Archive for April, 2009

30 April, 2009 | No comments

Enforcing Lethally with The Justifier!

Early last week I received a bit of junk mail containing coupons to local shops. I disregarded it quickly and left it to sit upon the mail pile. Fortunately, my wife’s curiosity led her to perusing the ad in which was contained coupons to the local geek shop. The place is a real mess and prices very, but you will visit some seedy places to scratch a retro-gaming urge. A buy one get one free offer planned at least a brief part of my Saturday for me.

Entering the shop is a bit intimidating as it feels more like someones long unattended attic. There are treasures sure, but also the chance that Leatherface makes his home somewhere near the old comics in the back. I have it a bit easier as most of the video game merchandise is a straight shot from the entrance. Lately I have been yearning for something fun for the Sega CD I acquired not long ago. This is certainly the saddest portion of this shops games, while the copy of Mad Dog McCree was in good shape I saw little reason to grab it. The friends I brought along for protection though began spreading out and I had to leave the safety of the game aisle that I knew well. Thank goodness for uncharted territory, for sitting atop a pile of God only knows what was a complete in box copy of Lethal Enforcers for the Sega CD. Peering inside and seeing that baby blue Justifier light gun had me immediately return to that copy of Mad Dog McCree.  That is a 2 for 1 that made it all worthwhile.

This is quite a large box, kind of like the ones old Porn VHS would come in (you remember those boxes, you would seem them when you peeked into the Adults Only section of the rental store).  Notice it is rated MA-17, sounds about as naughty as the porn too!

This box was not just to get the notice of perverts though, it had a purpose. So lets see whats inside…

Oh and here is Mad Dog McCree…it is just awful. I do not think ANYONE misses the games of American Laser Games. On the plus side they gave the Sewer Shark team someone to look down on.

Cautions on the use of “The Justifier” (from the Lethal Enforcers manual) Italics below are my personal interpretations…

1. “The Justifier” is a precision instrument. Strong physical impact may break it (they are not really sure). Never hit with it or throw it. (Besides, with the cord attached it will not go far)

2. Do not touch the jack of “The Justifier” or bend or pull the cord strongly (it is just not that kind of peripheral). Do not damage the muzzle, point “The Justifier” at the sun, stop it up, or get it wet. (for good measure we should also avoid feeding it after midnight)

3. When storing “The Justifier”, keep it away from very hot or very cold places. Also keep it out of direct sunlight (for like Dracula, “The Justifier” to will be destroyed by the coming dawn), away from heaters, and away from places that have a lot of dust or moisture. (Basic housekeeping is crucial for “The Justifier”)

4. When cleaning dirt off “The Justifier”, never use thinner, benzene or other harsh chemicals. (Shouldn’t all the other rules prevent dirt enough!)

5. Do not point “The Justifier” at a person (as this will be embarassing for you). Never take it apart or try to rebuild it. (Did you not learn anything from Terminator 2)

6. This product cannot be used with projection TVs, LCD TVs, high-speed scanning TVs, high-definition TVs, or wide TVs.  (Okay so only older TVs, got it!)

7. This product may not work with some old TV models. (in fact any successful functionality is sheer luck and is not endorsed by Konami)

8. Do not use “The Jusitifer” outdoors (as this will embarass your family and friends). It may not work indoors with direct sunlight. (your home requires a roof for successful functionality)

9. While playing the game, do not use an infrared-type remote control device (to turn off the TV or VCR, for example). If used, sometimes the game will not function properly. (that and never, ever cross the streams)

10. If you have any fluorescent lights near the TV screen, “The Justifier” may not function properly. Either move the light or turn it off. (“The Jusitfier” is a fearful of cancer from fluorescent lighting, and fluorescent lighting blocks the power of God)

11. When playing a game that is not compatible with “The Justifier”, always remove “The Justifier” from control jack 2. (Really this is to avoid “The Justifier” discovering your infidelity and causing you much grief, I once left one plugged in while playing Sonic 2. Now “The Justifier” has the kids and the house…that bitch)

Until Next Time, the power is yours…

27 April, 2009 | No comments

Monday Morning MAME Club: Dock Man (Port Man)

A game with 2 possible names and crazy level of intensity. Never has the plight of the dock worker been better captured than in Taito’s 1982 arcade classic. Dock Man has you, the blue collar port man, attempting to catch falling boxes and toss them up onto a ship. Meanwhile, everyone seems to be doing what they can to stop you. Fight against the man and show that a small town boy with big dreams and a heart of gold can stand proud as Dock Man. Both files are HERE and HERE. Grab them up, play them, and then chat it up at the Digital Press.

23 April, 2009 | 1 comment

Sierra Adventure Games in Browser

Sarien.net should be given a huge digital hug for the kindness of giving us classic Sierra Adventures in our web browsers. Even better they are free and can be played multiplayer. Yes multiplayer adventure gaming, weird but true! You will see other players avatars and you can even chat with them, this is great for figuring out puzzles and adding a social element to a genre that has never experienced it. For those with a fear for the social you can still play the games single player, but will be depriving yourself of an interesting experience.

Currently the following titles are available:

Space Quest 1

Space Quest 2

Police Quest

Leisure Suit Larry

The Black Cauldron

Be sure to check it out as there are many other features to experiment with, such as right clicking instead typing for options. Also you can take on the appearance of any sprite in the game. Take a moment to check it out…

22 April, 2009 | 1 comment

Commercial Break: Supersonic Controller

Supersonic is the number one bet
it’s got no wires, it’s the one to get
Arcade action is where you’ll be
Supersonic will set you free!

No wires!

It works with Nintendo, it will do
Games for players one and two
Higher scores is what you’ll see
Supersonic will set you free!

No wires!

Supersonic!

Yes the SuperSonic, I honestly just heard about this controller today. Does anyone remember this thing? Did anyone have one? The claim to get higher scores in the rap seems misplaced as by the NES period kids were normally more concerned with beating the game. I am curious as to what wireless technology this thing used? What batteries did it take? Seeing it allow for unprotected space flight, it must have been amazing…

20 April, 2009 | No comments

Monday Morning MAME Club

This weeks game is Ninja Emaki by Nitchibutsu. Released in 1986, Ninja Emaki is a Commando style top down shooter. Instead of tanks and army men you will be fighting a collection of highly unusual demons and bosses. Be sure to check it out and comment here or at the Digital Press. Get the file here and get to Ninjaing…is that a verb? Well, it should be.

14 April, 2009 | 1 comment

The Kindness of Co-Workers

One important part of the retrogaming hobby is talking about and sharing that hobby. Never should you be concerned about appearances regarding hobbies, adults play with toy trains, collect stamps and a host of other things that someone somewhere would consider silly. Good things can come from a comfortable open appreciation of your hobby. Not only can you make unexpected friends, but you can also end up with one man’s trash that could be your next wonderful treasure.

In the past I have been given the following gaming treasures by co-workers that gave them to me because they knew of my passion. A SNES with numerous boxed games, a complete Virtual Boy with Red Alert, an Atari Jaguar (not sure if this is considered a gesture of kindness though), and numerous other games and accessories all because someone knew what I enjoyed. Just last week I was discussing classic gaming with a co-worker and she said “I have some boxes that were my son’s he does not want them, but I can bring them to you”. She was just happy to get rid of them, me I was more than excited to see what new treasures would be bestowed upon me. Lets take a look at them.

You know looking back at the PlayStation 1 it is weird to see that controller without the analog sticks. This addition was cool, because my collection only has one of the tiny PSones not the original.

Check out that sweet Genesis 2 box, it really is great shape.

All the better because it was packed with the system, 2 controllers and all the hookups. Down to the owners manual (which I have never seen) and the receipt of the purchase. The only thing not in it was that copy of Vectorman, but looking inside this box I am not sure where it would have fit.

This is a close up of the receipt. I am not sure how most of you feel about it, but finding things like this adds so much to collecting. You see the date, the price and where it was bought. Not only is this a history of the system, but an insight into the original owners. I love finding things like this in the antique books I collect as well.

I feel like I just photographed one of these, yes this is Sega Saturn number 2 in my collection. One new thing here is a third party controller and an RF hookup which will give me more options, who does not want a Saturn in multiple rooms?

These are the games that were in the boxes. Starting at the top: A great condition CASE to Gran Turismo, yes only the case, but if you are in need of it let me know and it will be yours. Following the case is 007: Tomorrow Never Dies, Jampack (both for the PS1), Madden 98, Black Fire, Virtua Cop, NHL 98, and Wipeout. Here is the reason for the open cases.

Yup two orphaned cases, lucky for me I have Daytona USA and it is in need of a case so that is solved, anyone need Sega Rally case? Just let me know.  Well that wraps up the kindness of coworkers, people often do not realize what a special gift they have given you. Until next time…wait, why is this Saturn rattling?

Sweet, hidden treasures are the best. Until next time, the power is yours…

14 April, 2009 | No comments

Retro-Forum Funny: The Virtual Gear…

This was a post that I stumbled across in the Digital Press Forums. Great Answer!

jcalder8 Key (Level 9) Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Edmonton AB Posts: 1,960

Quote: Originally Posted by c0ldb33r I’m trying to rearrange my stuff. I want to set my CDX on top of the Wii as they’re the same size. How delicate is the Wii? Could I set the CDX on top of it or will that damage the Wii? It’s not safe at all! They will mate during the night and produce the Virtual Gear. A quasi portable system that is hard on your eyes and eats batteries. Then when you start to play it, it will tell you that a new model is coming out but still expect you to play it until a week later it just disappears and neither system will comment about it. Beyond that the first time you turn it on it will show the demo for a new Zelda game but it won’t actually come out on that system it’ll be pushed back until they mate again. I’d suggest wrapping them in plastic and putting them in separate rooms, I’d also advise not to hook them up to the same TV.

13 April, 2009 | No comments

Monday Morning MAME Club: Jungler

No, the game title is not a typo. Jungler is an arcade title that was released in 1981 by Konami. This game is so popular it does not even have a Wikipedia entry. Fortunately KLOV is always there for us with the details. You will be shooting at enemy ships while growing your own ship longer SNAKE style. The guys at the Digital Press forums never fail to impress with the ability to summon the most of obscure titles. Get the ROM HERE and lets us know what you think.

8 April, 2009 | 2 comments

Commercial Break: Microsoft Return of Arcade

This commercial caught me by surprise and just doesnt seem right. Listen closely to the announcers voice, why does he talk that weird way everytime Pole Position is mentioned? Maybe it reminds him of a club that he once visited and maybe taught him something about himself that he was better off not knowing. I am really glad they show us how to press F9, being one of the higher numbers that one gives me a problem. Finally, does anyone else think that the guy at the end looks like he is trying to dress a bit like the devil? Enjoy!

6 April, 2009 | No comments

Monday Morning MAME Club

Its Monday, and that means time for more arcade classics! This week we are playing a game that is difficult to describe. Rampart was created by Atari in 1990 and is described as a shooter/puzzler on Wikipedia. You build walls and place cannons around a castle in one phase, then fire at boats that are trying to destroy the castle in the second phase. The wall pieces are random and it can be a challenge with the time limits given.

We have 2 Roms this is The First, and this is The Second. Scooterb23 over at Digital Press explained the files as follows: “Now, you may notice 2 ROM files… you need rampart.zip to play, but Rampart was originally a trackball game in the arcade. And while it works with the keyboard…control is a little imprecise at key times. So there’s a joystick version…that’s what the other file is for. So try them both, and tell us what you like better.”

Enjoy and chat it up at the Digital Press or here on RetroGoggles.

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