The Coop

Wasn't that basically Street Fighter II V?

Well that's a bummer. I remember Fantasy Island when I was pretty young, and of course, the famous Khan. I even remember his playing an Indian in an old western or two (which gave me a chuckle). He always seemed like an interesting person, and he certainly made his characters memorable. I imagine where he is right now, everything is upholstered with soft Corinthian leather, and everyone's a wienie but him. R.I.P. Ricardo.

Seems a week was skipped here. So... 2008 Awards Tomb Raider: Underworld

Goddamn right I was still playing Atari, and I continued doing so virtually daily up until 1989 when I got my Genesis For tale #2, I'll talk about a game that took me 13 years to finally get to play... Curse. See, back in 1990, INTV was supposed to release a shmup by the name of Curse. The EBs around where I lived had it on their computers, and I was looking forward to getting it. That's when the journey began. Bit by bit, the release date kept getting pushed back. No reasons were given, and according to EGM, the game was either out, or about to be out when they reviewed it. 1990 became 1991, and delay after delay kept showing up... sometimes just a week before the game was supposed to arrive. 1991 drifted in 1992, and by the summer of that year, I moved... Curse-less. The town I moved to didn't have a real game store; just a K-mart and a Wal-mart. Needless to say, they didn't always get things in a timely manner, let alone have release dates to give you. I kept checking for Curse in the display areas of both stores as the months rolled on, but eventually the game began slipping from my mind. After a while, I figured I had missed out on the game, and just stopped looking. Years went by, and around 1998 we moved again. I discovered a company named Funcoland, which as we've all learned, dealt with used games... a lot of used games. I checked out one of their stores a while after learning of them, and picked up one of the price guides they used to print like a newspaper. Going down the list, I saw a familiar title for seven dollars. I asked the guy at the store if they had it, but it wasn't in stock. I later saw the title on-line on their website, but I saw no way to find out if anyone had it. After a few months, the title vanished from the website and the newspaper, leaving me Curse-less again, with seemingly no way to find out where it was. In 2001, I got my first PC. By this time, the game had again slipped from my memory, and later that same year, I discovered eBay. However, it wasn't until 2002 that Curse popped into my head again as I was browsing eBay one night. I typed in the title, and POOF!... there it was. Curse. I got to see the box and cartridge for the first time. I tried to bid on it, but lost to what I later learned was someone and their proxy bid. This happened again a few months later that same year, leaving me bummed and tweaked at the same time. However, when 2003 rolled around, I had learned more about eBay. And when I had to the funds to try again, I was determined not to loose. I found a copy of the game, still sealed. I wanted it, and I was going to have it. I won't say when my proxy bid was, but let's just say that anyone who might have outbid me would have had to REALLY want it. The auction eventually came to its final day a week later, with me sitting there, refreshing the screen every few seconds for the final minute or so. The auction ended, the screen refreshed, and I was the winner for a lot less than what my proxy bid was (thank God). About a week later, the game arrived at my doorstep. I opened the box, pulled out the game, and stood there... holding what I'd been after for 13 years. I took off the wrapping, and flipped through the Japanese manual. I stood there with a child-like grin, ready to play... until I heard a clap of thunder. Yes, at the end of my quest, a thunderstorm was drawing near. For an hour I sat, listening to the rain and thunder. I kept flipping through the manual, looking at the box, all with a smile that could only be surgically removed. When at last the storm moved far enough away, I fired up my Genesis, plugged Curse into my Game Genie, and entered a little piece of gaming heaven for a while. Was it the best game I'd ever played? No. But I sure as hell enjoyed it after being teased with it all those years. I later learned that INTV, the folks who were going to publish the game, went under just as they were about to release the game. The problem was, no one informed any retailers. As a result, stores were stringing people like myself along for who knows how long before the game title was taken out of the databases. Not a lot of fun, but that's how things were back then... just keep checking the stores, and hope for the best.

One of my stronger Christmas memories isn't a particularly happy one, but it does have an eventual happy ending. Walk with me for bit, yes? Back around 1987, I had been bugging my parents for an Atari 7800. See, I was something of a nut for the arcade game Xevious. If I saw it, I played it (or at least tried to sucker a quarter from my parents to do so). I also put a good amount of time into Pole Position II, which, like Xevious, was released for the 7800. I was dropping hints, looking at them at places like Toys R Us and whatnot, and doing it with all the subtlety of a bulldozer. The idea of getting to play these games whenever I wanted was mind bogglingly awesome to me at the time. Before long, the big day rolled around. I got up in the morning, come downstairs, and there were my parents with their usual morning cup of coffee. After a bit of waiting, we all got started with the presents. Even back then, I was in the habit of opening the largest gifts last, and because of this, one of the first presents I opened was a copy of Xevious for the 7800. Needless to say, this made my mind go crazy, and I knew what the big present had to be. Or at least, I thought I did. When I eventually got to that big box, I tore into it like Denis Leary going on a rant. When the wrapping paper came off, I was staring at the big blue box of an Atari XEGS. This puzzled me... a lot. My Mom told me that the man at the store said it could play all the Atari 7800 games, as well as games made just for it. So, I eventually went upstairs unpacked the Atari XEGS, hooked everything up, opened my copy of Xevious, went to pop the cartridge into the system... and found out that the cartridge wasn't even close to fitting. The wind was then knocked right out of my sails. I went downstairs, Xevious in hand, and said that my game didn't fit in the system. My Dad came to my room and checked it out, seeing for himself that there was no way that big 7800 cartridge was going to fit in the much smaller XEGS cartridge slot. So, downstairs we both went, with me feeling like I'd just lost my best friend. I was crushed. My Mom apologized in that way parents do when something doesn't go right for their kids, and said that we'd take the game back in a few days. I went back upstairs, put Xevious back in its box, and half-heartedly tinkered around with the XEGS and the two games that came with it (Bug Hunt and Flight Simulator II) for the next couple of days until we took the much wanted game back. I honestly don't remember which game I got for the XEGS when we went back to the toy store. It might have been Gato. Anyway, for a while, I barely even touched the system. I just didn't want to play it since I'd had a game I really wanted returned because of its inability to play it (yeah, that was the mindset I had... now of course, I know it was the moron at the store who gave bad info to my parents). But then something began to happen. Little by little, I started messing around with the programming guide that came with the XEGS. Typing in simple programs that would make borders, or colored letters, and what have you. I found out that Missile Command was accessible in the system, and that there really was a lot of "land" in the little cartridge Flight Simulator II. Bit by bit, I began warming up to the gray gaming box. I learned that I could play virtually all the older Atari 400/800 games that were still on store shelves at the time, along with the new games made for the XEGS. I saw games like Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, Joust, Donkey Kong Jr., Pole Position, Moon Patrol, and a host of other titles that had come out on the 400/800 systems, along with the likes of Battlezone, Star Raiders II, and Hardball for the XEGS. By the following Christmas, that Atari XEGS was getting a lot of usage. I didn't have Xevious, but I did have great games like Rescue on Fractalus!, Into the Eagle's Nest, Ball Blazer, and Mario Bros., all of which lead to many a good time. To this day, I still have my Atari XEGS. I guess I should also say that I wound up selling my Atari 2600 and its games back then so that I could get games for the XEGS. It's something I view as a remarkably dumb decision these days, but what's youth without poor decisions, eh? However, despite the down moments associated with the XEGS, it's a system that really grew on me the more I used it. Over time, I eventually got most of the games that came out for specifically it, and at one point, found a little store that sold the old 400/800 carts pretty cheap (yeah, I raided that place regularly). In fact, just a few years back, I picked up several games that I was never able to get for the XEGS back in the day (Space Invaders, Crossbow, Dark Chambers and Karateka). Now if I could just find a copy of Crystal Castles and Zaxxon that aren't way overpriced... So, while it came into my early gaming life on a rather sour note, it eventually became a cherished console for me as I got older. And thus is the tale of Christmas '87.

Jooooooiiiiiin uuuuuuuuusssssssssssss... We like to plaaaaaaay... **faint, echoey and sinister giggling**

Or the free version of Alcohol 52%.

True, but what they say according to their ratings system, isn't necessarily how going to be how it's perceived by others (or used by others as well, since we all know how companies love higher numbers to spout off about). Lots of stuff with 7s that got 5s from others, 8s that got 5.5s or 6s from others... it all might ring as GI being less critical at a glance to people, even with the reviews basically saying the same things overall between the various magazines/sites. It again falls to the "on paper" comment I made, and that's something I believe is part of the anti-GI/Gamestop argument, as GI giving an average rating looks better than say, GamePro or EGM giving an average rating. Anyway, that's my take on it. GI may be 100% honest and truthful with their reviews, and I'm not going to comment on that one way or the other. I haven't picked up an issue in many years (a decade I think), so I can't speak of their current status and crew. I'm just trying to shed a little light on why some folks don't see GI in the same light as yourself and others. Hopefully I did that without being prickish or confrontational

I have a feeling more people understand GI's rating system than you think, and that's why they get bent out of shape over it. If I were to continue the X-Files stuff, with other review sources having a 5 as average, GI's system can be construed as inflating scores by making their "average" what others have labeled as "good" when you take the GI/Gamestop connection into account. GI may be honestly sticking with their rating system, but on paper, the higher scores look better regardless of the rating system behind them... both to customers and to game companies (both of which can benefit Gamestop). GI has 7 as "average", with 5 as "passable". That seems like a good sized area for what could be considered average overall (average is passable in school after all). Get someone who really questions the GI/Gamestop relationship, and the theories will be off and running.[/DA mode] Again, I'm not saying it's happening, or that it's even happened in the past. I'm just trying to take a completely objective look at both sides of this, and why people are saying these things. And as I do this, to be truthful, the scenario is certainly there for it to happen, given the arrangement Gamestop and GI have. As such, what I am saying, is that I can understand why people make the accusations, even if there's no proof of wrong doing. Society as whole is a lot more suspicious of things than it used it be, which is why people are so questioning about the GI/Gamestop stuff. When you couple that with the fact that Gamestop has done some pretty shitty things to their employees and customers over the years, it's like Mr. Jackson being seen with a kid that's not his... the accusations fly. It's no great stretch of the imagination given the company's history and other informational tidbits, you know? And that's likely why people question the integrity of GI's reviews, and overall honesty. just64helpin- Yeah, that was an interesting coincidence, wasn't it?

Actually, they can have a biased magazine, even if they don't make it themselves. It's well known that GI is essentially Gamestop's magazine (it's the only place to get GI after all), much like GMR was EB's (same situation). Even if GI isn't owned by Gamestop, they obviously have a deal of some kind going. Now, if one were to roll with what's been suggested about GI, Gamestop could make sure its big incoming titles get good reviews. If Gamestop wants everyone to preorder and buy Halo Wars due to the popularity of the franchise, yet GI gives it a horrid score before it hits store shelves, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot with their own gun. So even if it is a bit conspiracy theory-like, Gamestop could have a biased magazine that takes steps to help them out with game sales, and not hurt them. Keep in mind, I'm just playing devil's advocate here.

I was tempted to try this, despite never being one for beta testing OSes. But the 32bit file size (3+ GB? Damn...), coupled with my XP being an OEM version, pulled me back to reality. I had too may questions in my head, and since I know OEM OSes don't get the same treatment as full-on purchased ones, I figured I'd leave well enough alone.

http://www.1up.com/do/my1Up?publicUserId=4549175 Looks like there's to be a bittersweet finalé for the magazine. "Milkman" stated in his blog that the finished February issue is going to be released digitally in the near future. Seems the crew worked on it to completion, despite knowing the fate that awaited them and the magazine. No specific date's been given, but it's coming soon(ish).

I can't speak for everyone, but magazines were a part (key word being "part") of my decision making process. Perhaps it's the habitually oldschool side of me, but as a kid, I spent plenty of time flipping though magazines to find out what info I could throughout the 90s, EGM had become a regular staple for me. Later, when the Internet became reachable in my home in 2001, I still looked to magazines like EGM, GMR, and a couple others for more viewpoints on given games (not to mention for article reads). No game purchase was ever bought solely on a single review from anyone, but magazine reviews were one source of opinions on the games I was interested in. Even when most of the systems I owned were no longer covered due to their dying off, and the Internet was giving out news days and weeks before any magazine, I still liked to grab the new issues and read through them. There's something about holding and flipping through a magazine you've been reading for years that you just don't get surfing online. Anyway, I know this is going to sound silly and sentimental, but I think one of the main reasons the news bummed me out, was because it was the only magazine left that I had been reading when I was young gamer. GameFan, Next Generation, Mega Play, Game Players... they all vanished years ago. And with EGM closing up shop after nearly 20 years (and it being bought for/by me every month for well over half of that time), my younger gaming self, which still resides in the back of my mind somewhere, can't help but go "What? Aw maaan... I liked EGM".

And that's why I was never fond of GI's reviews. It usually read like they were making up my mind for me, rather than giving me their experiences with the game. I don't want people who rate a game on how they think the general public might like it, and skew their scores accordingly. That just rings very wrong to me. I'd rather they rate on it on how they felt about it, while giving me facts and personal insights/opinions about the game. I'd rather read the review of someone rating a game on how they felt about it, than the review of someone who's rating a game based on how they think John Q. Public will feel about it. Edit: Don't take my comments the wrong way, Atomicfog. I'm not jumping on your case or anything. Everyone looks for different things in reviews. GI meshed with you, and that's cool. It just never meshed with me.

Game Informer and the word "decent" don't go in the same sentence for me. I tried to read that magazine for a while, but the visual style, writing and coverage just felt... "meh". Not to mention, I disagreed with their reviews more often than not during the 16bit/32bit/Dreamcast eras, and things like that tend to keep you from coming back.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21759 http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/208505/egm-closes-1up-sold-in-ziff-davis-shakeup/ And so, one of the longest running gaming magazines closes its doors. I know some folks have felt that EGM has been shit for a long time, but I personally have been reading it for years, and still enjoyed picking up and flipping through the issues. It's disappointing to learn that after all these years, EGM bites the dust before the horrid GamePro The only question remaining is, is the issue that's supposed to come out next week the final one, or is the one that came out last month the final one? "January 2009" could go either way.

Really? I've always felt the series hit its peak with S3&K. To me, it's a fantastic combination of speed, exploration, graphics, level design, music, and replayability. It's also huge, keeps the cast small yet diverse, and is quite a challenge without being cheap or stupidly drawn out. I'm not knocking Sonic 2 mind you, as I too think it's a great entry. But it would rank second behind S3&K for me.

You didn't like Sonic CD, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles or Sonic 3D Blast?

Wow. The wind from that suck up nearly took my eyebrows off

And with that, I've added an MT-32 guide to this. Just scroll up a bit to the now rather long post of mine on page 2.

Then you guys best keep a sharp eye out for Kenyans, because by the time you hear their running footsteps, it'll be too late.

Yeah, that was a good album by Alice Cooper.

While you guys are over there, could you find the ones that made the Powerthirst parody video currently on OCR's front page, and pummel them with a Kenyan? Thanks.

Prince of Persia