Gamebot News Archive

Noise Off!

2008-02-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

More new super Gamebot Lives

We have two new episodes to offer up, episodes 9 and 10! These episodes include all the great trivia and classic banter you have come to expect plus Joe & Mac, 7800 trivia, Lode Runner, the "Impressive Human!" Dig Dug II contest, Donkey Kong, Gobots, Target: Renegade, King of Kong and much more! Download them on the media page.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, answers to trivia, high scores or anything you wanna say, email us! mail@gamebotonline.com or go voice your opinion in the forum.

Venture

2008-02-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

Carolina Games Summit

We had a great time at the Carolina Games Summit! This event was located in Goldsboro, NC and featured game contests, game developer panels, VG music artists and more. Even though the CGS was not a retro or classic themed show, we represented the classic by setting up a classic game room. I met lots of interesting characters (as usual) including a Castlevania expert that said he had played every one in the series (and claimed they were too easy) and a gentleman who actually requested to play the Three Stooges for NES (and did well to boot)! Interesting indeed!

I did my best to represent the most popular games systems in history which includes the excellent late 80s/early 90s, the time of the great 16-bit console wars. It is a rivalry that in many hearts continues to this day, so I had to offer up both options to keep the masses happy.

Naturally I hooked up a Super Nintendo and boy, was it a success!

Strangely, the most popular game of the day was the one I expected to be played the least. It was a game I brought purely to represent the shooter genre... Gradius III and it was played non-stop for the bulk of the show. The second one person stopped, someone else would snap it up in a hurry. Shooters really are more popular than I thought, I even had someone offer to buy the cartridge. But it was my own personal copy so no way!

When there was a free moment I quickly changed to Magic Sword. This is one of my favorites as of late and I was curious to see how others felt. The gamers just kept asking me to put Gradius back in. Ouch!

The third game was Super Punchout. It is one of the best games on the system and I had to show it off. The resident Castlevania expert turned out to be a Punchout expert as well. He cleared the entire game in one sitting without losing a single match. Awesome, I got to see the ending!

As stated earlier, The 16-bit console war was a milestone in video game history and resulted in many great games. The Sega Genesis featured many of these on one cart!

The game is called Genesis 6-pack and it is loaded with the biggest hits of the system including Columns, Streets of Rage, Super Hang-On, Golden Axe, Shinobi II and Sonic the Hedgehog.

The most popular of the bunch was Sonic of course with Golden Axe and Streets of Rage tied for second place. Several players took advantage of the beat 'em ups' co-op play. Both Columns and Shinobi were nearly overlooked and Super Hang-On wasn't touched at all.

Another super beat 'em up that tagged along was Mazin Saga Mutant Fighter.

Mazin has fantastic, sound, music, graphics and gameplay. Typical levels have you punch and kick faceless thugs into oblivion and boss battles are fought (in giant form) towering above the cityscape and play more like a simple one on one fighter. Unfortunately, it's missing a two-player mode, a must-have for this genre.

Going back in time is my specialty. The two big guys of the 80s include the Atari 2600 (out in '77 but blossomed in the early 80s) and the immortal Nintendo Entertainment System.

The sad part here is that NES got 10 times more love than the Atari. A fact that is explained best by counting the number of grey hairs on my head. One day the Atari VCS will be the system that time forgot (your time is coming as well XBOX 360)!

Spider Fighter by Activision was the most played Atari game and Pitfall was the most asked for. This is a good time to remind you that Activision made the Atari the legend it is today. Other gems included Defender, M*A*S*H, Moon Patrol, and E.T. The latter I put out simply because it is a fan favorite (for obvious reasons). Throughout the day, I had to show players how to start the game by pressing the "Reset" button and how to hold the joystick. Meanwhile, I replace the batteries in my hearing aid.

For the NES we played Cobra Triangle. This must-have, along with Battletoads, falls under the category of "RARE properties that should be brought to current-gen systems" (Goldeneye?! ha!).

More NES action ensued with Ninja Gaiden, Ultima Exodus (did I say action?), and Jackal. The most requested game was "Super Mario". One customer asked if he could play Super Mario Bros. 3 while he was waiting for his son to stop playing SNES and continued playing a full 30 minutes after said offspring had left the room.

The final system I will mention is not exactly historically significant, but interesting.

The Odyssey 2 was the only console on display that gave a taste of video games of the late seventies. It was released in 1978, a year after the Atari 2600 but never had the success to produce more impressive games. The games of the Odyssey 2 are limited in colors, detail and sound but a few are still worth playing.

From my limited selection of games I offered two: K.C. Munchkin (a Pac-Man inspired maze game) and Speedway/Spinout/Cryptologic, the cart that came with the system featuring three games.

The poor Odyssey 2 was often scoffed at and barely touched. This is not the case at classic game cons, where the system is adored for its silvery sci-fi look and keyboard interface. It has a hardcore following that swears by games like Killer Bees, Pick Axe Pete and the Voice peripheral that makes this beast talk!

Perhaps another Killer Bees tournament was in order. The Halo 3, DDR and Smash Bros. tournaments at the event would have pailed in comparison!

All in all it was another glorious time for Gamebot. I wanted to thank all the supporters for coming out and playing our games. I hope to see you again next year!

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2008-01-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

I just had another great week of gaming with Kris, Kelley, Jordan, Hayley, Evan, Matt and Tillman!

It started with Big Brain Acadamy for Wii wherein my score dropped from a B++ to a C. Just goes to show that you should train your brain every day not once every four months! Kris' score went up to a B++ as she perpetually gets smarter. Kelley got a C, she couldn't handle the Locomotionesque train game.

Then came the weekend and Jordan came back into town for a classic game reunion the likes of which are only seen every few months. New friend Hayley came into the fold as well.

Before the party started, Tillman and I slashed bears with a burly muscleman in Magic Sword! The SNES jewel is a side-scrolling platformer port of a Capcom coin-op. The goal is to reach the top of the dark tower, kill baddies and rescue prisoners who can aid you in your quest. The game is extremely easy, simple and fun with lots of varied enemies, helpers, bosses and words of wisdom like "Do not be beguiled by the Black Orb." I miss the loincloth-clad musclebound Adonis vacant in today's games! They appeared to have died off with the 90s. The game is an excellent fantasy action game, you should get it.

Next we tried the sequel, Knights of the Round. This game played more like a beat 'em up with weapons a'la Golden Axe. But with a block button and fewer attacks. The character's level up with experience points at the end of most stages and actually change in appearance by gaining armor. It wasn't as fun as Magic Sword in my opinion. It was missing too many frames of animation and didn't give the satisfying CHUNCK! of better brawlers.

Now the other friends have arrived and we played Dudes with Attitude for the NES. I have to admit, this game was put in to laugh at. The concept is solid: Collect treasure before your friend and avoid enemies. First you must paint yourself the matching color of the treasure you want to collect by running into a paint bucket. But that is a little too simple for an NES game. Players control smiley faces that bounce from left to right automatically, you can only move them up and down the screen. The game has the biggest "what the hell is happenning" factor of any NES game i've played. It is an unlicensed cart. The good side is that it has a level editor.

I told everyone that the game reminded me of Orb 3D so we tried it. I really got into that game at one time but the crowd was unimpressed and now I have added the 3D glasses that originally came with the game to my want list.
After all of this we challenged the gods themselves to predict our future in Taboo for the NES. I love the presentation and idea behind this game. It simply has you enter a few stats like age and name then allows you to type in a question. What follows is a Tarot style fortune telling with cards and everything. Let me just say this, Hayley's future looks pretty bleak. At the end of the fortune tellin, you enter what state you are from. Unfortunately, NC and VA among other states are not listed as options. As you know Gamebot is based in NC. What gives! The game then gives you lucky numbers to play the lotto (or do whatever your superstitious brain can concoct) with. I really love the idea, its a great addition to any NES collection and is fun to play with friends.

Atari time! Yes, we broke out the 2600 for a goodwill-found good time (by Jordan) with Math Grand Prix. I had never played this game before and I must say, this was the most exciting game of the night.

The gameplay is very simple: Take turns against an opponent answering math problems. You may select the difficulty of the problem and the higher difficulty allows you to move further on the race track. Th first to cross the finish line wins. Here is the play by play as it happened:

# Jordan answers first and moves ahead, we laugh at how easy the problems are.

# 1/4th in I land on Jordans space, knocking him off the road.

# Frustrated Jordan intentionally screws up, now he's really behind.

# Not taking things seriously I decide to screw up too.

# To my surprise, Jordon zooms past!

# Jordan accidentally selects the wrong number, I take the lead again.

# Now Jordan knocks me off the road, how could this happen!

# Jordan crosses the line and the room erupts in cheers and high fives.

# Later, I hire an arsonist to burn Jordan's dorm to the ground!

# The drama continues...

The last game of the night was Dragster one of my favorite 2600 games of all time! In dragster the goal is to get to the finish line in the least amount of time. The game is set up for two player competitive play but can be played alone as well. The button accelerates and left changes gears. You can also restart your run by pressing right if you have a false start or blow your engine. This game is all about timing and you can get better with practice. It is extremely addictive and races only last about 6 or 7 seconds, it's very fast paced. Check out my best time under "Impressive Human!" in the forums.

The weekend ended with Rock Band on the 360. Highlights included, Epic by Faith No More, Detroit Rock City by Kiss and Last Train to Clarksville by The Monkees. Another golden memory secured in the annals of time. Thanks for the fun guys. It was a blast!

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Venture

2008-01-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

Gamebot Live number 9 is here! In episode 9 we have a new coin-op puzzler, Joe & Mac for Genesis is reviewed, we discuss the upcoming XBLA Lode Runner and what it is that makes a good classic game remake, Matt and Blake go head to head on NES Dig Dug II and a surprise stranger takes the lead in a past Impressive Human Challenge. Plus Finds in the Wild, music from DJ NES and Alpha Channel, Donkey Kong, LOZ: Windwaker, Pac-man, Bomberman and more! Download it at iTunes or on the media page.

Submit your best top score to mail@gamebotonline.com to be added to the Impressive Human scoreboard! Thanks for listening!

"Happy Holidays!"

2007-12-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

Gamebot Live Quickie number 2 is now available for download on the media page. In this long-for-a-quickie we discuss the E-reader, Contra 4 and difficulty in video games: past and present. Also, Evan trumps his own score, Impressive Human! and coin-op trivia!

Carolina Games Summit

We will be at Carolina Games Summit on 01.26.08 in Goldsboro, NC providing a classic game room with playable games and systems like the Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, Nintendo Entertainment System and more! You can also watch classic video game tips and trick videos, movies and commercials while waiting to participate in our Impressive Human! High Score Challenges! Consoles and games will be for sale in very limited quantities, so get there early! Go to Carolina Games Summit for more information.

Think you can beat our high scores? Think you know the answer to our trivia? Prove it! mail@gamebotonline.com.

"Impressive Human!"

2007-12-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

The epic battle between Steve and Blake is over. A definitive winner of the Intellivision version of LOCOMOTION has been decided. Download Episode 8 to hear all about it!

But now it's time for an all new Impressive Human Challenge! This time around there's trouble in paradise as Matt challenges Blake. The game of choice? DIG DUG II for the classic NES!

But that's not all! If you think you can do better on this game simply submit your score before our next recording session. If you beat us, you'll be mentioned on the air and possibly win a mysterious but amazing prize?! The e-mail address is mail@gamebotonline.com. Can you defeat the Gamebot? Go, go, go, go, go for it! Maybe you stand a chance?!

Noise Off

2007-12-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

Gamebot Live Episode 8

It's time for a classic game-fest with Matt, Blake and Steve. Topics include SNES, Castlevania ports, Generations Lost, outtakes and our opinioins of video game media. We also bring back the Impressive Human! scoreboard. This episode's challenge... Locomotion for the Intellivision. Blake, the underdog, faces off against Steve, the Intellivisionary. Who wins? Tune in to find out!: 40 minutes

Gamebot Live Episode 8 (mp3 39.26 MB)

You may also subscribe to the feed with this link or at iTunes!

You can now win prizes for your trivia answers! Listen and give it a shot! mail@gamebotonline.com Thanks for listening!

Venture

2007-11-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

Gamebot Live episode 7

The time has come for downloading episode 7 of Gamebot Live, the classic video game podcast! Here you can find Mailbag listener mail and our Sega Genesis must-haves, information regarding the release of Rob Fulop's Actionauts, Quarter Munchers, Commodore 64 trivia and music from Stage 3-1! Recording Time: 55 minutes

Gamebot Live episode 7 (mp3 49.06 MB)

You may also subscribe to the feed with this link or at iTunes!

Submit your best top score to mail@gamebotonline.com to be added to the Impressive Human scoreboard! Thanks for listening!

Power-up

2007-11-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

Hello readers! I have made a few changes and added new content:

All YouTube videos are available to watch from the media page. This media player allows you to watch several special features from our DVD and entire episodes!

All posts occurring before July have been back logged to another page to decrease load times. These posts can be read by clicking the old news link at the bottom of this page.

Gamebot, the expired television show about classic games is downPublish Postloadable. Episode 5 from the Volume 1 DVD can be downloaded at iTunes or the media page. More episodes coming soon!

Gamebot Live episode 7 is here! All podcasts, including the all new episode 7 with a must have list of great Sega Genesis games, are available for download from the media page.

Coming soon... Gamebot Now. Gamebot Live, starting with episode 8, will now be EXCLUSIVELY CLASSIC! Gamebot Now, our current game podcast will cover current news and games. Both will be offered bi-monthly.

Email us at mail@gamebotonline.com. Any feedback is appreciated, even bad stuff. Thanks for listening!

Venture

2007-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Two new episodes of Gamebot Live!

Happy Birthday Atari VCS! One of the greatest consoles of all time is turning 30 this month. In this, a very special episode of Gamebot Live, we give a history lesson on the classic console and compile a list of must have games. If you love Atari don't miss it! Recording Time: 53 minutes

Gamebot Live episode 6 (mp3 48.40 MB)

Introducing the Gamebot Live Quickie. From time to time we have content we want to talk about between programs and Gamebot Quickies are the answer. They are short and have no rules. In this quickie we introduce some new friends and talk about what makes a system classic. Recording Time: 18 minutes

Gamebot Live Quickie 1 (mp3 16.10 MB)

You may also subscribe to the feed with this link or at iTunes!

Come on, take the challenge! Email your answer to classic game trivia from the podcast and we will give you propers on the air! mail@gamebotonline.com Any feedback is appreciated, even bad stuff. Thanks for listening!

Venture

2007-10-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Why Chibi Robo: Park Patrol
Shouldn't (And unfortunately will be) overlooked.

Just yesterday I stopped by my local Wal-Mart to purchase my copy of Chibi Robo: Park Patrol for the Nintendo DS. I've been looking forward to Chibi's DS debut since my friend, Jordan Pike (jordanpike.com), introduced me to the first game of the series on the Nintendo GameCube, entitled Chibi Robo: Plug into Adventure! I instantly fell in love with the game and its quirky, playful characters, fun to explore environments, and unique gameplay--so you can imagine how excited I was to find out about its sequel on the Nintendo DS. Did it live up to my expectations? The answer is YES! The game uses the DS's touch screen perfectly. The game has a relaxing pace, paired with smooth gameplay and a pleasant sense of humor.

I urge anyone who enjoys great, original games to check out Chibi Robo: Park Patrol. The bad news: despite being such a great game, there are a couple of reasons why I'm predicting some pretty bad sales figures.

Number one: The release date, only one day after the release of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass--one of the most, if not the most anticipated Nintendo DS games of all time. Being this close to such a "big hitter" can only hurt the sales of Chibi.

Number Two: Wal-Mart exclusivity. I personally wouldn't consider Chibi a commercially mainstream game, and when I want to purchase what I believe to be a somewhat obscure title, Wal-Mart isn't the first place that comes to mind.

Number Three: Bland reviews. Although there are a handful of good reviews, most reviewers, including IGN, are giving the game the, "I just looked at some screenshots and read a press release." score of 7.

Hopefully, dear reader, you'll appreciate these simple reasons why I doubt this great game will sell.

Nintendo's marketing has been puzzling lately. Due to the game's environmentally-friendly setting (the game is about cleaning up a park), Nintendo has decided to give away 500 trees (yes, trees) to anyone who registers his or her copy on Nintendo.com. In a second promotion, one perhaps more understandable, Nintendo has put Chibi Robo-themed bookmarks in schools. At the time of writing, I have no further information on how many schools have received these bookmarks.

The bottom line: Park Patrol is one of the best games I've ever played. You owe it to yourself to check it out!

- Matthew Taylor, gamebot

Venture

2007-09-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Gamebot Live episode 5

Steve is back and its time for some gaming greatness from the past! In episode 5 we discuss Flying Warriors, Planet Puzzle League, Wolfenstein 3D, Halo 3, Feel the Magic, new Wii channels, Fatal Fury Collection, downloadable demos, the music of Animal Style, a new Colecovision homebrew, a new DS Kirby, Dr. Mario Wii, and the old standbys: Trivia and Finds in the Wild -plus a new segment: Quarter Munchers, where we talk about home conversions of coin-ops. Recording Time: 56 minutes

Gamebot Live episode 5 (mp3 51.09 MB)

You may also subscribe to the feed with this link or at iTunes!

Come on, take the challenge! Email your answer to classic game trivia from the podcast and we will give you propers on the air! mail@gamebotonline.com Any feedback is appreciated, even bad stuff. Thanks for listening!

Venture

2007-09-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

New Gamebot Live!

The screenshot below is dedicated to Evan Jackson. Thanks again for being on the show Evan and we hope you'll come back soon! The Gamebot Live podcast is also available at www.last.fm. Thank you for your interest and we welcome your feedback. Please email us at mail@gamebotonline.com and tell us your what you think!

Gamebot Live episode 4

Steve is out this week due to technical issues but we welcome our guest Evan Jackson of Slushie! In this edition we talk about our favorite arcade games, read some listener feedback and Evan submits a high score to Impressive Human. Also, all the segments you expect like Trivia and Finds in the Wild. Highlighted games include Nibbler, Pirate Pete, Micro Machines Twin Turbo for GBA and Kangaroo! Featuring Algorythms of Royal Space Force. Recording Time: 31 minutes

Gamebot Live episode 4 (mp3 31.06 MB)

You may also subscribe to the feed with this link or at iTunes!

Think you've got what it takes? Test your mettle on a classic system (or a new one) and submit your best top score to mail@gamebotonline.com to be added to the Impressive Human scoreboard! Thanks for listening!

Links

2007-09-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

Located herein are the official links for the stories and info we have spewed forth onto the internet by way of Gamebot Live.

Gamebot Live episode 4

God-Awesome Rock Band - Slushie: www.slushietheband.com
Spectacular Stupidgamer Website: www.stupidgamer.com
Killer List of Video Games: www.klov.com
Link's Crossbow Adventure: www.kotaku.com
Lair Reviewer's Guide: www.ign.com
Classic Game Books: www.amazon.com

Gamebot Live episode 3

Senator Yee Attacks ESRB: www.gamepolitics.com
Vance Fires Fires Back at Yee: www.gamepolitics.com
Contra 4 Contains Secret Games: www.cubed3.com
Joust Movie: www.gamedaily.com
New Stella and Atari800MacX: www.atariage.com
New High Scores: www.twingalaxies.com

Gamebot Live episode 2

Online Games More Popular than Youtube: www.gamedaily.com
King of Kong: www.billyvssteve.com
Chasing Ghosts: www.chasingghoststhemovie.com
Missing in Action Prototype: www.atariage.com

Gamebot Live episode 1

Spider: The Video Game: www.gamespot.com

Venture

2007-09-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Gamebot Live episodes 0 through 3 available!

We have posted two new episodes of the Gamebot Live podcast. They are now available for download here, on iTunes and at www.last.fm. Please email us at mail@gamebotonline.com and tell us your what you think!

Gamebot Live episode 2

Episode 2 features a few new touches: In addition to Trivia, Finds in the Wild and Classic news we talk about the Manhunt controversy, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge, Okami, Samurai Showdown and more. We're really trying to keep the show dynamic so mail us with your feedback! The Algorythms this time? Dog Stories by Action Math! Recording Time: 39 minutes

Gamebot Live episode 2 (mp3 27.0 MB)

Gamebot Live episode 3

In this episode the usual plus: Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Lode Runner DS, Moon Cresta, World Heroes, Magician Lord, busting on video game myths such as "girls don't play games" and "video games inspire youth violence", new segments including Flag Capture: Import gaming news and Impressive Human: Our official gamebot high score table and Algorythms by the Advantage. The episode clocks in at 49 minutes.

Gamebot Live episode 3 (mp3 37.9 MB)

You may also subscribe to the feed with this link or via iTunes!

Think you've got what it takes? Test your mettle on a classic system (or a new one) and submit your best top score to mail@gamebotonline.com to be added to the Impressive Human scoreboard! Thanks for listening!

Living the High Life

2007-08-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

Yesterday Blake, Kris, Scott, Kim, Evan, Tillman and I got together and played some classic video games.

We started off with Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom for the Atari 2600 In Buck Rogers, the player controls a spaceship that must destroy ships and avoid obstacles. Unfortunately, Buck never makes an appearance. The only real resemblance to the Buck Rogers license is the game's outer space setting.

Blake has a notable high score on Buck, 713,995, Level 11. The game was also released for the Atari 5200, Atari XE, Colecovision, Intellivision, MSX and Sega Master System, as well as some computer systems and is a port of the 1982 Sega coin-op.

Next we played Jungle Hunt for the Atari 2600. The game is comparable to Pitfall, although I found the game to be far more sophisticated than Pitfall. The game consists of four scenes.

The player is required to perform carefully timed jumps from vine to vine towards a crocodile-infested river. There, you must keep your oxygen supply in check while either dodging the reptiles or knifing them for bonus points and in scene three, dodging and ducking boulders is the name of the game. Your final task is to jump over the native warriors who have captured your girlfriend while their spear is down. In the end, the four screens start repeating, getting tougher...

After everyone had a turn with this gem of a cart, Tillman had a chance to play the game and was frustrated with scene two, the afore mentioned deadly jungle river. Blake ensured him that this scene was difficult because "those gators are hungry, they've had nothing but fish to eat for 10,000 years!"

Next, we played Wall Street Kid for the Nintendo Entertainment System...

In Wall Street Kid, you're given $500,000 and the goal of successfully investing in stocks. The first challenge is to earn enough money to purchase your uncle's castle before it is sold to restore the family name-time is of the essence! You must also balance your job, girlfriend and still get plenty of exercise. Most of the game is spent in your office buying and selling stocks. However, you can leave your office to go on a date with your "Sweet Heart" to a picnic, shopping, or a local carnival. You can also work out by going swimming or hiking. The time management is strict and difficulty may be a factor in your enjoyment of the game.

Tillman later expressed that this was his favorite game we played that evening. (You can tell Tillman I said he needs to grow some! -ed.)

Next up was Journey to Silius for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was released in 1990. It was produced and developed by Sunsoft. The game is an edited version of Raf World, a Famicom game featuring a different main character. The game was originally supposed to feature the Terminator license, but Sunsoft lost the rights. (this game blew me away with its great presentation, music and graphics. Another great side-scroller adventure for your NES!-ed.)That was the end of our evening of classics. Goodnight, folks!

- Matthew Taylor, gamebot

Venture

2007-08-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

Gamebot Live podcast now available!

Gamebot Live is the podcast version of everything you love about gamebotonline. We will keep you posted on upcoming conventions, the newest homebrews, mods and hacks, history, trivia and everything associated with the classic and obscure gaming scene while keeping our standard segments like "Impressive Human!" and "The Hunt and the Haggle" (podcastized as Finds in the Wild). Its time for you guys to listen up then tell us what you think! Contact us with feedback, questions, comments, ideas and what you want more of by emailing us at mail@gamebotonline.com. Write us and you may be immortalized on the show! Feel free to download and share with your friends:

Gamebot Live episode 0

In this episode we cover The Cuttle Cart #3 (for Intellivision), Opcode games and Spider: The Video Game for Playstation. It was our first attempt and was never intended for release, but it turned out pretty good so we decided to after all! Please excuse the lack of a musical guest (even though one is introduced).

Gamebot Live episode 0 (mp3 13.0 MB)

Gamebot Live episode 1

This is the Official first podcast, still shakey and raw but live and entertaining! We chat about two new classic video game movies coming out in 2007, the popularity of "casual" games online, offer up some trivia and speak of games like Skullmonkeys for Playstation, Panic Bomber for Virtual Boy and Missing in Action for the Atari 7800

Gamebot Live episode 1 (mp3 27.9 MB)

You may also subscribe to the feed with this link or via iTunes!

We plan on continually changing the format to keep things fresh and are open to ideas from you, so tell us what you think. Happy listening!

Venture

2007-08-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

"For the completely broke"

Its time for an update for the faithful readers and what better way than with a list of games none rare, but still interesting none the less...

No haggling was necessary in the procurement of these carts.

In addition to the title (listed in alphabetical order by system, recorded also is what I paid for it and its current approximate value. Anyone interested in starting a collection for the first time, you'll find that there are lots of games at a flea market near you for a fraction of what you'd pay on ebay!

1942 (loose)- paid $1.00 - value $ 6.00
Millipede (loose) - paid $2.00 - value $ 7.00
Muppet Adventure "Chaos at the Carnival" (loose)- paid $1.00 - value $ 6.00

Golf (loose) - paid $2.00 - value $ 10.00
Mario's Tennis (loose) - paid $2.00 - value $ 3.00
Panic Bomber (loose) - paid $2.00 - value $ 10.00
Teleroboxer (loose) - paid $2.00 - value $ 6.00

Forgotten Worlds (loose) - paid $1.50 - value $ 4.00
Generations Lost (loose) - paid $1.50 - value $ 4.00
The Jungle Book (loose) - paid $1.50 - value $ 5.00
The Lost Vikings (loose) - paid $1.50 - value $ 4.00
The Pagemaster (loose) - paid $1.50 - value $ 2.00
Robocop 3 (loose) - paid $1.50 - value $ 5.00
Super Baseball 2020 (loose) - paid $1.50 - value $ 2.00

Spider (complete in case) - paid $4.00 - value $ 6.00

Sears Super Video Arcade Cartridge System with 2 controllers (boxed)
paid $10.00 - value $ 35.00

And here are the games that I passed up:

Eternal Champions (loose) - paid $3.00 - value $ 1.50
Lotus 2 (loose) - $3.00 - value $ 4.00
Ms. Pac-Man (complete in box) - $8.00 - value $9.00
Super Tecmo Bowl (complete in box) - $3.00 - value $ 3.00

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-07-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

Speaking of Disaster Report, the sequel Raw Danger turned out to be a slight letdown. It's missing the level design and presentation of the first game. The story is told from multiple perspectives (i.e. playing as different characters) but the levels aren't varied enough and playing through the similar levels over and over just isn't as fun. I love the idea that water, your lifeblood in the first game is now your biggest foe. But in Disaster Report, water, fire, falling buildings, shifting landscapes and dangerous terrain were all your enemy. And the water isn't enough after playing its prequel.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-07-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

This is I.Q., also known as Intelligent Qube for the Sony Playstation. Arriving on our shelves September 30, 1997, it was another unique Japanese title ported to America thanks to the success of Parrappa the Rapper, the first widely revered title with the distinctly Japanese quirkiness now accepted in our game culture (current examples: Katamari Damacy, Loco Roco and the upcoming Furu Furu Park for Wii) I.Q. is an action puzzle game. The play requires the user to control a man on a playfield called a stage. The object is to avoid falling off the edge by "capturing" cubes that roll toward you. It is a simple puzzle concept that quickly becomes challenging, addictive and fun. Its "quirkiness" comes from the presentation and graphics, very different. As a bonus, the music is orchestral and epic.

For the full story on how I attained I.Q., scroll down to the Hunt and the Haggle 11.05.06.

Next we played Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, the first in the ongoing Kain series. This first entry has an overhead perspective, different from its 3rd person sequels -appealing to my classic sensibilities. The adventure is comparable to The Legend of Zelda (NES) or perhaps Diablo (PC) and tells the story of a vampire out for revenge swimming in charming melodrama. After that I finally showed the pals Disaster Report for PS2. You can read more about that game in previous posts as well.

To my surprise, Evan, Tillman and Matt hadn't heard of Dragon's Lair! This was the first animated Laser Disc game so it was a precursor to CD based games (particularly "full-motion video games"). The game is comprised entirely of cartoon video and requires the player to choose either the sword button or one of four directions at key moments to avoid a death sequence. The gameplay is simple but the game was a huge hit due to the amazing animation created by Don Bluth. To appreciate this gem one must put themselves in the shoes of an arcade goer seeing this game for the first time back in '83 when games like Elevator Action and Major Havoc represented the newest technology.The version we played was a DVD game made by Digital Leisure anyone can find this version for around $10. The arcade original came out in 1983 and fetches upward of $1600.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-07-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

Over the past couple of days I have had the luxury of guests Brian Tate and Reagan Tate. We had hot dogs and hamburgers again and played lots of games, but before that, we went on a quest to get two 9 volt batteries for a rather interesting device I attained in a trade at last year's ECGX...

This is "Zodiac the Astrology Computer" by Coleco. It was released in 1979, but don't worry, it's still not as old as I am. Designed to tell your fortune in one of three ways, it can give your horoscope, a "daily preview" or answer your questions in Advice Mode. These require the user to input her date, time and area of birth. One thing that I found intriguing was how much the user must do himself to find his future-due to the limitations of the electronics. Players write feedback from the display on a zodiac chart. Once the chart is filled out, one must use the instruction booklet to search codes and their meaning.

I have to say that our readings were pretty accurate with the exception of Brian, but we had guessed on his, and my, time of birth, so there could still possibly be a supernatural force guiding us through the universe. The instruction manual is a necessity in enjoying this little jewel and features celebrity birthdates and an introduction by "noted astrologer" Sydney Omarr. One thing that may be a deterrent in your hunting down this beauty is the fact that the included birthdate codes only go up to 1990 so if you were born after that, you're done for! The creators didn't anticipate nerds born after 1990 would even know what the heck this thing was... understandable. It is currently valued at around $30.

After that, and some required Wii Sports Bowling and Tennis, we followed up with a bit of PS2! The first game I popped in was Shadow of the Colossus-to show these guys one of the greatest adventure games ever made! Then we delved into some classic goodness via Sega Genesis Collection. This game is fantastic and includes over 30 games including Altered Beast, Shinobi III (my favorite side-scroller of all time), all the Phantasy Stars (for the Genesis) and even hidden easter eggs like Zaxxon! I love it so much because the emulation is 99% accurate, and I am a real stickler!

Brian and I couldn't find a second controller for Golden Axe - a travesty! Instead I played Flicky!

Flicky was a fantastic 1984 arcade game ported to the Genesis. As Flicky the bird, you must collect canaries and lead them to the exit while avoiding cats and jumping from platform to platform. Collecting all birds before touching the exit results in a large score and boards are cleared by saving all canaries. The bonus levels are fun too, wherein Flicky must catch canaries launched in the air by catapults. Sega Genesis Collection is currently available in stores for $14.99 to $19.99 and is absolutely one of the best values out there for classic game fanatics.

Sony made the demo disc a standard for consoles back when its original Playstation arrived in 1995 and most gamers have a few lying around. I picked up a PS2 demo disc a month or so back because "Portal Runner 2" was listed on the disc and I thought I had found a demo of an unreleased sequel of a beloved game. Turns out it was a misprint, however these events led to the imminent trying of said disc when Bri and Rea came about-which was good.

Before I get into what we played I want to mention that there was an demo for Ico which was different than the final game, exciting for an obsessed fan (see previous Shadow of the Colossus comment).

On the disc, Reagan was excited to see Portal Runner, a game I introduced to her years ago. It was released in spring of 2001 by 3DO as a side story of their Army Men franchise (but you are not green -ed.) and has garnered 6.5s and lower from most game sites and mags. What those guy don't tell you is that it takes all the concepts of early 3D games and produces them in a way that works -and the funny thing is, gamers who want simple adventures like side-scrollers of the 16 and 8-bit era do not have many choices. Portal Runner delivers a simple but fun action adventure game in an unpredictable fantasy setting including prehistoric times, ye olde knights in shining armor, etc. with platforming, strafe firing, collecting, exploration, stealth and sniping. You have full control over the camera and a pet Lion! One requirement is that you must be man enough to play a game that does not involve Master Chief (for example, I own and enjoy Britney's Dance Beat I'm not.. that.. innocent).

The demo contained another favorite of Reagan's (what a coincidence!). Klonoa 2, released by Namco in 1998, is a bonafide side-scroller, ah I miss those, with over the shoulder surfing levels as well. It is a sequel to Klonoa for Playstation (valued at $25 complete). The graphics are japanesey charming and control is classic but innovative. Klonoa can grab enemies and throw them into other baddies or use them to jump off, a "double-jump" if you will, and the level design and boss battles are just right. You can still find it online for around $15.

I also made Reagan play the MTV Music Generator 2 demo and watch me play Cool Boarder 2001. My house, my rules.

The last game of the night, Super Bust-A-Move 2 was played into the wee hours. I love games that allow you to be creative, the gang played through nine levels of my own creation then played the normal game (not as good as my levels). Later, well after our guests had left, Kris was angered, after staying up until 4:30 a.m. she was rewarded only with credits for completing the adventure mode. Alas, the cutscenes revealing the storylines of each of the strange characters is found by completing the single player mode. Ouch!

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-07-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

I just got back from a great trip to Ohio and I didn't forget to pack the most important necessity, portable games! The default device is the DS, everyone that has one would agree i'm sure, and of course I brought it along with Animal Crossing, Castlevania Double Pack, Big Brain Academy, Meteos, Club House Games, Phoenix Wright:Ace Attorney and an underappreciated GBA gem: Yoshi Topsy Turvy. But to spice things up a bit, I also brought the system which, in my opinion, is the greatest handheld pre-Gameboy SP; The Sega Nomad!

The Nomad is a portable system that came out in 1995 for $180. The awesome thing about this system? IT PLAYS THE ENTIRE SEGA GENESIS LIBRARY! Thats right, just plug in any Genesis cart and you're done. The handheld features a backlit screen, a second controller port, decent sound and a RF box port for hooking it to your TV. Wow! It's problems? Well, releasing the same year that the Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation arrived, 3D gaming was all the buzz and Sega Genesis games were considered dated by most gamers. The second factor, a weakness shared with other handhelds of the late eighties and nineties, was battery life. Powering a full-color backlit handheld Genesis was a challenge and the Nomad drains 6 AA batteries in about three hours (however, an AC power adapter was and is available -ed.)! Thats quite an obstacle for a portable system to overcome and believe me, it was a factor in it's sales. The system is valued at around $100 by collectors today.

So enough history, what about the games, thats what you really want to know right? Well, I love variety and the Sega library made my choices plentiful. For platforming I chose Chiki Chiki Boys, a Capcom hopper complete with power-up stores and shooter levels. Fighting: Samurai Showdown, this version is the best available on the 16 bit consoles. Dragon's Revenge covered my pinball needs with quick accurate physics on par with the video-pinball greats like Devil's Crush and Alien Crush. For beat 'em up superhero action I selected Captain America and the Avengers (blows away the SNES version). I also took the compilation Genesis 6-Pak, which includes Golden Axe, Sonic, Streets of Rage, Columns, Revenge of Shinobi and Super Hang-On.

Whenever I leave town I always checkout the local Goodwill, Salvation Army and Game stores and I found a few things that amde the extra venture worthwhile. At Goodwill, I found Pro Wrestling for the NES, a classic wrestler with crazy characters and moves thats not too rare, but will make a great gift for a friend. Also, the best find of all, Final Fight One for GBA. This one is a perfect port of the arcade classic with the added bonus of rapid punch options, progress saving and the choice of selecting the Street Fighter Alpha series Cody and Guy. I played it non-stop through to its completion that night-what a blast! All that for $4.99!

With all that gaming greatness, how can I wrap this story up with happy ending? How about this, I came home to a package from Amazon.com. RAW DANGER the sequel to DISASTER REPORT, has arrived! I'll be updating again soon. Life is good!

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-06-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

Yes! I just played a little Atari and SNES tonight while talking to my friend Steve Smith. We were talking about challenging each other's scores and it reminded me of a great video game staple... Twin Galaxies!

Twin galaxies is the official high score database and has been so since the golden age of the arcades. In this report, I will include the high scores on the titles I played when possible.

Whoa! Look at this big beautiful screenshot! Brings a tear to the eye, I bet. This is Donkey Kong Junior for the Atari 2600. It was a port of the popular arcade sequel to Donkey Kong wherein you controlled a monkey on a quest to save your father from the evil Mario! The player must jump and climb through three screens all while dodging enemies called trapjaws. Boards are cleared by getting to Mario alive. This version's gameplay is a little stiff and didn't port as well as Donkey Kong. There is no high score registered for this game. You can be the first!

And now, another arcade port on the Atari... Solar Fox for Atari 2600 looks sharp and has great sound effects. The goal is to collect all the dots on the screen while dodging bullets from passing spacecraft. If you do it before the SKIP-A-RACK timer expires you can skip ahead a stage and get a big bonus. The current high score on this version is held by Robert T Mruczek. It's 1,678,000, wow! This is the king of cartridge that you will keep in your system and play over and over. Taking turns with a friend in a high score contest could result in hours of fun. Find this game if you could enjoy an addictive game requiring quick reflexes and a good joystick-one of my must have titles.

This is another game that every 2600 owner should have. The graphics do not hold a candle to its arcade equivalent, but the feel is divine! The car has a heavyness that feels authentic when gearing down for tight turns and narrowly avoiding other cars. There is only one variation and one track, but mastering the track and beating your last high score is a pleasure. The high score for this the Atari version using the actual hardware(not an emulator) is 60,910, shared by several players. Could this be the highest score possible?

It's time for a little Super Nintendo Action! The arcade version of World Heroes is a game I got so hooked on I could beat it with one quarter. It had a unique control scheme for a fighter in that tapping the button resulted in a quick attack while holding it longer dealt a powerful blow. This was different and, best of all, simpler than Street Fighter but still produced some great combos and strategy. The sequels dropped this control pattern in favor of something closer to SF. Another notable feature is it's deadly booby traps like the spikey wall and electrified wrestling ring ropes. The SNES port is a bit slower and missing some animation, but still a great game for one, and especially, two players. There is nothing like comboing your buddy onto a wall of spikes, I suggest you try it.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-06-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

Like always, I've been playing some new stuff and old stuff!

The new stuff:

Big Brain Acadamy for the Wii is awesome I own Brain Age but never played the DS version of this game so it was a new experience for me. The games test your skill in different areas like memory and visualizing and tracks your mental progress. You can play with up to eight players, compare results with everyone else in your home and even send your student report to your Wii friends via Wii Connect 24 so they can try to best your scores. It's a great game that I am going to buy for sure.

Indigo Prophecy is now on the plate and I am completing it with Evan and company. Indigo is an interactive story and the action is played out through simon-like, follow-me dual analog stick patterns. These sequences are there simply to move the story forward which is by far the highlight of the game. The conversation system and cinematography is amazing and even emotional or tense at times.

I also played through some of the Disaster Report scenarios that I skipped the first time through and finally ordered the sequel Raw Danger.

In the midst of the adventuring however there was a strange energy that compelled me to move into the classic console room and play the Genesis, which I had neglected for quite some time.
Lets move on to the good stuff, the old stuff:

First I played Trampoline Terror created in 1990 by Toy Soldiers Inc. In this game the player traverses a giant grid filled with enemies, trampolines and detonators. The goal is to trigger all detonators by walking over them. Bonuses are scored for destroying colored detonators in order. The enemies can be blow-up in the explosions or killed by throwing a device across the trampolines like a skipping stone. Hopping on the trampolines can allow you to jump to hard to reach areas but jumping on one too many times makes it pop. The grid is miles high so falling through a trampoline or falling off an edge kills you.

Greatest Heavyweights by SegaSports 1993. Great graphics and sound were present but the gameplay was missing. I tried lots of strategies and buttons (it supported the 6-button controller), but still I ended up as a punching bag. The fighters available are champions from different time periods (which is a cool concept - ed) and you can taunt your opponent. As Jack Dempsey, I yelled "I'm gonna crush your skull." to which Evander Holyfield replied "You can't touch me!".

GODS released in 1992 and developed by Bitmap Bros. is a side-scroller action adventure orginally on Amiga and Atari ST computers. Throw projectile weapons to kill the beasts inside a dungeon with traps and treasure. Each area has hints that tell you how to escape to the next area. In my opinion, the respawning enemies actionized what could have been a good exploration game. That said, it was very 1990's funny.

The final test of skill was Deadly Moves by Kaneko and licensed by Sega for the Genesis in 1992. This 2D brawler, a genre that I sorely miss, had a punch, kick, and jump button and few special moves. It also moved a little too slowly and the characters were unimaginative. The main character, Joe, is best described as a skinny Ryu with black pants and blue wristbands. This game was called Power Athelete in Japan (I like that better!) and Power Moves on the SNES. Many of the these games came out of the woodwork in the early 90s because of the massive popularity of the Street Fighter (and Mortal Kombat) series.

The Atari, NES and Playstation, as some of the most successful consoles in history, sometimes overshadow the Genesis. But this system represents the 16-bit era, Sega's greatest success as a hardware developer and a huge library of great games. It is, unmistakably, a milestone in video game history.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-06-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

Along with the classics, I have been playing a lot of PS2 over the past month. This system is unrivalled in adventure gaming. Over the last month I have completed ICO, Shadow of the Colossus Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. These are the second and third times through for these games-they are sooo much fun! Before that I met up with the gang (Matt, Evan and Tillman) to complete Haunting Ground for the second time.

Haunting Ground is a fantastic adventure game which started as part 4 in the Clock Tower series. It has excellent graphics, unique gameplay (running and hiding for survival), a horror film vibe and lots of extra touches and bonuses that shows the developer really cared about the project. The game mags blew if off but it is a great game-highly recommended to Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Clock Tower fans.

The gang and I then promptly played through the english translated rom of Clock Tower for the SNES (excellent!) and we just completed one ending on Clock Tower for playstation. Next on the agenda for us is Clock Tower 2, also for playstation and perhaps, the weakest in the series, Clock Tower 3. One major difference in these games and their PS2 counterparts is the control. Everything before the PS2 versions were point and click, these newer versions have the traditional third person analog stick control. The point and click interface of the early Clock Towers works well for exploring and the perspective follows in the footsteps of Alone in the Dark and Resident Evil 1 except for the SNES Clock Tower, which was a 2D side-scroller.

Back home with my PS2 I started a game back up that I purchased years ago based solely on the premise: Survival during disaster. Disaster Report, the first time I played it, displayed some really impressive ideas in game design. Collect water from reliable water sources in containers and drink to survive. Limited space in your back-pack makes the management aspect a factor. Items can be combined and taken apart and part of the experience is a world collapsing all around you in real time. This second time through, I couldn't stop playing and it seemed to get better as the game progressed, there were even jaw-dropping moments like floors beneath you falling into the sea and building a raft from surrounding debris to traverse a violent river through the city streets. The faults, which I overlooked for the most part includes "charming" dialog and voice acting and abysmal, almost defective sound. If you like the idea of crubling buildings, rushing water,an ever-changing landscape, making due with everyday items to survive, and especially-if you love adventure games, go find this game. Also, Raw Danger, the spiritual sequel just came out and I can't wait to play it!

Kris and I also got down under the sea with the NES recently. She loves the Disney classics so we finally tried out a game I picked up at a local flea market last month, The Little Mermaid! The gameplay has you control Ariel, traversing the ocean, fighting bosses and throwing shells at enemies. The game was fair and not too difficult. Highlights included pushing barrels down steps to smash treasure chests and flopping around on the surface like a fish. Then for more Disney fun, we played Duck Tales 1 and 2 which are excellent and live up to their reputation as some of the best gameplay and level design on the NES. You may have to pay over $20 for Duck Tales 2, but even at that price it's a better value than many games out on current consoles.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-04-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Video Game Diary:

Scott hosted yet another night of classic gaming fun at his arcade where friends of all shapes and sizes attended. The games we playes are too numerous to list but I will list some of the friend's favorites along with their innermost secret thoughts about them.

This is Mary. the enhanced greenness of her jacket is exceeded only by the sharpness of her wit. A master of illusions, she ensured me that the lemon soda from the pop machine did not taste like rolaids... but seriously folks, who do you think has had more rolaids?

Mary enjoyed Family Feud for the Genesis and Hangman on the Odyssee 2. Other friends included: Brian who likes Nintendo and Wrestling and Seth who loved Lode Runner and art. Pal Tillman enjoys emulators, roms, SNES, NES and more and attended with brothers: Mappy master Evan, who currently has the high score of the arcade classic, and Matt. Matt combines the cunning of a cat with an appreciation for video games that is unmatched. Mappy is the apple of his eye as well.

Reagan, the tour de force of Star Wars wisdom, totes thirty pounds of brass and gold around her neck. Between quotes of Confucious, Socrates and countless others she bellowed "Moon Cresta is my favorite game 'cause I'm a he-ninnie!" -ed note: Reagan has the current high score on Moon Cresta

The rest of the friends are ok, there isn't much too them. You already know Jordan, he's a cream-puff, and Scott. Well, there are cats all over me so bye.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2007-03-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

Video Game Diary:

Last night I played Meteos for the Nintendo DS with Matt and Jordan for two hours in the crew van of Slushie, a most exhilirating rock-n-roll megaforce. I won't go over the details of how I got into this situation but I will tell you that Meteos is one of the best experiences I have had with a puzzle game. The two hours passed like two minutes for three people sharing the game from a single card. The multiplayer options are unmatched.

We talked throughout the night about the sequel, called Meteos: Disney Magic Edition and concluded that we could overlook the license because, in this version, online play was promised.

I found out later from Steve, who sounded dismayed that I brought up the subject altogether, that the online play was pulled.

Prediction: This game will flop.

Why? Because I already know four hardcore Meteos fans who aren't buying.

Venture

2007-02-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!" - Batman

After going to two previous E3 shows, I wasn't sure I wanted to go to E3 2006 since my com padre wasn't interested in going. I will never disclose his identity, but he answers to Blake. Any hoo, I waited until way past the last minute to go and so, you can imagine, my bank account was less than thrilled with the news. I decided to sell off a few things in order to attend the show, and have a little extra cash for unexpected expenses... like Reece's cups, and the very expensive canned soda they have in LA. Among the different odds and ends was my Atari Jaguar, with all my games which included: Tempest 2000, Kasumi Ninja, Checkered Flag, Doom, and Wolfenstein 3d.

Now I really hate to part with most of my gaming collection, but the Jaguar was the exception to this. The only game I really enjoyed was Tempest. Then I got Tempest X for the PSX, and well, it pwned it in every way, so I sold the Jaguar to a friend for $50.

All was grand, I had a decent time at E3. The most memorable parts were not exactly at the show. One of the craziest things there happened to me when was on the way back to the hotel. We got in a cab, and the back of the driver's seat was decorated with stickers: an Iranian flag and various pictures of their president.

Now, I tell you this because Robin, my better-educated-half, told me these things. Honestly, to me their president looks like a guy working at my local Radio Shack. The cab driver was super nice though. He was listening to classical guitar and telling us how much he loved it. However, just to make sure everything was kosher, uh maybe that isn't the right wording... anyway, you better believe I gave him a tip ($10.00). I want to send out a message to all would be terrorists. DON'T HURT ME, oh, or my wife!

But I did enjoy the show. I didn't get to play the Nintendo Wii, but I got lots of time to check out the new DS lineup. Plus, I visited the video game museum again, checked out a lot of older arcade games, saw 8-bit Weapon perform and even got an autograph.

Months later I hear E3 is no more. At least the E3 that we all know is gone. And apparently, so is my friend's love for the Atari Jaguar. I bought it back for $50. So what have I learned from this experience? As usual not a damn thing!

- Steve Smith, Advance Media Network

"Impressive Human!"

2007-01-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

High Score Tables:

This is a new section wherein high scores are posted. You may also find stories behind how and why certain scores were attained, strategies, proud moments or gruesome deaths. This first posting shows a picture captured by Jordan Pike of our scoreboard in the arcade. I challenge anyone to trump these righteous digits! You can see a few other photos taken by Jordan on the media page and a lot of great stuff at jordanpike.com.

The stuff of champions

Living the High Life

2006-12-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

Video Game Diary:

Tonight Jordan, Evan, Matt, Tillman and myself went to Scott's for some classic gaming magic. We played more Moon Patrol, Mappy, Vanguard, and another fantastic resident of the arcade: Super Sprint, a great racing game with two steering wheels and pedals for competitive play. The game has great control and a variety of tracks which are seen from a bird's-eye view. We then commenced with the Bally Videocade.

The Bally video game system legacy

1977: "Bally Home Library Computer" available only through mail order from JS&A. Keyboard add-on was promised to buyers in catalogues.

1978: Distribution increases, sold through electronics stores as the "Bally Professional Arcade" but still not sold at major retailers.

1980: Withdrawn from stores due to "stiff competition" (Atari VCS, Fairchild Channel F, Intellivision and others had arrived).

1981: Re-released as the "Bally Computer System" by fans who had seen the potential of the machine through its Basic cartridge and purchased the console from Bally. Every system sold came with the Basic Programming cart for free.

1982: Re-labeled the "Bally Astrocade" after the group became Astrovision.

1985 (approximation): Sales trickle to a halt, the system's legacy ends.

Facts:

Game cartridges are about the size and shape of an audio cassette. Around 34 carts were released during the system's lifespan.

The controller is a pistol grip shaped handle complete with a trigger. From the top of this controller extends a dial that can be moved in eight directions like a joystick. The dial can also be rotated left and right like a paddle controller.

Programs can be typed in using the keypad and can be saved or loaded with a tape deck. Many users created software ranging from games to money management programs which can still be collected, downloaded, or typed-in today.

Here are some of the great games we played on 12.17.06...

The Incredible Wizard

In incredible wizard the first thing you see is a full screen message...GET READY...GO! set to the theme to dragnet and the sound effects are spectacular -this game has character. Players navigate a maze looking for creatures to shoot while dodging their fire and some demons can become invisible (*hint* use the radar). At the end of some levels the Worluk appears and if shot before it slips out one of the side doors a bonus is awarded. The Wizard appears too on fewer occasions. During two-player simultanious play, you can shoot each other and scores are kept seperate. If you have this system I highly recommend this game and would even call it a must have.

This is a game that we play every single time we hook up the Astrocade. It has great gameplay and a lot of personality. I couldn't believe it when Scott told me, but its true, Wizard of Wor the Bally arcade hit was a port of this game, not the other way around. Wizard of Wor was released in arcades in 1981. The enhancements include voice synthesis and improved graphics but there were surprisingly little changed. A true testament to the quality of The Incredible Wizard!

Gunfight
A trend that I was sad to see disappear over the years along with pack-in games (Wii brought those back!-ed) was games built into console hardware. Lots of systems had this feature even as recent as the 8-bit generation. The Sega Master System came with Safari Hunt, a light gun game, and Hang On!, a great port of the arcade motorcycle racing game. A later version of the SMS contained an Alex Kidd game. In Gunfight the player controls a cowboy stationed on the left side of the screen. Control consists of rotating the arm of the manly cattleman up and down with the dial, moving in eight directions with the stick, and firing your gun by pulling the trigger. Bullets can be banked off the edges of the screen to avoid the on-screen cacti, trees and stagecoaches. We played ths game several times and I honestly don't know if there is a one-player mode or not but we had fun with it (Player two is on the left side). The other games included in the Arcadia are seen in the screenshot to the right. We played around with Scribbling in which you simply draw on your TV. Different sized pens and colors can be selected and the precise control required for drawing was fair using the stick.

Grand Prix/Demolition Derby

Tillman and Scott played this one and both said it was extremely difficult to control. Grand Prix has users race on a simple track. The stick controls steering and the trigger is the accelerator. The game is for two players. In Demolition Derby the play consists of wrecking into each other. The graphics look like early Atari 2600 games and may remind you of many classic race games. This racing game perspective was the standard until Pole position came about. Gameplay using the overhead view evolved and was excellent in games like Super Sprint and Off-Road.

Dog Patch

You are a redneck, blasting cans back and forth in an old timey shootin' contest. Move the shotgun up and down with the stick and pull the trigger to fire. The player is immobile and positioned at a lower corner of the screen. The object is to keep the can aloft by shooting it back at your opponent and not letting it get past you (like Pong). Everytime the can is shot its value is multiplied so scoring depends on your skill in keeping the can going. Gravity is simulated as well. Dog Patch has a funny theme and sets the mood well.

Bally Pin

The table is mishapen in this video pinball cartridge but ball physics are ok. You can look at the screenshot and easily imagine how the gameplay goes. Read this exerpt from the instructions, it reveals the cool control style... "Each player uses both hand controls to play the ball. When his turn ends, the current player passes both hand controls to the next player, and the game continues until each person has played five balls... As the ball hits the various objects, sounds are heard as it rebounds at different speeds and angles. The flippers are used to keep the ball in the playing field. The ball reacts as a "real" ball would when struck by a flipper. When the end or corner of the flipper strikes the ball, it results in steeper angles and faster action than if the middle of the flipper strikes the ball".

Star Battle

One of the first things about Star Battle that you will notice (unless you're blind) is it's blatant resemblance to Star Wars. So, making it easier on myself and you, I will hereafter describe the game using Star Wars terms. The gameplay in this cartridge feels strange. The stick controls an X-wing fighter flying through a channel of the Death Star just like the famous Star Wars arcade game. Unlike that game however, the player has a hard time shooting at the tie fighter on screen -a frustrating challenge because it's so hard to line him up in your sights. Also, the game doesn't change this screen, there is not much more to it than that. The package and graphics are designed to draw in the Star Wars nerds and is a great example of how different the scene was in the early eighties. Any game developer's legal department would never let such a thing make it past the drawing board these days. Just look at the box art! This type of thing exists for the same reason that there were so many pong systems featuring the same games sold by different companies -and adapters for Colecovision and Intellivision that played Atari 2600 games: The industry in its infancy had no rules and no laws, and consumers were better off every step of the way. Damn, I wish I had a time machine.

Scott opened this creature from its nearly 30 year old shrinkwrap just for us. It was released in 1981 and is a port of the 1976 arcade game by Amstar touted as one of the first 3D video games. The car on the screen was a decal in the stand-up version which also had a gear shifter and a steering wheel. The 280 in the title comes from a hot new car from the era, the Datsun 280. This may be the first time a real vehicle name/likeness was used in a video game but it's unclear whether the Datsun was officially licensed or the creators used it simply because they thought it was a sweet ride and weren't worried about repercussions.

Dodgem
I really appreciate the fact that the graphics on this game is such a change from 280Zzzap because I feel they gave us a lot more for our money. You can quickly see that most cart's variations reuse the same graphics. It is probably a port of the arcade game manufactured by Zaccaria in the year 1979 but I don't know for sure. In this overhead view racer you steer and dodgem! It didn't keep our attention too long, so I can't give any more accurate details. I can however make stuff up like Ziff-Davis video game publications -Zing!

Tennis

We played this first and as you can see -it is pong, or the Fairchild's interperetation of it. Tennis is built into the system and I imagine was the first impression by gamers back then of the Channel F. It's interesting to note that the pong explosion was nearly killed by the Fairchild and other systems allowing interchangable programmable cartridges. Retailer's pong systems were thrown into bargain bins countrywide by the time Atari's VCS came about. The dive pong games took is considered the first great video game crash.

Spitfire

The gang had a fruitful time with Spitfire, a good time! The play is similar to the classic: Combat, but only the flying levels. The playfield shows a side view of two planes with a single radio tower between the two. Players rotate their planes with the stick and the fun is simple. Laughs abounded in our basement corner as we played this game while shouting imaginary death yells and radio chatter for nearly an hour. From the instructions: "The Red Baron meets the Blue Max in an aerial dogfight all over the screen. You can take an opponent in a 2-player dogfight, or more exciting yet, it's you against the computer in a 1-player battle".

Galactic Space Wars/Lunar Lander

Galactic Space wars has players move the starfield around a stationary ship in the center of the screen in an attempt to fire upon enemies before they do unto you. I'm not sure why the second game isn't boldly featured on the cartridge label since it obviously is derived from an arcade product. Lunar Lander is extremely difficult, even moreso than the arcade game of the same name. Pushing the joystick up controls your thrusters as you attempt to steer your ship onto a landing pad while fighting gravity and conserving enough fuel to survive the touchdown. Don't collect this game and expect the standup Lunar Lander experience however. The Lunar Lander arcade game is one of my favorite arcade games and featured a unique control lever for controlling the thrust. note: Lunar Lander was the first vector game which came about due to the discoveries made while Atari was developing its unreleased Cosmos system. It was nowhere near as successful as Atari's second vector game... Asteroids!

Hockey

This was the second of two games built into the Fairchild hardware. I really like this game because it gives more control than other pong hockey games by using up and down to move the paddle north and south while using the twist function of the joystick (similar to the Astrocade's stick) to rotate the paddle. It takes a little getting used to but gives the play more depth than plain old pong or hockey. This was the final game of the night. All good things must come to an end, but not for too long...

Input

2006-12-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

Confucius say:

Hi guys!

It's me, Aimee Dingman, and I watched your show right after CinciClassic (to see myself, of course, *blush*) BUT I never got around to sending you a proper comment, so here goes nothing!

"Gamebot was great! Just like having your older brother hog the TV for a few hours or playing Super Dodgeball, it just goes on and on. Quite watchable!"

Thanks guys!

- Aimee Dingman, podkaynestudios.com

Good quote Aimee. It did not make the back of the Gamebot Volume 2, but if it had I would have used "Quite Watchable!". Aimee has created some fantastic classic video game themed artwork which was featured in gamebot episode 7.

- Blake

Name that game:

I saw your video chronicling old game systems and I was wondering if you would know what this is?
It appears to be a Japanese mastersystem 10 game arcade cabinet. I cannot read or type in Japanese so I cannot find any sites referencing it. Please see the included pictures.

Thanks.

- Chris O'Brien

Hello Chris. It looks like you have a Sega Mark III demo kiosk. The Mark III was indeed the Sega Master System of Japan. I could not find any info on which games these kiosks contained, but I would speculate they are the earliest releases such as Hang On. Nintendo promoted the NES in a similar way with the Playchoice 10 arcade machine. Here is a great Mark III page from Wikipedia. The specs on this page match whats in the cabinet most likely. Thanks for the pictures!

- Blake

Hello from a neighbor:

Hi,

This is Shawn, the guy two tables down with the shirts and no games for sale. I just got done watching the DVD and the episode on the site. It's pretty sweet man, I think the best parts are the show coverage especially the freeze-and-zoom stuff that cuts to actual footage of the game with your commentary over it. It's a very thorough yet brief way of highlighting so many games at the various shows. Mind if I steal that technique for my own personal use? I'm thinking of doing a similar video of my own collection... some day.

As a more modern collector I wouldn't mind seeing more 90's stuff (Genesis, SNES, TG-16, 3DO, even into PlayStation and Saturn) but the show has a great retro vibe as it is and these episodes have been like a visual refresher course in gaming history for me. Great job! I wish I would've picked up the lost episodes while you had them there.

I'm not sure what kind of help I could provide from over here (I'm not bad with video editing myself) but if there's something you need just ask! Again, it was great to meet you and I hope to catch up on GameBot history as the rest of the episodes go online.

- Shawn Backenheim

Wow, thanks for he compliment Shawn. I remember you well and I still wear my handmade "I WENT TO RACCOON CITY AND ALL I GOT WAS THE T-VIRUS" t-shirt! I'm glad you have enjoyed gamebot, the editing techniques you speak of were our producer Jordan Pike's creation and you may use them with our blessing. I love all the systems you mentioned and planned on covering them more than we did, but no more episodes are planned at this time. However there is much more to see on Gamebot Volume 2, which is now available on the shop page. Thanks for offering to help as well. This is what's missing from the modern game community as opposed to the classic game community, the fellowship. It is much appreciated. Check out the links on the media page for more stuff you haven't seen.

- Blake

Living the High Life

2006-12-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Video Game Diary:

The legendary Steve Smith came to visit today and our plan was to play games all day. At 11:30 am we started with some Wii Sports, Mario Bros. and Excite Truck. I assumed from the gameplay videos of Excite Truck that it would be hard to control but I was able to keep it on the road for the most part. We ate lunch and later the real fun began, we played NES and SNES for a few hours, then visited Scott for more action. We played so much that I felt a list would be a better format for this entry.

Nintendo Entertainment System:
Karate Champ (2:13 pm)

Karate Champ was still in the system from Daniel's visit so we played it a little and after winning a match I was able to shatter a flying vase with a well timed foot sweep. Then it was time to try something new.

Yo Noid! (2:24 pm)

Soon I plugged in Yo Noid! by Capcom (1990). Yo Noid! is a side-scroller implementing the licensed mascot from Dominoes pizza's late 80s marketing campaign. The gameplay is solid using typical jump and attack button configuration. Also the Noid uses a yo-yo to kill enemies so thats pretty cool. In the first level, seen in the screenshot, the entire ground moves up and down and the player must keep above sea-level to survive. This was a very good idea for a first level and I hope to play more soon. Watch out though because it only takes one hit to die.

Bugs Bunny's Birthday Blowout (2:43 pm)

Next was Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout, a game released around the 50 year anniversary of the popular Warner Brothers character. This game was a side-scroller as well but was terrible. The scrolling and animation seemed to be bogged down and choppy, it reminded me of an emulator. Bugs carried a large grey mallet with which he smashed enemies like walking cans, just like he did in the cartoons.

Day Dreamin'Davey (3:02 pm)

I am lucky enough to have this game in the box and attained it at ECGX 2006. Daydreamin' Davey's strongest feature is its premise. Davey daydreams the adventure in school and each level, taking place in a different classic adventure setting such as medieval times and the old west, is set up by a cut scene of something happening in school which in turn triggers the fantasy. The perspective is an overhead view in the vein of The Legend of Zelda or Commando. The gameplay is plagued by ever-respawning enemies coupled with poor collision detection. These problems are alleviated slightly by a generous life meter. The old west level was interesting: I shot a horned skull lying next to a cactus and an angry snake popped out and attacked. What a suprise!

Ninja Crusaders (3:27 pm)

Ninja Crusaders, developed by Sammy, turned out to be one of the best games of the night. The game is a fast paced platforming side-scroller in which the player is a ninja. Two player co-op is possible and icons can be collected that change your weapon from throwing stars to the bow staff and more. Even better, by holding the button down for a two seconds, each ninja can turn into a creature. The type of transformation is determined by which weapon is currently held and beasts include tigers, scorpions and falcons. The simultanious gameplay pushed Ninja Crusaders over the top and this is a great one to look for at your local flea market or video store!

Rollergames (4:12 pm)

Another fantastic cart from Ultra Games, a subsidiary of Konami who also brought us Metal Gear. I had a hard time getting this game to work properly and a clean working copy is on my want list. Players select one of three roller derby teams to play as but the game is not a roller derby simulation. Instead Rollergames is a beat 'em up on wheels (DJ Boy fans speak up!). One minute you are skating down ramps, jumping over holes and punching out wheeled thugs, the next you are fighting boss characters using the traditional knee slams and shoulder throws. It appears to use licensed teams from a real roller derby league, but I cannot confirm this. Rollergames is one of those little known gems worth the hunt if you can find it. Good Luck!

Rollerblade Racer (4:33 pm)

Wow, another rollerblade game, man those inline skates were popular in the late eighties/early nineties! The games purpose, from what we could gather, is to skate from one point to another across colorful landscapes while avoiding obstacles. Rollerblade racer has similarities to the classic game Paperboy in its isometric perspective and street hazards like cracks in the streets and dogs. The game allows you to practice before playing the game which is a nice touch.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System:
Battle Blaze (4:50 pm)

After Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat made the fighter genre a million dollar business, arcades and home consoles were flooded with fighters, many of which were of terrible quality. Thats were Battleblaze came from! This is a game, created by Sammy, that Scott and I bought from his local goodwill and played for the first time with Steve the day we bought it. From the title screen to the funny character design this game is like watching a B-movie, its fun because its so bad. When Steve and I were playing tonight, he asked if we could play Battleblaze I said I thought it was at Scott's house, then I snuck it into the SNES and turned it on for an unpleasant surprise. The moves are very simple, and its hard to develop a strategy. Winning seems to be a matter of luck more often than not.

Ignition Factor (5:00 pm)

I purchased Ignition Factor by Jaleco (creator of the excellent R-Type III for SNES as well), was at ECGX 2006 in Philidelphia. After a little set up, which includes a mission briefing, choosing which equipment to take, and the location of the firetruck, the player controls a firefighter who tries to save victims and put out fires. The perspective is an overhead view that works well. The fire spreads and unexpected events happen such as bridges collapsing and fellow firefighters going missing. It looks like it could be an involving adventure and I plan on playing more. Its relatives are Firefighter and Towering Inferno for Atari 2600 and F.D. 18 for PS2.

Mr. Do! (5:18 pm)

I found this classic, based on the 1982 arcade game from Universal, at ECGX as well. You play as a clown who digs through colorful playfields useing a bouncing powerball to defend himself. A level can be cleared by killing all enemies on the screen or collecting all the cherries, making it a cross between Dig Dug and Pac-Man. One of the great features is the many ways you can clear a screen, destroy enemies , and multiply your score. One could play this game and have a different experience every time, it is very open ended. The hit had several sequels in the arcades including Mr. Do's Castle, Mr. Do's Wild Ride and Do! Run Run.

Around 6:00 pm we took a trip to Scott's house where he would debut a new game in his arcade. Needless to say, we were excited.

Scott's Arcade:
Vanguard (6:56 pm)

This was Scott's latest aquisition, won in an auction in Tennessee. It was created in 1981 by Centuri. You control a spaceship, flying through a scrolling landscape, that can fire in four directions at enemy spaceships and also has the interesting ability to become invincible by flying into energy fields and then ramming directly into the enemy. Further moxy is added to the game by some unique music and a robotic voice. I first played this game in a skating rink in my hometown in the 80s and it was a great surprise to play again in my brother's arcade. We were able to defeat the final boss a couple of times after a few tries and couldn't help but compare it to the Atari 2600 version which we probably played more than we ever played the arcade version. According to KLOV.com the music in the intro is from Star Trek and the invincibility music is from the Flash Gordon movie. Similar games: Scramble (arcade) or Gradius for the NES.

Moon Patrol (7:19 pm)

This fantastic game was created by Irem and licensed to Williams Electronics Inc. for distribution 1982. In Moon Patrol players use a moon buggy to shoot aliens and rocks while jumping over craters and mines. The action is viewed from the side and this is one of the first games to use parallax scrolling. Another unique feature is the level select, but the game is fairly short and very satisfying to play from beginning to end (The Atari 2600 version of this game is excellent too -ed). Scott bought this game at an auction in North Carolina and it is in great shape! Steve actually played this one, I didn't, I was too busy with Mappy and Vanguard but I am a huge fan!

Mappy (7:30 pm)

This is a really fun game and the gameplay is hard to explain but i'll give it a shot. As Mappy of the mouse police you must capture all the treasure in the stage before the cat burglers steal them. A board is made up of several levels. One can travel from level to level by bouncing on trampolines at the bottom of shafts and pressing the joystick over at the level you want to get off on. Doors scattered throughout the level can be slammed in the cats faces if they're on your tail and glowing doors fire off a wave of energy that can take out multiple enemies for a big bonus. Namco created this gem and Mappy is still a well known character even though he hasn't starred in a game since Mappy Land for the NES. Scott got this beauty in September at a North Carolina auction. The cabinet and especially the lighted marquee is awesome and although its appeal is hard to explain with words, the game is addictive and has a lot of character. Gamebot Producer Jordan Pike took some great pictures of this cabinet and used it in the design of the gamebot volume 2 DVD menus.

After we had our fill of arcade games we sat down on the couch at about 8 o'clock where a Colecovision was installed...

Colecovision:
Burgertime (7:51 pm)

Peter Pepper is a chef with a problem. Hot dogs, eggs and pickles are out to kill him and the only way he can defend himself is by peppering them. However if he can make all the hamburgers on the stage complete by walking over their parts and making them fall into place, he can advance to the next stage. This is a port of a 1982 Bally Midway arcade game. Steve and Scott had played it the last time Steve came to visit and they wanted me to see it. It was much easier than the NES version!

Illusions (8:00 pm)

This is an odd one and we never quite figured it out. The perspective is isometric and blobs travel on M.C. Escher inspired stairways and tunnels. The object seems to be to get the blobs to run into each other and merge and we were able to do so by pressing a button to change their direction and hop them onto different paths. As of yet none of us have been able to make them all merge so we're not sure thats the point. Its very unique and on the rare side, but not very fun. If we solve the puzzle maybe i'll change my mind.

Tapper (8:12 pm)

Tapper is about being a bartender. Customers keep coming and you must slide a drink to them before they get to the end of the bar. There are four bars to manage at once and every once in a while a bonus game of memory provides a breaks in the action. All home versions i'm aware of have the player slinging root beer but the arcade version had real alcohol, also known as the devil, and featured a Budweiser logo in the background.

Antarctic Adventure (8:34 pm)

Scott and Steve told me I would love this game and it took some doing to get it to work (these 30 year old systems can be fickle -ed). They were right, I had no idea what to expect and was really surprised. As a penguin, I was skating down a path, hopping over hole and catching fish in a third person perspective. It was great and the animation of the scrolling road created an effective 3-D effect. This game is a port of Konami arcade game released in 1984.

Choplifter (8:45 pm)

A lone helicopter must penetrate enemy lines to save hostages and bring them back to safety. The enemy comes in the form of jets and tanks and the control scheme has one button control rotation of the chopper while another fires your guns. Its a fun military themed adventure in which I enlisted but was eventually kicked out for wearing a dress.

On an another note Scott also showed five sealed Arcadia 2001 games he attained at a flea market recently. One of the more memorable titles was Dog Patch, wherein you play a hillbilly in a shootin' contest! At 9:00 it was time to head back home, but there was one more game we played before the night came to an end.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System:
Super Chase HQ (9:57 pm)

Super Chase H.Q. by Taito is a port of an arcade sequel to the hit Chase H.Q. This is a great one with non-stop action. After a mission briefing it is your goal to chase down a criminal on the road and ram him until the car is incompacitated. The package is complete with corny cops and robber banter and digitized voice. Memorable moment: As Steve was closing in on the crook a thug leaned out the passenger side window and unloaded on us, leaving the windshield riddled with bullet holes. This is a very original game and could only be compared to Driver (playstation) or Lucky and Wild (arcade).

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

The Hunt and the Haggle

2006-12-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

The Hunt:

When I was a kid and the Atari 2600 dominated the video game world, my brother and I found out about a mail order company called Video Villa. Video Villa specialized in video games and after some finagling we finally got our hands on a catalog. Eagerly thumbing through the list of interesting titles, we found a cartridge we really wanted ...it was a called "King Kong". We had no idea that one day this would be a rare collectable but having an eye for the interesting and obscure, we pooled our allowances and sent off for the game. Mind you, our allowances were small so we probably saved for several weeks and after the money had finally accumulated we mailed the letter and waited. Days passed, weeks passed, and after a month or so, when the package still hadn't come, we realized the cause was lost. King Kong would never arrive. As you can imagine this experience left us, at the tender age of 8 and 10, feeling ripped-off and hurt.

Twenty or so years later we attended a fantastic classic game convention (ECGX 2004) as vendors peddling gamebot and before the show was opened to the public, we met a guy who was parting with his collection. In the center of his table, among the plethora of video game merchandise, was a box of Atari games that did not particularly stand out until I asked how much he wanted for the games inside...

The Haggle:

He replied "I'll take five dollars for all of them". This was a huge box of probably 50 Atari 2600 carts and he said he didn't even know what titles were in the box (I remember this well, Scott didn't say anything and was actually contemplating a haggle, but after two seconds I said "ok, i'll take that" -I was afraid someone would take this deal out from under us, its happened before.-ed).

We took the find to our hotel room later and as we went through it we found that there were some hard to find games in this box (Snoopy & The Red Baron and Raft Rider to name a couple). However, we already had these games in the collection so we decided to trade them.

The Haggle Too:

The next day I saw a collector selling a few titles I didn't have, one of which to my shock, was the game that had alluded and haunted me for so long ...KING KONG! I traded him some of the games that I paid 5 bucks for.

When I walked away with that cartridge I felt 10 years old again. The kid in me finally got his game and what made it even more special was that my brother was with me. We played King Kong together as soon as we got home from the convention and it totally blowed!

- Scott Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2006-12-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Video Game Diary:

Today, after playing Wii Sports (and the Mario Bros. Virtual Console download) for six hours with Kris, Kelley and Daniel, Daniel and I played Odyssee 2 Blackjack, a great version of the card game played with the Odyssee's built in keyboard instead of the joystick. We finished up with a few matches of Karate Champ for the NES. Daniel mastered the back kick by shattering flying vases and became invincible. Karate Champ is a port of a 1984 arcade hit from Data East that had players use two joysticks to perform moves (no buttons!).

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

The Hunt and the Haggle

2006-11-28T18:59:00.001-08:00

The Hunt:

Once, while on a trip to the Appalachian Mountains, I stopped at a Goodwill in a small town just outside our destination. As a collector, this is a habit and the visit seemed routine because when I first walked in, I saw absolutely nothing video game related. Then, while looking at an old electric harpsichord I noticed a shoebox with a lid covering its contents. I thought this to be odd since I was in the electronics part of the store so I opened it and inspected further. Unexpectedly, it was filled with Atari 2600 carts, all recognizable except one... I pulled the cart out to take a closer look and to my surprise it was BOING! (This is a very rare Atari cart and is not usually found outside of personal collections or game conventions. Its value has climbed as high as $100. - ed.)

The Haggle:

Needless to say I took the cart to the register and was charged a measly 25 cents for it. The adrenaline rush was comparable to sex!

- Scott Leftwich, gamebot

The Hunt and the Haggle

2006-11-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

The Hunt:

I had just moved to my home located in a small town in Virginia and while exploring the downtown area I noticed a small flea market. It was a real dump, but there was a box of toys that appeared to be fairly old, so I rummaged through it. ...I was shocked to find a Q*BERT mini-arcade machine! Although it was missing the battery cover and I wasn't sure if it worked at all, I knew by looking at this $hithole I wouldn't be charged much.

The Haggle:

Sure enough the guy running the place said..."Give me 3 dollars for it?" to which I replied..."How about 2?" Of course I got it for 2 bucks! I immediately bought some batteries for it and it worked great. I already had a working Q*BERT mini-arcade machine, and in better shape than this one, so I traded it to a guy (Joe Cody of Atari2600.com at VGXPO 2005 - ed.) for a Spitfire Attack cart and peripheral for the Atari 2600 (still in the box, as I remember - ed.) which was quite rewarding. From time to time I think back to the old guy at the flea market and wander if maybe I should have given him that extra buck. He's probably dead now.

- Scott Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2006-11-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

Video Game Diary:

More NES today! I tried Rad Gravity and M.C. Kids, both for the first time. Rad Gravity was a side scroller that played and looked like an old PC shareware game. Starting inside the cockpit of your space ship, the player selects a planet and zooms towards it to get to the meat of the gameplay. Each planet has its own gravity where Rad uses a laser sword to defend himself while jumping across a platform-laden world. M.C. Kids plays like a simple Super Mario Bros. 3. The player can pick up blocks and throw them at enemies and there are lots of hidden items to find. Its a blast.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2006-11-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

Video Game Diary:

Today Matt, Tillman, Jordan, Mary and Seth came over to play Wii Sports and NES! We played Muppet Adventure Chaos at the Carnival, Krazy Kreatures and The Three Stooges. We only played Muppet Adventure for a minute or so but Krazy Kreatures really impressed me. Krazy Kreatures is an unlicensed puzzle game released by American Video Entertainment in 1990 in which the player picks up icons inside of a grid and places them next to like icons. When three or more are touching, they disappear. Its simple fun puzzle gameplay with a unique look and a strict timer. The Three Stooges, a port of the PC game by Cinemaware (creators of Defender of the Crown), was unsettling. It was like watching a dream.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

The Hunt and the Haggle

2006-11-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

The Hunt:

I wasn't looking for anything in particular and a routine trip to the normal outlets: The Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and the local pawn shops would suffice. You never know what may turn up at a pawn shop, and even though I thought I had exhausted all the possibilities, just to be thorough, I looked at the Playstation pile. I found it! A game I had wanted to own since I played a demo back in the playstation's heyday, in a pile under the usual Jet Moto, and Madden ' 97 in a nice clean uncracked case was *pause....... Intelligent Qube.

The Haggle:

The sign on the glass case read "Playstation games $5", but I had a few typical NES and Genesis games in hand (JAWS, Subterrania, etc.) and I had a rapport with the shopkeeper... A deal was in order! I asked if she could reduce the price since I was buying four or five games and she sold me the game for $3! Intelligent Qube's average value at the time was $55.00 and now goes for around $48.00, not too shabby.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

Living the High Life

2006-11-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

Video Game Diary:

I am currently playing Magical Starsign for the DS in order to review it for Advanced Media, and man, I do not like RPGs!

I played Duck Tales 2 (NES) for the first time the other day with my friend Steve Smith. Great news, Capcom didn't change the formula! They took the Duck Tales engine and made a great sequel that delivers the same fun of the original with new levels. No wonder its valued at over $15 (yikes!) , its worth the price though.

We also played The Krion Conquest (NES), Alien Invaders - Plus (Odyssee 2), and K.C. Munchkin (Odyssee 2). The Krion Conquest is a Mega Man clone (seriously, I hate that term, but in this case its true), with a Ninja Gaiden style cut-scene intro and in which the player starts the game with all the weapons. Warning: very difficult and no passwords. Alien Invaders - Plus is a Space Invaders inspired shooter in which the player can survive a direct hit, run under a barrier, and turn it into a new ship at the press of a button. If that was over your head, this is a bit more down to earth: K.C. Munchkin, an a-maze-ing Pac-man style dot chomper, has moving dots, and a maze editor.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot

The Hunt and the Haggle

2006-06-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Hunt:

Just a simple hankering for a game that I couldn't get out of my mind. It was just like Haunting Ground. I saw it on the K-mart clearance rack and instead of snatching it up at a bargain price, I contemplated it's value... "Is it really worth $14.99?". Before I knew it the inevitable had happened and as a result I spent two weeks awaiting the game in the mail (wondering if it would even make it) and had paid $5 more to boot! I learned a lesson from Haunting Ground-strike while the iron is hot!

The Haggle:

No haggle necessary. I saved myself the worry of internet shopping and, best of all, shipping and paid $10.00 for Indigo Prophecy(PS2)! Having just completed Disaster Report, I started Indigo last night and it is amazing.

To be honest, this isn't the truth. I did indeed leave the store twice without purchasing it even though it was $10.00, a new copy and the last one in the bin.

Once a cheapskate always a cheapskate.

- Blake Leftwich, gamebot