TOMORROW'S HEROES
The Newsletter for the Retro Gamer in All of Us
Introduction
Number nine, number nine. One issue away from the tenth issue! We
are chugging along. I am finally getting requests to write for Retro Times. While noone
has actually submitted anything yet, people have asked. That is a step in the right
direction. Last month, I forgot the question of the month, but I will make sure to ask one
this time. I enjoyed the Activision themed issue so much and decided to do it again, only
this time with one of the other big third party companies, Parker Bros. You know the guys
that did all the arcade and licensed games. So I will pay a little extra attention to them
this issue. They are one of my favorites because of all the great games they brought to
classic gaming.
Betting on a Dark Horse
When I first read in a magazine about a new game system called the Colecovision, I
was ecstatic. Real arcade graphics, Donkey Kong pack-in game and a converter to play
all Atari 2600 games. What more could a person want. Not only did I want a system,
but I thought about how I could get rich from the company. I figured that the stock would
soar with such a superior system coming onto the market. But, being a minor, I could not
purchase stock on my own. I had to sell my father on the idea. After my speech about the
great potential of the company, he finally relented and allowed me to purchase 30 shares
of the stock at $18.50 a share, with my college fund. No great amount, but enough
for me to keep a watchful eye on the stock market. Well, Wall Street didn't see things my
way and my stock dropped from $18.50 a share to a low of $12.00. Needless to say, I was
given a lecture on how to invest in the stock market and how foolish I had been. Not only
from my father, but also my grandfather, who thought of video games as a waste.
But soon the Colecovision came out and like I predicted, it was a huge hit. Wall Street
was also taking notice and soon the stock rebounded. Not a little, but alot. I finally
sold my shares at $40.00 each for a profit of $21.50 a share or a total of about $600.00
profit after transaction fees. But before anyone could crown me a genius, I did sell it
too early. A month or so later, the stock split and went back up to $40.00. I could have
doubled my money. Why did I sell early? To buy a Colecovision and a copy of Zaxxon with
the profits, of course.
I did later buy the stock again thinking the Coleco Adam was going to be a huge hit. I was
wrong, dead wrong and would have lost a bundle, except for one little thing. A little
craze called the Cabbage Patch Dolls helped save me. I still have a stock certificate
somewhere from Coleco that was later given to me as compensation for a lawsuit they had
for tampering with the price of the stock or something. It was only for 5 shares and
I never did sell it. I hope to find it one day and put it on the site. Now
that is one collectible I will keep.
Lost that Loving Feeling
In my youth and during early adulthood, one of my biggest thrills was hearing about one of
my favorite arcade games being ported to a home console. I remember the thrill of waiting
to play Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Zaxxon and many others during the classic era and even
games like Ghost & Goblins and Golden Axe later. I would read the magazines to find
out what was coming and look over the screen shots to see how close they would be. The
excitement was great and I was like a kid at Christmas.
But something has happened in the last five or six years, I pretty much gave up going to
arcades. The endless stream of fighting games and racing games just didn't catch my
attention. It was hard to get excited about arcade ports when I couldn't stand most of the
games. I think the last port I was excited about was Primal Rage, and only because I am a
fan of stop motion animation.
The only game recently that piqued my interest was a one time playing of Rampage World
Tour. I enjoyed the game and when I heard it was out for the Playstation, I was interested
in it. Not foaming at the mouth like I was in my youth, but still interested. Will this
feeling ever return? It is hard to say as the fighting game craze seems far from dead,
ditto for the racing games.
Parker Bros, Bringing the Arcade Home
While they didn't have the great original games like Activision or the unique games like
Imagic, Parker Bros were the king of arcade and license translations. They brought many of
our favorite games home and gave us a reason to stay home. Plus, unlike many companies
they did versions for almost any computer or console of the classic era. And unlike
Activision, they would make an improved version for the more powerful machines. Frogger,
Q*Bert and Star Wars, were only the tip of the iceberg for them. After they brought out
the proven hits, they also went and brought out many of the great, but not so popular
titles.
Along with great games, they also had some of the most interesting and successful
advertisements. You would be hard pressed to pick up a game magazine or comic from the era
and not see an ad for Frogger or Popeye. Catchy phrases and clever pictures made these ads
as fun to read then as they are today. When it came to ads, Parker Bros took a back seat
to noone.
While their arcade translations were quite good, their original games were not always so
great. Clunkers like James Bond quickly come to mind. Even the Star Wars series, minus the
arcade game, were only decent. Guess every company must have an Achilles heel. Frogger II
was a good game, but I am unsure if it ever was an arcade game (don't think so, but I am
far from the all-knowing). Spiderman was also a pretty good game, but unfortunately it was
never ported to any other systems. I would have loved to see a Coleco version of the game.
The biggest disappoint with Parker Bros wasn't any of the games. It was the amount of
games they advertised that were never released. Games like Lord of the Rings, Incredible
Hulk and others that were cancelled due to the market crash. I for one would have loved to
see these games and unless someone gets lucky and unearths one, they will just be
pictures.
Here is a partial list of some of the great games that Parker Bros brought home. While
there are numerous others, I just put the ones that came to mind: Q*Bert, Q*Bert Qubes,
Frogger, Frogger II, Super Cobra, Gyruss, Spiderman, Popeye, Tutankham, Star Wars the
Arcade Game, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Amidar.
MAME REVIEWS
A few new versions of MAME have come out and with them a slew of new games. Unfortunately,
I haven't quite figured out how to get the new versions to work. So, I will continue to
review games from the earlier versions. I hope by next issue to have a review of the
previously unreleased Q*Bert game.
Tapper
One of my all-time favorite games is Tapper. The simplicity of sending those brewskis to
the awaiting customers is an enjoyable experience. Nothing like serving happy, patient
customers. At least for the first level. Then as the game progresses, the people get more
and more plentiful and impatient. Soon your quiet little job get very hectic. Before you
know it, you are sending beers everywhere and lots of empty glasses are coming back. If
you don't hurry and get a beer to the guy at the end, he will hurt you real bad. Guess
life as a bartender can be a bit dangerous. I don't remember any of this in
"Cocktail".
It is good to have the original Tapper back. After not playing it for a decade and then
only getting to play the Coleco version, I was happy to plug it into MAME. No more
slinging root beers around. Like a bar would ever get that crowded if you were only
serving root beer. We were kids, but we weren't stupid. I knew it was a beer game and so
did everyone else. Don't advertise alcohol in the video games, but have the ads all over
television. Oh well, at least now I can enjoy the original without any fears as I am of
legal age. I want my Tapper with a frothy head on it!
How good is the MAME version? I didn't realize how good it was until I tried the
Playstation version. First off, those controllers weren't meant for classic games.
Secondly, the people are so small on there. I almost feel like Gulliver looking in on a
tavern in Lilliput. But on MAME, the people are big and colorful! I cannot begin to tell
you what a difference that makes to the game. Plus, for some odd reason I cannot get past
the second stage on the Playstation. I don't know if it is me, the controllers or the
game. But on MAME, I have reached the third stage and will get that fourth one! No aliens
will go thirsty on my shift, no siree!
Once again, MAME comes to the rescue and saves me from playing an inferior version. I do
like my Playstation, but it definitely wasn't made for classic games.
Domino Man
This game is from the same people who did Tapper and the artwork is a dead giveaway. While
the game concept is different, the art style is the same. Same big cartoony people and the
same little touches of humor. This was another of the many games that had slipped from my
memory before MAME brought it back.
Your job is to line up dominoes along the street. Why in the world would you want to do
that in a fairly busy area is beyond me. Maybe your character just likes to cause trouble.
Anyway, you have to set these up and keep them from being knocked down. Your opponents
come in many shapes and sizes from little doggies to big bullies. You use your trusty
domino to smack some and others you just push out of the way. A bit of a rude game, but an
artist need to express himself.
There are multiple levels with you going into different areas like city streets and golf
course. There are many different people moving around and this adds to the joy of the
game. Another nice little touch is that at the end of the game, there is a poem that
changes as you get a better score. A nice little touch that will keep you coming back to
see all the poems.
Another fun little game that will force you to waste time and become unproductive. I do
recommend giving it a go as it is fun. Not as good as Tapper, but not many games are.
Want a Good Classic Game Library?
Out of the many game systems I have owned, one of the best systems for classic games has
to be the Nintendo. Before you flame me, read on. I know it is thought of as the
anti-Atari system and one responsible for taking the good old game industry from the hands
of American companies like Atari and Mattel and instead began the age of the Japanese
games systems that have dominated ever since. Sure it is the system that launched a
thousand side scrolling clones. But it was also a great system for classic games and has
as good if not a better classic game library than the Atari 7800.
I know that many of you hate the joypad and cannot imagine playing classic games with such
a contraption, but there are some fine joysticks available for the system. With these you
can get the feeling and don't have to put up with the uncomfortable 7800 joysticks for the
two button games.
There is also the point that the 7800 is compatible with the 2600 and therefore has more
classic games available for it. While that is true, the quality of some of the 2600 games
is to be questioned. I mean besides MAME, the Nintendo was one of the few sources for some
forgotten classic games. Games like Elevator Action and Donkey Kong 3 never appeared, at
least to my knowledge on any classic system. While these may not be much to you, they are
great games in my opinion. Also where else could you find Mappy and Dig Dug 2?
Check out this lineup and see if you can tell where I am coming from. Granted, some of
these games were only available on multicarts. But multicarts are quite prevalent and the
prices seem to have gone down some.
Here is the list of classic games: Antarctic Adventure (named Penguin Adventure),
Arabian, Arkanoid, Bump n Jump, Burgertime., Defender 2, Dig Dug, Dig Dug 2, Donkey Kong,
Donkey Kong Jr, Donkey Kong 3, Elevator Action, Frontline, Galaga, Galaxian, Gauntlet,
Gauntlet II, Gyruss, Joust, Mappy, Mario Bros, Millipede, Ms Pacman, Pacland, Pacman,
Pacmania, Pooyan, Popeye, Qix, Space Invaders, Xevious. I know there are some I am
leaving out. Overall, I would take this selection over the 7800 library, which has Food
Fight, Robotron and possibly the two player version of Centipede as the only missing gems
not found in the Nintendo library.
Nintendo also offers a bunch of the neo-classic arcade hits like Klax, Rampart, Toobin,
Paperboy, Marble Madness and others that have the feel and fun of a classic game. These
are also some fun games that aren't generally available elsewhere. I know Klax is out for
the 7800 and 2600, but they are extremely rare and expensive.
Then there is the stack of computer games from the classic era that have been ported.
Games like MULE, Archon, Ultima, Bard's Tale and others are given a second life on the
Nintendo. Another great reason to own the quite affordable system with a immense library.
Don't get me wrong, I like the 7800. I think it was a good system that just wasn't given a
fair shake. I mean it sat in a warehouse for a few years before being released and was
outdated when it finally saw the light of day. It was given a less than spectacular
library and had almost no third party support. This is too bad as Atari had a huge library
of games to update and could have had a real nice selection. But it is hard to win a race
when one leg is tied and the competition has been given a big headstart.
To wrap this up, I think the Nintendo offers a great library of games for the classic game
fan and enough other variety to be considered as another gaming option. My best advice is
to find a top load system and get a good joystick. This will make the experience much more
pleasant.
Question of the Month
I missed it last month, but I am ready for it this month. My question is what game did you
really want bad as a kid, but never got it, but when you returned to classic gaming, you
made a point of finding this game?
The game I really wanted bad was Frogger
II:Threedeep. I remember all the ads for the game. Everywhere I looked, I saw ads for the
game. Being a big fan of the original, I really wanted to play the sequel. So when I
returned to classic gaming I looked and looked for the Coleco version as it was my system
of choice. When I finally did stumble onto one, I couldn't wait to get home and play it.
While it wasn't as good as the original, it was still a fun game and one I really enjoyed.
I guess I am still manipulated by ads.
Nickname Faux Pas
As the classic video game market continues to grow, the days of video game shows and
conventions are inevitable. With conventions will come guests as a drawing card. So to
keep you from being embarrassed or insulting, I went to the different classic game
characters and had them compile list of nicknames they do and don't like. Americans love
to give people and video characters cute little nicknames, mostly in good taste. But some
can be insulting and even hurt a person's feelings. So to keep things friendly at upcoming
shows, print off this list and keep it handy. It may save you from being chomped.
Pacman
Acceptable Nicknames-Pacster, Smiley, The King, Chompinator, Chomp
Unacceptable-Yellow Belly, Big Mouth, Mellow Yellow, KC Munchkin, Jaws
Ms Pacman
Acceptable-First Lady of Video Games, Hotlips, Queen of dots
Unacceptable-Mrs. Pacman, Pacman's Old Lady, curves, Pacman in drag
Q*Bert
Acceptable-The Supreme Noser, The Big Q, Snake Killer, Hopalong
Unacceptable-Snozz, Flat Foot, Snake Bait, Foul Mouthed little brat, beak
Donkey Kong
Acceptable-Kong, The Big One, DK, Sir, The Great Ape
Unacceptable-dumb ape, Grape Ape, monkey, Mario's pet (really steams him)
Frogger
Acceptable-Froggie, Lean, Mean and Green, Riveting Ribbiter
Unacceptable-Budweiser Frog, Toad, Croak, Roadkill (he also hates to be asked why he
cannot swim)
V-Stick, serious stick for serious gamers!
The V-Stick
If you play MAME and I am sure many of you do, then you have faced the dilemma of trying
to play classic games with modern joysticks. Needless to say, it usually is less than
desirable. I mean how can you capture the arcade excitement that MAME offers with some
lame joystick or even worse a joypad. So what is a classic gamer to do? Well, there is a
solution and it is called the V-Stick! But before you rush over and buy one, let me give
you the pros and cons.
Pros
First and foremost the stick is sturdy, very sturdy like a tank. It is also big, being
almost two feet across and weighing 8 pounds. We are not talking about any wimpy stick
here. The V-Stick is made from the same materials as an arcade machine and it feels and
works just like one. It really is a sight to behold. The best part is that it has two
joysticks and eight buttons. So you can accurately play dual joystick games like Crazy
Climber and Robotron the way they were meant to be played. If you tried playing either one
with a keyboard, you know the frustration. Also with the ability to have four separate
buttons for a single game, you can easily play classics like Defender that needs multiple
buttons. This stick was especially designed for MAME and other emulators and it shows. It
will quickly become one of your most cherished items and one of the first rescued from a
burning house.
Cons
As with anything in life, there are good and bad points. The biggest problem with the
stick isn't really the stick, but rather the wait to get it. While they say the wait is
6-8 weeks on the web site, it is much longer than that. I had to wait about 15 weeks to
finally get mine and I can tell you that I was bouncing off the walls. I sent a few emails
inquiring about its arrival and surely made a pest of myself. If you can handle the wait,
it is well worth it. Seems there is a major backup in orders as the demand far
outstrips the supply and being a small company they have trouble keeping up with orders.
The second problem is the cost. While it is costly, $79.95 plus shipping, it is well worth
it. The old saying, "You get what you pay for" applies here as it may cost alot,
but you get alot of joystick for your money and a very sturdy and reliable one to boot.
So would I recommend it? I can easily answer YES! IF you are serious about your gaming,
there is no better choice. It is a great stick that will keep you playing for years to
come. Just be prepared for the wait, which may seem extreme, but will be worth it once the
stick arrives. (The V-Stick people quit taking orders for them soon after
this article).
The Many
Faces of......Pacman.
Classic gaming's most popular character had many appearances
during the classic era. He also had just as many sequels and even more clones. But the
original game still has a certain charm. So this month we will rate three of the different
versions of the same game. Which classic system has the best version?
Gold Medal (Atari 5200)-While the
joystick takes a bit to get used to, it looks and plays quite well. The game really shines
on this second generation machine.
Silver Medal (Intellivision)-This one
won by default. With no version on the Atari 7800 or Coleco, it only had one other version
to beat and that wasn't much competition. It plays alright, if you can handle the
Intellivision controllers, which weren't made for games like this. The disc is very poor
for handing mazes and you will lose some lives because of this.
Bronze Medal (Atari 2600)-A bronze
medal is too good for this dog. It is only due to no other versions. This game is Pacman
in name only.
Should There Be a Monthly Price Guide?
I have seen alot of discussion in the newsgroups lately about a monthly price guide for
video games. It seems that since every other collectible has their own regular price guide
that this one should follow suit. Some people want to legitimize the hobby and feel a
price guide is necessary. I personally couldn't disagree more. While a price guide would
help the market grow, it wouldn't be a positive growth. For every person who wants to add
something to the market, you would have a bunch of profiteers coming in and ruining the
experience for everyone. Think you have trouble finding games at flea markets and thrift
stores now, what do you think will happen when the flea market vendors get their hands on
it? If you are in the market solely for money, then it will be fine for you. But if you
like to have the ability to trade and the general friendliness that is still very common
in this hobby, then you will hate this as those will become a thing of the past. Just look
at the baseball card market. Go to a show and see how many kids are trading cards. They
don't! Unlike my youth when we just collected the players and teams we liked and cared
less about value, today's kids are more interested in who is hot and what cards are going
up in value. This will happen here too as many people will come in looking to
make a fast buck.
The only advantage to the market becoming more known is that when more people realize that
there is value to these games, alot of games that may have ended up in the garbage will be
brought out and sold. Some of the lost games and prototypes will surface. There will also
be alot more copies of almost all the games out there. But as good as this is, it will
also mean there will be an overabundance of products once these people move onto the next
hot thing.
While I know that a regularly published price guide is inevitable and that the market will
be ruined, I cannot help but want to preserve it a little longer. I have made alot of
friends in the industry and have done numerous trades. There is a certain magic that
exists here that has been lost from most other hobbies. A magic that is part enthusiasm
and part innocence. Games, much like toys once were, are still looked upon as a form
of entertainment and nothing more. Look how people now buy toys and don't open them
in fear that they will destroy their value. The same will eventually happen with
video games. Once this notion is gone, so will the simple pleasure of video games.
Then another part of our childhood will be destroyed.
While I know that a regularly published price guide is inevitable and that the market will
be ruined, I cannot help but want to preserve it a little longer. I have made alot of
friends in the industry and have done numerous trades. There is a certain magic that
exists here that has been lost from most other hobbies. A magic that is part enthusiasm
and part innocence. Games, much like toys once were, are still looked upon as a form
of entertainment and nothing more. Look how people now buy toys and don't open them
in fear that they will destroy their value. The same will eventually happen with
video games. Once this notion is gone, so will the simple pleasure of video games.
Then another part of our childhood will be destroyed.
Tom Zjaba
(All pictures provided by the Digital Press CD. Possibly one of the best deals out
there. To get your own copy, go to http://www.xnet.com/~skelly/
or http://digitpress.com and order one).