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Want to play the 3DFX version? The way to do it is simple (now). First, install the W95 version of Mech2. Then, install the "MW2Hook" file to the Mech2 game folder, and allow it to make a shortcut for you (it's in the second link above). Then, go and grab this file... http://rapidshare.com/files/20054229/Mech2_3DFX_Conversion.zip.html ... and copy/paste those files into your Mech2 folder (overwrite anything that comes up). Finally, grab this... http://dege.freeweb.hu/ ... and place all the files in your Mech2 folder. All you have to do, is run "dgVooDooSetup", click the "DOS" button, uncheck "Working in VDD Mode", and hit "OK". Then just double click the "MW2Hook" shortcut that was made on your desktop, and you'll be playing the 3DFX version of MechWarrior 2. Special Note: I've run the 3DFX version both with, and without starting the "dgVooDoo" executable first in the Mech2 folder. As such, you may or may not need to having that file running before starting the game. EDIT 2: Want to see further into the distance with the W95 and TE versions? Grab this... http://www.mech2.org/forum/download/file.php?id=44 ... and point it to the proper files in the two directories. Punch in a new number (like say 1000), and you'll see a lot further into the distance than you could before. This is nice for eliminating that funky mountain/structure pop up that occurs normally, and it makes the game look nicer. It doesn't seem to work on the 3DFX version though.

I'm not sure I want to be a part of a review site that willingly hosts a review that gives the GBA version of R-Type III: The Third Lightning an 8. It's a sign that something truly evil is afoot there.

Skate 2 Pretty good one this week.

I'd avoid any NES clones. Thus far, all the ones I've read about have had graphical, aural, or compatibility issues with various NES games. If you can't find a real NES2 for a price you like, then get an NES1. The clones just aren't worth the cash for the issues that come with them.

**Wanders in with a small metal tank strapped to his back, spraying an unknown mist from a nozzle on the end of a rubber hose. Stops for a second, and lifts up his respirator.** Don't mind me folks. Just spraying for newbies. **Puts his respirator back over his mouth and nose, and continues methodically spraying.**

Alright. Zune software loves to hate OCR.

A few more, this time from the Sega CD. Underrated in part because hardly anyone played the games... Soul Star- A good synth-orchestral soundtrack. Stellar Fire- Not sure where to classify it, but the music is quite cool. Robo Aleste- A rock/disco/electronica/symphonic conglomeration that's enjoyable. Android Assault- 80s Anime rock. Lords of Thunder- Great Metal soundtrack. Ecco the Dolphin- Atmospheric and rhythmic. If you're familiar with Pink Floydd's "Momentary Lapse of Reason" CD, you'll get a similar vibe at times. Amazing Spiderman- A rather unexpected soundtrack given the game. 80s glam rock/hair metal from start to finish, and you might even recognize the singer on the opening track

Whip Rush Master of Monsters Alien 3 Dragon's Fury Elemental Master Sword of Vermillion Zero Wing Also, Midnight Resistance if only for the first level's theme.